Search Results: getting into college high school

Darry is 16 years old. He lives with his mother and two siblings. His mother is a hard working single mom. She's trying to get her kids out the ghettos but it's extremely hard for her and they often can't afford food, baby sittings and they use food stamps to make ends meet. Darry started selling drugs to help his mother get by. He put guns to people's heads, sold crack to any adult willing to take it, he even got one of his friends into selling drugs and his friend died after getting into a fight. Despite all this Darry was a straight A student in middle school and high school. He was accepted into a good college and had a shorship paying for his room, board, books, and they even bought him a new laptop. Darry was happy he got out of the hood but unfortunately his mother still couldn't get him and his siblings out. Darry hated living there but left without looking back.

So basically I’ve known this guy for years, we went to middle school, high school and college together but were never very close. Afterwards we went our separate ways but reconnected online not too long ago and I gave him my number when he asked for it. He’s single, I’m single, so why not? At first, there were talks of us going to grab lunch or dinner together. I had to go on an extended trip so that got postponed quite a bit and we just never wound up meeting. He seems extra busy these days with work and projects, but just never makes the time to be with me. So it’s been 2 months of us just talking. 😪
He texts everyday and the conversations are interesting and filled with him saying sweet things at times, lots of inside jokes, and some innuendos. I know that he has been going through some tough times with work and within his friends/family that stress him out. He has told me everything about him, the good, the bad, his fears & emotions. This guy has even said how he is so thankful for our talks, and that I have been the best thing to come into his life in a long time. He even gets jealous when I talk about other guys which I wouldn’t think is something strictly platonic friends cared about.

So what gives? Is that all just talk? Could he be too depressed to date? I get that he may be busy every so often, and that he also gets these negative feelings that get him down at times, but it’s like now he’s content with us just getting to know each other through texting. 😕 I don’t know if he is just wanting to get to know me better (he asks me A LOT about myself) or if he doesn’t feel like he deserves me if he is depressed?
I’m fine with being just friends if that’s all that this is going to be, but even just friends catch up in person and hang out every so often.
I don’t initiate texts with him and only respond to a few of them hoping he will either step up or move on but I’m not sure if that is helping anything.

What would you do if you were in my shoes?