“I’m not, man. Not since two days ago anyway.” “And plus, it’s a new month. So, how we gonna get money from your old customer’s, for next month, if you ain’t the Paperboy no more?” His friend pleaded. “Aw, it don’t matter anyway. You ain’t gonna really do it.” ​ Mark frowned, both at his accomplices’ lack of faith, and the fact that he was trying not to step on a small semi-circular pile of broken rocks in his path. Looks like some kids had made a Rock-Fort right smack-dab in the middle of the sidewalk – stupid. As his frown soured, he kicked the rocks away, and immediately heard a child moan in despair; “Hey, whatchu do that for?!” ​ "First of all", he continued, turning his gaze from the disgruntled child, who was now racing toward the pile with what looked to be small sticks in his hands, surely the Fort’s walls – ​ "We, ain’t gettin’ nuthin’, I am. And besides, they don’t know I’m not the Paperboy anymore. Well, I may have told one or two of ‘em…" ​ “OK, so how you gonna get money from them for next month? It’s only the 3rd.” Said Kevin, who was clearly and utterly confused. ​ “Aw, just leave it up to me,” Mark said, waiving his hand dismissively at the youth. “It’s my hustle anyway!” ​ As the two boys rounded the corner they were met by a large group of kids, bookbags in tow, who were cheerfully headed-off to school and commandeering the sidewalk by virtue of sheer numbers. Forced to abandon the sidewalk and hug the curb, so as not to be run over by either the gang of kids or passing cars, the boys were suddenly (blissfully) aware that they were ‘skipping’ school today. Who needs teachers and classwork and study, when all they needed was a beautiful day, like today, and a plan. ​ “There’s one of my old-customer’s, on the corner.” He now turned to squarely-face the boy, sporting a sly grin. “So, you Dare me?!” he nodded sharply with challenge, head slightly tilted and raised.

“I’m not, man. Not since two days ago anyway.” “And plus, it’s a new month. So, how we gonna get money from your old customer’s, for next month, if you ain’t the Paperboy no more?” His friend pleaded. “Aw, it don’t matter anyway. You ain’t gonna really do it.” ​ Mark frowned, both at his accomplices’ lack of faith, and the fact that he was trying not to step on a small semi-circular pile of broken rocks in his path. Looks like some kids had made a Rock-Fort right smack-dab in the middle of the sidewalk – stupid. As his frown soured, he kicked the rocks away, and immediately heard a child moan in despair; “Hey, whatchu do that for?!” ​ "First of all", he continued, turning his gaze from the disgruntled child, who was now racing toward the pile with what looked to be small sticks in his hands, surely the Fort’s walls – ​ "We, ain’t gettin’ nuthin’, I am. And besides, they don’t know I’m not the Paperboy anymore. Well, I may have told one or two of ‘em…" ​ “OK, so how you gonna get money from them for next month? It’s only the 3rd.” Said Kevin, who was clearly and utterly confused. ​ “Aw, just leave it up to me,” Mark said, waiving his hand dismissively at the youth. “It’s my hustle anyway!” ​ As the two boys rounded the corner they were met by a large group of kids, bookbags in tow, who were cheerfully headed-off to school and commandeering the sidewalk by virtue of sheer numbers. Forced to abandon the sidewalk and hug the curb, so as not to be run over by either the gang of kids or passing cars, the boys were suddenly (blissfully) aware that they were ‘skipping’ school today. Who needs teachers and classwork and study, when all they needed was a beautiful day, like today, and a plan. ​ “There’s one of my old-customer’s, on the corner.” He now turned to squarely-face the boy, sporting a sly grin. “So, you Dare me?!” he nodded sharply with challenge, head slightly tilted and raised.

“I’m not, man. Not since two days ago anyway.” “And plus, it’s a new month. So, how we gonna get money from your old customer’s, for next month, if you ain’t the Paperboy no more?” His friend pleaded. “Aw, it don’t matter anyway. You ain’t gonna really do it.” ​ Mark frowned, both at his accomplices’ lack of faith, and the fact that he was trying not to step on a small semi-circular pile of broken rocks in his path. Looks like some kids had made a Rock-Fort right smack-dab in the middle of the sidewalk – stupid. As his frown soured, he kicked the rocks away, and immediately heard a child moan in despair; “Hey, whatchu do that for?!” ​ "First of all", he continued, turning his gaze from the disgruntled child, who was now racing toward the pile with what looked to be small sticks in his hands, surely the Fort’s walls – ​ "We, ain’t gettin’ nuthin’, I am. And besides, they don’t know I’m not the Paperboy anymore. Well, I may have told one or two of ‘em…" ​ “OK, so how you gonna get money from them for next month? It’s only the 3rd.” Said Kevin, who was clearly and utterly confused. ​ “Aw, just leave it up to me,” Mark said, waiving his hand dismissively at the youth. “It’s my hustle anyway!” ​ As the two boys rounded the corner they were met by a large group of kids, bookbags in tow, who were cheerfully headed-off to school and commandeering the sidewalk by virtue of sheer numbers. Forced to abandon the sidewalk and hug the curb, so as not to be run over by either the gang of kids or passing cars, the boys were suddenly (blissfully) aware that they were ‘skipping’ school today. Who needs teachers and classwork and study, when all they needed was a beautiful day, like today, and a plan. ​ “There’s one of my old-customer’s, on the corner.” He now turned to squarely-face the boy, sporting a sly grin. “So, you Dare me?!” he nodded sharply with challenge, head slightly tilted and raised.

“I’m not, man. Not since two days ago anyway.” “And plus, it’s a new month. So, how we gonna get money from your old customer’s, for next month, if you ain’t the Paperboy no more?” His friend pleaded. “Aw, it don’t matter anyway. You ain’t gonna really do it.” ​ Mark frowned, both at his accomplices’ lack of faith, and the fact that he was trying not to step on a small semi-circular pile of broken rocks in his path. Looks like some kids had made a Rock-Fort right smack-dab in the middle of the sidewalk – stupid. As his frown soured, he kicked the rocks away, and immediately heard a child moan in despair; “Hey, whatchu do that for?!” ​ "First of all", he continued, turning his gaze from the disgruntled child, who was now racing toward the pile with what looked to be small sticks in his hands, surely the Fort’s walls – ​ "We, ain’t gettin’ nuthin’, I am. And besides, they don’t know I’m not the Paperboy anymore. Well, I may have told one or two of ‘em…" ​ “OK, so how you gonna get money from them for next month? It’s only the 3rd.” Said Kevin, who was clearly and utterly confused. ​ “Aw, just leave it up to me,” Mark said, waiving his hand dismissively at the youth. “It’s my hustle anyway!” ​ As the two boys rounded the corner they were met by a large group of kids, bookbags in tow, who were cheerfully headed-off to school and commandeering the sidewalk by virtue of sheer numbers. Forced to abandon the sidewalk and hug the curb, so as not to be run over by either the gang of kids or passing cars, the boys were suddenly (blissfully) aware that they were ‘skipping’ school today. Who needs teachers and classwork and study, when all they needed was a beautiful day, like today, and a plan. ​ “There’s one of my old-customer’s, on the corner.” He now turned to squarely-face the boy, sporting a sly grin. “So, you Dare me?!” he nodded sharply with challenge, head slightly tilted and raised.