yep, pretty amazing

Jackie's house... sunlight... excitement, spinning around as everyone gets ready, shoes put on, purses taken up... Outside in the wind, standing in the grass with heels, pictures, camera flashes, posing, laughing...

More arrivals, phone calls from others, waiting, flowers!, more and more pictures... The van coming, waiting at the end of the driveway... loading in the overnight bags... And the rest of the group coming... time to leave!

Hard to arrange all the group in the van... "Kent pretend you're trying to fit in illegal immigrants!" Music on the way and Maddy and Jackie dancing in the backseat, "Play that song," "No that one!" And barelling through Brick Market and out and finally -- there!

Stepping inside... waiting and standing and meeting more friends as they come... Jill: "My date was stolen...!" Finally walking up the staircase and down the hall and into the ballroom and figuring out the tables and sitting down for dinner.

Group picture confusion... "Did you pay yet?" "What about you?" And chocolate cake.

Dancing dancing dancing - and Kyle and Spencer carrying Jackie across the dance floor (:D) - and taking pictures - more dancing - getting tired but it doesn't matter at all - out on the balcony, wind and cold air and harbor lights, but it's time to go back inside and dance even more...

Kat: "It's pretty disturbing when teachers catch you dancing like... that."

Outside in the hall cameras flashing again. All of us posing in a huge group. "On 3..." "DOOOLLLEEEE!!!!"

And spinning around between tables... "I feel kind of drunk... off life" More than halfway done, music and dresses, hair getting a little messy, some shoes off, ties off... And trying to figure out Cotton Eye Joe and failing absolutely -

The last dance, wanting it to last because it can't be over... But the music goes on so long and then finished... Lights go on - no -

Candy jars, picking up flowers and everything, out in the hall, going down the stairs, goodbyes... but not for long at all...

"Congratulations!"

"...For what?!..."

"You're graduating! Did you forget?"

"I want to forget!"

Out in the cool dark night in front of the hotel. Sad, it really can't be over!

"ANIME BOSTON NEXT WEEKEND!!!!"

Piling back in the van again, everyone exuberant, laughing, jokes flying all over the place, "Three guys walk into a bar," blasting the 'senior prank cd', almost falling off the seat every time the van takes a sharp turn. Holding flowers and jar of candy and purse and gloves -

The beach, cold cold cold and windy, stepping in puddles in our pretty shoes, but the ocean is loud, the stars are so beautiful, but we have to get back in!

Loud and laughing all the way back to Maddy's house, "Just park across the street and we'll walk over," "No is it this house?" All out again, grab up everything, flowers on the counter, overnight bag and purse and all on a chair, collapse somewhere, but it still can't be over!

"I want to just rewind!"

"Me too!" "Yeah..."

Playing Apples to Apples half asleep, "I'm too tired to keep playing," "Me too," "Let's stop"... Dark and voices dropping off... Laying awake all night I think... only remember morning and dawn through the kitchen window -

And breakfast at Oatley's, coffee, Dylan's mountain of plates, three (or four) cars, and dancing at stop signs -

And it still can't be over!

I love all of my friends SO MUCH. Thank you for every minute.