Despite his boasts, balancing work and school was exhausting. Billy lost out on a lot of sleep trying to do homework after he finished the tasks Alfonzo gave him each day. He didn't have a moment to himself and had to get used to frequent fights, threats, and guns going off. Alfonzo ran a dirty business.
He had always preferred reading to playing with other kids at recess but now it was his lifeline. Those precious stolen minutes spent doing something he wanted to do instead of what he had to do were the main thing keeping him going.
Would it have been easier to do his homework during recess and lunch so he didn't have to stay up late doing it after work? Probably. But Billy didn't care about that. He needed the reminder of why he was doing this.
Reading about the wonders of the world outside of absentee parents, mental hospitals, and smuggling rings kept him grounded. He would get out of this life and discover everything the earth had to offer with Hazel by his side. He had to.
