It’s that time again. Friday. Even in the summer it’s the best day of the week. When you wake up, something is different about Fridays. The air smells different, breakfast tastes better. Even the monster pile of dirty laundry in the corner looks a tad bit smaller. Yes, this is Friday.

Welcome to the end of the week, where excitement can be felt in the air and troubles are far far away. School is almost over for the week, and Dad is almost finished with work. You’re one week closer to being free. The people who usually annoy you to kingdom come don’t seem so bad today. You grin and wave to everyone. The teachers are nicer, the cafeteria food is edible, and math class seems to take half the time it usually does.

You daydream about all the things you want to do: Take a loooong shower, stay up late, write a book. Fly. You promise yourself that you will accomplish so much this weekend. You’ll do all your homework as soon as you get home. You’ll finally write that paper for civics class. You will be amazing. You will redecorate your room, hang out with friends, maybe even go to the beach! You can’t wait for the clock to tick out the last seconds of the day, for the bell to ring-a-ding, the sound of freedom.

You stare at the clock, thinking that if you look at it hard enough, time will speed up. Everyone else in the room is doing the same, and you feel the tension, the just-one-more-minute feeling that knots your stomach up and makes you squirm in your seat. Everyone is holding their breath. You count down the seconds; ten … nine … so excited! … seven … six … almost there … four … three … almost … one … FREEDOM!

You and 25 others scramble out of the classroom, joining the crowd of students in the hall. You wade through a pool of kids buzzing with the joy that only comes on Friday afternoons.

As you walk home or ride the bus or get picked up by your parents, you can’t wait to do all the things you promised yourself you would do. And as you walk up the driveway, into the house, and up to your room, you know it will be the Best. Weekend. Ever.

Until you realize suddenly it’s Sunday night, and Monday is just around the corner.

But don’t worry. There are plenty more Fridays to come.