Last Day of Senior Year
It’s crazy how fast this year went. So much stuff happened, and…
“Koa, hello. Earth to Koa, are you there?” Suki waved her hand in front of my face.
“Huh? Yeah, I’m here,” I said.
“You looked deep in thought. What were you thinking about?”
“Nothing much. Just… this year went by too fast.”
“Actually, it did,” Alvis chimed in. “But that’s just because we were constantly doing things. Time always appears to move faster when occupied.”
“Alvis, I don’t think Koa meant it like that. We all know time flies when you’re having fun. Stop being slow,” Rowan snapped.
“I was just stating the logic, no need to be grumpy. Seems like someone’s not ready to say goodbye,” Alvis shot back.
Rowan, clearly annoyed, muttered, “Yeah, well I’m ready to..”
“Guys,” Alma said softly but firmly, “Can we not fight during lunch for once? Hug it out or something.”
Thats my friend group:
Alma: The kind, but firm one when needed.
Roan: The rebel; sharp-edged but admirable in his own way.
Alvis: The brainiac, who sometimes lets his arrogance show.
Suki: The sweetheart who adapts to keep the peace.
“Wait, we’re missing one,” I said.
“Alma, I admire your optimism, but you’re not changing those too,” Emmett said as he walked up, grinning. “Some people are just destined to argue forever.”
And that’s Emmett – honest, sometimes too much, but always good for a laugh. We have all known each other for years, what started as just me and Emmett back in middle school became these crazy, complicated, and unforgettable relationships. But after today, we’d all go our separate ways:
Alma’s going to college out of state.
Rowan and Suki are returning for senior year.
Alvis landed an internship with the top programming company in the country.
Emmet’s taking a gap year to travel.
And me? I’m going to a college in state. It is six hours away from Siorli-On-Sea, the coastal town we have always called home.
Siorli’s known for its summer adventures, wild storms, and creepy urban legends.
“Guys,” Suki said, eyes bright, “what if we made this out last summer together… and made a bucket list.?”
“A summer bucket list?” Rowan asked.
“YES! Exactly that!” Suki bounced.
“I mean… it’s kind of perfect,” I said. “We’re all splitting up in August. “Let’s make it count.”
“Then we’ve got some planning to do,” Emmett said, already pulling out his phone.
The List
Our list ended up with 35+ things:
- Beach day
- Urban legend hunting
- Backyard camping
- Slip n’ Slide wars
- Picnic by the old bridge
- Town-wide bike ride
- Tie-dye blanket making
- Burying a keepsake box in our favorite spot
- Stargazing and late-night talks
And so much more.
Summertime Fun
We flew through activities. Rowan dared a stranger to eat a hot chili pepper. Alvis supriseling loosened up during paint wars. Ala wrote us a personalized note after our picnic. Emmett tried to prank a historical tour group by pretending to be a ghost.
We laughed more in those two weeks than we had all year.
But with three days left of summer, the skies changed.
The Storm
A storm rolled into Siorli-On-Sea—violent, loud, and determined to shut us down.
Thunder cracked like it was angry at us. The rain flooded streets. The wind knocked over our tent before we could even use it.
Alvis, frustrated and pacing, said, “We can’t just sit here. We still have five things left on the list!”
“Calm down,” Alma said gently. “It’s just a storm. We don’t have to finish the list to say we had a good summer.”
“I don’t want to wait,” Rowan muttered, his restlessness showing. “It’s useless.”
“I know it’s disappointing,” Suki said, “But we can adjust. That’s what we do.”
“You all sound like you’ve given up,” Alvis snapped.
“I’m not giving up,” Emmett said. “I’m accepting what we can’t control. You can’t logic your way through a thunderstorm.”
I watched them all. Our personalities; the sides we do not always show surfaced with the storm.
My usual adventurous self? I just felt fear now. Not of the weather, but of what came after.
The Aftermath
The final morning, the clouds cleared just enough.
We all gathered at my place with art supplies, leftover snacks, and one last spark of hope.
But just as we set up to paint the keepsake box and head to our secret spot, the storm returned, fiercer than ever.
We stood there, soaking wet and surrounded by chaos.
“I guess we’re staying inside,” I said.
“Story of our summer,” Rowan mumbled.
Suki smiled softly. “Not really. We still had so many moments.”
So we threw down blankets, popped popcorn, and chose the cheesiest movie we could find: The Legend of the Sea King.
We watched, snacked, laughed too hard, and at some point, cried a little. When the movie ended, we sat in silence realizing that even though we did not complete everything we still had an amazing summer. The last couple of days were tough, but we overcame it and found something better to do. These last days of summer were the best, and the memories we made together; we will all cherish in years to come.
Summertime Activities
- Watch movie
- Go to a thrift store or garage sale
- Stargaze from on the roof, or pull your mattress out into the yard.
- Learn to cook something complicated
- Have a yard sale and sell your junk.
- Teach yourself some new dance moves
- Take up learning an instrument.
- Do something kind for someone
- Get arty and draw, paint, or collage a portrait.
- Act like a tourist and visit the top attractions in your town.
- Write and produce a film or play with your friends.
- Have a sleepover with friends
- Recreate a childhood photo
- Go on a photo safari.
- Try out a new sport
- Make and fly a kite.
- Relax in a hammock.
- Start a garden.
- Swim at your local public pool.
- Go camping.
- Go roller-blading.
- Have a picnic
- Go fishing.
- Go on a scavenger hunt.
- Construct a tire swing.
- Have a day at the beach
- Bury a time capsule to dig up in five years.
- Organize a tug-of-war.
- Have a bonfire and roast marshmallows and/or make s’ mores.
- Build an obstacle course.
- Move the furniture around in your room to give it a fresh, new look.
- Hand write letters to friends and family.
- Experiment with origami.
- Go to a museum.
- Learn a new language.
- Start a journal.
- Make your own popsicles.
- Start a blog
- Paint a mural on one of your bedroom walls.
- Build a fortress out of cardboard boxes.
- Go bowling.
- Watch the sunset (or rise!).
- Organize a neighborhood cleanup.
- Volunteer at a charity, soup kitchen, shelter, or nursing home.
- Sunbathe. But remember to use sunblock!
- Grab a map and go for a long walk to a place that you’ve never been to.
- Have a water balloon fight.
- Hold a mini Olympics with your friends.
- Go on a long bike ride.
- Have a garden party.
- Make your own slip-n-slide with plastic garbage bags.
