As a student, I understand how each day of school works. Students adapt quickly to new schedules. We quickly become bored with a schedule. Throughout the year, we watch the world change. We see the season’s change from fall to spring. We see trees in our front yard lose their colorful leaves only to regrow green leaves. In the fall, we stomp on the brittle leaves and see them crumble apart. In the winter, we walk on the soft snow and look at the imprint left behind. In the spring, we run on the grass. We also enjoy the breaks from school. We leave the difficult homework and the stressful tests. But in school, everything is the same. And even though sometimes it is fun, I can’t wait for summer break.

Today is another day of school. I sit up and groggily rub my eyes. I get dressed, eat breakfast, and get ready for the school bus. The sun is shining radiantly on me. Today is no ordinary day. It is the last day of school. The school bus comes around the corner, flashing red lights everywhere. I board on it.

“Good Morning!” the bus driver exclaims. “Can you believe that it is the last day of school? It’s amazing how time flies.”

“It sure is,” I reply.

I go to my seat, seat nineteen. It is a green leather seat like all the other ones. I take my heavy backpack off my weary soldiers and sit down. A few minutes later, my friend Jack sits next to me.

“Can you believe it?” he asks. “It’s finally the last day of school. Then there will be no homework for three blissful months. I can’t wait.”

“I can’t believe it,” I honestly tell him. “It has been some time since the beginning of school. I can hardly remember it. I feel like I’ve been in this grade forever. Now we’re going to be getting out. I can’t wait!

“Me neither,” he says. “But, I guess I won’t be seeing you for three months.”

“What?” I am bewildered. “What’s happening? You aren’t moving, are you?”

“No dummy,” Jack laughs. “I said three months, not forever! I’m only going on vacation.”

“That’s nice,” I say, relieved. “Where are you going?”

“I think we’re going to Italy, but I’m not sure. We’re going to Europe, but my parents won’t tell me anything else. I wish I could bring you, but you have your tennis tournament. Good luck and I hope you win.”

“Thanks,” I say.”

We arrive at school. I get off the bus and lug my backpack to my locker. The locker is empty. I take the contents out of my bag. They are all textbooks, and I have to return them to my teachers. I set them in my locker and leave for homeroom. There our teacher tells us what we are going to do today. Since it is the last day of school, there is no work to finish. To start the day, we have to receive our academic certificates. We all file out of our classrooms and walk to the auditorium while talking to our friends.

“Hey Daren,” I say as I greet my friend.
“Hey man, what’s up,” he replies.
“The roof,” I say. He rolls his eyes, and we sit down on the bleachers.
We don’t receive any fancy diplomats; we just get a piece of paper that says what we did on it. I’m not part of any club. I play tennis almost every day, but I don’t play anything school-related. The only certificate I receive is for the Honor Roll. I receive the award every year, so I’m not surprised or disappointed. I impatiently wait as the principal announces a never-ending list of certificates. The ceremony finally ends, and the students leave the auditorium. Daren walks next to me.
“Doesn’t it seem like the year just started,” Daren asks.
“Not really,” I say. “I feel like I’ve been here forever.”
“Well,” he says. “You have been in this grade for nine months. What did you expect?” And he’s right. What did I expect?
During the next few hours, I returned my textbooks to my teachers. My periods were shorter, so all I did was turn in the book and talk with my friends. It was fun, and some of the teachers gave us candy. After all the periods are over, we return to the auditorium to see the talent show. There are only ten people performing. I watch as the people sing, dance, and play instruments. The people weren’t bad, but they weren’t great. One of the people was messing up so bad that I couldn’t watch it. He looked embarrassed at his failure, but we clapped for his efforts. The talent show ended a half hour before the school ended.
“Hello kids!” boomed a deep voice. It filled the whole auditorium. “Another school year has just whizzed past, hasn’t it?”
A few mumbled groans filled the room, which I found ironic. I’m sure that the teacher who was talking wouldn’t want to hear that.
“Well, it didn’t for me,” the teacher said cheerfully. “I had a lot of fun this year, and I’m sure you did too.”
More mumbled groans filled the room.
“And I’m sure you’d like to see this slideshow of pictures we put together!” the teacher rushed. The lights dimmed and a projector displayed the slideshow on the wall. There were pictures of classes and some “cool” kids being goofs, but nothing other than that. I wasn’t in any of the pictures, and I’m sure half of the school wasn’t in them too. After twenty-five minutes, the lights came back on, and the teacher came to the floor to start talking to us again.
“How was it?” he asked.
The kids clapped as a reply. I think that teacher actually looked relieved that something was going right.
“Are you ready for the summer?” he asked.
Now there was a question that we were waiting to be asked.
“Yes,” we spoke.
“I can’t hear you,” the teacher teased.
“YES!” we yelled. Our answer bounced across the room. I’m sure a person a mile away could have heard us.
“CLASS DISSMISSED!” he yelled, without the need for a microphone.
We raced to gather the remains of our school year from our locker. I grabbed my backpack and raced to the bus. The bus driver was overwhelmed by the number of screaming kids running onto the bus. The bus was filled with yelling and laughing. When I sat in my seat, I realized that Jack wasn’t there. He always beats me to the seat. He must have left for vacation. I hope he had fun.
The busses seemed to drive faster on the road. It was as if the bus drivers wanted us off the bus as soon as possible. Already I was missing school. I wasn’t going to see my friends for three months. Jack was going to Europe and Daren to who know where. I was going to miss all my dictator teachers. I wouldn’t see them for a long time. I guess school isn’t so bad. I know that sounds weird, but it was actually fun while it lasted. I enjoyed beating my friends on tests and laughing at their bad grades. School was also an excuse to complain about homework and the lack of sleep. But I would finally get what I want, I would get more sleep for once. I wouldn’t get homework or tests or projects. I wouldn’t have to take notes. Above all, I would have my own schedule. I would never need the same schedule for more than two days during the whole summer. But what would take place of school? Because as a kid, I understand how each day of summer works.