The End of An Era
1319 Words
The cap and gown felt heavier than Alvin expected.
He stood in front of the mirror, staring at his reflection. The dark blue fabric. The tassel hanging over his left eye. The unfamiliar weight of adulthood pressing down on his shoulders.
Four years, he thought. Four years since I walked into Westbrook High as a scared freshman who couldn't shoot.
His phone buzzed.
Michael: You ready?
Alvin: No.
Michael: Good. Me neither.
Alvin: Same time?
Michael: The gym. 10 AM. Don't be late.
Alvin smiled. The gym. Not The Cage. Graduation was at the gym. The place where it all started.
He looked at himself one more time. Then he walked out the door.
---
The gym was packed when Alvin arrived.
Parents in the bleachers. Students in caps and gowns. Teachers in their academic robes. The air was thick with excitement and nerves.
Alvin found his seat in the second row. Michael was already there, his cap slightly crooked, his face unreadable.
"You look like you're going to a funeral," Alvin said.
"I feel like I'm going to a funeral."
"Graduation is a celebration."
"Graduation is an ending." Michael looked at the gym. At the banners. At the court where they'd won a championship. "This place is everything to me. And after today, I'll never be here again."
"Not as a student. But you'll be back."
"How do you know?"
"Because this is home." Alvin looked at the banners. "And home doesn't disappear."
---
The ceremony started at 10:00 AM.
The principal gave a speech. The valedictorian gave a speech. The choir sang. The band played.
Alvin sat through it all, his mind wandering.
Four years. Four years of early mornings at The Cage. Four years of drills with Maya. Four years of passes and redirects and blind sets.
Four years of Michael.
He looked over at his friend. Michael was staring straight ahead, his jaw tight, his hands clenched.
"You okay?" Alvin whispered.
"Fine."
"You're not fine."
"I'm thinking."
"About what?"
"About everything. About how I'll never see these people again. About how my dad isn't here. About how I don't know what comes next."
Alvin put a hand on his shoulder. "Neither do I. But we'll figure it out together."
Michael almost smiled. "Together."
---
The principal called the names.
One by one, Alvin's classmates walked across the stage. Shook hands with the principal. Received their diplomas. Walked back to their seats.
Alvin watched them all. Junk. Dante. Kwame. Terrence — who kept his head down, his face pale.
Then his name was called.
"Alvin Chen."
He stood up. Walked across the stage. Shook the principal's hand. Received his diploma.
The crowd cheered. His father was in the front row, standing and clapping. Maya was next to him, her eyes wet.
Alvin looked at his family. His team. His community.
This is it, he thought. This is the end.
---
After the ceremony, the gym erupted.
Students hugged. Parents cried. Graduation caps flew into the air.
Alvin stood at center court, his diploma in his hand, his heart full.
Michael walked over. "We did it."
"We did something."
"We graduated."
"Yeah. We graduated."
Junk ran over, lifted both of them off the ground. Dante followed. Kwame was crying again.
"We're going to college," Junk shouted. "ALL OF US."
"Not all of us," Alvin said.
"What?"
"Some of us are going different places. But we'll always be a team."
Junk's eyes went wet. "That's beautiful."
"It's true."
---
That night, Alvin went to The Cage.
Not for a workout. Just to be there.
The lights flickered. The rims were rusted. The asphalt was cracked.
He sat at center court, his diploma beside him, his phone in his hand.
His phone buzzed.
Observer (Maya): You did it.
Alvin: We did it.
Observer: The Cage is quiet tonight.
Alvin: I know. I'm here.
Observer: Why?
Alvin: Because it's where I became a player. I wanted to say goodbye.
Observer: It's not goodbye. It's see you later.
Alvin: Is that what you tell yourself?
Observer: It's what I tell myself.
Alvin put the phone down. He closed his eyes.
He thought about everything. The first time he threw a redirect. The first time Michael caught one. The championship. The scholarship. The traitor. The truth.
This is what I built, he thought. This is what matters.
---
Michael arrived at 11 PM.
He walked onto the court, his cap and gown still in his hand, his face tired.
"You came," Alvin said.
"I always come."
"Same time tomorrow?"
"Tomorrow is different. We're not high school players anymore."
"We're college players. That's different."
Michael sat next to him. "I'm scared."
"Of what?"
"Of Northwood. Of the competition. Of failing."
"Everyone's scared."
"Not you."
"I'm terrified." Alvin looked at his hands. "I'm terrified that I'll get there and realize I'm not good enough. That all of this was luck. That I don't belong."
"Then we're both terrified."
"Good. We can be terrified together."
Michael almost smiled. "Together."
---
They sat in silence for a long moment.
The moon was bright. The lights flickered. The rims were rusted.
"What happens now?" Michael asked.
"Now we go to college. We play ball. We get degrees. We figure out the rest."
"That sounds simple."
"It's not. But it's a start."
Michael stood up. "Same time tomorrow?"
"The Cage?"
"No. The gym. Westbrook's gym. One last time."
Alvin stood up. "One last time."
---
The gym was dark when they arrived.
Not the kind of dark that comes from night. The kind of dark that comes from closing. From endings.
Alvin flicked on the lights. The court appeared.
The banners. The bleachers. The floor where they'd won a championship.
Michael walked to center court. "This is where it all started."
"This is where we became a team."
"We were always a team. We just didn't know it."
Alvin picked up a ball from the rack. "One last game?"
"One last game."
"Two-on-two. Me and Junk against you and Dante."
"Junk isn't here."
"Then you and me. One-on-one."
Michael laughed. "You can't guard me."
"You can't guard my passes."
"Then let's see."
---
They played for an hour.
Not seriously. Not competitively. Just for fun.
Alvin threw redirects. Michael caught them. They laughed. They talked. They remembered.
At midnight, they sat at center court, breathing hard.
"This was a good idea," Michael said.
"All my ideas are good."
"Not all of them."
"Most of them."
Michael looked at the ceiling. "I'm going to miss this."
"Same."
"Promise me something."
"What?"
"Promise me that no matter what happens at Northwood, we stay friends. We stay teammates. We stay brothers."
Alvin looked at him. At the kid who'd caught a redirect pass and changed everything.
"I promise."
"Good. Because I don't think I could do this without you."
"Neither could I."
---
The next morning, Alvin woke to a text from Kari Cross.
Kari: Northwood orientation is in two weeks. Are you ready?
Alvin: No.
Kari: Good. Fear means you care.
Alvin: What if I fail?
Kari: Then you fail. But you fail trying. That's not nothing.
Alvin: You sound like Maya.
Kari: Maya and I think alike.
Alvin: I know.
Kari: See you soon, Chen. Don't be late.
Alvin put the phone down. He looked at his room. At the trophies. The posters. The water stain on the ceiling.
Time to go.
He packed his bags. His clothes. His notebooks. His basketball.
One last look around.
Then he walked out the door.
---
The bus to Northwood was full of freshmen.
Alvin sat by the window, staring at the passing landscape. His phone buzzed.
Michael: You on the bus?
Alvin: Yeah.
Michael: Me too. Different bus. Different route.
Alvin: We'll meet there.
Michael: Same time?
Alvin: Same time. Don't be late.
Alvin put the phone down. He closed his eyes.
This is it, he thought. This is the beginning.
- Writer
