I sit in the hall with hundreds of other students in my year. There's rows and rows of separate desks with only one student seated at each one. I stare up at the clock that ticks at a painfully slow rate.

Finally, the examiner takes a stand, still checking her watch. I hear her heels click against the floor, then hear her land-yard tap against the buttons of her cardigan.

"You can start," she tells us in a soft voice.

I open my paper, and hear the same sound echoing from all directions of the room. Everyone picks up their pens, reads the questions and then scribbles down their answer.

As I write on my paper, I keep thinking about the fact that I leave in a month. No more school, no more teachers, no more loud and annoying students. No more timetables, no more PE, no more detentions, no more bathroom gossips, no more tutor. I'll never experience this again. It happens once in a lifetime, for such a short amount of time compared to all the years I have left. The thought is so deep and scary that my lungs actually start to tighten.

When the exam is finally over, I find Liliana and give her a massive hug. She chuckles, both comforted and confused at the same time.

"What's this for?" she asks.

"Nothing," I tell her, smiling over her shoulder. "I just want to appreciate the moment while we still have it."

"I'm not dying. You're not dying, are you?" she gasps.

"No. We just won't see each other as much as we do now."

"Of course we will. We'll have more time once school is finished."

I shake my head. "Not when we get jobs."

Realisation sets over her expression and her eyes grow teary once reality kicks in. She pulls me back in for a hug that I melt into, wanting to stay in this moment forever, but also wanting it to move on so I can live my life and see where it takes me in the future.

"You've ruined my mascara," she tells me while sniffling.

I pull back and wipe the tears from her cheeks, smiling. "It looks great, don't worry."

After wiping her nose, she smiles back at me and shakes her head, not believing what I tell her. "Liar."

"I don't lie, you know that."

"I see you lie everyday."

We link arms and walk down the corridors to get some fresh air outside. "Only to teachers. Never to you."

Hayden and Ricky are already sat on the wall, waiting for our arrival. As soon as Ricky sees us, he hops off the wall and hurries over to where we stand, seemingly almost jumping out of his skin. Surprisingly it's not Liliana who he's aching to see. It's me.

"Guess what," he almost shouts.

I raise my eyebrows at his sudden and loud voice. "What?"

"I'm starting an apprenticeship in the summer."

"But college doesn't start till September," Liliana says.

I glance over at her and notice the slightly broken expression on her face. Part of her had hoped that we would all stay together through college, even though it wasn't looking possible when both boys expressed their desire for different plans. It hadn't fully sunk in for her...until now.

"They said I can work over the summer to get the hang of things. But...guess where I'm working." He's grinning now...at me.

"Where?"

"With your brother."

My eyes widen and my lips part slightly. Some sort of excitement bursts at the thought of my friend working with my brother. They already get along, but it would be amazing to see them grow closer together. My brother would tell embarrassing stories about me for sure, but Ricky isn't the type to judge. He'll make fun of me and wind me up, but at the end of the day, he'll always give me a hug and make sure I'm okay.

"No way," I say.

Ricky nods his head and shows off a proud smile. "He was the one who interviewed me. We had a right laugh."

"Is that so."

"Mhmm."

"Are you going to a different college?" Liliana asks quickly.

Ricky finally looks at her and takes the time to scan her face, finally realising what she's feeling and why. "No way. Couldn't leave you, could I?" He wraps his arm around her shoulder and gives her a knuckle sandwich. Liliana attempts to push him away, but it doesn't work.

"What about you, Hayden?" I ask. He looks over from where he sits at the wall, picking at his orange peel.

"What about me?"

His voice is so quiet that I have to inch closer.

"What are you studying in September?"

I jump up onto the wall so I'm sitting beside him.

"I'm not," he tells me.

"What? What do you mean?"

"I'm getting a job."

My heart is the one that sinks this time. "A job? So you won't be coming to college?" I try not to show the disappointment in my voice.

Hayden shakes his head, making his blonde hair fall further in front of his eyes. I have the urge to run my hands through it to fix it up and feel it's softness, but I never do it. Hayden would never forget it. He would probably gawp at me for hours on end and blush as red as a tomato.

"No. I can't stand school. The people are awful, the teachers are even worse." Hayden stops himself and looks at me. "Some people," he corrects himself. "I like working Saturdays at the supermarket, so I've asked if they can take me on full time."

"And they've said yes?"

He nods, and suddenly this moment in time comes crashing down around me. This world that we currently know will no longer be habitable in a month. We won't spend everyday together, we'll no longer sit on this wall and gossip and share snacks.

It's the only thing I hate about leaving this place.

"Looks like it's just you and me," Liliana says to me.

I try to smile, but there's a sadness spreading across my chest. I'll miss Hayden. I'll miss Ricky.

"Hopefully we'll have the same days," I tell her.

"Shame we won't be in the same class. Are you sure you don't want to study childcare?"

I smirk and shake my head. "No way. Art is the only subject I'll consider taking. There's nothing else I like."

"Art? You hardly ever complete the work?" Ricky scoffs.

"That's because of the teacher. She always has something to say about it and something to add. I always draw and paint at home. I love it."

"As long as it's what you want to do, that's all that matters," Hayden tells me, smiling sweetly.

I smile back before wrapping my arm around Hayden and the other around Liliana who sits next to me. She wraps hers around Ricky to include him in this special moment. We stare out at the grass field that's brighter due to the sun blaring down on it. It looks the same as it did on my first day here. I still remember walking up those steps, holding hands with Liliana, our hair up in matching braids that her mum did for us. We were nervous for the new journey ahead of us, but as long as we were by each other's side, we were brave and strong. We were fearless. Eventually Hayden and Ricky joined us, and we felt invincible.

Five years flew by. We never thought the day would come. We were so lost in the moment, constantly longing for school to end, that we didn't appreciate the good times; the memories that we'll try to grip onto for the rest of our lives.

"I love you guys," I tell them in a hushed voice as I stare at the scenery, getting lost in its beauty.

* * *

"Hey, kiddo," my dad greets me when I come downstairs for the first time since I rushed up to my bedroom as soon as I arrived home.

I give him a small smile and pull the sleeves of my hoodie further down so I have something to fiddle with.

"What's up?" he asks.

I shrug my shoulders and sigh. "Just a little down."

"Want to talk about it? I'm all ears." He leans back in his chair and waits for me to talk.

I sigh again and sink into myself. "I'm leaving school next month."

"You were always wishing for that day to come."

"I'm going to miss everyone," I confide in him. "Are you still friends with anyone you went to school with?"

"One person," he tells me truthfully. "It's different for everyone. But in my experience, everyone got their own different lives. We didn't have as much time for each other, that caused friendships to fall apart, other friendships were lost because others matured more than some."

"Doesn't that upset you?"

He sticks out his bottom lip, thinking to himself, before he shakes his head. "I'm sure my younger self would be upset, but it just happened slowly over time. I never even realised until I looked back. But I was okay with it. I met people along the way—amazing people, who I wouldn't trade for anything."

"I hope I don't lose Liliana."

My dad shakes his head and reaches his tanned hand over the table, grabbing onto my own. He rubs the pad of his thumb against my skin in a comforting way. "I've watched you and Liliana grow up together. There's no way you'd grow apart. She's basically half of you. You're joined at the hip."

His words pull a smile onto my cheeks as I remember all the moments Liliana and I have shared together. We would force our parents to hang out and then we'd hide and watch, giggling as our plan worked and they became friends.

Who knew we'd make it so far?