How to Win at High School by Owen Matthews Page A

added me, Steph,” Adam says. “So suck it.”
    â€œGross.” Steph makes a face. “Just don’t embarrass me, okay?”

73.
    â€œVictoria Lemieux,” Sam says. “Who is she?”
    â€œOne of Steph’s friends,” Adam tells him. “I don’t really know her, but she’s pretty damn cute.”
    Sam looks at her Facebook picture. “Yeah, she is.”
    â€œIs she as hot as Sara Bryant?” Adam asks him.
    Sam shrugs. “I don’t know. Do you like her?”
    â€œI think so,” Adam says. “She’s nicer than Sara Bryant, anyway. By a mile.”
    â€œThen go for her,” Sam says. “What do you have to lose, right?”
    Adam nods.
    Adam shrugs.
    If only it were that easy, Adam thinks.

74.
    It’s, like, the next Tuesday. Adam’s walking down the hall, passes Victoria at her locker. She’s talking to some big, dumb-looking guy. A football player, junior varsity.
    (Chad something.)
    Big, dumb Chad is leaning on Victoria’s locker and grinning down at her, and they’re laughing and chattering like BFFs.
    Or worse.
    Figures, Adam thinks. She already has a boyfriend.
    A football-player boyfriend.
    Adam cruises past. Pretends he doesn’t see her. He doesn’t get away with it. “Don’t be such a stranger, Adam,” Victoria calls after him.
    Adam turns around. “Oh,” he says. “Hey.” He gives Chad a nod. Chad nods back, big and dumb.
    Victoria laughs. “Why’re you being so abnormal? We’re Facebook friends now. You can’t just ignore me.”
    Adam gestures to Chad. “Looked like you two were busy.”
    â€œWhat, with Chad?” Victoria pushes Chad away. “This big dummy just likes to make my life miserable. What are you up to?”
    Just then, Leanne Grayson wanders by. “Hey, Adam,” she says. “What’s up?”
    â€œHey, Leanne,” Adam says. Smiles at her as she wandersoff. Turns back around to see:
    Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â  a)     Chad’s disappeared, and
    Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â  b)     Victoria’s got a funny look on her face.
    â€œOh,” she says. “I see how it is. Maybe you’re too busy for me , friend .”
    â€œHa,” Adam says. “It’s not like that at all.”
    â€œYou mean you’re not hooking up with Leanne Grayson? You don’t want to jump her bones?”
    Adam glances back at Leanne. She’s wandered away. Didn’t hear a thing. “We’re just friends,” he tells Victoria. “No need to get pervy.”
    â€œSo, okay,” Victoria says. “Whose bones are you jumping?”
    Adam looks at her. “I don’t, uh, jump bones. Do you?”
    Victoria rolls her eyes. “It’s a figure of speech. It wasn’t the real question.”
    â€œSo what’s the real question?”
    Victoria shakes her head like Adam has to be the dumbest person in the world. “Come back and see me when you figure it out,” she sighs.

75.
    (Sidebar:
    That economics thing for Alton?
    A real pain in the ass.
    See, there’s an art to forging homework. You can’t just write the perfect paper, not for somebody like Alton Di Sousa—
    (career C-student)—
    you have to know your client. You have to know how he writes. You have to know he’s never pulling an A-plus in his life, and if you mess up and get him one . . .
    you’re both screwed.
    You gotta throw in typos, grammatical errors, mess up some dates. But you can’t fuck up too much, or you won’t pull the requisite grade.
    And in this case, if you mess up Alton’s grade, he’s off the basketball team.
    And it’s all
    your
    fault.
    Luckily, Adam does know his clientele. He’s watched them for months now.
    He idolizes them.
    And anyway, he doesn’t know