Let’s Be Seniors

It's the spring of 2005, and a boy named Matthew and his 4 best friends, a motley crew to say the least, are getting dressed for their Senior Prom.  Though they're an incredibly tight-knit group, to say that they have little overlap in interests would be a dramatic understatement.  Matthew, a reserved musician, has little in common with Christopher, a scrappy football player, who has little in common with John, an easy-going stoner, who has little in common with Aaron, an elite baseball player, who has little in common with Billy, an aimless wannabe stand-up comedian.

The boys are particularly excited (and nervous - see above, motley crew!) for what the evening might hold.  Yes, it's the final dance of their high school careers and thus a milestone in-and-of itself, but they're also planning on throwing an after-party at Billy's house for the entire senior class.

It's no secret that high school can be a cruel and unforgiving era, so the modest anxiety the boys feel isn't unfounded.  Questions begin to swirl amongst the group.  Did they get enough alcohol?  Will a neighbor call the cops if it gets too loud or out of hand?  Will everybody get along?  Perhaps most importantly, will anybody even come?  

The evening ultimately unfolds better than the boys could have imagined.  The booze holds out, nobody calls the cops, pretty much the entire senior class attends, and everyone gets along beautifully. 

For the first time in their young lives, this motley crew of misfits feels seen by and connected to what they realize is just a series of other motley crews, who different though they may appear are in the ways that really matter just like them. 

A funny thing happens during the final semester of high-school.  With the end of that particular era barrelling toward them and so much uncertainty on the horizon, seniors begin to drop the pretense and stop the posturing.  They set aside petty differences and begin to appreciate their classmates for who they truly are - i.e. people who, just like them, are trying to figure out this complex and exciting thing called life.  The jocks begin to appreciate the drama kids, who start to enjoy the cheerleaders, who become interested in the smart kids, who in turn take a shine to their athletic counterparts.  The boundaries and barriers utterly collapse; cliques unwind, social circles expand, and for a time, brief though it may be, a beautiful tapestry of diverse human experiences and interests is woven.  As it should be.

Let's be seniors.