 
sitting in the back row, jamie looked through an open window toward a 
rounded silver water tower which poked up through the woods like a great metal 
tulip. 
the tower had recently been painted and appeared shiny in the spring 
sunlight. 
tubular steel legs were hidden at the bottom by newly greening oaks, 
sycamores, and poplars that bordered the rear grounds of richmond high school. 
jamie had made no brag. 
he had not even spoken the evening he was at jawbone's house, loafing in 
the basement playroom with the others. 
"look at jamie"s," jawbone said. 
jawbone was a dark, wiry boy of eighteen who had a jutting chin. 
he stuck a finger on jamie's picture in the new yearbook. 
under the names of all the others were accomplishments, teams, 
organizations, trophies. 
"not even the glee club," nick said, lying on a sofa, his legs hanging 
over the armrest at one end. 
he was a blond italian whose father owned a fancy restaurant downtown. 
"they"ll never know you been here," alf said. 
alf was a heavyset, shaggy boy who"d won his letter in baseball. 
more sensitive than the rest, he was immediately sorry. 
he reached across a chair to punch jamie's arm. 
jamie dodged and smiled, though smiling was like cracking rock. 
they meant their remarks good-naturedly. 
but, the words made him see what his relationship to them was. 
he had gone through four years of high school without leaving a mark. 
he had ridden with them daily, shared their secrets, and eaten in their 
homes. 
they considered him a friend. 
