Fall from Grace by Charles Benoit

please.”
    â€œI mean it. It’s cheating.”
    â€œWho cares?”
    â€œI do. It’s wrong.”
    â€œWrong is clubbing baby seals. This?” She slapped the side of his textbook. “This is a game. A hoop you’ve gotta jump through.”
    â€œAnd so the glasses are what, Air Jordans?”
    â€œYeah, sure. You need an edge to win this game.”
    â€œIt’s not a game.”
    â€œAt least try them on.”
    â€œNo. I’m not going to wear them.”
    â€œI worked all night on those,” she said, and for the first time since he knew her, she looked sad. He should’ve put them on, let her show off, let her explain how she figuredit all out and where she got the parts, but he knew he couldn’t. Because if he did—if he tried them on and they really did work, if they really were brilliant—he knew he’d be wearing them when he took the test.
    â€œI gotta go,” he said, standing up, loading his backpack.
    â€œHold on a second. Look, okay, maybe I was pushing a little hard, but I know how much you want to pass and I figured I could help and it would be fun—”
    â€œRight, fun. That’s what it’s all about.”
    She looked at him and smiled, sort of. “Part of it.”
    â€œSometimes you have to do things that aren’t fun at all, and taking this test is one of them.”
    â€œNow you sound like your parents.”
    â€œYou’ve never met them.”
    â€œTell me I’m wrong. Tell me that’s not them talking.”
    He slung his backpack over his shoulder. “I gotta go.”
    â€œIf you change your mind…”
    â€œI’m not going to.”
    She walked him through the apartment, then stood on the landing as he went down the stairs and out the front entrance. He heard her shout “Good luck.”

CHAPTER
18
    THE DOOR WAS shut, so when his father knocked, Sawyer leaned over from his desk and let him in.
    â€œSaw the light under the door. It’s after midnight, you know.”
    â€œYeah, I know,” Sawyer said. “I’m almost finished.”
    â€œA little late for homework, isn’t it? You’re supposed to get this done right after school.”
    â€œIt’s not homework. I’ve got a test tomorrow,” he said, and then without thinking he added, “precalc.”
    The dramatic sigh, the disgusted head shake.
    â€œDidn’t I tell you to drop that class?”
    â€œYou said something about it, yeah.”
    â€œAre they giving you grief in the guidance office? I’llcall them tomorrow morning, get it taken care of, get you out of it. They can’t—”
    â€œI haven’t gone there yet.”
    A surprised pause.
    â€œHaven’t gone where?”
    â€œThe guidance office.”
    A longer pause.
    â€œOkay. Why not?”
    Sawyer tossed his pencil on the desk. “I think I can pass the class.”
    His father shifted his weight, a shoulder against the doorframe, his hand still on the knob, his thumb tapping out a steady, calming beat. “I thought we made it clear why you should drop it.”
    â€œWell, I thought it was better if I stayed,” Sawyer said, then surprised himself by looking up at his father, meeting his stare.
    A tense silence, not long but deep.
    â€œI suppose you think you have a good reason.”
    â€œYeah,” he said. “I can pass.”
    His father nodded, but Sawyer knew he didn’t agree. Then his father said, “It’s not worth busting your ass over.”
    â€œI don’t mind the work.”
    â€œIt’s not that. Look at yourself. You’re staying up late to cram for a test you don’t have to take. You do understand that, don’t you?”
    â€œYeah, I get it.”
    â€œAll that effort you’re putting into one class. Put that to work in your other classes and you can raise those grades up, improve your GPA.”
    â€œWhat