At the Max, the gang sat in their favorite booth. Lisa and Screech on one side, Zack and Kelly on the other, and Jessie and Slater pulled up chairs on the end.
"Congratulations, kids!" James cheered with his theatrical voice. "This meal is on the house!"
"Wow, thanks, James!" The gang replied, halfway excited.
"I'm glad to see you all smiling again. If it hadn't been for the robes, I would have thought you just came from a funeral," he smiled as he got out his order tickets.
"It's just that we'll never be together like this again," Jessie replied sadly looking around at her friends.
"I thought I was the one with a flair for the dramatics, Ms. Spano. Are you leaving tonight? Tomorrow?" he asked loudly bending over toward her.
Jessie backed away from him, "Well, no, I don't leave until the end of August," she said meekly.
"Are any of the rest of you leaving tonight?" James asked haughtily. The rest of the gang shook their heads. "Then, wipe those silly frowns off your faces. Don't ruin the time you have left by moping. Push the thoughts of going separate ways from your head. Celebrate today, spend the summer together starting tomorrow, and don't say goodbye until it's time to say goodbye. Besides even when that time comes, I have a feeling it won't truly be goodbye for all of you anyway."
"That's a pretty convincing monologue, James," Slater replied.
"Ah! I must admit this is one time—and probably the only time-- in my life I wasn't acting," James said smiling.
The gang laughed as James took their orders. He bowed and walked off.
"James is right, guys. We've got to stop acting like our friendship is over. I mean, we have the whole summer ahead of us," Kelly told them.
"Yeah, let's make a pact," Screech added.
"We promise to enjoy our summer together," Slater said making a scout sign.
"With no more moping," Lisa chimed in smiling.
"And to stay friends no matter where our paths lead," Jessie put in, glancing around at her best friends. James quietly brought them their drinks, and walked away smiling.
"How should we seal the deal?" Kelly asked looking around at everyone for ideas.
Zack raised his glass of coke, "To friends forever!" He said smiling.
"To friends forever!" they all chimed clinking their sodas together. Then, they began reminiscing, laughing, and joking just as they always had.