This was written one day when I was leaving school. As I walked, I took notes of the things and people I noticed. When I got home, I used those notes to write this.

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Strangely enough, you notice, despite being in such a crowded area, no one seemed to ever bump into each other.

As the large group of overzealous teenagers, overflowing with excitement for the freedom that that Friday afternoon would bring, walked through the hallway, there was an unspoken rule that everyone seemed to silently acknowledge; under no circumstances should anyone ever touch anyone else. Even friends, giggling and laughing and teasing, never even leaned in close enough to come close to coming in contact with each other.

You walked alone in the middle of the swarm, adjusting the strap of your backpack as you went alone, observing the people around you. A girl with her wavy hair stuffed into a bun almost as big as her head was awkwardly bending over as she limped along, attempting to fix the buckle of her sandal. The tall boy who you could see over the heads of the small group of girls in front of the bun-girl slipped his headphones in before sticking his hands back into his sweatshirt's pockets. You chuckled when you realized that he had a sparkly Hello Kitty backpack.

To your left, a boy was anxiously tapping his fingers against his thigh, wild eyes scanning the mob in frantic search for someone or something. After a moment, he relaxed, sighing to himself as he flexed his restless hand. His pace slowed before he almost slipped on a stray poster that had fallen off the wall after the student council election craze had ended. Luckily, the boy managed to catch his balance, shooting you a reassuring smile when you made a move to help him.

On your other side, a small girl with a fitted leather girl and a tight braid whipped out her phone. Her fingers started to rapidly fly across the small screen, spelling out some important message to a friend or parent maybe. Probably a friend, you decided, once you noticed how she didn't hunch over or even attempt to hide her phone from prying eyes like others texting their parents tended to do.

Up ahead, a boy you knew from theatre was trying to walk the opposite direction than the swarm was going. That unspoken rule allowed him to make his way through with ease, the teenagers clearing a narrow path for him. You caught his eye, and while it took him a second to recognize you, he flashed a wide grin and waved once he finally did. You waved back.

The hallway emptied into a broad foyer with two options on how to exit. Most herded to the left, towards the enormous double doors that would lead them out to the student parking lot, while only a few steered to the left, most likely heading to the band or choir halls rather than the exit to the dreaded teacher parking lot.

You stayed with the majority of the crowd, choosing to depart to the right. Once you made it through the doors, the sun suddenly was on you, bathing you in its golden afternoon light. You welcomed the heat for once, since you had just spent the last two hours in a cold classroom to test. With all the room that the outdoors brought, the swarm broke off even more, spreading out on the sidewalks and the grass.

You kept close to the brick wall of the weight room, although it was big enough to be considered a hall all in itself. The lights inside were off, so the boys were probably out on the field today.

When you heard your name being called, it broke you out of your inner musings. You glanced up to find a friend eagerly beckoning to you from the comfort of the high school theatre's awnings. She had paint spattered over her jeans, but she didn't seem to mind. She yelled your name again, motioning you to come over to help.

Raising your free hand to signal to acknowledge her, you went.