“Bailey can I talk to you?” Mr. Keller said as she walked past his door.

Mr. Keller was the principal of Tampa High. He had been the principal for almost ten years now. He kept a close eye on all the kids and knew just about every student and how they were doing in school. All the kids loved him and were certainly going to miss him. Not only were they leaving this year but so was Mr. Keller.

“What’s up?” She said stopping when she heard her name and waved to her friends as they continued to walk down the hallway to their next class.

“I wanted to talk to you about doing a speech for graduation.”

“Are you serious?”

“Yes I am.” He said laughing.

“But graduation is only two weeks away.”

“I know something will come to you and I know it will be great. You are one of the best speakers in the school. Not to mention 5th in the class. Think about it and get back to me by the end of the week and let me know what you’ve come up with.”

“Ok.” She said still surprised. She had never dreamed of speaking at her own graduation. Sure when she was little she had always hoped she would.

She was still in a daze when she felt someone tap her on the shoulder. She turned around to see her best friend Nick Carter. They had been friends since 1st grade or something like that. She had lost track once high school started.

“Can you believe we won’t be coming back next year?” He asked as he waved to some of their friends walking by.

“Not really. It seems like we just started high school.”

“I know what you mean. I’m going to stop by tonight after work, ok.”

“Ok.”

~Later that night~

Bailey was in the living room thinking of what to do for the speech. She wanted it to be great…something everyone would remember as time went by.

“She’s in the living room Nick.” Bailey’s mom said laughing. “She’s got something on her mind…but I’m not sure what it is.”

“Thanks.” He said walking into the living room and kissing her forehead.

“Hey. When did you get here?” She asked after she recovered from the shock.

“Just a few seconds ago.” Nick said laughing. “What’s on your mind? You’ve been in a daze or something since I saw you in the hallway today.”

“Nothing. I’m ok. Just a lot on my mind. You know we are graduating…we are now going to be entering the real world.”

At that moment it hit her. She knew what she could do for the speech. Finally she could put it out of her mind. She knew after this year she probably wouldn’t see Nick much. He was going off to a local college while she was going off to Arizona State. She wanted to tell him how she truly felt about him but didn’t know how. She had always liked him but didn’t want to ruin their friendship they had.

“So are you excited about going to Arizona State?” Nick asked while looking through the yearbook.

“Yeah I am. It will be an experience that’s for sure.”

“You’ll do great sweetie.”

“Thanks. Have you decided where you want to go yet?”

“Not really. Still deciding. I may take a year off and just travel.”

“Hey, think Brian will ever forgive us for setting him up with Molly?” Bailey said showing Nick a picture that was in the yearbook from sophomore year.

“Hell no.” He said laughing. “I hope he learns to laugh about it though.”

“Yeah.”

“Not to change the subject but are you coming back after school?”

“Not really sure, Nick. All depends on how things go at school. I might…I just don’t know.”

“Oh.”

“You can always come visit me.”

“I know. It just won’t be the same you know.”

“Nothing's going to change.”

“Everything is going to change.”

The two continued to talk for what seemed all night. They talked about the past, the present and the future. They laughed and they cried. Neither of them revealing how they truly felt about the other one.

~One Week Before Graduation~

Bailey had decided to take her camera to school for the next week. She had talked it over with Mr. Keller about having a slide show during her speech. He thought the idea was great. She had pulled out a bunch of pictures from a box in her room of everyone that she had taken all through high school. She just wanted to get some recent ones to put up there as well. She had one week to pull of this speech and she wasn’t sure if she was going to be able to do it.

“Bailey why are you taking so many pictures?” Morgan asked as she saw Bailey taking pictures of people doing random things.

“You’ll see in a few days.” Bailey said turning around and taking a picture of Morgan.

“Gee Thanks.” Morgan said laughing.

“I’m so going to miss you girl.”

“I’m going to miss you too.”

The two girls hugged and then went on to their next class. Morgan and Bailey had been friends since the 5th grade. Morgan was new to the area and Bailey took her under her wing. They haven’t been a part since that day. Sure they had their fights but always made up.

“Hey, do you know what’s up with Bailey?” Brian asked.

