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Memories:

They flee her mind,

But they sit like boulders in her chest.

She’s waited 18 years for this moment.

18 years long years spent reading textbooks about everything from

The anatomy of the human body,

to the psychology of the mind,

to the importance of literature and composition.

She’s been waiting until the day her life truly begins.

Now that it’s here, she doesn’t long for

College textbooks,

Dorm rooms,

And Chinese takeout.

She longs for

Those three math pages she didn’t do,

The bed she'd slept in since she was little,

And her mom’s home cooked meals.

She doesn’t long for

Independence,

She longs for

Childhood.

She wishes that she could click her heels and go back to

Lightning bugs at bedtime,

Bathwater running as she finished her homework,

her mom holding her hand when she crossed the street.

She’s not ready to be alone,

She only said that when she was angry.

She’s not ready to kiss her parents goodbye

as she pulls out of the driveway.

She’s not ready for

Sleepless nights,

New friendships,

And goodbyes.

She isn’t ready to leave all she’s ever known.

She will miss high school,

Even though she doesn’t admit it.

She will miss

Friday night football games in the student section with

Painted faces, school spirit, and letterman’s jackets shielding everyone from the blistering cold.

She will miss

the anticipation of school closures

as she watched the snow fall onto the streets.

She will miss

Knowing her way around town because she’s lived here her whole life,

And even though sometimes she just wanted to escape it all,

This is home.

This is her home.