KATIE JOHNSON

     It took me my entire high school career to learn my ABC’s, but I think I’ve finally got it down:

     A is for Austin City Limits and all the sweaty hours of pure musical bliss. B is for Brigham Brawlers, barging around and backpack surfing in the cafeteria. C is for crusades in the field, complete with bagpipes and kilts. D is for double dates—the fireworks, charades and epic picture taking. E is for early morning coffee chats at Starbucks (the best possible way to wake up after a late night). F is for firsts, like eating sushi and tie-dying, and for the friends that make a point to be there for all the firsts, middles and lasts. G is for G. Love because he knows my baby’s got sauce. H is for Halloween parties at creepy haunted houses. I is for ice cream and the muscle mass that emerges (only on the right arm) from excessive scooping. J is for James Bargsley because he can balance an eight-foot latter on his chin, and because he is the best friend anyone could ever ask for. K is for kite flying at Milburn Park, especially when the kites are named Bertha and Balthazar (and when Balthazar has a defect that causes him to fly in circles). L is for lightning (and just so you know, it does strike the same place twice). M is for mango sorbet (the most perfect tasting substance on the planet) because it manages to delight the taste buds and heal the soul at the same time (Chris Martin also shares this talent). N is for nerf gun fights in the PAC. O is for open-mindedness: the willingness to try new things, to make new friends, and to learn, not just from books, but from people. P is for prom, which, although astronomically expensive, is actually pretty fun (if you have the right person with you). Q is for quads, as in the roller skates, and for mercilessly beating little children at Wipeout. R is for risks, like staying out until 11:01 and wearing backwards hats. S is for summer—enough said. T is for theatre and the millions of hours spent searching for those freaking keys. U is for Ultimate Glow in the Dark Frisbee. V is for Valentine’s Day and for spending it with the same wonderful person three years in a row. W is for winter breaks: hot chocolate, carols, and late night car rides to look at all the Christmas lights. X is for xenon, an odorless, colorless gas found in small quantities within the Earth’s atmosphere. Y is for “Yellow,” and for singing it together in class. And Z is for zigzag, a word that so perfectly describes the crazy, unpredictable journey through high school: the ups and downs and highs and lows, the impulsive choices, the disappointments, the mistakes, the successes, the break ups, the make ups, the embarrassing outfits, the inside jokes, the good grades, the not-so-good grades, the risks, the cop-outs, the lessons learned, and, of course, the friendships.