How we cite our quotes: (Daysbefore.Paragraph) and (daysafter.Paragraph)
Quote #1
"Anyway, when you get in trouble, just don't tell on anyone. I mean, I hate the rich snots here with a fervent passion I usually reserve for only dental work and my father. But that doesn't mean I would rat them out. Pretty much the only important thing is never never never never rat."
"Okay, I said, although I wondered: If someone punches me in the face, I'm supposed to insist that I ran into a door? It seemed a little stupid. How do you deal with bullies and assholes if you can't get them in trouble? (128before.105-106)
Miles, as a new arrival at the Creek, has to learn not just the written rules of the school but also the unwritten rules of the social order. And sometimes (actually, quite often) unwritten rules are more important than written rules. The thought Miles has here is that of an outsider; his view on rules and order change as he becomes an insider.
Quote #2
The Colonel gave an obligatory laugh, then asked, "Want a smoke?" I had never smoked a cigarette, but when in Rome…
"Is it safe here?"
"Not really," he said, then lit a cigarette and handed it to me. (128before.90-92)
The phrase "When in Rome" is the short version of When in Rome, do as the Romans do. It means that it's to a person's advantage to adopt and mimic the customs of a society, especially when the person is unaware of many customs. (Side note: think about what the dialogue reveals about both the Colonel's and Miles's concerns for the rules.)
Quote #3
It was worse than the Duct Tape Incident, because I already knew that the Kevin Richmans of the world didn't like me. But my teachers had always been card-carrying members of the Miles Halter Fan Club. (110before.11)
Miles ends up kicked out of class and he hates it. He still hasn't gotten used to how the rules at the Creek function, and he's struggling to discover who he wants to reinvent himself as. To some extent he's content to reject the popular social order of students, but he doesn't want his rule-breaking behavior to alienate the teacher he most respects. It's hard to balance on this beam.