Chapter 18

Chapter 18

"Racetrack, why are ye comin back yourself? Where are da udda boys?"

Kloppman saw the girl that was next to him, and smiled to himself.

"I won't ask ye anythin, but you'd betta not be doin somethin I wouldn't want around heah, undastand? Now go upstairs and get outa my sight,"

Racetrack breathed a sigh of relief, and as he led Hope upstairs, he saw Kloppman wink at him and give him a thumbs up. Hope saw the sign, and started blushing furiously until they were out of his sight. Before she knew where they were going, Racetrack had taken her into the bunkroom and flung her down onto his bunk. He pulled up his sleeve and Hope saw the numerous scars that lined his arm. She gently touched them, and she though his face showed no expression of pain, Hope knew that he had winced. She took her hand away quickly and Racetrack showed her the other scars that his father had given him on his legs. And after that, Hope saw his back. She could see many bruises and criss-crossing lines. Her eyes welled up with tears when she saw this, and she said that she had seen enough.

Sensing that her voice was unsteady, Racetrack turned around and saw Hope's face.

"Aw, don't cry…dis ain't nutin ta cry about,"

Hope sniffed and quickly brushed her tears away. "Sorry, it's jist dat, when I see a fellow newsie a mine bein hoit, I jist…"

"Sorry, I guess ya shouldn't've seen dat, I guess goils ain't cut out ta see tings like dis…no wonda dey're lousy fightas,"

Hope's sadness immediately turned into anger and she stood up.

"We ain't no lousy fightas! I can soak ya right heah ta prove it! And waddyou boys know bout it anyways? All ya do is drink, gamble, and fight! And yer idiots too!"

Hearing this, Racetrack jumped up from the bed too.

"So ya think we boys are nutin but idiots, eh? So all we do is drink and gamble and fight? Well, yer wrong! Weah good at odda stuff too!"

"Oh yeah? Like what?"

"Dis." Racetrack flung his arms around Hope's waist and pulled her toward him. Before she could respond, their lips locked. Emotions flooded through her. This was a kiss none like any other. The whole world just seemed to spin in front of her eyes. Was he just doing this to prove herself? Hope tried to resist, but finally gave up and put her arms around him and returned the kiss with just as much passion. It didn't matter if he was just doing this to prove himself at how good he was at kissing, all that mattered was that he was here with her.

Racetrack felt Hope's arms go around his neck, and suddenly thought: What am I doing? What am I feeling? I'm not falling in love with hoir, she's jist another goil, and I'm just kissing her to show how good I am at it…or am I? Suddenly, Racetrack realized that this wasn't just another girl…this just might be the person he would learn to love.