Team 12, Billie's Life

You are a 40 year old homeless African male named Billie. You're walking down a street at night during a snowstorm. You have been walking around all day, and are looking for a place to settle in for the night. You spent part of the day standing on the street corner asking people passing by if they could spare you some change. Your legs are tired and with the extreme weather you don't know how long you can keep going. [[Keep walking]]

You walk past a shelter and see a shelter worker named Tony standing outside. He looks at you, and smiles. Tony says "How's it going tonight? My names Tony." [[Ignore Tony and keep walking]] [[Say hi to Tony]]

You ignored Tony and keep walking. Eventually, you find a bridge that you can spend the night under. There are already a few people under the bridge, in the mix of boxes and blankets. You have a few layers on and a scarf and hat, but you know that you will not last without extra protection. [[ask someone to share their pile of blankets and boxes]] [[go up to someone who's asleep and take their things]]

Tony smiles and points to the building behind him, "I work at this shelter. Our mission is to provide meals and a bed to those who otherwise go hungry or homeless in our city. Why don't you come on in? We would love to help you. I'm sure you don't want to stay out in the cold tonight." [["Sure, why not."]] [["No thanks."]]

Tony shows you around the shelter, brings you to get a hot meal, gives you some fruit to take with you tomorrow, then brings you to a cot to sleep. You now have a full stomach and are sitting on your cot putting your fruit in your bag. There is another man sitting across from you who looks at you and introduces himself as Andre. He is another homeless African American male. Andre asks, "How'd you end up on the streets?" [[Go to sleep and ignore Andre]] [[talk to Andre and explain how you were born in poverty and haven't been able to make ends meet for the past few months]]

You continue walking around the city during the snow storm. You find refuge under a bridge by a river and drift into a slumber, only you never wake up... you died. [[Start Over]]

You wake up and Andre stole all your things...you have nothing You look around for Andre but can't find him. You go about your day and get more food from the shelter After a busy day you go to sleep [[The next day]]

Andre looks at you and replies, "no...if I did why would I be here? " [[Give him some bananas]] [[Give him some apples]]

You gave Andre some bananas and then went to bed. [[The next day]]

You give Andre some apples and go to bed. [[The next day]]

In the morning you pack up the few things you have and head back out to look for a job. You head to a nearby grocery store, as they usually have jobs posted on a bulletin board. When you get to the store there are three job postings to choose from: [[ A job as a cart attendant at a local grocery store]] [[ A job as a McDonald's worker]] [[ A job as a worker at a construction site]]

Andre tells you, "Wow, same here. I haven't been able to land a job at all, I apply everywhere and never get the job. They say I'm not 'compatible' enough, but the white men that always get hired over me are compatible enough." Andre shrugs his shoulders. Ask Andre,[["Do you have any money for food?"]]

You go in for the interview, and nail it. They give you the job on the spot and you start your first day attending carts. While pushing carts in, you see a Hispanic woman struggling to put her groceries in her car. [[Offer to help her]] [[Watch from afar]]

You go in for the interview and you get the job. You start with working nights because you are at the bottom of the totem pole. On a slow night, a rich white man comes in, and is extremely racists towards you. "Greetings Ape" He says, "Can I get a large vanilla shake, because vanilla will always be better, if you know what I mean." *winks* [["Of course, the customers always right"]] [["What did you just say to me?]]

You are given an interview and get the job. It is going very well, and you are making enough money to rent a small room and get off the streets. After about 2 months of working, your boss has you train the new guy. He introduces himself as Philip. He was also homeless for period of time. Philip asks, "How long have you been working here?" You reply, "Two months" and then ask him a question. [[How long have you been homeless?]] [[Has it been hard for you on the streets?]]

