text:  But when it came time for me to go to high school, my parents decided that it would be best for everyone if I went to the school across the street from my dad's house, an inner city high school that didn't have any of those classic American things I wanted. There was no grassy quad. The entire school was concrete and asphalt and chain link fence. And I didn't even think about going to football games or prom with friends because I didn't have any friends.