How to Win at High School

by Owen Matthews

  “I think there’s another party going down next week,” the kid says. “We’ll totally call you.”

  Adam shakes the kid’s hand. Takes his money. Walks back to where Tommy’s waiting by the Mustang, watching a couple of pretty senior girls walk to a pink Volkswagen Golf.

  “Here you go,” Adam tells him. Hands over Tommy’s cut of the profits. Tommy stares at it.

  It’s, like, twenty bucks.

  “We gotta bump the price,” Tommy says. “This barely covers my gas, man.”

  Adam looks down at the twenty in his own hand. “Fuck it,” he says, handing it over. “Take it all. Soon as people figure out who we are, we’ll start making real cash.”

  “You want to start making real cash,” Tommy says, “you gotta start thinking about pills.”

  He watches the pink Volkswagen drive out of the parking lot. “Pills, man,” he says. “The honeys go nuts for that shit.”

  Adam follows Tommy’s gaze. Adam doesn’t like the look in Tommy’s eyes.

  Drug dealing? Adam thinks.

  No thanks.

  “Just wait until word gets around,” Adam tells him. “We’ll be rolling in it.”

  115.

  That night, Adam hijacks the family computer. Makes a new Facebook page.

  Pizza Man Enterprises.

  (Figures after Janie’s party, he might as well own it.)

  Booze, grades, etc.

  Keeps the description vague, like, If you don’t know, ask somebody. Like, he’s not going full retard.

  (You never go full retard.)

  Then he invites all of his new friends.

  116.

  By Friday, Pizza Man Enterprises has twenty-five likes.

  Four kids send Adam messages asking for booze. A couple more text him for homework help.

  Adam tells them all:

  “Meet me at my locker after school and we’ll talk.”

  Hits up his locker after last period and the place is a mob scene.

  117.

  More homework assignments.

  More booze.

  Wayne’s clearing four hundred a week. Tommy’s in the Nixon parking lot at least once a week. Pizza Man Enterprises has seventy-five likes.

  Adam doesn’t get much sleep—

  (“Can’t watch the game tonight,” he tells Sam. “So much homework.”)

  —and neither does Wayne, from the looks of it.

  And it’s not like Adam’s seeing much of Victoria, between the homework stuff and the party supplies.

  Pretty much all he has time for—

  (if he’s lucky)

  —is one date a week.

  A movie downtown.

  Dinner somewhere.

  They fool around in the theater. They make out behind the mall.

  (“You sleep with that girl yet?” Brian asks Adam.

  Adam shakes his head. “Working on it.”

  And he is.

  But . . .)

  “Come over to my place,” Victoria tells him. “My parents are on afternoons this week. We’ll have the whole place to ourselves.”

  Adam starts to tell her hell yes, he’s coming over. Then he thinks about it.

  About the three English assignments he’s gotta get done tonight.

  About Alton Di Sousa’s latest econ lab.

  About the three senior girls who want Smirnoff Ice for the weekend.

  “This week’s no good,” Adam tells Victoria. “I have a crapload of homework.”

  Victoria frowns. “You always have homework. Can’t you take a night off?”

  Adam shrugs. “I gotta keep my grades up.”

  “I guess so,” she says. “You really are a big nerd, Pizza Man.”

  “Don’t call me that,” Adam tells her. “I told you, I just want to be Adam with you.”

  “Except you’re never with me,” Victoria says.

  Victoria goes home unhappy. She’s feeling neglected. Adam knows this. Adam’s unhappy too. But at the same time . . .

  People know who he is.

  People slap him five in the hall.

  Sophomores look at him like he’s somebody now.

  It’s worth it, he thinks. Keep grinding a little while longer.

  118.

  Just when Adam thinks he’s about to go insane—

  (from the homework and the lack of sleep and the booze and the not-seeing-Victoria)

  —Christmas happens.

  Holidays. And not a moment too soon.

  119.

