At lunch Jeremy sought out his best friend Michael Mell. Michael sits in a different place in the cafeteria every day-sometimes the indoor part with the long formica tables, sometimes the outdoor part with the scarred picnic benches— but you can always spot him thanks to his huge headphones.

"What's up?" Jeremy said as he approached. Michael doesn't listen to a thing in those headphones during lunch. He just likes how they feel on his head. "Mmmmgph," he says, wolfing down a fish patty sandwich with cheese and chocolate milk. "Sup?"

"Michael." "Yuh." "You want to finish that?" Michael smiles and lets chewed fish-cheese roll through the gap in his teeth. It plats on to the tray in front of him.

"Crackhead," Jeremy laughed. "People are going to see you." "Uh-nuh," Michael says; his Adam's apple bobs up and down as his food slides away.