Our High School Years
As I walk through the doors in a scary new school,
I try to act grown-up, confident, cool.
If the other kids only knew how scared I was inside,
they'd laugh, ridicule and criticize.
As I look around for familiar faces,
I find no one, and no empty spaces.
The bell rings, my heart skips a beat,
I take a step forward but I can't move my feet.
I find my class and a friend of mine,
I take a breath and say to myself, Everything will be fine.
The day comes to an end, things weren't that bad.
I look back and forget about why I was so sad.
Two years go by, I'm in eleventh grade,
I'm thinking about my car, my boyfriend, and the next time I get paid.
When I think about life I think of my friends this year,
never once thinking about my future, my career.
Another year goes by, it's my senior year,
I start to think about my future and I'm filled with fear.
I start studying and doing well on my tests,
trying hard to finish my homework and do my best.
Getting my report card, seeing how I was affected,
thinking about my college and hoping I was accepted.
Why didn't I think in my early years,
and take my mind off my tempting peers?
It's time to graduate, tears running down my face,
thinking about my childhood, rushing it like a race.
What happened to my petty fears,
my pigtails, bruises, and teddy bears?
As I walk up the stairs I look out to my friends,
and faking a smile I know this is the end.
I accept my diploma with tears in my eyes,
and realize we had the time of our lives.
submitted by Julie Jones, Palmdale, CA for Teen Ink (November 2000)
