There are two kinds of fall breaks: the kind where you go out, have fun, and come back with sunburns—and the kind where you stay trapped at home, drowning in boredom and bad decisions.
Guess which one I got?
See, I didn’t just get grounded—no, that would’ve been too easy.
After a tiny misunderstanding at school involving a fake fire alarm and a smoke bomb, my parents banned me from all electronics.
To make things worse, my English teacher, Ms. Perkins, thought it’d be brilliant to assign The Adventures of Tom Sawyer to the entire class.
We’re supposed to read it over break and write a book report to turn in on the first day back.
As if getting grounded wasn’t enough punishment.
And I’m not the only one suffering. Zander, my best friend—and, honestly, a bit of a slacker—is stuck with the same assignment.
Except he isn’t grounded.
He’s free to roam the outside world with nothing but this stupid book hanging over his head.
But Zander has a plan.
And when he shows up at my house with his Xbox in tow, I know things are about to get interesting.
Making a Deal
Zander shows up at my house, practically glowing, with his Xbox tucked under one arm like it’s a golden trophy.
“Dude,” he says, excitement radiating from him. “I’ve got the ultimate plan to make our fall break epic.”
“Unless that thing can magically finish The Adventures of Tom Sawyer and write my report, I’m not interested,” I reply, eyeing the book sitting untouched on the coffee table.
Zander sets his Xbox down on our living room floor, a mischievous grin spreading across his face. “What if I read the book for you, and you help me beat the game you love? You know all the secrets and strategies to win!”
I raise an eyebrow. “You? Read a whole book?”
He shrugs, confidence oozing from him. “How hard can it be? I’ll take notes while you help me clear the levels. You just point out what I miss, and I’ll get you all the important stuff for your report.”
I shake my head. “I’m still grounded, Zander. My parents are watching me like hawks.”
“Let’s ask your parents if it’s okay,” he suggests, leaning in with a hopeful look. “If I’m just gaming and you’re helping, they might go for it.”
Just then, my mom walks into the living room.
Zander turns to her, his charm on full display. “Mrs. Thompson, is it cool if I play a little while Jack helps me out? I’ll make sure he’s just watching and not playing.”
Mom thinks for a moment before nodding. “As long as Jack’s just watching, I don’t see a problem.”
I bite my lip, contemplating.
It sounds fun, and honestly, I need a break from just reading about kids from 1840 painting fences. “Okay, but you better actually read the book and not just skim SparkNotes.”
Zander raises his hands in mock surrender. “I promise! I’ll even take good notes. Just let me get a little gaming in first.”
I nod, leaning back on the couch. “Deal.”
It’s a win-win—or so I think.
The Switcheroo Begins
For the first day or two, the plan seems perfect.
Zander sets up his gaming station in my living room, and I plop down on the couch, ready to watch him demolish virtual bad guys.
It’s a solid deal: I get to enjoy the gaming experience vicariously while he’s supposed to tackle The Adventures of Tom Sawyer for me.
But as days pass, things take a turn.
My parents, naturally, start to notice Zander’s constant gaming and their eyebrows raise higher with each session.
“Aren’t you supposed to be reading for school?” they ask, eyeing Zander as he mashes buttons and dodges enemies. “How’s that book coming along, Jack?”
I panic. “Great! I’m… making progress.”
My mom’s skeptical gaze doesn’t waver. “You two should be working on your assignments together. How about we check in on that reading, hmm?”
Zander caught up in his game, glances at me and mutters, “Uh, sure! Just a little more gaming first.”
That’s when my dad drops the bomb. “We want to see your notes by the end of the week, Jack. And no gaming until you’ve both finished the book.”
No notes. No Xbox time for either of us.
Which leaves me with one option: actually reading the stupid thing.
Reluctantly, I crack open The Adventures of Tom Sawyer and force myself through the first chapter. But something strange happens.
It’s… funny.
The more I read, the more I find myself drawn into Tom’s world—his pranks, his tricks, the way he convinces his friends to do all his work for him.
Tom Sawyer isn’t just clever; he’s a genius.
Meanwhile, Zander? Not exactly thriving
Zander’s Shortcut Strategy
While I’m getting weirdly invested in Tom’s schemes, Zander is… well, being Zander.
He hasn’t touched the book. Instead, he skims through SparkNotes, convinced it’ll be enough to fake his way through the report.
“Dude, I got this,” he tells me confidently. “The summary has all the key stuff. I just need to copy the basics, and we’re good to go.”
I try warning him. “I don’t think Ms. Perkins is going to fall for that.”
But Zander just waves me off. “Relax. It’s foolproof.”
I bite my tongue. If he wants to cut corners, that’s his choice.
Me? I’ve come too far to back out now.
Tom Sawyer’s adventures feel like they’ve become my own, and I’m ready to knock this report out of the park.
The Quiz Curveball
When school starts back up, Zander and I walk into class, reports in hand.
Zander’s practically bouncing with confidence. “Told you this was going to be easy,” he whispers as we drop our papers on Ms. Perkins’ desk.
I just smile. “Sure, Zander. Easy.”
Ms. Perkins collects the reports with a smile that makes my stomach twist. Something about it feels… off.
Then she drops the bomb.
“Great job turning in your reports, everyone,” she says. “Now let’s see how much you really remember. Time for a little pop quiz on The Adventures of Tom Sawyer!”
The room fills with groans, but Ms. Perkins keeps handing out the quizzes.
Zander looks like someone just told him Christmas was canceled.
Some Tricks Backfire
I glance at the quiz and grin. It’s perfect—just detailed enough to trip up anyone who didn’t actually read the book.
- What does Tom convince his friends to do for him while pretending it’s fun?
- What does Tom trade to win a Bible at Sunday school, and why does the plan backfire?
- Who does Tom sneak away with to the island, and how do they return to town?
I breeze through the questions, my pen flying across the paper. This quiz is easy—after all, I lived every page of that book right alongside Tom.
Zander, on the other hand, is drowning.
I watch him scribble answers, his face getting redder with every passing second.
Halfway through, he leans over and whispers, “What did Tom trade for the Bible again?”
I smirk. “Marbles.”
He blinks, then narrows his eyes. “You actually read the book, didn’t you?”
I just grin. “Yeah, I figured it was worth my time.”
A Lesson in Effort
The next day, Ms. Perkins returns the quizzes.
I get mine back with a big, red A and a note at the bottom: “Great insights! Your humor really shined.”
Zander? Not so much.
He flips his quiz over and groans at the F staring back at him. Beneath it, Ms. Perkins has written: “Next time, try reading the book.”
At lunch, Zander sits across from me, picking at his food. “I can’t believe you actually read the whole thing,” he mutters.
I shrug. “What can I say? It was… kind of fun.”
Zander glares. “You’re the worst.”
I flash him my best Tom Sawyer grin. “Maybe. But I got an A.”