It was when Lester and William were talking about William's writing,

BANGS
What are you like the star of your school?

WILLIAM
They hate me.

BANGS
You'll meet them all again on their
long journey to the middle.

I never really gave it that much thought, but as I understand it, he just means that they think they are so above William and that as life goes on he will meet them again, and they will no longer seem so cool, or popular or successful, but rather that once outside high school and without everyone being defined by their popularity, these people who William thinks hate him, will just become mundane, middle of the road people who can no longer hold that 'popularity' power over him?

I dunno, does that make any sense? I know what it means, just don't know if I can explain it!!

yeah, that makes sense, thanks.

i was like "middle....when is he going to the middle...i thought he was going with stillwater..."
lol

i thought t meant their journey to get to middleclass and hed pass them by lol

It was when Lester said to William that he must be the star of his highschool cause he is a rock journo...They hate me william replies..What Lester is trying to say in my opinion is that in life we either start out popular in school or we are the freak/nerd etc, but when Life and Reality kicks in (sometime around middle age lol...i know im middle aged lol) we are all basically the same, trying to pay the mortgage, keep the wife, feed the kids, keep our hair (for the men),hide the ever growing wrinkles (women), and sucking in our ever expanding middle age spread (both sexes). There is no popular or nerdy or freaky..were all at the same sad and orry stage of our lives lol, no its not all that bad being 42 I love my life!
Tanya xxx

I like what Tiny Dancer has to say, but I think one part is a bit misunderstood. I think he is telling William that he may seem insignificant now, when life becomes adulthood and reality, William will be exceptional and they (the high school douchebags) will be normal and will lead blase lives, while William, who Lester Bangs sees a kindred spirit in, will continue to rise to great things.

It means that William is exceptional and he will live an exceptional life. The normal people at his school may have popularity now, but their ceiling is low and they will be unexceptional. It's like he's saying "take heart, young man, you will see them again as you pass them on your way to a incredible life while they languish in mundanity and while away at their average, boring lives."