It couldn't be that LaRose owned the school. . . right?

"Golden Dawn Academy is a private high school, with a dozen or so corporate partners," I said, practically quoting the student handbook, "and it is always looking for corporate sponsors, commonly running programs in cooperation with private organizations including sports teams and the annual debate tournament."

I shrugged. "I guess nothing more than common knowledge now that you ask. I mean I suppose LaRose is one of the school's bigger partners, since they arrange the purpose testing back in middle school, and then keep their ratings as updated as possible. I took another test at the end of last year. I had hoped to finally get a score, but I guess not."

Frank tapped his fingers on the table. "Not surprised to hear, we don't advertise it but LaRose advises the conglomerate that controls Golden Dawn Academy and a half-dozen of its feeder schools, and what we say is as good as law. We control the policy here. We control the hiring. That's why Ami's so pissed! I get to tell her to stay in the corner and she knows if she doesn't she's out."

Frank sneered at principal Sanada, and she just rolled her eyes back, but she didn't deny it or do anything to stand up for herself.

"Anyway, anyway. We might as well own the school, and along with the staff we control the student body. You got in because we wanted you to come here. I've got a great opportunity for you Drew," said Frank, leaning forward over the table, "because you're right about our purpose-testing. You know what though? You're not score-less, you're not immeasurable. We're 99% sure we know what you are now, and we're very very excited."

I stiffened, and sucked in a sharp breath. What the fuck was he talking about? I was mocked for that shit for years until I stood up for myself! Still was, even if it was never to my face. What happened, their measuring tool wasn't refined enough? Jeez, I was starting to think the vocal but tiny number of Life Plan revisionists might be right. It couldn't have hurt my mother's generation that badly to only get their score when they were in high school. At least with that process I'd have been spared years of annoying bratty kids acting all holier-than-thou about their purpose, and being asses about mine.

I sighed. "Fine, what are you so excited about?"

"You're a minus 4 Andrew! A -4.0 score, the lowest the scale goes. If it could go lower you'd be down there though, we think you're a literally one in a hundred million chance genius."

"I'm what?" My eyes bulged, and I shook my head. "What are you even talking about?" I glanced at my mother, who was beaming at me. Even the principal was smiling at me, I could see her behind mom even sitting on the far side of her.

"You were too hard to score with the basic tests alone," said Frank, holding up his hands defensively, "I know, I know, we promise 97.6% accuracy, but there are weird outliers. You're one of them. Lots of people who score low on the curve, the most purposeful, they are planners. Adaptable in a pinch, but with their eye on the ball. They rarely quit or give up on their goals, and can really get sucked into conquering obstacles to make dreams reality. They're also susceptible to sunk costs, rarely re-adjust to look for new paths if nothing obvious is in their way, and can fall into blissful contentment if they reach their biggest goals. I'll be honest with ya Drew, we think none of that applies to you. You'll never be happy if you're not very busy, and even then we're pretty sure if there's anything you don't have, you'll try and get it. And you adapt all the time, you always look for a more efficient path, you never stop working."

"This doesn't make any sense, you're not talking reasonably—"

"You say you want to be a CEO, but really what you want is authority, and to lead any group you lead to a win. Then you want to be in charge of another group, a bigger and better group, and you want more authority. Then you'll make sure everyone is doing their best, you won't hesitate to fire dead weight, and I doubt you'll ever know what hands-off leadership is. Remember, we've been testing you yearly, and we've been keeping a close eye on you to boot. I can say this as fact. Don't deny it."

"Ffff, I don't want to just be in charge," I said, but even as I said it I didn't believe it. I'd never dreamed of selling off a company and retiring as a 30-something, I'd always imagined once I dominated one market I'd move into another. My companies would be self-sustaining by the time I was done — though I'd always keep an eye on things — and if I ended up buying up a ton of competitors and transforming one industry after another that would be ideal. I'd have considered running for government if I didn't see the pandering politicians handed out regularly as weakness, and so respected the corporate world much more, where as long as you provided a useful service or a necessary product people didn't care if you were politically active.

"Kid, we've been watching. We know you're the de-facto captain of the swim team, that you're only the third strongest swimmer, but that you drive your teammates to succeed well above what anyone expected of them. We've seen your group work, how you get everyone to pull their weight somehow. Do you know how hard it is to break the 80/20 rule for groups? But you do it. You do it through a combination of intimidation and bribes as often as real inspiration or group empathy, but the tool doesn't matter to you, you just use what works. Every person is different, and you read them like books and get the best everyone can give."

"Fine," I leaned back and sighed, "fine I admit it, yeah, maybe I just get a rush from making people work hard. I have a good role model," and I looked at my mother, and took her hand, "I've seen her struggle my whole life to get me what I needed, and if I can get others to have that work ethic so that I keep getting it, that's good. Great even. And it's fun to test people, find the buttons to push, and authority makes that all the easier. It comes with built-in respect. So fine, let's say I believe you that I'm some, what, weird purpose-genius? What now?"

"Now you take the biggest step of your life and help us at LaRose change the future of the world Andrew," said Frank, grinning like a shark.