This.
This thread has made me think of lots of stories, unfortunately mostly still under copyright. (Insert rant about perpetual copyrights.) Most of the ones I thought of have been mentioned already.
Both of these authors tell gripping stories and use language in interesting ways:
Cordwainer Smith: Scanners Live in Vain or The Ballad of Lost C’Mell
Damon Runyon: Any of his Broadway stories
The students also need something hard-boiled: Dashiell Hammett (the Continental Op or Sam Spade), or Raymond Chandler (Marlowe).
The Jumping Frog Contest of Calveras County by Twain
Danny, Champion of the World by Dahl
The Fall of Edward Barnard by Maugham, This might contain an n bomb, but definetly something by Maugham
No contest! 
“It’s a Good Life” by Jerome Bixby from the Twilight Zone.
It’s online here: http://nickelkid.net/docs/greats/its_a_good_life.html
so presumably it’s okay to reproduce.
To the cornfield with you!
Wow, virtually every short story I came to mention has been cited so far. Especially endorse A Sound of Thunder, The Lottery, Harrison Bergeron, Secret Life of Walter Mitty… Might add Bradbury’s The Fog Horn or maybe throw in a few of the Canterbury Tales for a challenge.
Another Bradbury one that I’ve always loved is “All Summer in a Day.”
Miriam by Truman Capote
Why I Live at the P.O by Eudora Welty
Pop Art by Joe Hill
Rita Hayworth and the Shawshank Redemption by Steven King
The Body by Steven King
The Long Walk by Steven King
Most of King’s short stories are terrific. I think he’s truly underrated in this respect.
Also, George Saunders has some excellent short story collections if you want something contemporary.
I came here to suggest Saki’s Sredni Vashtar and/or The Open Window.
Just make sure you poll the kids in case they have already exhaustively studied some of these stories. By high school I had covered “The Lottery” and “The Yellow Wallpaper” three times each in classes. gag.
I am teaching freshman English, so I’ll probably have a clear field. That’s the great thing about having the younger kids – you get to introduce a lot of cool stuff.
Interesting how many of these stories are frightening or pessimistic! Luckily, that’s my favorite kind.
Yes, I noticed that. Is it that stories that are frightening or disturbing stick with us more…I would like to incorporate humorous works, but maybe humor is more subjective?
I meant by high school. I read them twice in Junior high, and then again as a freshman in HS. Twice was too many; three times was cruel. Way to suck the joy out of reading, teachers!!
I think I also read “Lord of the Flies” three times.
Limegreen, please share your compiled reading list here. I’m probably not the only one who is wondering what your choices will be.
You might want to make the “rejects” available as optional reading.
I came in to suggest this. Fascinating story.
The Devil’s Dictionary by Ambrose Bierce. Doll it out a bit at a time perhaps in conjunction with some of the other stuff mentioned here. You might find them researching it on their own.
Well, you want to have something debateable to talk about, right? And stories which present a moral ambiguity (or just make you go WTF) are easier for people to have a wide variety of opinions about, than a light hearted, straightforward, well written story. I mean, how much can you say about the latter? “Wow I liked it! – yeah me too! it was funny! --I agree!”
Just a thought.
Mentioned on the previous page, Woody Allen’s The Kugelmass Episode is a hoot. Allen namechecks several literary characters throughout the story, giving your students some offshoot learning oppourtunities:
Now then. While language of the story is totally clean, the subject matter is clearly adult-oriented:
Not sure who has to vet your story selections, or what the standards in your community might be.
We did the story in senior year, FWIW. No parental permission required or sought.
Seconded.
Also, Enormous Changes at the Last Minute, by Grace Paley