By Lily Patterson ‘16 | Staff Writer

I’ve hated this week for three years. There is nothing more mundane than spending hours stuck in a room filling in bubble after bubble with a no. two pencil.

As I would sit, crammed between those whose lockers bordered mine, hearing every breath, cough, and slight shift in position of those around me, I could not help but think of the seniors. This thought would haunt me every year through every minute of testing. I knew as I sat in an uncomfortable desk chair in a poorly lit room, tired and hungry, the entirety of the senior class was still fast asleep.

I looked at the clock as the hours ticked by, wondering to myself what those lucky enough to have the day off were doing at that exact moment. Perhaps they were eating breakfast, watching a movie, or had gone out to meet their friends. It did not matter what it was. The simple fact was, they were not here. They didn’t have to be.

Each year my envy grew. As the testing became more and more serious, I craved more and more to be in their position. They were done with it all, had it all figured out. They had no more tests to take, no more bubbles to fill in, nothing left to worry about.

Now, I am finally in the position I so desperately longed to be in for all those years. I did my time in the testing room and I’m finally free. My days of sitting for hours at a time, answering questions pertaining to every area of study, are behind me. The one day off that I had dreamed of for so long is now within my reach.

There is nothing special about this day, but that is what makes it so amazing. We rarely get a free day in the middle of our typical, tiring school week. A day with no worries, responsibilities, or obligations is always a blessing. The fact that I have been waiting three years to have this one day only adds to the joy it brings me.

Perhaps, as I lay in bed on my day off, I will look at the clock and think of all of those who are sitting in their assigned seats in neat rows, filling in bubble after bubble with their no. two pencils.