Later, after we'd both dropped out and were working shitty jobs (read: retail), we both decided that this wasn't going to be the way our stories played out, and decided to start a web design company. I quit my job almost immediately, and he did soon after. Three years later, still going strong.

Failure has never been an option, because if this doesn't work I'm back to square one, and I'm not going back. That urgency has forced us to rapidly evolve our business model and given us the strength to tighten our belt buckles through the thin times.

I wouldn't change any of it, but holy shit was it scary.