My Last Banquet These were my last moments as a Chelsea High School cheerleader. My final banquet was quickly approaching. That's when I realized I wasn't ready for the season to end. I stood in front of my friends, fellow cheerleaders, and their families as they watched and waited for me to recite my final words at the end of the season. It took me hours to write about what my teammates and coaches meant to me. I didn't want to appear too nostalgic since I'm not the emotional type, but I also didn't want to appear indifferent. It was a difficult task but I knew I could accomplish it. A week before the banquet, the senior cheerleaders were given the task of writing speeches about our coaches and teammates. Seeing my parents in the crowd has always been very calming, especially in stressful situations like this. My parents and I have always been outwardly enthusiastic about each other, no matter where we are. Whether it's at a football game while I'm cheering from the sidelines or at a banquet where I'm receiving an award, every time they meet my gaze, they raise their hands in the air and start waving frantically until I wave back. There were only two girls left in front of me. One was stuttering as she tried to finish her speech, and the other was rocking back and forth, unable to stay still. That's when I looked out into the crowd and, as I expected, I spotted my parents. As expected, they waved their arms wildly to get my attention. I smiled and waved back, although my wave was much smaller than theirs as I was doing my best not to draw attention to myself. For a while, I was at ease with their presence. But just as the girl in front of me stepped forward to take her place behind the microphone, my heart undeniably began to pound once each speech was written as we struggled to choose the right words that would have exactly the right impact on the crowd. I became more anxious as I tried to prepare to give my final speech. I cleared my throat and was suddenly first in line. I walked up to the microphone and began thumbing through a stack of loose papers looking for the speech I had written, analyzed, read, and reread. Just as quickly, I came across a paper with my name written at the top. I took a deep breath and started reading it out loud. My nerves were a little more at ease reading the text I had written. I spoke naturally and fluently, like the day before when I was training. I took the time to look at the crowd. Scanning the crowd, I spotted my parents once again, and like before, they began to