You put the rest of her bags in her car, and the lady introduces herself as Juanita. She explains how she is on food stamps, and has five kids. She's extremely grateful for the foodstamps, but always struggles at the end of the month when the stamps run out. You tell her about the community center you just spent the night at, as they offer fresh meals. [[continue working at the store]] [[take a few days off because you've been working hard]]

Your manager sees this and comes out to yell at you in front of everyone. You are publicly shamed. You continue to work at the grocery store, but because of this incident you are more embarrassed and don't try to stand out. You continue working at this job, staying at mimimum wage the rest of your life. [[Start Over]]

Philip says, "I was homeless for about two years, and have only now found a small room that does not cost much." You reply, "This job has allowed me to get off the streets, but money is still extremely tight." Philip agrees and then asks if you want to go with him and some other workers to the gas station for a quick break. [[Go with, it's just a quick run]] [[Stay, you aren't supposed to leave the site]]

Philip responds, telling you that he was laid off a few months ago and ever since then has been in and out of job interviews and short term work. He just recently has been able to get a room in a small apartment building. You tell him that he will eventually get a raise and be able to afford more, as it gets easier. Philip agrees and then asks if you want to go with him and some other workers to the gas station for a quick break. [[Go with, it's just a quick run]] [[Stay, you aren't supposed to leave the site]]

You hop in someones truck and head off to the gas station. You grab a bite to eat, but when you get back, your boss is waiting there for you. All of you are given a suspension for two weeks. Because of the suspension you cant make months rent and are evicted You're back on the streets looking for work and a place to live [[Start Over]]

You continue doing what you think is best, and try to finish up the project everyone started. It's a long day of work and you go home [[Next day]]

You go to get him his shake... [[Spit in his shake]] [[Don't spit in his shake]]

The man looks at you and says again, "The customer is always right, I wouldn't trust your kind of people to know what the best choice is anyways." You look at him in shock. "I'm sorry, just because I have a different skin color does not mean I'm inferior to you." He replies, "Well, it might as well. I mean look at this minimum wage dead end job you are working at." [[give him his food and don't comment anymore]] [[continue telling him what he is saying is wrong]]

You give him his shake. Later he comes back to the counter and asks for a manager. "It looks like someone spit in my shake." The manager checks the camera too see if anyone spit in his shake, and they catch you red handed. You have been instantly fired... [[Start Over]]

You give him his shake. He takes his shake and sits down to enoy it. Before he leaves he comes back to the counter to commend you on your shake making skills. "I have to admit, for someone of your kind, you make a good vanilla shake. What did I tell ya, vanilla is always better". [["Thank you sir..."]] [["Get the hell outta here"]]

You continue to put up with everyones snarky comments; however, in turn you get promoted to manager yourself. With this promotion you can get on your feet again and join society. The problem now is if you want to put up with the discrimination of society in return for financial stability. [[Put up with discrimination so you can live somewhat stable]] [[Quit, and try again]]

You quit because of the amount of discrimination you experience, and try again. [[Start Over]]

You continue your career at McDonalds You save up enough to buy a studio apartment and work a lot of hours. You learn ways to be smarter with your money and things are looking up for you. [[End]]

[[Start Over]]

You start picking up more and more hours. You continue putting in your time in effort at your job. Your work is recognized by your boss and you are given a promotion and a raise. [[End]]

Unfortunately, your boss didn't like the idea of you scheduling yourself to come and go as you please. He gives you a warning about being on time and not taking sick days unless absolutely necessary. [[get back on schedule and work when you are supposed to]] [[continue to take off when you want, you can just blame your bosses hostility on him not liking you]]

Your boss eventually warms back up to you and you are given a promotion. This helps you not only pay for your bills, but put a few dollars away for savings. [[End]]

Your boss is tried of you taking off from work. He calls you into his office to speak to you. Boss: "You have missed too much work and I cant have you doing that. I'm going to have to fire you. I'm sorry". You plead with your boss to give you a second chance but he won't. You're out of work and cant pay your bills. You're evicted and once again your back on the streets. [[Start Over]]

