The Raven and the Racetrack *** Chapter 5
Racetrack went home after saving the girl and all he was thinking about was that girl. He hadn't even gotten her name. What he remembered most about being real close to her, was that she smelled nice. He would have never admitted it to a soul, but he liked being on top of her. Even if it was only for about 30 seconds. His mind was a whirl, and he knew that he had to find that girl again.
Raven walked home breathless. No matter how many times she stopped to catch her breath, she just couldn't. She knew that she would never forget the way that the boy had felt on top of her. He was really strong, she could tell that. But not too strong, that he was squishing her. She wondered if she would ever see him again. She wanted to see him again even if it was only to thank him once more.
Two weeks passed, with Raven and Racetrack trying (in secret) to find each other. Alicat and Sprite didn't know about her near death experience, and Jack or Dave didn't know about Racetrack saving Raven's life. Neither knew why, they just didn't want to tell anyone about their experience. Then one day, Jack came up to Racetrack to tell him that there were some girls that he wanted Race to meet. Race said that he would meet them after work.
Racetrack knew that Jack had been seeing a girl, since Sarah died. She had died the night of the fire, when Jack had saved the girl he was now seeing. Race also knew that Dave had a problem with Jack seeing whats her name. But Race knew that it was for the better. And if Racetrack didn't know better, he would say that Dave was jealous.
Raven was getting ready to go. Her twin sister had told her that Sprite was taking them to meet Jack the boy who had saved Sprite's life. She had only met him once, and now she was going to meet some of his friends. As she was getting ready to leave, she thought once more about the boy who had saved her life.
Racetrack walked in to the Lodging House, and went upstairs to get ready for guests. He knew that this was important to Jack, so he would go down there, and pretend that he was having a good time. He didn't feel like being happy. He had been trying to hide the fact that he had been out of sorts since he had saved that girl. He had no idea why she had had such an impact on him.
Raven almost fainted when she saw her rescuer walk into the room, looking only slightly depressed. She couldn't mistake the change from depression to almost pure happiness when he recognized her. She had been distracted from life for two weeks, her mind filled with thoughts all about him. She was so glad that she had finally found him. She had to thank him. Raven! Yous know that yous got more interest in him than to jist thank him! She thought to herself.
Racetrack couldn't believe his luck when he saw the girl. He knew that the reason that he had been miserable, was because he had wanted to see her again and he knew that had to be impossible. But now he knew that miracle. He wanted to talk to her so bad. But he knew that he had to wait to make his move.
Jack introduced her as Raven. What a beautiful name! Racetrack thought. He was also introduced to Alicat, Raven's twin sister. Then there was Sprite. She was the one who was going out with Jack. Dis be right! Dis is da kinda goyl dat Jack needs. He thought.
Finally, Racetrack had the nerve and timing to ask Raven to go for a walk with him. Race knew that she had to talk to him as well and that made him even happier.
Raven was thrilled to go on a walk with Racetrack. She couldn't wait to tell him that she had thought about nothing else than finding him and thanking him once more.
"Ise wanted ta thank ya again for savin' my life. It was really sweet of ya."
"It was nothin', really. Ise jist had to see ya again, Ise don't know whys. Ise know dat dis may sound kinda strange, but alls Ise could think aboit was you."
"Really? Dats all Ise could think of as well, Ise jis couldn't find ya. Ise wanted ta thank ya again. And Ise guess dat Ise jis had to see ya too."
"Really?"
"Really."
They walked and talked, and then realized that if they were going to see each other than they had to tell the other person about themselves. Racetrack went first.
"Well, Ise was livin' wid me parents until Ise was aboit 11. Then they was killed in a house fire. Ise became a newsie a year later after getting out of the House of Refuge, for stealing. Ise met Jack when Ise was 15, aboit four years ago. Dats when Ise moved into the Lodging House. Whats aboit you?"
"Well," Raven began. "Ise was livin' wid me parents until Ise was aboit 4 years old. Den they was killed in a Scarlet Fever epidemic. Alicat and I was takin' to an orphanage. We escaped 5 years ago at the age of 12. We couldn't take anymore of dat place."
"Ise see. Hey um Ise know dat dis is goin' to sound strange, but um, Ise jis gotta tell ya dat Ise like ya a lot."
"Dat ain't strange, on account of Ise really like ya too."
"Do ya like me enough to let me kiss ya?"
"Ise don't know, is you brave enough to try?"
Racetrack didn't respond. He was already halfway down to her lips. He knew that he was probably in love with the girl. But he didn't want to admit it, even to himself. It was too early. He had just met her. But then there was a thing called love at first sight.
His lips touched hers gently, but it was enough for him. He didn't want to scare her off, so he didn't kiss her very hard.
"You're welcome." He said against her mouth.
"Foy what?"
"Savin' your life."
"Oh, thank you." Raven said, pulling away from Racetrack.
Raven couldn't believe he had just kissed her. He barely knew her. That won't work, don't ya try and talk yourself out if it, ya know dat ya loved dat kiss, Raven. Raven thought to herself. Raven had enjoyed that kiss, and wanted another one, but wasn't about to ask for it.
"So, whats it like bein' a newsie?"
"Whys ya want ta know?" "Cause Ise considerin' bein' one. A goyl can be newsie too."
"Dats true. Well, it's pretty good actually. Its better than factory woik."
"Really? Where would Ise be livin'?"
"At the Lodging House, wid me."