  Adam pays off Wayne. Wishes him a merry Christmas. Tells him his job will be waiting for him in January. Then he grabs Victoria and drags her to the mall.

  It’s Adam’s first Christmas with money. He buys his mom a cashmere sweater and a couple romance novels.

  An autographed Bruce Springsteen record for his dad.

  A couple Blu-rays for Steph, and a T-shirt from Hollister.

  (“She’ll love this,” Victoria tells him. “She’s had her eye on this all year.”

  “You think Rob Thigpen will get it for her?” Adam says.

  Victoria laughs. “I doubt it,” she says. “Rob isn’t exactly known for being thoughtful.”)

  Then Adam chases Victoria away, makes her hang in the food court while he picks out her present.

  120.

  A gold necklace from the jewelry store.

  (With a diamond.)

  It only costs Adam a couple hundred bucks, but it looks the part. And Victoria squeals when she opens it. “How did you afford this?” she says. “It must be superexpensive.”

  “I have money,” Adam tells her. “I’ve been working.”

  “You quit your job, though.” She frowns. “Are you, like, a drug dealer or something?”

  Adam blinks. “What?”

  She waits a beat. Then she bursts out laughing. “The look on your face, Adam. I’m kidding.”

  “Oh.” Adam forces a smile. “Yeah.”

  “You’re tutoring, right?” Victoria says. “Somebody said you were helping them out with their homework. I figured that’s why you’re so busy and stuff.”

  “Yeah,” Adam says. “Tutoring and stuff. Anyway, who cares about that right now? All I care about is if you like the necklace.”

  Victoria kisses him. “I don’t like it,” she says. “I love it.”

  121.

  Adam’s mom loves her sweater.

  His dad loves his Springsteen record.

  Steph?

  “You seen those movies yet?” Adam asks her. “I heard they were pretty good.”

  Steph shakes her head. “They’re good.” She has a funny look on her face. “Yeah, they’re good. Thanks, Adam.”

  “Everything cool?”

  Steph cocks her head at him. “I don’t know, Adam,” she says. “Does Victoria know how you paid for this stuff?”

  Adam glances into the kitchen, where his mom is making breakfast. “What are you trying to pull?” he asks. “You don’t like your presents?”

  “I’m just wondering what Victoria thinks of your little career,” Steph says. “I hear you’re selling booze now too.”

  Adam walks over to Steph’s pile of presents and pulls out the Blu-rays and the Hollister T-shirt. “You don’t want this stuff, say the word.”

  Steph shrugs. “Whatever. It’s probably stolen goods anyway.”

  “Screw off,” Adam says. “What do you want from me?”

  “Nothing.” Steph grins at him. “I just want you to know that your pathetic little career isn’t going to last forever, Adam. And I’m going to be there to laugh at you when it all comes crashing down.”

  Adam’s about to tell Steph to mind her own business. Then his mom pokes her head in from the kitchen. “Christmas breakfast,” she says. Then her smile disappears. “Jeez. What the heck’s the matter with you two?”

  122.

  Sam comes over for Christmas dinner.

  It takes a lot of work to get Sam into the house. There’s a crumbling little stoop that Ad
am and his dad have to lift the wheelchair over, and then the wheelchair is almost too wide for the doorway, and there are a couple of stairs inside the door—

  (there’s a lot of grunting and muttered swear words)

  —and all the while, Adam’s mom is watching from the kitchen and trying not to look sad, and . . .

  Steph is in the living room texting and pretending not to care, and . . .

  Sam looks ashen and kind of tense, like knows he’s fucking this up for everyone and he’s just kind of fighting to keep it all together, and . . .

  Adam was going to do this later, but he can’t wait. He goes into his room and digs around and comes back with Sam’s Christmas present.

  (It’s an envelope.)

  (Merry Christmas.)

  123.

  Sam opens the envelope. There are tickets inside. Two (2) of them.

  “Holy crap,” he says. “Red Wings?”