You look at him once more before turning to get his meal. You tell him to have a nice day before you continue to take the next person. Continue working your shift and go home. [[Put up with discrimination so you can live somewhat stable]]

You continue yelling at the customer and your manager comes over Manager: "What's going on over here". You explain the whole situation to the manager, accusing the customer of being a racist Your manager asks the customer his side of the story The customer lies and your manager sides wiht the customer Your manager fires you. [[Start Over]]

Congratulations! You have pulled yourself out of poverty and put yourself in a comfortable finanical position. You can see how difficult it's to escape poverty especially with segregation and racism acting as barriers. I hope this game has touched you and changed your view on society. Thanks for playing!

You wake up early for your shift and make your way to work. You get to the site and your manager approaches you "When I got to the site it seemed like there wasn't alot of work completed. Did some of the guys leave during their shift?". [[Tell him the truth]] [[Lie to your manager]]

You: "Yes some of the guys took off during their shift. They said they would be back quickly but took a long time". Boss: "Thank you for being honest with me. I appreciate you for staying and continuing your work". The manager confronts your coworkers and suspends them. Your coworkers now hate you. Your coworkers confront you and ask if you ratted them out [[Come clean to them]] [[Lie]]

"They were her all day" You say. "I checked the cameras and saw differently Billie. If you lie about this stuff, how am I supposed to trust you with other stuff." [["I don't know sir, I'm sorry"]] [["It's not my fault I work with IDIOTS."]]

They attack you for getting them suspended. Your boss breaks up the fight. You're fired for fighting on the job site. You're out of work and the compnay doesnt give you any compensation. You are evicted and out on the streets again. [[Start Over]]

Your coworkers return to work Your coworkers dont trust you now and are hesitant to work with you. You need help from one of your coworkers because the task given to you requires two people. All of them won't help you with the task You attempt to do the task alone and break your arm. Your out of work with the injury and replaced by a new guy because your out too long. [[Start Over]]

You approach an elderly African American Male. "May I use some of your things tonight? It's extremely cold and I'm afraid I can't do without." The man looks at you and smiles, but says nothing. You sit down next to him in hopes he means well. He eventually throws you one of his blankets, allowing you to wrap up extra for the night. In the morning you are back on your feet, but have to find some food. [[go back to the place to where you saw Tony]] [[steal from some nearby store]]

You walk up to someone who you think is asleep, and try to take their blanket. They wake up, and yell at you for disturbing them before going back to sleep. You decide you'll have to go without any extra protect from the storm and go to sleep. Unfortunately, the storm was rough and temperatures dropped significantly. You were unable to stay warm and died of hypothermia. [[Start Over]]

You walk back to where you recall seeing Tony the other day. No one is standing outside, but you peek inside, and realize that there is a line for people to get food. You open the door and join the line. One worker looks at you and smiles. "Hi how are you today?" They hand you a tray and you grab some food. You sit down next to a woman with a young boy next to her. [[Ask her why she's here]] [[Ask if she wants some of your food, for the boy]]

You walk up to a local grocery store, and peer inside. It's not that busy so you walk in and start going up and down the isles, looking at what you can take easily. You're looking at some cans of soup when you notice that a store employee has been following you around for some time. [[Ignore them, and decide what you are going to take]] [[Confront them about following you]]

You walk away. You decide to steal some crakers and fruit. Once you walk out of the store, the manager follows you and confronts you. "Are you going to pay for those? Or do I have to call the police?" You try to run away, but because of malnutrition and lack of a healthy life, you cannot make it far. The police catch you and arrest you. You end up in jail, locked away; however, you're getting three meals a day and a bed to sleep on. Is this such a bad set up..? [[Start Over]]

You look at the employee, and notice he is the store manager. "Why are you following me?" You ask. "I've just been shopping and minding my own business." The manager responds, "I have a few complaints of suspicious activity surrounding your actions. I am just making sure you are not doing anything out of line." You look at him. "Is this because I am African American? Or is it because I am dressed in worn clothes? Is that not discrimination?" [[Walk away from the manager, ending the conversation]] [[Continue questioning the manager on why he was watching you]]

