Kanye is the grumpy, homeless, obnoxious, drunken loser of the neighborhood — the annoying guy everyone knows, but never too disrespectful.
One evening while completely hammered he gets pressed by a few teenagers and ends up beaten and left on the curb. He wakes up days later in the hospital — broken arm, wounds. After blood tests, it's discovered he's dying from liver failure — terminally ill without much time left. In denial, Kanye storms out of the hospital and heads to the liquor store.
Struggling to open the door, a young boy walking by holds it open for him. Kanye says thanks, buys his bottle, and gets belligerent to the point of passing out on the curb.
Kanye visits the doctor again, waiting outside the hospital instead of making an appointment — he just wants painkillers for his arm. Getting tight, he asks out of curiosity how much time he has left. About 2 months. Less if he keeps living the same way.
Taking the news for what it is, he ends up on a bench crying. The same kid from before passes by and asks why he's crying. Kanye brushes him off; the kid's mom pulls him away, telling him not to talk to strangers. Kanye starts some shit about her being defensive; they argue; she leaves.
Roaming the late-night streets, Kanye crashes on some church steps. A priest wakes him the next morning, saying he can't stay there — but while on the phone, the priest mentions he's looking for someone to paint the hallways at a reasonable price. Kanye interrupts and offers to do it, even for free, if he can stay there and not drink while on the job. The priest, against his better judgment, agrees.
First week on the job, the same little kid approaches Kanye, calling him out on crying the other day. The kid's name is Charlie. Charlie asks why he was crying — "I'm sick." "So take some medicine." "I don't have money." "So find some money." Charlie annoys Kanye at first, but they build a real bond, and Charlie helps distract Kanye from his sickness.
During recess one day, Charlie is getting bullied by a group of kids. Kanye rushes to his defense and scolds them, getting himself in trouble and warned he'll be back on the streets if it happens again. Later that week, Charlie thanks him for helping out. Kanye tells him those kids are losers who won't be anyone when they grow up, and makes Charlie promise to always do good, stay in school — even go to college, grow up to be a lawyer or something. Charlie, not fully grasping the weight of it, just agrees, and mentions the talent show coming up — he wants Kanye to see him perform a dance routine he's been practicing. Kanye gives him his word.
The day of the talent show is also the day Kanye finishes the painting job. Kanye thanks the priest and surprises him with an envelope of cash, beyond their original agreement. There's a moment with Charlie's mom, Kanye apologizing for being a dick, her thanking him for defending her boy. Charlie's act is up — he kills it, sees Kanye in the back, they give each other a thumbs up. Charlie wins first place. Filled with joy, he runs to his mom with his trophy, looking everywhere for Kanye.
We cut to Kanye walking off, drinking from his flask.
(The boy who held the door — Charlie — is the same Charlie who grows up to become the lawyer in Highlights.)
