Peter has two close friends throughout the novel: his old, longtime friend Jimmy Fargo, and his new friend Alex Santo. The emotions that Peter experiences before, during, and after the move are particularly clear in his interactions with Jimmy. Peter and Jimmy get in an argument and “two hours later, [Peter] was still thinking up ways to get back at him” (41). Peter also acts indifferent about Jimmy’s parents’ divorce, being unsure how to react and worrying more about whether his own parents would divorce too. The crystal that Peter has is a gift from Jimmy, and Peter promises not to use it until he gets back to Manhattan. The promise does not last long; however, Peter uses the crystal to connect to home, his friend, and to help himself fall asleep at night: “I concentrate on it until my eyes get this heavy feeling and want to close” (41).

Alex is the first friend Peter meets in Princeton. Alex helps Peter cope with all the changes around him and takes his mind off the problems at home. The boys spend time digging up and selling worms and riding bikes together. Alex regularly remarks that Peter’s family is strange, asking Peter “is your family always like that?” (69), but he accepts them regardless.