My Goodbye Speech

It is my last day of Junior high. Next year I am going o high school and quite honestly I am terrified. I don't know what I want to do with the rest o my life but I guess I am going to have to figure it out. As I scanned the crowd around me, I could see all of my friends standing there. Talking to tearful-eyed parents, or hugging joyful friends as they said goodbye. I have been looking forward to this day ever since I was a little girl. Everyone in all of Rose Water knows what a big deal Rose Water Junior High makes when the 8th graders graduate. It is a big ceremony. Almost like when you graduate from college. Everyone had caps and gowns on and were getting ready to make their way to the stage in a few minutes.

I practiced my speech, again. I had probably practiced it a million times before, but I just wanted it to be perfect. Just then in a blur of blue ropes my best friend Jessica apperead by my side.

"Happy Graduation Lily!" She screamed. I smiled back at her. Jessica had been my best friend since kindergarten, when I blended her my crayons for art class. The bond had been sealed and we were destined to be best friends for life. We hugged and then she asked me, "are you working on that stupid speech again?" I clutched the speech to my chest, and gained shock and hurt.

"It is not stupid." I said. With a duh tone in my voice.

"Uh yes it is." she responded. Then in a sweeter voice she said, "it's great Lily. Your gonna' rock this. Stop worrying about it." I let out a deep breath. It was just one opinion but it felt good to have someone tell me it was good. Even if it was a little bias. I began scanning through it again, and Jessica said, "Oh come on Lil's, put the thing away and enjoy this moment! We are freaking graduating!" she squeled. I lowered the paper from my eyes. She was right. I had been waiting for this moment since I was 5. I might as well enjoy it right? Just then we heard the announcer some over the speakers, "Would all Rose Water Junior High 8th grade student please make their way to the big stage, we are about to start."

"That's us!" We both squeled. We walked towards the stage and again I rehersed the speech in my mind. I saw Frances on my way and I broke off from Jessica for a quick second to say goodbye.

"Hey Frances!" I called out.

"Hey!" Hey she responded, waving her cap while her gown flapped in the wind. I walked closer.

"I just wanted to say good..." and then we were interrupted again by the overhead speakers, "would all speakers please make their way to the front of the stage." I sighed, and turned apologetically towards Frances, who was grinning because she already knew what I was about to say.

"Go ahead."

"Thanks, But I just wanted to tell you goodbye, and that I will miss you." We both smiled and she hugged me tight. Twe both made our way to the stage. The final bell I would ever hear at this school rang out. The ring of a closing era. Like a door shutting close. Ring...ring ...ring the last few I will ever hear. And the ceremony started.

One by one the teachers came up and said goodbye, and how much they would miss all of us. There were whispers, and snickers in the background from the students in the croud waiting to go up on the stage, but they were all ignored, and some were admonished by teachers. All the way up until they announced who was going to be speaking next The honor student in other words me. I walked up the steps and onto the stage.

I walked up to the podiumand put my speech down onto the top of it. Flottening it out as though I could perfect it that way. but when I looked up at the crowd of people in front of me, and thought to myself this isn't the way I want to say goodbye, so I scrunched the speech up. And threw it off of the stage.

"I wrote a speech for today as you guys can see. It was full of the usual we will leave this school with better knowledge and so forth but, I realized that that is not the way I want to leave the school." There were whispers in the crowd at this.

"This school is not perfect, It is not a place without failure. In reality there is plenty of it. There are failures and triumphs. There are friends and enemys. There are easy subjects and there are hard ones. And the school is not perfect. But most of all this school has taught me that in order to succeed you need to try hard. This school gave me the allies and the resources, not only to make it but to thrive. So congratulations class. We had trimphs and failures, A's to F's, but we passed all of those odds and look at us now. Here where we have dreamed of being for years. Ever since we stepped foot into this school. So remember this day, and every day before this. Remember the journey up to here and look brightly towards the future. With every failure you learn a lesson , and with every lesson you are so much closer to a truimph. You will here 100 no's before you here a yes. So remember the failures and remember the triumphsBut most of all congratulations Rose Water Junior High. You've earned it!" And with that everyone stood up, erupted in aplause, and threw there caps up into the air. I did it, I said goodbye in the way I wanted to and there is nothing more to it.