"People always grow up and become different people, Richard. Better people. That's something you'll learn as you get older. Turn the lights out when you leave, Richard."
Mrs. Rice says this to Richard about Daniel. The statement has truth to it because of the circumstances of life, but for a teacher to place the seed of doubt into a child speaks volumes. Instead of teaching Richard that people can become more of who they are, she attempts to say that people will get better when they change, and this is a confusing statement for a child to grasp.
"But what I don't know is why we have to go to school before we can do them! Why we have to suffer the abuse of our peers, who don't know as much as we do about what it is we want."
Daniel is telling Richard his hardship in that he already knows what it is that he desires to do with his life, but he is being held back by this school system. He has even been abused by the kids that are around him who will never understand him.
"They only think you're a dork because they don't understand you."
Richard says this to Daniel when explaining to him that the other boys in their class don't necessarily not like him, they just don't understand him. And they don't try to understand him so their will always be a gap between them and Daniel.
