Page 31 of Paint the Town, Dove

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No man to this one.

No grit.

No edge.

No confidence.

No strength.

No defense.

Nothing but music.

“These people,”I mumbled, weeding through the crowd, taking shot after shot from tray after tray, “they are here for me.”

They love me.Shot.

They listen to me.Hit.

I matter.Shot.

I matter.

Right? I matter!

They love me.

They listen to me.

I matter.

SHOT. HIT. SHOT.

And the party went on,myparty –

It went on

And on.

And the party,

It went–

(Ryden… Are you Okay?)

(Is he alive?)

(Try shaking him)

(Take a photo!)

(Just leave him, he’s done this before.)

Chapter Eleven

Scarlett

“Ice is nice, have you tried fire?”

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