The next day, Brando stepped outside to meet his best friend, Alvin, at the small store just down their street.
"Hey, bro," Alvin greeted with an easy smile.
"Hey," Brando replied, but his voice was heavy. "You know what… I think I might have to stop going to school."
Alvin's brow furrowed. "What? Why?"
"You know why," Brando said with a sigh. "It's the same thing every time—we just don't have the money. And it's not getting any better."
Alvin leaned against the counter, thinking. "Well… if you want, you could come with me to the big city. We can look for jobs there."
Brando blinked. "You're going to the big city?"
"Yeah," Alvin said. "There are way more opportunities there than here—and the pay is way higher."
For the first time in days, Brando felt a flicker of hope. "Do you have any friends or relatives there?"
"Yeah, I've got cousins in the city," Alvin replied. "I already talked to one of them. She said I can stay with her until I find a job."
Brando hesitated. "But… I don't think she'll take me in. I'm a stranger to her."
"Let's try," Alvin said with a grin. "When she sees how handsome you are, she might even roll out a red carpet."
Brando shook his head, half-smiling despite himself. "I doubt it, bro."
"Leave it to me, okay? Just let me know if you want to come," Alvin said confidently.
"Alright… I'll try to talk to my parents. I just hope they'll let me go," Brando replied.
"I hope so too," Alvin said. "It'd be great to have you with me in the big city."