Small-Town

Memories

"Where are you taking us?" Rylee asks. 

"It's a surprise" I laugh. 

"And we have to be blindfolded why?" Claire asks. 

"Because it's a surprise now stop talking!" Kayla snaps. 

"Okay! Okay!" Claire laughs. 

We walk a few more steps and then we taking off Rylee and Claires blindfolds. 

"A football field picnic!" Emmet smiles. 

Claire smiles and laughs a little "What's the occasion?" 

"Well, we know you two are going through stuff, Claire you're leaving soon and broke up with Sam, Rylee is going to have a baby soon, so, we decided to do something fun!" Zach explains. 

Rylee smiles "You guys are the best" 

"We know!" Emmet says, pretending to toss his hair. 

We all laugh then sit down on the blanket. 

"There are so many memories here" Claire smiles, looking around "Not only here, but in this whole town" 

"Remember when we first met?" I ask "1st grade, Mrs. Lincolns class?"

"How could I forget, I took the football you and your friends were playing with at recess and you told the teacher, snitch" Claire laughs. 

"And then you had to sit by the wall" Emmet laughs. 

"You were my enemy from that day on" Claire smiles, taking a sip from her Gatorade. 

"She got me back by "Accidentally" tripping me in gym class" I Say, putting air quotes around accidentally. 

"That was a actual accident!" Claire defends. 

"Mhm, sure it was" Zach says, rolling his eyes. 

"Remember when we met Kayla? She was 56 pounds of pure hatred" Emmet states. 

"Okay! That's not my fault" Kayla states. 

"Sure it's not" Claire laughs "You hated everything and everyone" 

"I literally remember nothing from elementary school" Rylee states. 

"I remember when you fell down some of the stairs and somehow only broke your arm" Zach smiles. 

Rylee laughs and takes a bite of her pizza. 

"I remember almost dropping her at cheer camp" Claire says.

"That felt like the end of my life" Rylee says.

I smile. 

This group of people will never be the same after we graduate. 

Kayla and Rylee will still be stuck in sucky high school, Rylee doubling as a mom. Zach got a football scholarship and is moving to Kentucky. I also got a football scholarship but will only be a few hours away. Emmet is moving after graduation to California. And Claire is leaving in 2 weeks, which we all know will be going by fast. 

I just wanted everything to freeze. 

I didn't want anything to change. 

They are my friends and now who knows when we will see each other after we all leave. 

From 1st grade-12th grade, all gone, it's like none of it mattered because the moment we all left was inevitable.

This wasn't even the hardest part. 

I knew the goodbyes were going to be the worst.