Free How to Win at High School by Owen Matthews Page A

You’re hired, you’re in . Pretty soon you’ll have Sara Bryant calling you by name.”
    â€œHot damn.” Wayne stuffs the assignment into his backpack. “Thanks, man. I won’t let you down.”
    â€œWork hard,” Adam tells him. “Work smart. And keep your fucking mouth shut.”

96.
    Wayne Tristovsky busts his ass.
    Wayne Tristovsky knocks Sara Bryant’s physics assignment out of the park.
    Brings it to Adam first thing Monday morning. Adam looks it over. Thinks, This is pretty good . Gives it to Sara. A couple days later, Sara comes back, shows Adam the big red 92 on the front of the page.
    Adam lets Sara hug him.
    Adam goes back to Wayne.
    Adam holds out his hand. Tells Wayne:
    â€œYou’re hired.”

97.
    So now Adam has an employee. Wayne’s eating it up. Twenty pages a week. Two hundred bucks, easy.
    (Plus bonuses.)
    Wayne works hard. Wayne keeps his mouth shut.
    Wayne looks at Adam like he’s a god.
    ( Not yet , Adam thinks. But soon. )
    Wayne’s addicted to the money. To the thrill of rubbing shoulders with Leanne Grayson and Paul Nolan and Jessie McGill.
    To the possibility that one day, Sara Bryant will know his name.
    Wayne works hard so Adam doesn’t have to.
    (Adam still works. This homework thing is out of control. New clients every day. Wayne’s twenty pages make a nice dent in the workload, but Adam isn’t living the life of leisure just yet.)
    Adam still works. Adam still gets paid. Adam just has a little more free time to spend with Victoria. And Sam.
    And that’s a good thing, because:
    Janie Ng’s throwing that party.

98.
    Adam asks Victoria if she’s going to the party.
    â€œI might go,” she says, shrugging. “If somebody asks me.”
    â€œ Somebody , huh?” Adam says.
    â€œThe right guy,” Victoria tells him. “I only date nerds.”
    Adam pulls her close. Adam kisses her in the hallway. “You’re coming with me,” Adam tells her.
    Victoria kisses him back. “Of course I am, dummy.”

99.
    Adam goes to see Sam. It’s been, like, a week or so.
    â€œI’m sorry,” Adam tells him. “You didn’t mention they piled on the homework in junior year, too.”
    Sam laughs. “I guess I forgot that part,” he says. “I never really focused on homework that much, anyway.”
    â€œYeah,” Adam says.
    â€œI kind of wish I did, though,” Sam says. “Maybe I wouldn’t be working at this goddamn doughnut shop.”
    â€œYeah,” Adam says. “So, listen, there’s this party coming up. Janie Ng. And I’m definitely going.”
    Sam doesn’t answer for a moment, but then he does. “A party, huh?” he says, smiling. “Big one?”
    â€œHuge,” Adam says. “And I need booze.”
    Sam grins wider. “The eternal problem of the underage drinker.”
    â€œExactly,” Adam says. “How did you score your alcohol?”
    â€œOlder people,” Sam says. “Some of my friends had college friends, or sometimes we’d just hang out outside the liquor store and pay a random to buy for us.
    â€œWhy?” he asks. “You need me to pick you up a bottle of something?”
    Adam thinks about it. Adam hesitates. Adam’s not really looking to get Sam involved. Not with what he has in mind.
    â€œIt’s no sweat,” Sam says. “This is what big brothers are made for.”
    â€œYeah,” Adam says. “No, it’s okay. I think my buddy Brian might have a hookup.”
    Sam shrugs. “Suit yourself.”

100.
    Here’s the thing about the party:
    It’s not just any party.
    It’s Adam’s first party.
    And Adam knows he needs to make a good impression. Needs to do something special. Needs to shake that Pizza Man thing once and for all.
    â€œYou want, like, a forty or something?” Brian says. “Or I can swipe some of my