School's Out!

Emily, Ron, Manda, and Taylor were all best friends. They couldn't wait for the end of the school year. They were all in different grades - Emily in sixth, Taylor in eighth, Manda in seventh, and Ron in ninth. But they didn't mind - a fifteen year old didn't mind hanging out with a twelve year old, and a twelve year old didn't feel odd being the youngest.1

The Ron was the only one at a different school - he went to highschool, while the three girls were in middle school. But Taylor couldn't wait to get into her freshman year, and have Ron be in her same school. Manda and Emily couldn't wait to have the middle school to themselves.2

Being the last day of school, they were all in finals, except Emily, who didn't yet have any finals. She was too young.3

The others were in a rush, textbooks everywhere, papers, cramming...but Emily knew they'd all do just fine. They were the smartest people she knew. Ron was like her big brother - and the other two, her big sisters.4

"Hey, Emms," Ron said on the bus. He still had his math textbook, his face was buried in it.5

"Hi Ronnie," Emily told him.6

"Lucky you don't have finals," Ron said, "I'm gonna fail all of them."7

"Why?" Emily asked.8

"Well, you know how I wanna be a professional skater - I spent all weekend skating instead of studying. And swimming."9

"It's been boiling," Emily pointed out.10

"Yeah, I should have been studying," Ron said. Manda got on the bus and sat in the seat across from Emily and Ron. "Seat taken?" she asked.11

They laughed. "No way, budday," Emily said. Then Taylor got on and sat with Manda. She said the same thing, and there was the same response.12

The high schoolers got off first. "Seeya, guys," Ron said. "Good luck with finals and - uh - goofing off, Emily." Emily laughed.13

She and Manda and Taylor got off next. Taylor went to her locker in the eighth grade hallways, Manda the seventh, and Emily the sixth. "Hey, Emms," Ben said. Ben was Emily's locker neighbor, and another one of her BFF's. Ben N' M was his nickname.14

"We're lucky we don't have finals," Emily told him.15

"All your other F's got finals?" Ben asked. He always said HE was Emily's best BFF, and that Ron, Taylor, and Manda were only her F's. 16

"BFF's, and yes. We're gonna have 'em next year."17

"I know," Ben said. "Time for science."18

"Disecting day," Emily said. She had been awaiting this all year, along with a few hundred other sixth graders on four other teams.19

The day passed easily; diescting in science, drawing in Language Arts, games in Math, and just sitting in the rest of the classes. At lunch, Emily sat with Taylor, Manda, and Ben.20

After lunch, they went their separate ways - different grades and different classes. And then it happened - the end-of-school bell rang.21

Kids went every which way. They were everywhere. Screaming, runnning, hugs goodbye - even some high-schoolers snuck in kisses with their boy- and girl-friends.22

Emily got on the bus and sat next to Ron again. "Summer," she said.23

"Finals over," Ron replied. Emily laughed. "So, Emms, lotsa pool parties this summer?"24

"Yeah," Emily replied. "Mostly just gonna hang with my friends, swim, see concerts - really, the most important thing is..."25

Ron, Manda, Taylor, Emily, and Ben all shouted it together...26

"SCHOOL'S OUT!!"