You, Darry Curtis, and Paul Holden have all been friends since the three of you were small children. Yet, the three of you couldn't be more different. Darry is from the poverty-ridden East Side of Tulsa, which means that his family doesn't have extra money for luxuries. On the other end of the spectrum, you have Paul, whose family is more affluent because they live on the West Side. You're right in the middle of these dynamics in every sense of the word. You live closer to the middle of town, and while you're not as rich as the Holden family, you're certainly not poor, either. You three have long been known to do everything together, including playing sports, going to the drive-in, and now, applying to the University of Oklahoma. Since you're not quite as athletic as the boys, you're hoping to earn an academic scholarship, while Paul and Darry have their sights on football scholarships.

At long last, your decision letters arrive in the mail, and the three of you are met with the good news that you've been accepted and that you've been approved for the scholarships you have wanted. After you've been celebrating for a while, Paul and Darry go their separate ways.

However, not long after the boys have left, Darry comes back to your house. His eyes are slightly red, and the excitement that had been on his face when he opened his acceptance letter is gone. You quickly invite him into your house and sit on the couch.

I can't go, he sighs after a few minutes.

What? It had been all settled. He'd gotten the scholarship and everything. So what could have gone wrong?

There's not enough money even with the scholarship. I'm not going to college.