Surviving High School

newspapers and destroying swimming pools?”
    “Hey, that was some of my best work,” he said, smiling.
    For the first time, Emily noticed a shelf full of dusty trophies at the side of Ben’s room. She walked over to them and examined a certificate that read BEN KALE, 1ST PLACE, CALIFORNIA STATE TECHNOLOGY FAIR, 8TH-GRADE DIVISION .
    “Those are all from a long time ago,” said Ben.
    “So why aren’t there any new ones?” asked Emily.
    “Let’s just say I’ve seen where that path leads, and I don’t want to go there.”
    Emily picked up another trophy and said, “I don’t understand.”
    Ben ran a hand through his hair and stared at the floor, lost for words for the first time since Emily had met him. Finally he said, “It’s like that one quote—I don’t know exactly how it goes—something like, ‘What’s the point of gaining the world if you lose your soul?’ Or, ‘What’s the point of success if it means you have to spend your whole life unhappy?’ ”
    Emily blew a sheen of dust off another trophy. It read: CALIFORNIA MATH OLYMPIAD, WINNER, PRE-CALC DIVISION, 9TH-GRADE DIVISION . The dust filled her nostrils, and she coughed a few times before backing away from the trophy shelf.
    “I get what you’re saying,” she answered, thinking overhis words carefully. “But I’m not sure it makes sense. Like, success and fun don’t have to be opposites, right? And what’s the fun in doing nothing but having fun? Wait, that doesn’t quite sound right. I guess what I mean is, wouldn’t you get bored after a while?”
    “Constantly,” said Ben, taking a step toward her. “Except for right now. For the first time in a while, I’m not bored at all.”
    He took another step. He was only inches from her, close enough that if he leaned forward a few more inches they’d touch.
    “Emily, I—”
    “Be-en! Be-en!” a voice called from down the hall. Ben’s eyes went wide, and he tiptoed to the door, closing it as quietly as possible.
    “Be-en!”
    Emily recognized that voice. Dominique. Ben locked his door and put a finger to his lips. Footsteps approached, and a second later a loud knocking reverberated through the room.
    “Ben!” shouted Dominique, slurring slightly. “I know you’re in there! Let me in so we can pla-ay!”
    Ben cringed as a second round of knocking began.
    “She’s kind of relentless, isn’t she?” he whispered. “I’m not quite sure what Spencer sees in her. If he doesn’t hook up with that girl soon and get her out of my hair, I’m going to have to stop inviting her to parties.”
    “Most guys would be flattered to have Dominique chasing after them,” Emily whispered.
    “I’m not most guys.”
    A small burst of joy filled Emily’s chest. He really didn’t like Dominique! In fact, it seemed like Ben wanted nothing to do with her. It wasn’t as good as finding out definitively that he liked Emily, but it did give her a certain guilty happiness. What was that SAT word she’d learned for taking delight in an enemy’s unhappiness? Schadenfreude? She’d have to look that up when she got home.
    Ben walked over to a sliding glass door with a small balcony on the other side. He opened the door and stepped out. She walked up next to him and looked down, where, fifteen feet below, the swimming pool shimmered in the moonlight. At the far end, a crowd of the Never Have I Ever players, including Spencer and Samantha, had stripped down to their underwear and were splashing each other and laughing.
    “Be-en! Don’t you want to at least see my dress?” shouted Dominique from behind them.
    The night air blew cold against Emily’s legs.
    “Only one way out,” said Ben as he started taking off his socks. “Know any sweet dives?”
    Emily shook her head as Ben removed his shirt to reveal a thin yet muscular body.
    “I’m a swimmer,” Emily said. “Not a diver.”
    “Ben!” shouted Spencer from below. “Do a cannonball!” The rest of the crowd cheered and shouted Ben’s name.
    Emily tried to look away as he stripped down to his boxers. She ended up watching the far wall, where his projection pulled off its pajama bottoms and swung them playfully over its head several times while the crowd cheered.
    “Right. Maybe just a standard flip for me,” said Ben as he climbed over the edge of the balcony.
    The crowd began to chant.
    “Jump! Jump! Jump!”
    Emily started to say, “This doesn’t seem very sa—” But before she could finish her sentence, Ben