Trapped

I sat there in my school desk, mindlessly staring at the clock, tapping my pencil repeatedly on my desk-- the desk I would be leaving in 30 seconds, 25 seconds.

Twenty, nineteen, eighteen.

At the front of the room, the annoying voice of my teacher droned on, but it seemed distant and hazy as I focused thoroughly on only the clock.

Just a few more seconds.

I focused only on the slim red hand slowly making its way around the clock.

Why did it have to be so slow? Just five more seconds.

I braced myself. Come on. . .

RING!!!

The dismissal bell sounded throughout the school, echoing down the halls and off the walls. The sound of freedom, that's what it was. Pure freedom.

I jumped from my desk in excitement and enthusiasm.

I was free. This was the moment I had been waiting for all day. All week, all month!

I sprinted to the crowded hall of screaming kids; I tried my best to not be trampled on. Grabbing my backpack from the tops of the lockers-- lockers I would never see again-- I ran towards the school doors. I sifted through the crowd, listening to the guys sing Alice Cooper's "School's Out." I scanned the horde of students, trying to catch even the tiniest glimpse of my friends. At last, I recognized the ginger ponytail swaying only a yard from me up ahead, accompanied by a girl with beautiful, wavy, waist-length silvery blond hair. I pushed and shoved, making my way through the large assembly. Elbowing someone aside, I called into the pack,

"Scarlett!" The girl with the ginger hair looked back, catching my eye, and smiled. She looked away and nudged the blond girl next to her, who also looked back. I waved to them as I flowed along the stream of kids. The door seemed so close, yet so far away. "Hey Mel! Meet you outside!" I yelled again. Mel and Scarlett nodded briefly and turned away again.

Finally outside, I saw my two friends standing, waiting for me. I fought my way to them and took them into my tight embrace. I sighed and said, "We made it! We're no longer eighth graders!" I pounded my fists in the air with triumph.

Mel laughed. "Yeah, and we'll never see these bitches again."

"Melody Elizabeth Swan!" Scarlett teased. We laughed as we headed off towards the parking lot. The afternoon sun beamed down on us as we talked about our plans for this summer.

"Hi girls," my mother said. We all bade her our greetings as well. "How was the last day?"

Scarlett grunted; I wasn't really sure if that meant it was okay or bad.

Melody shrugged, "Okay. Just so glad it's over!"

"Yeah," I agreed. "So, everyone have their things?"

"Yup," Melody replied. We started to pull away from the school. I then gained a feeling in the pit of my stomach. Was it . . . no, it couldn't be. I can't miss my school. I've been wanting to get out of this place forever! I guess the real thing is always worse than your thoughts. I gazed at the building until I could no longer see it and we had pulled out of its view. The last time I would ever see it. This school. The place where I spent most of my life for the past 9 years-- gone.

Well, I can always visit. . . Wait, what am I saying? Why would I want to visit back here? Please, I didn't miss this place. The feeling was probably joy.

I laughed under my breath. But somehow, I still couldn't come to convince myself that I liked my school. I shuddered just thinking about it.

No, this'll be my summer. The best summer of my life.

Little did I know, I was so wrong about that.