I knew it was the last time I would see him. This ominous thought clouded the rowdy excitement that surrounded me as I made my way through the throngs of people crowding the narrow corridors. They all seemed so happy-- couples kissing passionately in shadowy corners, best friends suffocating each other in warm embraces, classmates signing yearbooks and swapping phone numbers, students waving goodbye to their favorite teachers, teachers exchanging relieved glances with one another. I would have given anything to be one of them in those first few moments after the final bell on the last day of school.

I rounded the corner and slowly walked past Mrs. Desmond’s classroom, my steps small and reluctant as I tried to take my time, savoring my final moments in the school that had become my second home over the past nine months. I fought my instincts and refused the urge to look inside the empty classroom, but somehow I knew it looked just the same as it had on the first day of school. The memories of that life-altering day rung clearly in my occupied mind.

***

I had nervously trudged into the classroom feeling numb to the back-to-school festivities that surrounded me. I was certain that this year would be just as lonely and horrible as all the years before. I took a seat near the back of the classroom and tried my hardest to blend into the flurry of reuniting friends and classmates in which I was silently forbidden to participate. I was the outcast-- the quiet nerd with an awkward disposition that had always prevented me from socializing even if I so desired. Then the unimaginable happened. None other than Jeremy Palmer, one of the most handsome, suave boys in school, strode over to my lonely island and took a seat next to me, introducing himself and beginning a conversation. His friendly charisma brought out a confident side I never knew I possessed. That one conversation turned into many, and soon we were best friends. We were not dating, although I sometimes wished we were, but we were best friends nonetheless.

***

Now, at the conclusion of the best year of my life, I was faced with my most difficult challenge yet. Worse than any awkward conversation, more painful than any rude remark: I had to say my final “goodbye” to the person whose first “hello” changed my life forever. As I continued my somber trek to the tree where Jeremy and I had agreed beforehand to meet, a tidal wave of emotions washed over me. Longing, sadness, regret, reluctance, nostalgia, and a hundred other sensations pierced my soul like a lightning bolt. Then I saw him standing with his hands in the pockets of his khakis, a stoic expression plastered over his usually cheerful face. When our eyes met, I felt my wavering heart shatter into a trillion minuscule shards within my chest.

“Hi, Jeremy,” I whispered, my voice cracking with emotion as I said the name I’d grown to love.

“Hey, Adelaide,” he replied, my name rolling perfectly off his tongue, his voice like a beautiful symphony wrapped into three syllables. I hated my full name, but as Jeremy did said it right then, the remains of my broken heart melted into a pool of sorrowful adoration.

“So...” I stuttered as I wiped a stray tear from my bloodshot eye. “I guess this is... goodbye.” My resolve to stay calm shattered as I forced out the last word, and I felt a fresh wave of tears well up behind my eyes, like an army of vicious soldiers determined to destroy me.

Jeremy nodded, his windblown blond hair glistening in the California sunshine. “I guess it is,” he answered, his deep voice filled with a resounding melancholy that shook me to the core. Before I could come up with a reply, Jeremy reached into the pocket of his trousers and pulled out a small velvet box. He extended his hand, beckoning me to take it.

I silently accepted the gift, allowing a moment’s hesitation before undoing the clasp. A shocked gasp escaped my lips as the lid popped open, revealing the most exquisite necklace I had ever beheld. Its golden chain caught the sunlight perfectly, reflecting its angelic glow across the grass. Neatly tucked between the folds of velvet that enclosed it sat a small golden pendant in the shape of a heart. My hand trembled as I gently pulled the necklace from the box, using the utmost caution to protect the shimmering medallion. As I carefully handled the gift, I caught a glimpse of text in the midst of the precious metal. I squinted to make out the phrase “Don’t cry because it’s over; smile because it happened,” engraved in a neat scrawl across the face of the pendant.

Speechless, I threw my arms around his neck, finally permitting the onslaught of tears to overtake me. Jeremy returned the gesture, pulling me in close and steadying my shaking figure in his strong embrace. We remained like that for what seemed like eternity. A pleasant, euphoric eternity. Memories from the past year-- the shenanigans we pulled, the school projects we partnered up on, the lunchtime laughter, the after-school hangouts, the late-night phone calls- began to envelop us in a blissful oblivion, seeming so real and tangible that I felt that if I were to reach out, I might be sucked back into the past. For that one perfect moment, I forgot about fate. I forgot about the future and the past and wholeheartedly embedded my soul into the present, for as I stood there with my head in his chest, I was home.

***

Now, as I sit here on the crowded airplane, I finger the necklace given to me by my best friend. As I run my fingertips across the cool metal, a warm, serene sensation wells up in my heart, filling my entire being with a perfect peace. My eyes drift to the engraving on the pendant, and the truth of that statement finally clicks in my head, like a lightbulb switching on and filling me mind with the divine light of hope. The memories I’ve made and the people I’ve met here will never leave me. They will accompany me forever, even as I am thrust into this new, uncertain future. A radiant grin begins to form on my countenance, and I find myself smiling... smiling because it happened.