The Wishing Well

Too much food at the party. Nine pizzas disappearing in five minutes. Squirtle Squad. Rum. Shirts. Neopets. The last memories of TIC.

But we all know we'll be back next year, right?

Everyone gathers around Tapioca Express to share these precious moments. We joke around as usual; it doesn't seem like anything's wrong. But inside each of our minds, we're panicking. There's this little voice in my head, oh so sure and strong, that says, "This isn't the end. Why, you're going to be seeing them all next week! We all promised to meet over the school year. Nothing bad's going to happen, it's just a short break. Don't worry." That little voice is the one that prevents us from crying. Prevents us from thinking it's the end. Prevents us from cherishing the times we have with these people we've grown to love.

Many people board the Fremont BART train: Kass, Trev, Spark, Kyle, Cindy, Max, Koki, Dennis, Chungster, Balex, Stevie, Sarah, and I. You can see from that look on everyone's faces that we're trying not to be too sad, but we still are. Kinda like a twisted smile, a twisted fate. We exchanged hugs, smiles, but silently dreading the inevitable goodbyes, the slowing of the train as we reach each stop, the opening of those doors. It's like they're leaving into the unknown. A cruel world where they could change, be influenced by others around them. I wish the best of luck to each person who leaves.

By the time we left the MacArthur station, our relatively large group narrowed down to nine people. Ironically, the doors in our car of the train broke, so anyone who wanted to leave had to go to the next car. It was like barring our friends in, so they wouldn't be able to go. I remember the last moments of leaving the Fruitvale station, where Dennis and Koki got off; Sarah and I following them to the next car, hugging them as they left us. The rest of the ride in the train was pretty quiet. I think everyone was thinking about TIC. About it ending. About the next summer, which felt so far away.

Kass and Spark got off at the Bay Fair station; Stevie and Chungster at Union City. It seems like they're a little closer to us. Distance measured by the number of BART stations. "Oh, they're only a couple stops away." That didn't stop me from being unhappy about this whole thing. As the number of people dwindled down to only a few of us, it felt as if something was looming around us; a feeling that everything was ending.

TIC has made this summer the best of all summers.
I have so many memories from these six weeks that I can't even begin to name them all.
These people are the nicest I've ever met, and I would die to lose any of them.

Thank you to everyone who has made this experience simply amazing. It's really opened my eyes to what matters to me the most, and which of my friends really care about me.

My only hope is that nobody will change. Just imagine. Dennis comes next year and he has a girlfriend and completely forgets that he's a womanizer. Koki is a fat gothic who wears thick eyeliner and only listens to her iPod. Tansen and Chungster switch personalities. [O___o;;]

It'd be scary. But you never know.

I suppose it just hasn't sunk in that TIC's over, and I don't think it really will until school starts. Or maybe I'm just not supposed to be so sad that it has ended. Deep in my mind and heart, I know I really am. But even if I'm sad, I'll still know everyone else from TIC is feeling it too. We're here for each other. <3