“That’s an interesting way to solve the problem, Tony.”

Miss Tobin is talking about a math problem on the blackboard, but Tony is thinking about real problems.

If his parents or his friend Joel or Joel’s sixteen-year-old sister Lisa knew what Tony was thinking about a lot of the time, they’d probably freak out. About snitching on Joel, who Tony knows is a shoplifter. About watching Lisa undress each night and liking what he sees. About money and the changes money makes in people (especially his mother).

Hung up at thirteen. That’s Tony Miglione—especially this morning in math class in front of Miss Tobin, for everyone to see...