Higher, Faster, Stronger

4 months later:

3, 2, 1…This was it. This was the moment we had waited most of our lives for. I was fidgeting like mad. The music swelled in the background…Cue squealing. Derek and I held in our hands identical acceptance letters. Yeah, I had you going. You thought we were getting married, right?

No, we had both been accepted to the schools of our choice, the same one coincidentally. I was in the pre-medical program and he was majoring in Business. Nate had gotten into his dream school as well, which was only a short ways away from ours. We'd see him on weekends and Fridays. That was good, we didn't want to be completely split up.

-----------------------------------------------

Let's see, loose ends:

Terry, Gabe, Cameron: Gabe remained on lock down for another year and after intense therapy was released back to his family, who welcomed him with tentatively open arms. They were still rather dodgy around him though, and he wasn't allowed near sharp objects. Terry went on to get a scholarship to a school for journalism. Cameron still plays college ball, and once in a while, we turn on the TV and see him. He still keeps in touch via email, and I always rib him about the good ol' days on the Leaves.

The Leaves Team, with Coach: They went on while we were in college to win the Championship 2 out of 4 years more. After that, they started to rebuild. I know Coach retired a few years later, but he made a point to come to our college graduations. I'm pretty sure we were his favorite year.

Keeg went to veterinary school, to no one's surprise. Most everyone in his family was one. He balanced his time between the clinic and coaching an interscholastic league on the weekends.

Hannah and Iz went to the same school, where they bunked together. Iz was the first person that heard about Nate's proposal to Hannah in her junior year of culinary school. It was no real shock, but Iz made a fuss about it anyway, and used her skills as a wedding planner in training to organize the wedding, which took place the following year.

Neil, surprisingly, didn't kill Nate for proposing to Hannah. Of course, he threatened wholesale slaughter if he ever found Hannah crying. That was to be expected. Neil headed to a law school, where he made a killing in the corporate world. He remained calm under pressure and had a knack for zeroing in on his opposition's weak spot. Wasn't surprising at all that he lead some of the biggest legal cases in all of the Kelowna area. It was even reported a defendant on trial freaked out, wet himself and ran from court screaming. It made news, and his reputation was boosted.

Nate went to the college near us, going in major undecided. He found his calling as an athletic trainer, where he gets to be outside and running around like in his old football days. He's now happily married to Hannah, who wants to start her own business. It's not a ramen stand, like Nate would like, but they'll do well. I live close to them now.

-----------------------------------------------

Derek went into business, which suited him. He took over the family business as soon as he held his college diploma in his hand. Derek went over the biggest corporate overhauling in local history. He made some gutsy moves, most of which paid off. Still, within a few years, his stock was booming. Derek made the perfect businessman: smart, intuitive, non-trusting, but fair. In his own right, Derek inherited quite a chunk of money from his parents and relatives, but even without that backing, he did very well for himself.

That same day he got his diploma, and I mine, he got down on bended knee and proposed. Okay, fine, not bended knee, but when he held out the ring, I knew what he meant.

Clearly, that was one of the best days of my life. Well, I said earlier that we weren't getting married then. Soon I am though.

As I sit here, writing this, I am currently accepted into a medical school and when I graduate that, it's going to be a year of interning. Then, the possibilities are endless. Open my own practice? Maybe. Stay in a hospital? Maybe.

But, this is only part of my life, only part of my memoir. As I sit here right now, I'm waiting to go the church and take Derek as my husband. I've been writing these for a while, even if it's just part of my life.

I've loved the time I've spent with my friends. All the emotions are real that I've portrayed. But of course, the major catalyst was football, senior year. Now, as I'm reaching forward with my medical career and marriage, I keep remembering my team's old motto: Higher, Faster, Stronger. And it's never been truer.