  Adam nods. “They have, like, a wheelchair-accessible area. The game’s not until March, but it’s the Maple Leafs, so . . .”

  “I hate the Maple Leafs,” Sam says.

  “And what’s better than watching them get spanked, live and in person?” Adam says. “I figured we could take the bus over.”

  “You’ll have to talk to Dr. Stevens,” Adam’s mom says. “Make sure it’s okay.”

  Sam waves her off. “It’ll be fine,” he says. “There’s no way I’m missing this, Mom.”

  Sam’s smiling, now.

  Adam’s mom and dad are smiling too.

  Even Steph looks happy.

  (Well, happier.)

  “Merry Christmas,” Adam tells Sam.

  “Merry Christmas,” Sam tells Adam.

  And for the first time in a while, it is.

  124.

  A few days after Christmas, Victoria calls Adam.

  “My parents are working late,” she tells him. “And I know you don’t have homework this time.”

  125.

  Adam’s in Walkerville in a minute flat.

  Not really. It takes almost an hour with the way the buses are running. But he gets there. And Victoria’s waiting. She lives in this old brick company home a few blocks from the distillery by the river. It’s a nice home. Funky. It has character.

  Adam has to push the realization from his mind that it’s auto-plant money—

  (the same auto-plant money his dad used to make)

  —that’s paying for this place. For a moment, he feels jealous. Then he kisses Victoria and he doesn’t care anymore.

  126.

  Victoria’s room looks like Steph’s:

  Teddy bears.

  Pink wallpaper.

  Boy-band poster on the walls.

  Adam doesn’t really waste much time admiring the decor, though. He doesn’t have much of a chance,

  because

  as soon as he walks in the room, Victoria shoves him on the bed, climbs on top of him, kisses him

  (hard),

  and Adam stops caring about the wallpaper.

  127.

  “Mmmph, Adam,” Victoria mumbles. “Slow up a sec, kay?”

  Adam sits up and looks at her. Moves his hand from the catch on her pants.

  (Victoria’s on her back, her hair tousled, her clothing askew.

  Her skin’s flushed.

  They’re both breathing hard.

  Things are

  hot

  and

  heavy.)

  “We still have an hour,” Adam tells her. “What’s the matter?”

  “It’s not that,” Victoria says. “It’s just . . .”

  She looks away.

  “What?” Adam says. “What is it?”

  Victoria chews her lip. “I’m sorry,” she says, sighing. “I like you a lot, Adam.”

  “I like you, too,” Adam tells her.

  “I just”—Victoria sighs again—“I don’t want to do anything crazy, okay? I don’t think I’m ready yet.”

  “What do you mean, crazy?” Adam says.

  “I mean, I don’t think I’m ready to have sex with you yet.” She leans over and kisses him. “It’s not because I don’t like you. I’m just not ready yet, you know?”

  Adam nods. “Yeah,” he says. “For sure.”

  “You’re not mad, are you? I really like you a lot. And just because we can’t have sex yet doesn’t mean we can’t fool around, right?”

  “Of course not,” Adam says.

  “Good.” Victoria leans up and kisses him again. “Then come back here already. We still have another hour.”

  128.

  Mixed emotions.

  I mean, Victoria’s, like, fifteen. Steph’s fifteen, and if Adam found out she’d had sex with Rob Thigpen,

  well

  he’d probably kill them both.

  But still.

  Paul Nolan has sex.

  Alton Di Sousa has sex.

  Rob Thigpen definitely has sex. (Just hopefully not with Steph.)

  But Adam Higgs?

  Still a virgin.

  And that’s just embarrassing, man.

  129.

  Thing is, Adam really likes Victoria.

  Like,

  Really likes.

  They hang out a ton over Christmas break. They fool around in her bedroom when her parents work nights.

  (“Why don’t we ever go to your place?” she asks Adam, when her parents switch to morning shifts and are home all the time.

