The End of a Semester

February 5th 2021

The P.A day symbolizing the end of a quad-mester. It was a bitter-sweet finale.

This whole month has been up and down. The classes themselves were terrible, they required zero brain power-for the most part. Which was why it was terrible. But it was nice knowing I wouldn’t have homework.

The main reason I tolerated this semester though, was my friends. I had three of them in my woodshop class and everyday we would facetime and gossip.

I won’t have that anymore.

Class ended yesterday(Thursday) I clicked leave and closed the tab. Then just sat there.

it was done.

Seconds passed until it sunk in. It was done. All those facetime calls. When we worked out during the fifteen minute window, all of it.

I could feel the pit in me open up. I knew I was going to cry and this time I wanted to film it. I don’t know why, it’s not like I was going to post it. But for those few mere minutes, I allowed myself to breakdown.

They were tears of sadness, but that sadness came from happiness, it came from the memories. So just as I had those, I will make more.

We had plans to meet at alexanders at three. Technically alexanders is a school, but there is a park next to it, and so the park is nicknamed alexanders. It is probably the biggest park in the community, and happens to be closest to me.

My friends and I don’t live close together, in fact we are in separate neighborhoods. Which is one sad fact of high school, but we are still close enough to bike to each other or get a drive if it is winter. I was lucky this time as we met close to my house so I could walk.

You have no idea how exited I was, dear reader. After my little breakdown I shot up and picked my outfit, which was jeans, a t-shirt, and a jacket.

It was about 4 degrees out and I was hyped on adrenaline so I headed out with the jacket tied around my waist. It was a brisk walk to the school. But when I saw her car my stomach filled with something better than butterflies.

Octavia got out of the car and headed toward me. It was a anticlimactic meeting. We couldn’t hug. But conversation sparked almost immediately. Lily and charlotte weren’t there yet so we took a lap around, halfway way through we saw Charlotte coming up the path.

We stood on a snow bank for a few minutes, just talking. Then we headed to the front of the school and met up with Lily.

We were finally together.

We took the path through the forest and regretted wearing sneakers instead of boots. School took up most of the conversation as we walked toward the main street, towards Tim Hortans. We stopped at the street light.

“I still can’t believe quad 2 is done, it’s crazy.”

“Ya I know.” I got an idea and smiled, “we should get a end of quad 2 cake!”

“Omg yes!”

AT the end of grade nines first semester, a bunch of us got together and got a cake, we wrote, “exams are done!” on it. We agreed that would be our tradition. Sadly, Covid came and took it from us.

But we decided we would take it back, if only for that day.

I had the free birthday card in my room the store gave me for my birthday (because I work there) so we went all the way to my house and back to the store.

We were so giddy with excitement.

The cake was red velvet.

Lily and Octavia got forks and plates wile Charlotte and I paid. It was a awkward transaction. My hands were so numb from the cold I could barely hold my card. Then the key pad wasn’t sensing my touch!

I had to take off my gloves, but then it said transaction failed! I panicked and thought I put in the wrong password.

“Oh, sorry it timed out, just repeat the transaction.”

Inwardly I heaved a sigh. It just took too long.

We got out of the store without further issues and headed to Tim Hortans where we got food.

We had our fingers crossed that the patio would be open. But as we approached it was clear it was closed.

We all deflated.

“Oh, well, we can just eat a Emerson.”

So that is what we did.

The wind was pushing us as we made our trek to Emerson park. The cars rushed by us an we made a point to stay on the edge of the small side walk. We were too hungry to wait and started eating while we walked.

Our hands were so cold and we laughed at our struggles.

We came up to the top of the bridge and froze.

We laughed/screamed at our idiocy. Just as before, we forgot the side walk ends and we have to walk on the shoulder of the road. The cars didn’t slow down and we rushed across the pavement, getting safe3tly to wear the other sidewalk begins.

It was a special moment.

We sat on the bleachers and opened up the cake.

“Yaaaaa!”

Immediately we took out our phones to get a picture, such teenagers.

Using the small plastic fork I cut the cake, with some struggle.

Then we sat, outside, in the cold, as the sun set, eating cake.

It was a very us thing to do.

We just sat there and talked. I didn’t feel sad once. Not once did I feel out of place. Not once did I feel like I had to hide myself.

That is how I know I found the right people, I love you guys.