The Raven and the Racetrack *** Chapter 1
Racetrack woke up with anticipation. His horse just had to win. He had bet enough money to buy 50 papes on this horse. If his horse won, he would get the other guy's money. He had a good feeling on this horse. He knew that it would win. It had won several other times. This horse hadn't let him down, much.
As Racetrack was getting ready, he remembered that Sarah Jack's girlfriend was dying. He had to comfort Jack, even though he didn't want to. Sarah was a brat, and very stupid, he was almost glad that she was dying. He wasn't about to tell Jack that. If she hadn't been going out with Jack, for the last year, Racetrack would be jumping for joy. The girl was a pain in the butt, and he was glad that she was going.
Jack and the wench, he liked to call her, had met right before the newsie strike last year, and they had been seeing each other since. Racetrack was getting to be afraid that they were going to get themselves engaged. But now that she was dying, he had nothing to worry about.
It wasn't all about Sarah being a brat, Racetrack thought that she wasn't good enough for his friend Jack. He had been friends with Jack for three years before Jack had met Sarah. He knew what Jack had been through, and he knew that there was no way that Sarah could ever understand that. She had always lived in a house with food on the table, and a warm bed at night. Jack had been homeless for a couple months before he became a newsie. Racetrack knew what it was like to be without most things. He had lost all of his family in a house fire when he was 11. He became a newsie a year later, after getting out of the House of Refuge for stealing. Jack had been sent to the House of Refuge two years ago, and escaped on Teddy Roosevelt's carriage.
Racetrack had met Jack when Jack was 15; Racetrack had been 15 as well at the time. They had immediately become friends. Racetrack had a lot in common with Jack, and understood his actions, just like almost all the other newsies did. They all had to act like that to stay alive. But Sarah could, and would never understand something like that.
Racetrack woke up with anticipation. His horse just had to win. He had bet enough money to buy 50 papes on this horse. If his horse won, he would get the other guy's money. He had a good feeling on this horse. He knew that it would win. It had won several other times. This horse hadn't let him down, much.
As Racetrack was getting ready, he remembered that Sarah Jack's girlfriend was dying. He had to comfort Jack, even though he didn't want to. Sarah was a brat, and very stupid, he was almost glad that she was dying. He wasn't about to tell Jack that. If she hadn't been going out with Jack, for the last year, Racetrack would be jumping for joy. The girl was a pain in the butt, and he was glad that she was going.
Jack and the wench, he liked to call her, had met right before the newsie strike last year, and they had been seeing each other since. Racetrack was getting to be afraid that they were going to get themselves engaged. But now that she was dying, he had nothing to worry about.
It wasn't all about Sarah being a brat, Racetrack thought that she wasn't good enough for his friend Jack. He had been friends with Jack for three years before Jack had met Sarah. He knew what Jack had been through, and he knew that there was no way that Sarah could ever understand that. She had always lived in a house with food on the table, and a warm bed at night. Jack had been homeless for a couple months before he became a newsie. Racetrack knew what it was like to be without most things. He had lost all of his family in a house fire when he was 11. He became a newsie a year later, after getting out of the House of Refuge for stealing. Jack had been sent to the House of Refuge two years ago, and escaped on Teddy Roosevelt's carriage.
Racetrack had met Jack when Jack was 15; Racetrack had been 15 as well at the time. They had immediately become friends. Racetrack had a lot in common with Jack, and understood his actions, just like almost all the other newsies did. They all had to act like that to stay alive. But Sarah could, and would never understand something like that.