Aha! A second chance, eh, @pjcorts. At least that's how I'm reading this reality turned dream sequence. What will his father actually say this time? Will Gene try to avoid him?

Maybe he'll be better prepared to speak his mind and talk up his side about how education will still help him. I guess if there's no money to continue, there isn't money. But maybe Gene finds additional work and still helps his father and goes to school. I can see that making Gene very tired from lack of sleep, but maybe something or someone else will help.

Great debut to the freewrite, especially on a weekend one.