High School Never ENDS

The day the announcement was out was the day where we, twelfth graders, felt our hearts beating tensely and at the end of it, it was such unforgettable. Three years have passed and we're finally here, at this very point where we can take a deep breath of relief and let it out. It's over. We're finally at the end of our high school moment, but the end is just the beginning because soon, we're going to face the tougher world, full of tougher people and life.

Anyway, back to the announcement day. I arrived at school at 7 am, pretty late than scheduled. But unlike in any other schools, our school apparently decided that we should go through the Graduation rehearsal first before coming to the announcement, much to everyone's disagreement. Obviously, we were all very tense that day. We couldn't wait to get to the announcement part, but Graduation rehearsal first? I'm sure that's going to make things worse. The rehearsal wouldn't surely go smoothly, due to the tense feeling in all of us.

However, the rehearsal went well. We walked like robots as everyone had predicted (again, tenseness indeed played a big role in this), before finally, after rehearsing us going to the stage to receive the medallion one by one, the Headmistress whose-name-I-don't-want-to-mention entered the room bringing a folder, much to everyone's fear and anxiety. Sure we know what's inside it, and it's no other than the envelopes containing simple words that tell us whether we pass or we fail.

It wasn't all that. She uttered a long introduction, more like a speech, making our tenseness growing and growing. She even blabbered about things that aren't even necessary, like asking what we thought about the Graduation invitations we received earlier. "Is the invitation pretty?" she asked and all of us sort of booed her and shouted. "What the hell! Hurry up!"

Even the Headmistress also gave us some indications about the improvement exams that should be done if any of us failed, much to our fear. Apparently, the passing grade wasn't only measured by National Exam but also Practicum Exam and School Written Exam. The thing is, I'd no problem with National Exam and Practicum Exam, but it's the School Written Exam that I was worried about. I was sure I didn't do well in that exam, especially on subjects like History and Civics. I suck at them but I don't want those two subjects to become the reasons why I'd fail.

Maybe the day before the D-day, I didn't feel anxious at all, not until seconds before the announcement did I feel tense remembering my flaws at the School Written Exam.

Anyway, finally the moment of truth was here. Each of our homeroom teachers approached the Headmistress and each retrieved some small envelopes that will decide our future or life and death. My homeroom teacher gave out the envelopes to my other six classmates with a wide grin on his face, a grin that struck me as a mocking one rather than an encouraging one. Kekeke. Even the Anthropology teacher, who's also a school photographer, snapped some pictures of us with the tense all over our faces. That's when I realized that the teachers were trying to make fun of us in the middle of all anxiety felt by the students.

"For those who've got the envelopes, don't open them up first." said the Headmistress.

We wait anxiously until everyone had got the envelopes on their hands. I was trembling like mad, holding the small envelope on which written my name and my registration number there with cold sweat all over our body. Luckily my envelope hadn't got wet yet despite my sweaty and trembling grip.

"One, two, three!!!"

Without thinking anymore, I tore up the envelope and reached for the small, holy paper. I felt the smooth paper fabric under my skin before unfolded it before reading what written there (you can see the image of the photo here)

...dinyatakan lulus...

Lulus...

Lulus...

Lulus...

Lulus...

LULUSS!!!!!

(this format of writing is a reference to the format of this post, with similar theme)

By the time I read that simple word in bold - a word of two syllables, five words - everything was like paused, before finally the auditorium was engulfed with a sudden overwhelming scream. Spontaneously and at the same time as everybody started to scream, I leaped up from my seat, almost kicking the bag I put near my feet and went to hug my best friend, than my other friends. It was such an engrossing moment. Even this situation felt like making us even closer than before. I hugged friends who were not my best ones.

Everytime I stumbled upon a girl from other class who maybe barely knew my name, we hugged and exclaimed. "Congrats!!!" I realized that every girls that I hugged had tears on their eyes, tears of joy and relief because it's finally over.

I went to my friends from Social Department, again, hugging them. But then, I felt like there was someone missing. "Where's she?" She refers to my missing friend.

"She didn't make it." my friend from the Social Department told me.

"What?? You gotta be kidding." I said. The thing is, if any of us had failed, they wouldn't even have come to school because they would have been told the day before the announcement. And my missing friend was here that morning. I still met her and we still even joked around, and now she was announced failed? That was just unbelievable.

I felt like rejoicing over the success I just got, but in the other side, I felt like rejoicing over my friend's grief for failing. She was my best friend and I couldn't even find out what she didn't make it. Even she's one of the most diligent girls I ever met. I could tell that from her hardwork and determination. And now she failed? I couldn't believe what I heard.

Anyway, we continued celebrating despite my friend's absence. When the Anthropology teacher passed with his camera, we struck a pose, showing the small paper containing our names and the word LULUS proudly.

When we were ushered outside the auditorium, the celebration wasn't over. My best friends and I were planning to look for our missing friend, knowing that she might need encouragement and motivation. We looked around the school, and happened to stumble upon some teachers who congratulated us. We also thanked them for three years of dedication to us. When we bumped into her homeroom teacher, we asked about her whereabout but she said that she might need some time alone with her parents, who had arrived at school to her aid.

We decided to take some pictures though, as you can see above and below. And when each of us started to leave school, me and my remaining two four friends went to the library. I didn't feel like leaving this school so soon. We decided to explore the school, and approached our "daughters" (successors in extracurriculars) in their classrooms. The daughters were eleventh graders, who apparently had a free time despite they're supposed to have lessons at that moment (the teachers were all still celebrating our graduation). I met my own "daughter" who congratulated me and I told her. "You'll experience this next year." (I feel like talking like a wise old woman. kekeke -_-) and also I met some freshmen that I recognized. They also congratulated me.

Then we moved to the library, our favorite spot at school. We took some pictures once again and had a nice chat with the librarian. Meanwhile, the teachers were done celebrating and went to resume teaching. At the same place (the library) but in different spot, a freshman class was currently watching Grease. They were watching it in sort of a separate room, like a TV room inside the library. We could still hear to the movie and when it came to a songs like Grease and Summer Night, we sang along and thus it became our celebration song. I'm sure that some time later, whenever I hear the song Grease, it'll remind me of today.

Well, what an exhausting day, yet it was fun, since it was the last day of all of us becoming the students of SMA Tarakanita 1. To those who haven't made it, it's not that you failed. No, you didn't fail. Forget about those news telling you that you failed. They're just too much. You're also a graduate, it's just that day was not the day for you to graduate. Soon you will. And especially for my best friend who didn't make it yesterday, we shall meet again on June 12!!! Don't worry, we're here for you, and we'll always be here to support you and encourage you! Hwaiting! Ganbatte kudasai!!

Thank you Tarakanita,
for three years of studies, life experiences, and wonderful moments.