( Eddie is surprised at himself for feeling the amount of sympathy he does for Steve, when he used to envy him. Maybe it's because he knows how it feels, to be stuck in place with no hope of escaping anytime soon. )

I don't think you're that much of an idiot. Everyone else just makes it look that easy. Like school is just that simple, and everyone will succeed just so long as they do exactly what's expected of them.

( He shrugs. It's a tale as old as time. Only a select few get to join the elite, and everyone else gets to stay at the bottom of the food chain for eternity. It's why he hates the whole idea of conformity. It doesn't matter what clothes you wear and if you study hard enough if everyone else around you has decided you're not worth it. )

For what it's worth, it's startin' to look like I might be stuck here, too. Again.