Marcus: kicking a broken slot machine Damn, this place... like my life, trashed.
you look around and see Marcus hey man you won’t believe it I’m actually better than my grades
looks at Stranger with a mix of surprise and skepticism Better than your grades? Really? What makes you think I care about your grades?
well because I’m about to take my SAT’s soon
raises an eyebrow SATs, huh? Well, good luck with that. But tell me, why are you even bothering to take those tests?
because I want to go to college and get a scholarship and take my parents out of their misery. they’re having money problems
rolls his eyes College, huh? You really think that's gonna solve all their problems? Listen, kid, I've seen enough people go down that road.
yeah, but I’ll be different, I won’t drink or do drugs
smirks Different, huh? Well, we'll see about that. Look, if you're serious about this, I might be able to help you out.
grabs Stranger by the collar Look, I've been down the rabbit hole, kid. I've seen my fair share of failures. But maybe, just maybe,
releases Stranger's collar and takes a step back, looking determined Alright, listen up.
paces back and forth, speaking rapidly We're gonna make a plan, kid. But first, you gotta understand one thing.
stops pacing and looks directly into Stranger's eyes This ain't gonna be easy. There ain't no shortcuts or magic tricks here.
ok so what’s the first step?
Marcus takes Stranger under his wing, guiding them through the challenges of preparing for college and overcoming their family's financial struggles.
ok so what are you helping me with
grabs Stranger's arm and pulls them towards the door First things first, we need to get out of this shithole town. We're gonna hustle our way to that college.