My heart races faster than normal as I sat down while the graduation started. As I wait for the other team to finish I think about all the good times I had throughout middle school. I think of the time when we were all goofing off in class and Mr. Elizondo just plain joined in. This thought suddenly brought a burst of happiness straight into my heart. As each name gets called the line gets shorter and shorter, my heart beats faster and faster.
When the Hetrick/ Eggleston team finished giving out their “diplomas” (which I later found out were just rolled pieces of paper), I knew it was my teams turn, the Staff/ Holmes team. I remember how we practiced this specific moment for over an hour trying to get it right. “This is almost monotonous” I thought to myself. As they introduce our team we all stand up, and get in line in an abecedarian fashion.
“Smile!” says my friend’s mom as she takes a picture of me from the side of the line. As the camera flashes my eyes are suddenly blinded, but only for a few seconds. As the vision in my eyes comes back, my vision is flooded with black dots. I rub my eyes and open them again to see everything as clear as ever.
“Eric Simpson” Mr. Holmes calls from the podium.
Adrenaline rushes into my veins and I jump up on the stage, almost running towards Mr. Holmes to grab my “diploma”. He throws out his arm to give me a good hand shaking. I respectfully deny it and instead give him a big hug. As I start walking off he gives me a nice pat on the back. As I am walking back to my seat I see my parents, giving me a congratulatory nod. I sit back down feeling good. At that moment I realize that as I pass into high school, my life will never be the same again. Emotions swell up in my brain, overpowering every muscle in my face and my eyes suddenly tear up with the fact that all of these people, all of my friends, will all be going in different directions, off to different high schools and their life as young adults. Although I take comfort in the fact that a lot of my friends will be going to the same high school as me, the infamous High Tech High Media Arts.
