Goodbye, School (Chapter 1)

Today was the day: graduation day. Every senior from Laguna Beach High School was gathered inside a fancy college before attending their ceremony. They were all standing in the lobby in their caps and gowns, waiting for further instructions. Friends talked to friends; lovers talked to lovers. They laughed, smiled and even cried. Actually, it was only Lizzie who was crying.
"What's wrong, Liz'?" asked Andrea.
"I don't want to graduate," answered Lizzie, choked up through sniffles. "I want to... stay at school... forever."
"You're lucky you're even graduating, Liz'," said Skye, almost muttering.
"Hey, don't cry," Madeline said, putting her arm around Lizzie.  "You should be happy. You're becoming an adult."
"I don't want to be an adult," wept Lizzie. "Adults die."
"Kids die, too, Lizzie."
"Kids die all the time," shouted Skye.
"Is that supposed to make me feel better?" asked Lizzie.
"I guess not," said Madeline. "Listen, nothing is going to change. You're gonna go to a new school in a few months. Isn't that exciting?"
Lizzie wiped her nose. "I guess so."
"Right. So you should feel good about that."
"Okay."
"Okay, so stop crying. You're ruining your makeup."
"It's a good thing you guys are going to college," said Skye. "But while you're getting an education, I'll be out rocking." She pretended to play an air guitar.
"While you'll be out rocking, we'll be here knowing... stuff," said Madeline.
"I can't believe your band is going to release your first album," shared Debra.
"Just make sure you pick up a copy," reminded Skye.
"So you're not going to college at all?" questioned Lizzie, wiping her wet cheeks.
"That's correct."
"It's so weird that after we graduate, we'll be completely abandoning each other," said Andrea.
"We're not abandoning each other," said Debra. "We're going to the same school."
"Yeah, except for Madeline and Skye. I'm happy for all of you but can a sister get a warning?"
"Sorry that I'm going to Harvard," Madeline apologized. "But I'm not sorry. We should've already known that we're kinda going to go our separate ways."
"But I feel like we should've discussed it more."
"What is there to discuss? We're going to college. It's not like we're becoming magicians."
"That would be really cool if we were," shared Lizzie.
"We're best friends," mentioned Andrea. "Don't you think the state of our friendship should've been discussed?"
"She's right, Maddie," Debra agreed.
"Don't get mad at me because I'm going to Harvard," said Madeline. "Look, we still have the summer so how about tomorrow we watch a movie like Dirty Dancing?"
"I'm not gonna watch a movie about a pedophile," stated Skye.
"Hey, he was not a pedophile. Baby was seventeen, going on eighteen. And if she were to turn eighteen, she would've looked the same so it was not pedophilia. It was okay."
"Heck, if Kylie and Tyga were allowed to date, then there's nothing wrong with that movie," said Andrea. "Still, you can't bribe me with classics." She marched off and pushed herself through a crowd.
"Geez, there's no need to be upset. This is the present, turning into the future. We were very aware of that."
"Yeah, but you can't leave us without saying goodbye," mentioned Skye. She walked off as well.
"What is this? Walk Away Land? I'm being honest. I'm spitting truth."
"I got to find Kyle," said Debra before walking off, too.
"Oh, that's your excuse?" Madeline looked at Lizzie, who was still standing by.
"I would leave," confessed Lizzie, "but I don't want a bunch of people to see how messed up my makeup is."