[ He sighs again, taking a second to drag a hand down his face. ]

Okay.

[ Ostensibly, it sounds like he's acknowledging her words, but mostly, he's trying to psych himself up. ]

Okay. So. I'm this stupid, scrawny kid who doesn't know when to leave shit alone, and I'm constantly coming home with black eyes and notes from the teacher about how I'm, like, being a shitty little instigator or whatever. And I'm watching TV one weekend, and this movie comes on.

So Kevin Bacon's on the screen, and he's not, like, super ripped, he's not jacked as hell. He's just a dude, but he's, like so badass, and people just sort of flock to him, 'cause he's so cool, and he's, like, legitimately trying to make people better, you know?

So you've got me, at six or seven years old, getting picked on every day. And then there's this movie, where a dude who loves music and loves to dance comes into a town filled to bursting with dickwads, and he fights for what he believes in, even if people are total pricks to him and try to shut him down or kick his ass at every turn. And he wins. He changes people's minds, and he makes people happy.

[ Another pause, and he lets out a frustrated breath.

Defensively, ]

I dunno. It just really stuck with me, okay?