As we walked through the gates to Clearwater High, my focus shifted. I’d had all summer to think about things, and at least in this instance, I saw my path clearly. I was right last year when I thought that being at school for a year without Jules would be hell. If that summer had taught me anything, it was that being places without Jules wasn’t for me.

I booked an appointment with the principal, Mr. Ramirez, and the school guidance counselor. I asked to take a standardized IQ test and any aptitude tests the counselor wanted to throw my way. For the first time in my life, I took the test seriously. I didn’t change my answers to make sure I got some questions wrong. I aced it. I aced it so hard, they made me retake the tests, because they thought the first results couldn’t be right. When the scores for the second test came in higher, they both sat there stunned, staring at me.

“Well, I, er, I don’t understand, Sullivan. Your scores for every other year have been dead on the average curve,” said Mr. Ramirez.

“What can I tell you, sir? I’ve decided to apply myself.” I shrugged.

“What’s made you decide to apply yourself now, if you don’t mind me asking?”

“I don’t mind at all. It’s quite simple. I’ve just come to realize that junior year is a waste of my time, and I don’t want to do it.”

“So you’re proposing we move you to senior year?” He looked at me as if I was exceptional, but crazy.

I nodded slowly. “That’s exactly what I’m proposing.”

After lengthy discussions and several thinly veiled threats about getting my mother and Dalton Cleary down to the school, it was agreed that me being bumped up a year would be the best for everyone involved.

And just like that, I was a senior in high school. Not only that, I was a senior with Jules. We were in several classes together and it was great. I had no idea why I hadn’t thought of this plan sooner. School was still a huge crock of shit, but at least now, that shit was entertaining.

Being in class with Jules was the best. He saved a seat for me in all the classes we had together. I brazenly let him copy off me. In return, he made sure I was amused. We were studying reproductive anatomy and physiology and our teacher, Mrs. Beauford, was so uncomfortable about the subject matter she was skipping key facts and mixing up terms. In my mind, I was composing a long letter to the Board of Education listing the ways in which the lesson was failing to educate me. I was up to point number fifty-seven and I’d only been at it for a few minutes.

Jules had questions and lots of them.