"Bullshit." Ira responds, though he's pretty sure at this point he's just projecting his own situation on to this other boy. He barely gets by with straight A's. He's worked so many corners, he can't possibly survive like this all the way through Healer school. He tells himself that all the time. But there's a spark of defiance he can share, at least. It's kept him going so far.

"You might be really good. Academia doesn't need more snobs whose parents own half of Massachusetts. If you wanna try, then try. You can always go do something else if you hate it."