Hemon City is beautiful. Maybe more beautiful than Harva City. Or maybe because it's night. Amanda can't help but stare the night as the drive through the city. The bright lights and billboards. The tall skyscrapers and malls. The city is magic. And every second she takes her phone and snaps pictures of the city. Her mother has not yet understood what she is doing. Sometimes Amanda amazes even her mother.
"You know those are like a million pictures since we arrived. I did not know you have a thing about photography." Ruby says. "I did not know too. Maybe I'm gaining new passion. High School passions." Amanda says. "What are High School passions?" Ruby asks. "I don't know mom..." Amanda says smiling. "Just came to mind." She adds.
They pull over at a gas station and Ruby gets out of the car. She goes to fill the car tank and Amanda does not come out of the car. "Hey..." Ruby says tapping Amanda's window. Amanda rolls her window. "Are you not getting something from the shop?" Amanda asks. "Get some snacks for me mom. I'm good." Amanda says. And her mother leaves.
Minutes pass and Amanda is lost on her phone. Her mother seems to take forever to get out. Then there is a tap on Amanda's window. Amanda thinks it's her mother, so she rolls her window down. But she catches another scent. And it's not her mother's scent. Instead it's a manly scent. She looks up and it's a boy her age.
The boy is tall and he has thick spiky hair. He has some descent muscles on and he is in a black vest and black pants. Amanda jumps back. She is scared of the boy. Her mother has told her of boys like these. And she has seen them in shows on tv. She knows boys like this one are not safe. And he even has the guts to come at her mom's car.
"What do you want?" Amanda asks. She reaches to her pocket and pulls out a pen knife. "You won't need that for me." The boy says. "But you might need it for that Woman." He adds pointing at a Woman down the street slapping her Man repeatedly. It's funny and Amanda feels the urge to laugh. She almost smiles but holds it back. "What was that? I saw that little cute smile that you just killed." The boy says.
Before Amanda can speak, her mother rushes out of the shop with shopping. And she sees the boy with a black vest. Her heart beats fast as she raises her voice to shout at the boy. The boy could be hurting her daughter! She instantly regrets leaving Amanda in the car.
"Hey! You freak! Leave my daughter alone!" Ruby shouts at the boy who turns. The boy quickly winks at Amanda before leaving without a word. Ruby rushes to the car and locks the door as she checks on Amanda. "Honey... are you okay? Did he hurt you?" Ruby asks. "Actually no..." Amanda says. She wanted to tell her mother that the boy made her smile but she better not have said it.