Those Who Left

Memories In The Photos

In all actuality, it was a painful end. The last show signified our last moments to be together, to not be the strangers we promised to not be. It's been really hard to say goodbye.
Now the year started off rough. None of us liked each other and we had never realized the impact we had made on eachothers lives. They never took into account that just being a little freshmen meant that i needed role models. Too bad they didn't like us at first.
Thinking back on that time reminds me of hell. The hell they put us through, making it seem like none of us belonged in the clique they'd be used to for years.
chorale, 2017. We walked into class ready to sing, ready to start off a new year. But with one side heavy of upperclassmen, we felt as though they outcasted us because of our rank on the charts. It didn't matter to them whether we had the talent, we didn't have the age. The first impression that made us all want to crawl back into the hole that was our middle school year. Trying to connect with the rest of them over the next two weeks failed miserably. They're were just so many of us trying to fit in. But they weren't ready to make room. Snarky comments filled the side that was our superiors. We resented them from day one. We hated them for the hell they made our first week. But now we understand the fear they had of the incoming class as we now share that same fear. But it is up to us to make sure they new freshmen do not feel the same way. For the sake of that one freshy whose scared to come to the school, who needs a mentor. We will have to be those mentors, even if we hold the fear of being replaced. We must warm up to them as our role models had to warm up to us. We don't want the nest best thing because we are content with being the next best. We aren't ready to let go of being freshmen, not yet.
Show Choir, 2017. Outcasts all over again. Jumping into a new songs without an introduction was the most overwhelming time of our lives. We didn't know if it would be worth it. But it was. Might sound lame but show choir presented itself as the time of our lives. Our upperclassmen warmed up to us, but like we feel now. They weren't ready to let go of those who left, they didn't want to open their hearts to the new. But that made us feel like we had no place in the school. So i worked, harder than i ever had. I was determined to prove myself and establish a rank that i hadn't even earned yet. But i was going to work my butt off for it. Day and night i was going to work until they saw something in me. Because of my dance background i was placed in the front for concerts. No solos but just as much a chance to shine, that was where it started. We became dependable, we all formed bonds. We created our own family that none of us thought possible. Some of you felt like older siblings that we had just met again, we will never be letting any of you out of our minds. Thank you to all of you for everything you have done for us, but what you have placed into our hands may be greater than being our friends.
The Little Mermaid 2018, being cast as one of the two freshmen leads blew me away. I had convinced myself that everyone hated me because i was a freshmen who got the part instead of an upperclassmen. I was worried that everyone felt i didn't deserve the role that had been placed into my hands. That wasn't the case, i was thrown back into a place that has always been my home and that wouldn't have been possible without our role models. We were welcomed with open arms, those who left became our mentors. We became their biggest fans. During rehearsals we all got to know each other, form stronger bonds. Miss each other even though nothing had come to an end yet. We started wishing we all had more time. Opportunities arose and my highschool career was finally taking off, with those who left by my side. Sharing in these special moments, moments i will never get with the same group of people again. Even if i wasn't quite liked at the beginning, i always looked up to all of those who left. They are and always will be our biggest role models. Though others might not have the pleasure of knowing them in the way we did, we cannot forget the people that they are for, they helped shape us into the people we are today. We owe them the world just as they owe us a promise. Never forget we are here, because we are. If we shoot you a text asking about college life, please answer. You may want to let it all go, but we are not. After getting to know all of those left, those memories cannot go to waste.
If we are going to remember anything good from our freshmen year, it will be the people. Memories will not fade for we still carry them strong. Our memories don't just exist in the photographs, but in our hearts. Looking back we remember every word and every word has a picture to go with it. Not the other way around. Memories will come in flashbacks and floods but they will never go away. Whether or not communication continues just know that none of us will forget the ones who left. For it is the ones who left who kept our memories in our minds and out of the photographs.