Chapter four

"Please sir. We have nowhere else to go. No one else to run to. You are our only hope." My mother begged him. 

"No. You can not and will not live here." Mr Levinson replied, sternly. 

My mom bowed her head in shame. 

"I'm willing to do anything sir. Even if it means working double shifts sir. I dance dance here morning, afternoon and night for the guests." My mom offered. 

Mr Levinson rubbed his fingers on his chin then he got up from his seat and paced let and right. 

"The both of you can stay here and you don't have to work for more than tour shift Barbra." Mr Levinson said. 

"I... Don't?" My mom asked, unsure of what she had just heard. 

"Yes. You don't. I will make your stay here very comfortable for you and your lovely daughter for just two days. After these two days, you and your daughter will be presented with a condition. Your answer will determine if you will stay here for longer than those two days or not." Mr Levinson stated. 

"What condition?" My mom asked him. 

"You will only be told after two days." Mr Levinson answered.

"Okay. Thank you sir. Thank you." Mom said to Mr Levinson and we both left his office for her dressing room. 

"Mom? What kind of man is Mr Levinson?" I asked mom right after we entered her dressing room. 

"I don't really know much about him. All I know is that he is a very ambitious man always looking to grow his business and improve his bar." Mom answered me. 

"Any problem?" Mom finally asked, seeing how worried I was getting. 

"You don't think he would ask something out of the ordinary do you?" I asked mom. 

"Of course not. Now let set everything up." Mom said. 

It's a good thing her dressing room has a lot of space, though not much, but we could manage. I and mom moved all her stuff to the corners of the wall and set up a spot to sleep. 

We didn't have a mattress with us so we had to spread some of our clothes on the floor so we would reduce the discomfort of sleeping on a cold floor. 

When the night time approached, so did the time for mom's performance get nearer. 

I, on the other hand, have not seen my mom perform for some years now since she had started leaving us home alone for work the moment we were old enough to take care of ourselves. 

Mom dressed up and put on some makeup then covered herself with a coat as she usually did. 

"I have to start work now." Mom told me and walked out the door. 

I got up and peeped, just like I used to do before when I was just a kid. 

Mom waited until her stage name was announced and she catwalk unto the stage. 

Everyone present there was in awe of my mom. But there was something different in her performance now. 

Mom didn't swing and twist stylishly on the pole as she used to. Instead, she just held it with one arm, catwalked round it and slowly bent down for a while. 

After that she put her second hand on the pole and pointed out her butt a bit before slowly standing straight. 

I closest the door and returned to where I sat. I didn't want to watch anymore. Mom wasn't as before. Her performance was simply too plain for me now and I didn't like it one bit. 

I decided to wait for my mom till she comes back but I mistakenly fell asleep before she could come. 

... At the same night... 

(DELANIE POV): 

Leaving my sister and mother was and still is the best decision I have ever made. I can't believe I lived with them till that extent. 

Chased out of my own house by a useless good for nothing excuse of an uncle. 

I bet mother's boss won't even let them stay in his bar even if it was for the night. 

They will walk on the streets like the homeless people that they are. Come to think of it, my life is no different from whatever they must be going through right now but at least I've got my friends with me. 

We're four female friends with an additional male friend so we are five friends in total. They steal what they can to survive and so do I. 

As a matter of fact, I am the newest member of the gang. We don't deal with drugs or any other seriously illegal things. We only take things from people without asking and being with them actually makes me feel at home. 

You shouldn't think I'm bad, you should know that I'm bad. What can I say? It's all for the money and soon enough it's all gonna be for the power. 

It's a tough world out here and only the toughest among others can survive. 

"Celia! Sandra! Delanie!" Helena called out our names and we rushed to meet her. 

As usual Kelvin is standing right next to her. I always had eyes for Kelvin but of course he would go for the big fish instead of me. 

Helena, as you could have already understood, was the leader amongst us and she was also in charge of picking which area we would go to and steal. 

When we were all gathered in front of her and Kelvin, our eyes clashed. 

No, not I and Helena's but I and Kelvin's. He may already be Helena's boyfriend but that didn't stop him from flirting with the rest of us. 

Kelvin winked at me and I couldn't help but turn red. I wasn't the only one he does that to but I didn't care. 

I'm into bad boys and I liked him a lot. I just wished that one day I would overthrow Helena and he would finally leave her and come to me. 

"Baby?" Helena said and Kelvin turned his attention to her. 

His right arm was around her waist but she made sure to put Kelvin's second her round her waist as she turned and faced him. 

"What's?..."

Helena didn't let Kelvin finish his sentence when she decided to show everyone who Kelvin belonged to. 

Helena kissed Kelvin smack on the lips in front of us all and didn't stop till I spoke up. 

"You called us here to watch our kiss your pet?" I asked. 

That got her attention. She stopped kissing Kelvin and moved towards me but Kelvin held her back. 

She closed her eyes and made a certain kind of facial expression as if calming herself down. 

Sge opened her eyes and immediately she did I smirked to her face and she didn't care but it was quite obvious my words and action got to her.