Street Kid: Book 3 **REWRITING**

(3) Paint The Town Red.

"Keep your head high, don't falter and act tough" Mandy says as we walk into the party. I nod as she recites these to me yet again.

"Got it" I reply as I walk as confidently as possible. People stare as we walk in but I don't let it get to me. I'm guessing that this is just normal. Mandy leads me to the kitchen where I see Sampson standing there with a few other men and 2 girls. We walk over to them and a huge grin forms on Sampson's face when he spots me.

"Hey you!" He exclaims cheerfully as he throws an arm over my shoulder.

"Hey" I reply trying to be as confident as possible. I turn my attention to the people dancing around us. My mom has always said I was a good dancer and I agree, I don't mean to sound big-headed, but I do.

"Do you wanna dance?" Sampson asks. I look back up at him and smile, nodding my head. I pull him by his hand over to the dance floor making him smirk at my confidence and eagerness. I begin to push everyone around us away so there's a large circle around me and Sampson. He gives me a confused look but I just smirk.

The guy managing the music changes the song to a fresh one and I begin to strut over to Sampson. His eyes trail over my body until I grab his face from under his chin to make him look at me. I then move my hand from his stubble to his collar, pulling him closer to me as I walk backwards to the middle of the circle. People around us stare in awe and I can see Mandy smirking from the corner of my eye.

Before I can continue with what I'm doing, she starts to get people to clap along to the music. I smirk at her before grabbing Sampson's hand and spinning myself around until my back is pressed against his chest. I hear wolf whistles making me and Sampson laugh. We continue this until the song ends and everyone comes back onto the dance floor and continues with what they were doing before.

Sampson takes me to the kitchen and hands me a shot glass of clear liquid. I thank him and down it quickly, feeling a warm tingling in my throat.

"You were amazing out there" He compliments. I feel the heat rising to my cheeks.

"Thanks" I reply before looking back up at him with a huge grin on my face.

"I never knew you could dance like that" He comments as he takes a drink from a beer he picked up. I just shrug.

"I guess I just sort of learned how to do it, not really much back story to it" Sampson nods and hands me his beer to finish off. We find a seat outside in the garden and we chat for a good hour. We talk about things from how many siblings to have to what we think the world will be like in the future.

"Do you wanna go for a walk?" He asks. I nod and stand up, brushing myself off and discarding my beer bottle.

As we walk along what I've learned to be 'the strip' I admire what's around me. It's not like the rest of Monoras, it's calmer and there's more of a...beauty to it.

"So" I start. "What do you do in your spare time?" I ask. He stares at me intently.

"I paint the town red" He says with a chuckle causing me to laugh too.

"No but seriously, what do you do?" I repeat. He sighs before looking out at the water after we've come to a stop at a place that overlooks the beach.

"I don't have a job. My mother insisted that she does all the work since she's the head of the house" He breathes. I throw a glance at him before averting my gaze back to the beauty of the beach.

"Where's your dad?" I ask quietly.

"He left when I was younger" I nod and don't push on the subject anymore.

"What about you?" He asks as he turns to me but I don't look at him. "What do you do?"

"Well, clearly I don't have a job. I'm still in high school. But my mom's a nurse and my dad...well...he's an alcoholic" I reply. I think about my life at home as a whole and I feel a tear trickle down my cheek and I realize how much of a horrible place it is to live. "They say that, um, Hashfield is where all the well dressed and well earning people live. The people that have made a true life for themselves...but that's not true. In fact, I'm pretty sure that's Monoras" I add on before finally turning to look at Sampson.

"Monoras has been evaluated as a bad place for years. Nothing is going to change that, but I do agree with what you're saying. However, you must not discard your life in Hashfield. It is far better than the lives here in Monoras" I don't reply to him. He just sighs and puts an arm around my shoulder.

"Let me walk you back to the border" I nod and allow him to guide me to the border. I hear Sampson talking to me but my eyes begin to get heavy with tiredness, and before I can even think-I collapse into a sleep but not before I hear Sampson curse as he catches me.

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I'm like 2 weeks late with this update so I'm sorry!!!!

I have some exciting news too! I don't really want to end this series quite yet so I have decided to make a 4th book. As update for this are getting posted, I will be writing chapters for the fourth book too! I know you guys are gonna like it!