THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT 
              Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: Friday, May 26, 1995                   TAG: 9505260041
SECTION: DAILY BREAK              PAGE: E1   EDITION: FINAL 
SERIES: LIFE IN THE PASSING LANE
        The Virginian-Pilot and The Ledger-Star has been following the paths 
        of four South Hampton Roads students during their senior year in high 
        school. This installment looks at how three of them juggle school 
        responsibilities with their social life.
SOURCE: BY VANEE VINES, STAFF WRITER 
                                             LENGTH: Medium:   62 lines

``HE'S JUST COOL. HE DOESN'T TALK A LOT, BUT HE'S REAL COOL. THAT'S ABOUT ALL I CAN SAY.''

It's hard for D.T. to find the words to describe his friend Robbie Scott's best trait.

It's not necessarily the way he talks, walks, dresses or cracks an occasional joke. It's his whole attitude: the way he carries himself; the way he's always the laid-back one with the level head; the way he can just, ``you know, chill with the fellas.''

``He's just cool. He doesn't talk a lot, but he's real cool. That's about all I can say,'' said 17-year-old Dwight Towler Jr., an 11th-grader at Nansemond River High. He and Robbie, a Nansemond River senior, have been good friends since middle school - when they shared an interest in the saxophone.

Robbie, he said, is one of the smartest, most focused guys he knows. If he had to pick a theme song for his buddy, he'd choose ``I Got It Made'' by rapper Special Ed.

But Robbie, 18, is far from the stereotypical bookworm who can't loosen up and have fun, he said.

The two don't hang out all the time, but every now and then, they like to round up a few guys to catch a movie or go cruising. Or they'll shop together, D.T. said. They prefer many of the same labels: Tommy Hilfiger, Nike and Guess.

On Saturdays, they like to meet at D.T.'s house to play Sega Genesis video games. Several other friends often join in. When Robbie's not there, ``it's always like, `Hey, where's Rob?' You know, people ask about him,'' D.T. said. ``It's not like with some people and nobody really cares.''

D.T. and Robbie also are talk-show fanatics. D.T. favors Montel Williams. Robbie likes Richard Bey and Ricki Lake. And they talk on the phone almost every day.

``The amount of time really depends on what we're talking about,'' D.T. said. ``Usually, it's girls. . . . I guess we'll talk for up to about an hour. I'm not going to be on the phone with a guy for hours and hours, you know.''

D.T. counts some much rowdier types among his closest hanging partners, but Robbie's the one he seeks when he needs advice. ``Yeah, you can say he really listens. He really wants to help you. He doesn't want to see you messed up or something,'' D.T. said.

Sometimes, Robbie can be ``like a regulator,'' though, D.T. said. ``He'll say, `You know, y'all really shouldn't do this.' Or, `Y'all know that's not right,' when we're planning to just do something silly.'' ILLUSTRATION: Color photo

LAWRENCE JACKSON/Staff

Dwight Towler Jr., 17, left, likes the laid-back attitude of

longtime buddy Robbie Scott.

by CNB