My Last Feast It was my last moments as a Chelsea High School cheerleader. My final feast was rapidly approaching. That's when I realized I wasn't ready for the season to end. I stood in front of my friends, my cheerleaders, and their families as they watched and waited for me to recite my final words as the season came to a close. It took me hours to write down what my teammates and coaches meant to me. I didn't want to sound too nostalgic since I'm not the emotional type, but I also didn't want to seem indifferent. It was a difficult task but I knew I could do it. A week before the banquet, the senior cheerleaders were tasked with writing speeches about our coaches and teammates. Seeing my parents in the audience has always been very relaxing, especially in stressful situations like this. My parents and I have always been outwardly enthusiastic with each other, no matter where we are. Whether it's a soccer game while I'm cheering on the sidelines or a banquet where I'm receiving an award, every time they get my attention, they throw their hands in the air and start waving them frantically until I respond. There were only two girls left in front of me. One stammered as he tried to finish his speech, and the other swayed back and forth unable to keep still. That's when I looked into the crowd and, just as I predicted, I saw my parents. As expected, they waved their arms wildly to get my attention. I smiled and waved back, even though my wave was much smaller than theirs because I was doing my best not to draw attention to myself. For a moment I felt 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 started pounding. Each speech was written as we tried 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 last speech. I cleared my throat and suddenly I was first in line. I approached the microphone and began leafing through a stack of scattered papers in search of the speech I had written, analyzed, read and reread. Just as quickly I came across a piece of paper with my name written across the top. I took a deep breath and started reading it out loud. My nerves were a little calmer as I read the text I had written. I spoke naturally and fluently just like the day before when I practiced. I took some time to look into the crowd. As I scanned the crowd I noticed my parents once again, and just like before, they started to get excited