Washington High School
Washington High School, established in 1955, is part of the Glendale Union High School District in Phoenix, Arizona. The school has a strong reputation for academic excellence and has been featured in U.S. News & World Report's Best High School rankings.
Notable alumni include Chester Bennington, the late frontman of Linkin Park, and former NFL quarterback Mike Pagel.
My Time at Washington High School
I only attended Washington High School for one semester, taking a night class to fulfill a graduation requirement. On the first night, I was surprised to hear a familiar name during roll call—it was Pogo, my best friend from third grade. We didn't immediately recognize each other, but once we made the connection, we picked up right where we left off.
During that time, we partied a lot. Concerts were a big part of our lives, even though we were always broke. That meant we usually ended up in the general admission section—sitting on the grass, soaking in the music.
Pogo’s Contributions to the Clan
Paul ("Pogo") was more than just my long-lost best friend—he became a key member of our "Lost Boys" group. One major perk? He worked at a 7-Eleven. That meant he had some... useful side hustles.
The 7-Eleven Alcohol Hustle
Back then, buying alcohol wasn’t as strict as it is today. The drinking age had just been raised to 21, and most people thought that was unfair, so no one really cared if 18-year-olds were drinking. My fake ID didn't always work—especially at new stores—but at Pogo’s 7-Eleven, we had a foolproof system.
The store’s security cameras were black-and-white and blurry, but state-of-the-art for the time. All we had to do was show an ID—any ID—to the cameras. A library card, a school ID, it didn’t matter. Paul would hold it up, pretend to scrutinize it, nod in approval, and hand it back. Boom—booze secured.
The Grocery Store “Sponsorship”
Pogo later got a job at a big grocery store, which turned out to be an even better gig. Near the end of his shift, a lot of perfectly good food—and alcohol—would conveniently "need to be thrown away." When we picked him up after work, we’d pull around back, and he’d load up our car with all the "discarded" supplies.
In effect, Pogo was our unofficial sponsor, keeping us fed and ensuring our parties were well-stocked. This was also how he "paid" his rent in the hippie house. A valuable roommate, indeed.
Looking back, Washington High School wasn’t just a place where I took a class—it was where I reconnected with an old friend and had some of the wildest times of my life.