You walk away, and decide to take a few things from the next isle. You put a few pieces of fruit in your pocket. When you go to leave, one of the employees eyes you suspiciously. You know they can't do anything if they don't see it on you or didn't see you take. You smile and walk outside. You now have food for a day or so and can plan your next move. [[stop at a nearby alley to see what you all have]]

You take a can of soup of the shelf and look back at the manager. "I don't think it's fair of you to judge me because of my looks before you have had a conversation with me. I'm sorry people have questioned me, but you are in the wrong." The manager looks down and replies, "I'm sorry, I'm going to have to ask you to leave the store. You are causing a disruption." You are in disbelief, but don't want to cause any more trouble. [[leave the store]]

You leave the store angry, no one should have a right to tell you what to do just because you look a certain way. But you're used to it, you've had to deal with a lot of people thinking they are superior to you just because you don't look like them. You are discouraged, but you figure you should move on. [[look for a job]] [[try to figure out how you can get back at the manager for kicking you out]]

You walk into a nearby convience store. In the back, they have flyers for different jobs that are looking for people. There are three jobs that spark your attention. You choose: [[ A job as a cart attendant at a local grocery store]] [[ A job as a McDonald's worker]] [[ A job as a worker at a construction site]]

You storm back into the store. You've been disrespected too many times. The manager sees you, and comes over. "I just asked you to leave, what are you doing back?" You look at him, "I did nothing wrong! I was shopping! You are stereotyping me." You start yelling, and the manager approaches you. You punch him before running outside. Unfortunately, the cops had been called, and are taking you to jai. [[Start Over]]

You walk into the alley, and lean up against the wall. You think about how you really need to find a job, you can't keep stealing from stores. A man approaches you. He says, "Hi, you look like you could use some money. I can get you a job if you'd like." You stare at him, and wonder if this might be your chance to get some cash and real food. [[say you'll take the job]] [[say you're good, and leave the alley]]

You hesitant, knowing that drugs is a risky business but know you need the money. You go with the man and he shows you to an old apartment building where he works from and his employees live. After a few weeks, you start using some of the drugs you're selling. After you've taken a decent chuck of the drugs, and not giving any money back to your boss, you know you have to leave. You head back to the bridge you were at when it was snowing. You shoot some heroin into your system, and accidently overdose. [[Start Over]]

You aren't sure what to do with your life, but know that you should get a job. You walk into a gas station, looking for any job postings. Luckily you see that they have two postings. [[ A job as a cart attendant at a local grocery store]] [[ A job as a worker at a construction site]]

She looks and you and says, "I've been trying to get a job and find a good place to stay, but with having a child, it's hard to find one that works with the hours I need." You respond, "I'm sure that must be exhausting. I've been looking for a job too. Just to have money to live basically." "Yes, it really is," she says. "I saw a job opening at a McDonalds not too far from here. The hours they want are during the night, so I can't take them because of my boy, but you should look into it!" You look into it and take [[ A job as a McDonald's worker]]

Your boss says, "It's okay Billie, I know you're a good worker. I like you and want you to stay. But if you do anything like this again, I'll have no choice but to fire you." You keep your job and slowly rise through the ranks, maybe even owning your own construction company one day. [[End]]

Your boss says, "Actually, you're the idiot here. Get out of my sight and never return." You have been fired and once again are on the street looking for a job. [[Start Over]]

You offer her your apple and orange. "Thank you so much, me and my child are grateful. How can I repay you?" She asks. You reply, " Oh you don't have to do anything at all, the only thing I want is a job, haha." "Actually, McDonalds is hiring for the night shift. I know it's not ideal, but it's a job. I would have taken it but I have to take care of my child" she says. You look into it and take [[ A job as a McDonald's worker]]