“Congratulations!”

The bittersweet words come from my mother’s lips as I heave a sigh of relief. 

It is nice to be finally done with high school. All the projects, assignments, tests, and quizzes that I’ve done slip into the back of my mind— never to be thought of again. Not having to deal with the workload or drama of high school is enough for a simple smile to rest on my face. 

But, as I look around and hear the laughter of my classmates, seeing their impossibly-big smiles, I can’t help but feel a sense of regret. All the things I didn’t get to do, parties I didn’t get to attend, people I never got to meet. 

If there’s one thing I learned from attending Arrowhead high school, it’s that time flies by. My years are melting away like snow in the spring. I want to think back on the best years of my life with no regrets. 

Four years of my life that are so crucial to my development. Four years that felt like only three months. 

I wanted to rip off my cap and demand my life back, to plead and beg for it to let me stay young forever. 

But I only stood still. Staring at the diploma in my shaking hand. Watching my best friends laugh together. Seeing faces for the last time. 

At full force, I feel the end of my youth rushing toward me, but it’s too late, I can’t run or hide. The only thing I can do is smile and avoid the fact that my life is running away from me.