Page 72 of My Totally Unfair Deal

“You… paid someone to take it for me?”

“Fuck you,” he laughs. “Iwasyou.”

“You took the MCAT for me?”

“I’m just a business minor, I know. But you suit-and-tie types overcomplicate everything. I’m pretty sure I can point out the exact questions I got wrong. Couldn’t let you get a perfect score. Gotta leave room for me to outshine you someday.”

I stare at the page, stunned.

“By the way.” He hands me my license. “Figured you’d want that back.”

“I don’t even know what to say.”

“Thank youwould be a great start.”

“Of course. Thank you, man. Thank you so fucking much.”

“I turned in your final papers for Hershwin and Jansen, too,” he adds. “But Nolan’s only giving you an extra month to take his final. You’ll have to do that one on campus, in front of him.”

“That’s my easiest class anyway.” I’m still trying to process everything. “Wait, did you finish your own coursework?”

“I’ve been done since January,” he says with a shrug. “His stuff’s easier than running a farm, so I used my downtime.”

“What were you doing when you said you were going to study, then?”

“What do you think?”

I laugh—for the first time in weeks.

“My dad’s gonna be thrilled to have me back home after graduation,” he says. “Plenty of work waiting.”

I study his face. Harrison’s dad has been dead for over a year. He’s never talked about it, but I found out after overhearing a call and tracking the funeral. He left for the weekend, came back like nothing happened.

“Were you ever going to tell me your dad passed away?”

“I just did.”

I open the mini fridge and toss him a beer. He catches it without missing a beat.

We drink in silence for a while, the air thick with things we won’t say.

“I owe you for the MCAT,” I finally say.

“You’d have done the same if I hadn’t made it to the Agri-Exams.”

“Except I would’ve failedspectacularly,” I admit. “I don’t know shit about farming.”

“It’s the thought that counts.”

“I’m serious, Harrison. If you ever need anything—anything—just call. I’ll come running.”

“We could use a new bull steerer.”

“Anythingnon-farm related.”

He laughs. “I’ll keep that in mind.”

THIRTY-SEVEN

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