Chapter
16
We
arrived at Tibby's for dinner, and I immediately took a seat far from Hope and
next to Jack, who was sitting right next to Racetrack, for I had become sick of
her talking to him along the way. We ordered our food, and I sat there chewing
and thinking about Spot again. I felt ashamed to be thinking about him nonstop,
but I couldn't get him out of my mind. I felt someone kick my foot and looked
up at Mush who was looking over me and at Hope and Race with a big goofy grin
on his face. I looked behind me, and it was either my imagination, or the
distance between them compared to how they were sitting when they just got here
had lessened by at least 5 inches. I fought to keep a straight face, and
quickly turned around where I could see Jack, Mush, and Blink all smiling.
Suddenly, Hope took Race's arm and asked him a question. We all strained to
hear, but the restaurant was too noisy. He seemed hesitant to answer, but
nodded and said something to her. It seemed their conversation had ended,
because they both stood up and walked out of Tibby's, leaving their food
unfinished.
***
"Me
mudder died when I was only three, and me fadda, well, he was a drunk and would
beat me. I've still got da scars."
Racetrack
closed his eyes as he tried to put this out of his mind. Hope looked simply
horrified.
"He
beat ya? Dat's just terrible! But, how'dja get away?"
Racetrack
shrugged and lifted his glass to drink. "I couldn't stand him anymoah, he just
wouldn't stop wit da beatin, so I just packed up and left. But I took his cards
wit me. He always hid dose cards cuz he said dey'd be da end of me. But I
always managed to sneak a few games of pokah. Loined it by watchin him and his
friends play. Dose cards were de only ting dat kept me stayin wit me old man. I
wanted em so badly, but I always too scared ta take em. But on da day I left, I
just marched up da stairs and took dem witout worryin about him getting me cuz
I was leavin. Now I know dat I shoulda done dat yeahs ago."
Hope
again looked horrified, but also sympathetic. Her eyes looked up and down
Racetrack's face as he remembered these memories that had been put away for
years. She gently put her hand on his arm and asked, "Could I see da scars?"
Racetrack looked into her eyes, which were almost tearful, he paused, but
agreed and took her arm.
"I
don't want anybody else heah seein em dough. Let's go somewhere else, alright?"
Hope
nodded, and they left their unfinished food and walked out of Tibby's. She saw
all of the other newsies watching with curiosity, but ignored them and walked
out with Racetrack.
