In Zindel's The Pigman, how do John and Lorraine describe Norton and Dennis? Why do John and Lorraine seek their friendship?

In
Zindel's , John, Norton, and Dennis are already buddies when Lorraine moves
into the neighborhood. She first meets John at the bus stop for school and he introduces her to
Norton and Dennis. The boys have this tradition of going to the graveyard to drink alcohol and
Lorraine goes with the boys to do that once in awhile. For the most part, John remains friends
with Norton and Dennis because they give him free beer at the graveyard. After John and Lorraine
meet Mr. Pignati, though, they stop seeking the others' friendship and start pulling away from
them. But John has known these boys since he was younger and in elementary school. Dennis is a
pretty good kid for the most part, but Norton had issues with playing with dolls when he was
younger. If it weren't for the fact that Norton was teased for having played with dolls, he
probably would not have turned into a thieving bully by the time he reached high school.
Consequently, Norton is described by John as "low on the scale of evolution [and] belongs
back in the age of the Cro Magnon man" (99). When John holds a party in Mr. Pignati's
house, he invites Dennis because he knows Dennis can bring alcohol for everyone, but he doesn't
invite Norton because Norton might steal something from the house or cause problems for John and
Lorraine.