“Can’t say I do.” Nick said taking stuff out of his locker.

“She’s been real secretive lately.”

“I know what you mean…but she’s got a lot on her mind.”

“Hey, that’s a cute picture of you two.” Brian said pulling out the picture of Nick and Bailey that was taken over the summer.

“Yeah it is.” Nick said taking the picture from Brian. “But in a few more days it won’t be Nick and Bailey anymore. She’s leaving. We are all leaving. We are all going different ways. Even you. Why are you and Bailey going so far away?”

“You can always come visit, man.”

“Yeah I know that’s what Bailey said too.”

~Graduation Day~

“I can’t believe this is it.” Morgan said with tears filling up in her eyes.

“I know.” Brian said hugging her.

“I can’t believe we are graduating. What’s after this for all of us?” Nick asked.

“College.” Morgan answered.

“Family. The future.” Bailey said smiling.

“So what’s the big surprise?” Nick asked putting his arm around her.

“You’ll see.”

“You’ve been telling us that for the last two weeks.” Morgan said.

“And I’m telling you again.” Bailey said laughing.

Everyone met in the gym and lined up in alphabetical order. Some already had tears coming and some were excited about getting out of here. Others were just hoping they wouldn’t fall in front of everyone. Bailey took one last look around the gym. This would be the last time she’d be in the gym. There were a lot of memories in this gym. Her first kiss. Her first dance.

The music started and pulled Bailey back to reality as they walked out onto the field and filed into their seats and sat down. Mr. Keller got up and made a little speech and introduced the first speaker. Bailey could tell not too many people were paying much attention to the first few speakers…this was making her nervous. Then she heard her name being called.

“Our last speaker is Bailey Harris.” Mr. Keller said and then she heard everyone clapping and yelling. She smiled as she made her way up to the microphone.

She scanned the crowd and then scanned her friends and the whole class that was graduating, then she started her speech….

“So we talked all night about the rest of our lives
Where we're gonna be when we turn 25
I keep thinking times will never change
Keep on thinking things will always be the same
But when we leave this year we won't be coming back
No more hanging out cause we're on a different track
And if you got something that you need to say
You better say it right now cause you don't have another day”

She paused and looked directly at Nick who was sitting in the front row.

”Cause we're moving on and we can't slow down
These memories are playing like a film without sound
And I keep thinking of that night in June
I didn't know much of love
But it came too soon
And there was me and you
And then we got real cool
Stay at home talking on the telephone with me
We'd get so excited, we'd get so scared
Laughing at our selves thinking life's not fair
And this is how it feels
As we go on
We remember
All the times we
Had together
And as our lives change
Come whatever
We will still be
Friends Forever”

In the background, while Bailey spoke, pictures from the past and of the last few weeks of school were playing on a big screen. She could hear people laugh at some of them and hear some gasp. She knew a lot of memories were running through their heads right now. She took another deep breath and then continued…

“So if we get the big jobs
And we make the big money
When we look back now
Will our jokes still be funny?
Will we still remember everything we learned in school?
Still be trying to break every single rule
Will little brainy Bobby be the stockbroker man?
Will Heather find a job that won't interfere with her tan
I keep thinking that it's not goodbye
Keep on thinking it's a time to fly
Will we think about tomorrow like we think about now?
Can we survive it out there?
Can we make it somehow?
I guess I thought that this would never end
And suddenly it's like we're women and men
Will the past be a shadow that will follow us 'round?
Will these memories fade when I leave this town?”

She took one last pause and then ended with…

“And this is how it feels
As we go on
We remember
All the times we
Had together
And as our lives change
Come whatever
We will still be
Friends Forever

Congratulations Class of 1999. Good luck in the years to come.”

As she ended her speech she saw everyone stand up. She couldn’t help but let the tears fall. Still in the background were pictures one by one showing the past and the future.

She looked at Brian and Morgan and then at Nick. She couldn’t help but want to stay with them forever. But she knew they were all going their different directions in life now. But she’d come back to see everyone.

“Bailey before you leave, I wanted to tell you, I love you.” Nick said and then kissed her.

*Lyrics from Vitmain C's Graduation song