High school graduation is chaos in its true form. Our valedictorian was a friend of mine, a guy who we all expected to die of a stress induced heart attack by thirty, and his speech was very good, which was to be expected.

The time afterwards was bittersweet. I had to say goodbye to many people, people I had known for years. Granted, some of them I would not miss at all but at the time it was all so sad. I didn't want to lose people but I still had to get out of that town. And I was. I was leaving for Oregon in September to start the new stage in my life. Other people were going other places.

Including Eli.

We had no clue when we would see each other again, if ever. It was all so final and I was so overwhelmed and spent the next couple days wishing I had said more. He was off to Columbia to start his Pre-Med program a week later and I was left not knowing if I should even try to keep in touch. It looked like we were no longer involved in any way.

Luckily, fate had other plans.

"So I guess this is it.¨

¨Seems like it.¨

¨It's so weird that so many of us have known each other for so long but no we don't know if we're going to see each other ever again.¨

¨You do realize that you basically just described graduation, right?¨

¨I know. I just don't like it.¨

¨No one does.¨

¨Where are you going to school again?¨

¨Columbia. It will help me get into their medical school after I finish my bachelors. You?¨

¨University of Oregon."

¨Across the country.¨

¨Yeah.¨

¨...¨

¨This is weird.¨

¨How is hugging someone you've known for years weird?¨

¨I don't know, our whole relationship is weird.¨

"You can say that again."

"So I guess this is it."

"I guess so."

"Have a nice life, Eli."

"Have a nice life, Jules."