A study was done to examine the lived experience of conflict among students in a transitional class for returning long-term absentees in Walker Hill High School (a pseudonym), an inner city New York City high school. The project was a substudy of the New York City Dropout Prevention Evaluation Project. The theoretical framework of the study began with the basic premises of symbolic interactionism for a theory-based methodological perspective. Critical theory was then introduced, and social order was discussed as part of a school's hidden curriculum. Over the course of 2 years, one class was observed by an ethnographer/evaluator approximately twice a week. Data collection included ethnographic interviews, participant observation, and site document collection. Analysis consisted of discovering a salient theme, identifying vignettes with conflict, examining one conflict vignette in detail, and finding and elaborating on a pattern of social interaction. Analysis suggests that fighting is a part of students' everyday lives; and that a recurrent pattern of perceived disrespect, exchange, and audience presence results in conflicts. The paper offers a detailed analysis and description of four conflicts, further discussion of theory and literature, as well as an overview of the implications for conflict mediation programs. Included are 5 figures and 88 references. (JB)