Adrian Hawthorne's face bore the marks of several slaps, along with a few bloody scratches from Mandy York. His hair and clothes were caked with dirt, and he looked utterly wretched. He had been planning to fight the Golding family with everything he had, then take Grandpa Tate and his mother to live in the city.
He had gotten to know a few of the local delinquents recently. In reality, these guys weren't bad at heart; poverty had just driven them to shady dealings. Now that they could earn money through legitimate means—more than a regular job—they naturally stopped their delinquent ways. They were even more motivated than Adrian Hawthorne each day.
