We Knew This Day Would Come

A Story by Emily

This short story takes a look into the minds and feelings of a group of college twenty-somethings about to graduate and embark on a new, and intimidating, slice of life. This talk about their time tog

As the last bar stool screeched up to the counter the whole group seemed to let out one big sigh in unison. Was it just a release of breath, a symbol of absolute exhaustion or something else entirely? These five friends sat in silence for a while exchanging glances.

Looks of discomfort. Looks of longing. Looks of frustration. Looks of confusion. Looks of hope and adoration. Looks of possibilities.

Of course they all knew that this reality would always sneak up on them. Of course these five former children knew they couldn’t actually escape to Neverland as they had naively planned many many moons ago. They exchanged one more look that seemed to capture the ultimate acceptance of their new reality while simultaneously incorporating their shared fear and the half-forced bright outlook.

James spoke up first as he gulped down the rest of his whiskey,

“Four years flew by damn fast.”

“Hell- twenty-three years have gone by pretty damn fast”

Kelly chimed in as she motioned politely for another beer. Nicole’s bright blue eyes widened as she let out one more heavy breath, heavier than before and meekly explained...

“Obviously we all knew this day would come...”

Her delicate voice trailing off as if a gust of wind had carried it away before starting again…

“But man those five ripe eighteen year olds joking and laughing through orientation seemed so...untouchable.”

“It really felt right though, like this place would be our forever. Silly but infinite!”

Alex sang out.

“C’mon fools, this is a momentous occasion, for some of us more so than others!” He laughed and jokingly motioned towards James.

“And I don’t want to see any of you blubbering on tomorrow afternoon; especially not before my mom snaps our picture.”

Pierce laughed and stuffed some pretzels into his mouth.

“Oh shut up Pierce, your insensitivity never ceases to amaze and impress me” Nicole insisted and stood up. She made her way over to play that Fleetwood Mac song they all knew so well. The whole gang let out a chuckle and began to hum along.

James broke up the song with this declaration:

“At least most of you know what you want...at least you’ve got a plan...med school...law school....accounting firm.” motioning to Pierce, Alex and Nicole.

“That doesn’t necessarily mean we’re glad about it either! I feel like my whole life is beginning and ending all at once. I feel young enough to run wild but old enough to know better...or something” Nicole’s voice muttered out.

“Right right and I don’t even think that’s what I want for my life. All these years we’ve had people showing up and encouraging us and explaining the next step; go to grade school then go to high school and make sure you’re readying yourself and your resume for college...college college college! The importance of college...and now we’re just being set free. I don’t know how exactly I feel about that.” Alex’s face dropped a bit and he reached for his water. Nicole, always the nurturing one squeezed his arm and began rubbing his back gently, knowingly. She chimed in: “Yeah I feel exactly what y’all are talking about, worked so hard for so long to get here. Never got to realizing what’d it be like when it was finished...happy graduation?” She half smiled and raised her smudged glass of cheap wine. Kelly shrieked,

“I’ll drink to that! CHEERS”

She smacked her bottle of Blue Moon into Nicole’s glass.

“C’mon you sad sacks. I’m freaked too, but look at all you gloriously dysfunctional and beautiful people, loves of my life! I’m scared as hell but I’m glad too. So glad to have been through all this craziness and now we’re got great friends, great stories, great lessons...and sure most from outside the classroom, but hell now we’ve got diplomas too!”

“Watch out world, we’re coming for you!” James laughed harder and spilled half of his whiskey.

“Keep it together over there James, you’ve gotta pick up our dry cleaning before noon tomorrow!” Debbie teased, and followed up with a serious “I mean that though” look. They all laughed again before they fell silent.

“Well I’ve been afraid of changing, ‘cause I built my life around you, but time makes you bolder, children get older, I’m getting older too”

The five friends sang and hummed the bittersweet notes.

Tomorrow they’d be free. Tomorrow they’d be college graduates. Tomorrow a whole new chapter began, full of stark blank pages waiting to be filled with laughter and tears, with loss and triumph, and hopefully filled with each other.

They knew this day would come.