  Adam shakes his head.

  Adam thinks, No way are you meeting my parents. No way in hell are you seeing my shitty house.

  “My dad’s always home,” Adam tells her. “No privacy there.”)

  They go to more movies together. They troll the mall. They walk in the park and go skating together, hang out and watch TV shows in Victoria’s living room.

  On New Year’s, they walk down to the river to watch the fireworks at midnight.

  (Tommy hooks Adam up with a bottle of champagne.)

  They unroll a picnic blanket and sit shivering on the shore, drinking from the bottle and watching the fireworks explode high above the Detroit skyline.

  “I’ve never had champagne before,” Victoria giggles. “It makes me feel funny.”

  Adam smiles too. “It’s weird, right?”

  “The bubbles,” Victoria says, and bursts into laughter. “They tickle my nose.”

  Adam pulls her close, feels the warmth of her body against the cool air off the river. He chucks the bottle away and kisses her again, and as the clock strikes midnight, Victoria pulls back and looks up into his eyes. “I think I might love you,” she says. “Is it weird if I say that?”

  Adam hesitates. Maybe it’s the champagne, or maybe it’s the fireworks, or maybe it’s something else entirely, but he tilts up her chin and kisses her again.

  “It’s not weird,” he says. “I think I might love you, too.”

  130.

  Adam takes Victoria to meet Sam.

  (He’s a little nervous at first.)

  They walk up to Sam’s crummy apartment building, and Adam looks at the place and thinks about Victoria’s beautiful house and her perfect family and wonders what the hell he was thinking, bringing her here—

  (Realizes there’s no way he’s ever bringing her to Remington Park.)

  (Wonders what Victoria will think, when she sees Sam’s cramped little living room and his shitty TV, the weird little gadgets and handrails and call buttons in the bathroom.)

  (Wonders how long it’ll take before she gets grossed out and runs.)

  Victoria smiles at him. “You ready?”

  Adam hesitates a moment longer. “Yeah,” he says finally. “Let’s do it.”

  131.

  “Oh yeah,” Sam tells Adam. “She’s definitely out of your league.”

  Victoria giggles. They’re in Sam’s room, and the curtains are open and it’s a beautiful day, and you can see the river through the trees and the other buildings outside.

  “I’m so excited
to finally meet you,” Victoria says. “Adam talks about you, like, all the time.”

  Sam grins. “None of it’s true,” he says. “Absolutely not one word of it.”

  “I hear you guys are going to a hockey game,” Victoria says.

  “Red Wings and the Maple Leafs,” Sam says. “Your boyfriend scored us some choice tickets.”

  “Yeah.” Victoria plays with her necklace. “He’s pretty good at the whole gift-giving thing.”

  “I can’t wait,” Sam says. “It’s been a long time since I’ve seen a game live.”

  (How long? Adam wonders. Before the accident?)

  “It’ll be amazing,” Victoria says. “You guys will have so much fun.”

  “As long as they win,” Adam says.

  They all kind of look at one another. Look around the apartment.

  “So listen,” Sam says, “I was going to offer you dinner, but I’m a terrible cook. You guys want to go for hamburgers or something?”

  132.

  They go out for hamburgers. Victoria doesn’t seem to mind walking slow so Sam can keep up in his wheelchair.

  She doesn’t seem to care when there’s a snowdrift blocking the sidewalk and they have to take the long way around to the burger shack.

  She doesn’t complain when they have to wait an extra ten minutes for the restaurant staff to move a couple tables around so that Sam can wheel his way through.

  She talks to Sam, jokes with him, holds the door for him.

  She and Sam tease Adam mercilessly.

  Adam doesn’t mind.

  Victoria’s smiling.

  Sam’s smiling.

  The burgers are delicious.

  It’s a wonderful night.

  133.

  Adam and Victoria walk Sam back to his apartment. Victoria hugs Sam good night. Sam hugs her back. Then he looks at Adam.