The long wait is over...  It's officially Leaving Cert results day (yes, HOW is that time of the year already?!) so we decided to take a walk down memory lane to that fateful day and all the emotions that come with it. *Rose-tinted glasses firmly in place* __________________________________________ Good morning zombie  You haven't slept a wink. Sure how could you have slept? All you can think about is everything you did wrong in each and every exam... your brain is up to 90 and though it all drifted in a haze over the summer, it's come back in all its glory today. Your mind is racing, your palms are sweating and if somebody so much as looks at you the wrong way... they're in for it. The drive that has no end You always thought you lived just minutes from the school, but on results day, that is the longest drive of your life. The likelihood is that one or both of your parents are with you, often an annoying younger sibling who just won't shut up and if someone else says 'you did your best' and 'everything happens for a reason' you might lose the plot altogether. The meet and greet Your principal, who you've had a rocky relationship with over the years to say the least, is now standing at the top of the room all smiles. You have to be polite... you have to exchange pleasantries but all you can really think of is that big brown envelope in their hands. GIVE IT TO ME ALREADY! The furious maths It was never your favourite subject but now you wish you'd listened a bit more. How much is a B1 worth? What's 80 plus 70? HAS ANYONE GOT A CALCULATOR?! Check-in time You can't celebrate until you're sure all your buddies are okay too. One is probably crying, but odds are that's the one who got 590 points instead of the full 600. There's always one. Once you know everyone is happy, it's time for the victory dance... and the party planning. Party time! Every glittery item you own will take centre stage tonight, as you head to your friend's bedroom with five others to get ready for the Big Night. It's all about team work: you're tanning one friend's back while another pal tans yours. The others have a curler in one hand and an eyeliner in the other. You've cleverly planned to leave from the house of the least strict parents, so you're even enjoying a sneaky tipple while you totter around in your heels. Meltdown Dawn is breaking and that can only mean one thing - meltdown time. It suddenly sinks in - you're no longer in school. It's the end of your schooldays. You and your best friends in the world are going your separate ways for college, PLCs, work or travel and nothing will ever be the same again. There may be tears. From four of you. (The fifth one is too busy getting the shift in the corner... there's always one.) #FriendsForever Post meltdown are the vows. You guys have stuck it out together this long... sure what could separate you now? You'll always be besties! And with any luck, you still are.