"OK. I'll start tomorrow."
Racetrack went home after saving the girl and all he was thinking about was that girl. He hadn't even gotten her name. What he remembered most about being real close to her, was that she smelled nice. He would have never admitted it to a soul, but he liked being on top of her. Even if it was only for about 30 seconds. His mind was a whirl, and he knew that he had to find that girl again.
Raven walked home breathless. No matter how many times she stopped to catch her breath, she just couldn't. She knew that she would never forget the way that the boy had felt on top of her. He was really strong, she could tell that. But not too strong, that he was squishing her. She wondered if she would ever see him again. She wanted to see him again even if it was only to thank him once more.
Two weeks passed, with Raven and Racetrack trying (in secret) to find each other. Alicat and Sprite didn't know about her near death experience, and Jack or Dave didn't know about Racetrack saving Raven's life. Neither knew why, they just didn't want to tell anyone about their experience. Then one day, Jack came up to Racetrack to tell him that there were some girls that he wanted Race to meet. Race said that he would meet them after work.
Racetrack knew that Jack had been seeing a girl, since Sarah died. She had died the night of the fire, when Jack had saved the girl he was now seeing. Race also knew that Dave had a problem with Jack seeing whats her name. But Race knew that it was for the better. And if Racetrack didn't know better, he would say that Dave was jealous.
Raven was getting ready to go. Her twin sister had told her that Sprite was taking them to meet Jack the boy who had saved Sprite's life. She had only met him once, and now she was going to meet some of his friends. As she was getting ready to leave, she thought once more about the boy who had saved her life.
Racetrack walked in to the Lodging House, and went upstairs to get ready for guests. He knew that this was important to Jack, so he would go down there, and pretend that he was having a good time. He didn't feel like being happy. He had been trying to hide the fact that he had been out of sorts since he had saved that girl. He had no idea why she had had such an impact on him.
Raven almost fainted when she saw her rescuer walk into the room, looking only slightly depressed. She couldn't mistake the change from depression to almost pure happiness when he recognized her. She had been distracted from life for two weeks, her mind filled with thoughts all about him. She was so glad that she had finally found him. She had to thank him. Raven! Yous know that yous got more interest in him than to jist thank him! She thought to herself.
Racetrack couldn't believe his luck when he saw the girl. He knew that the reason that he had been miserable, was because he had wanted to see her again and he knew that had to be impossible. But now he knew that miracle. He wanted to talk to her so bad. But he knew that he had to wait to make his move.
Jack introduced her as Raven. What a beautiful name! Racetrack thought. He was also introduced to Alicat, Raven's twin sister. Then there was Sprite. She was the one who was going out with Jack. Dis be right! Dis is da kinda goyl dat Jack needs. He thought.
Finally, Racetrack had the nerve and timing to ask Raven to go for a walk with him. Race knew that she had to talk to him as well and that made him even happier.
Raven was thrilled to go on a walk with Racetrack. She couldn't wait to tell him that she had thought about nothing else than finding him and thanking him once more.
"Ise wanted ta thank ya again for savin' my life. It was really sweet of ya."
"It was nothin', really. Ise jist had to see ya again, Ise don't know whys. Ise know dat dis may sound kinda strange, but alls Ise could think aboit was you."
"Really? Dats all Ise could think of as well, Ise jis couldn't find ya. Ise wanted ta thank ya again. And Ise guess dat Ise jis had to see ya too."
"Really?"
"Really."
They walked and talked, and then realized that if they were going to see each other than they had to tell the other person about themselves. Racetrack went first.
"Well, Ise was livin' wid me parents until Ise was aboit 11. Then they was killed in a house fire. Ise became a newsie a year later after getting out of the House of Refuge, for stealing. Ise met Jack when Ise was 15, aboit four years ago. Dats when Ise moved into the Lodging House. Whats aboit you?"
"Well," Raven began. "Ise was livin' wid me parents until Ise was aboit 4 years old. Den they was killed in a Scarlet Fever epidemic. Alicat and I was takin' to an orphanage. We escaped 5 years ago at the age of 12. We couldn't take anymore of dat place."
"Ise see. Hey um Ise know dat dis is goin' to sound strange, but um, Ise jis gotta tell ya dat Ise like ya a lot."
"Dat ain't strange, on account of Ise really like ya too."
"Do ya like me enough to let me kiss ya?"
"Ise don't know, is you brave enough to try?"
Racetrack didn't respond. He was already halfway down to her lips. He knew that he was probably in love with the girl. But he didn't want to admit it, even to himself. It was too early. He had just met her. But then there was a thing called love at first sight.
His lips touched hers gently, but it was enough for him. He didn't want to scare her off, so he didn't kiss her very hard.
"You're welcome." He said against her mouth.
"Foy what?"
"Savin' your life."
"Oh, thank you." Raven said, pulling away from Racetrack.
Raven couldn't believe he had just kissed her. He barely knew her. That won't work, don't ya try and talk yourself out if it, ya know dat ya loved dat kiss, Raven. Raven thought to herself. Raven had enjoyed that kiss, and wanted another one, but wasn't about to ask for it.
"So, whats it like bein' a newsie?"
"Whys ya want ta know?" "Cause Ise considerin' bein' one. A goyl can be newsie too."
"Dats true. Well, it's pretty good actually. Its better than factory woik."
"Really? Where would Ise be livin'?"
"At the Lodging House, wid me."
"OK. I'll start tomorrow."