"Too much noise, I get it," he says, and he means normal noise. Roswell had been packed a few times, and Santa Fe and Albuquerque were no better. Homes of misfit boys and girls, all unwanted, all lonely and lost. He shrugs, figuring that maybe Caleb can spot them for his suggestion.

"There's a diner? We could get a big plate of fries, some milkshakes, and I can show you the wonders of STEM," he quips.