His commentary makes her laugh; without really thinking about it, she gently shoves at him by the third. It's the kind of playful low-level roughhousing she does with friends, though nothing so noticeable that it would draw more attention.

"You can work part time as long as you get a permit," she says. "You can ask the teacher for a meeting with the headmaster, and he'll just do a little interview to go over your current schedule. They take the whole 'your education is your job' thing pretty seriously here."

Since the lunch hour is starting to draw to a close, she straightens her desk, though she leans in to keep the conversation going. "--Not that I have a job. But one of my best friends does. I can introduce you, if you want to hear more of what the process is like."