The Raven and the Racetrack *** Chapter 11
Racetrack had a problem. Raven was always concerned about him getting hurt by gangsters while he was out at night. She was starting to annoy him. Now, don't get him wrong, he still loved Raven with all that was in him, but she was way too worried about him. He knew that it was only because she loved him, but it still made him a little upset. It was better than it was right after Jack got hurt, but it still was too much.
It was getting dark, and Racetrack had just finished selling all of his papers. He knew that by the time that he got home it would be dark, and then Raven would lecture him, and he knew that he didn't want to go through that right now. He was tired, and was sick of listening to that every night.
***
Raven was already worried. She never knew that she could care so much about someone that she would go into paranoia every time that it got dark and he wasn't there. She went and waited by the door. When she saw Racetrack coming up the sidewalk she opened the door and started running towards him. He opened his arms and hugged her tight.
"Oh thank God that you are all right."
"Raven, hows many times do I'se gotta tell ya dat I'se know how ta take care of meself?"
"I'se sorry, I'se jist can't help worryin' aboit ya. I'se jist love is all."
"Yes, sweethoyt, I'se know dat. But you'se has got ta get over this."
"Come inside."
Raven and Racetrack walked inside, and when they got there, Racetrack started leading her up the stairs. He led her to the bunkroom.
"Rav, I'se love ya. I'se love ya more den I love anything. But you'se really gotta stop getting so worried aboit me when it gers dark. I'se gonna be out after dark a lot, so you'se gotta get used ta da fact dat I'se can take care of meself."
"Racetrack, I'se jist concerned! Is dat wrong?"
"When it goes this far, YES!" Racetrack started yelling.
"I'se sorry, but ya don't have ta yell! I'se sorry, I jist love ya!"
"Well, sorry isn't good enough! You know, today I'se didn't want ta come home, jist because I'se didn't want to listen to YOU?"
"What?"
"I'se getting really sick of coming home and listening to you and you'se speeches aboit takin' care of meself. Stuff dat I'se know already! Well ya jist leave me alone?"
"Fine, I'll respect that Race, I'se gonna leave ya alone." Raven said this as she stood up, and walked to the door. "SO I'SE HOPE YOU'RE HAPPY!" With that, Raven stormed out of the room, and slammed the door.
"Raven! Come back." The last two words were muttered under his breath. He knew he had made a mistake, but he let her go. He knew he should go after her, but he thought that maybe letting her think might help.
About an hour later, Jack walked into the room, and saw that Racetrack looked a little depressed.
"Heya Racetrack, what's da mattah?"
"It's jist Raven, she jist been getting over concerned aboit me. Ya know since what happened ta ya."
"Oh."
"I yelled at hoy, I'se feel really bad aboit it, 'cause I know dat she does it because she loves me, nut I'se don't know what ta say. She ran out of da room, and I wouldn't be surprised if she never spoke ta me again."
"Dat ain't gonna happen."
"Why?"
"Because of what ya jist said. If she loves ya like I'se know dat she does, den she's gotta talk ta ya again."
"Thanks Jacky boy."
"She's on da roof."
"What?"
"Ya know what I'se mean."
Racetrack knew exactly what he meant. Jack had just told him to go talk to Raven. Racetrack didn't want to, but he knew that he had to if he was going to sleep in his bed tonight.
***
Raven sat on the roof, she knew that Racetrack was right. She was getting way too paranoid when he was out late. She should learn to trust the fact that he knew how to take care of himself.
She was just upset about what he had said. He wanted her to leave him alone. Did that mean for good, did henot love her anymore? She was very upset. She didn't want to think about the fight anymore, so she started to think about all of the fun times they had had together.
She thought about when they had first met, when he saved her from the speeding carriage, about the time that they had danced right here on the roof. She thought about when he first kissed her under the lamppost, even though he had only known her for one night. She was so wrapped up in her memories that she didn't notice that someone had joined her on the roof until she heard a voice.
"Hey sweethoyt." It was Racetrack.
"What?" she replied her voice void of any emotion.
"Ouch, um, I'se guess dat da reason I'se came up here, is ta apologize. I'se shouldn't have yelled at ya like that."
"You had every right to yell at me. Like you said, I'se was jist getting way too paranoid. I'se was jist getting in da way. It's OK, Racetrack, you were right. You can take care of yourself."
"No, Raven. Please."
"I am goin' ta move my stuff into the guest room foy now, so dat you'se ain't gotta live wid me no more."
"Raven, don't do this."
"I'se not gonna be wid someone who don't love me. Its OK, I'se totally understand." Raven walked towards the door, her heart sinking with every step. She turned around, and said:
"I'se jist want ya ta know dat I'se still in love wid ya." She turned around slowly and walked inside.
Racetrack felt like someone had just punched him in the stomach. He felt like he had lost Raven. He had to talk to her, but what would he say? He didn't care. If he let her walk away, then she would really think that he didn't love her. Racetrack rushed after Raven.
Racetrack had a problem. Raven was always concerned about him getting hurt by gangsters while he was out at night. She was starting to annoy him. Now, don't get him wrong, he still loved Raven with all that was in him, but she was way too worried about him. He knew that it was only because she loved him, but it still made him a little upset. It was better than it was right after Jack got hurt, but it still was too much.
It was getting dark, and Racetrack had just finished selling all of his papers. He knew that by the time that he got home it would be dark, and then Raven would lecture him, and he knew that he didn't want to go through that right now. He was tired, and was sick of listening to that every night.
***
Raven was already worried. She never knew that she could care so much about someone that she would go into paranoia every time that it got dark and he wasn't there. She went and waited by the door. When she saw Racetrack coming up the sidewalk she opened the door and started running towards him. He opened his arms and hugged her tight.
"Oh thank God that you are all right."
"Raven, hows many times do I'se gotta tell ya dat I'se know how ta take care of meself?"
"I'se sorry, I'se jist can't help worryin' aboit ya. I'se jist love is all."
"Yes, sweethoyt, I'se know dat. But you'se has got ta get over this."
"Come inside."
Raven and Racetrack walked inside, and when they got there, Racetrack started leading her up the stairs. He led her to the bunkroom.
"Rav, I'se love ya. I'se love ya more den I love anything. But you'se really gotta stop getting so worried aboit me when it gers dark. I'se gonna be out after dark a lot, so you'se gotta get used ta da fact dat I'se can take care of meself."
"Racetrack, I'se jist concerned! Is dat wrong?"
"When it goes this far, YES!" Racetrack started yelling.
"I'se sorry, but ya don't have ta yell! I'se sorry, I jist love ya!"
"Well, sorry isn't good enough! You know, today I'se didn't want ta come home, jist because I'se didn't want to listen to YOU?"
"What?"
"I'se getting really sick of coming home and listening to you and you'se speeches aboit takin' care of meself. Stuff dat I'se know already! Well ya jist leave me alone?"
"Fine, I'll respect that Race, I'se gonna leave ya alone." Raven said this as she stood up, and walked to the door. "SO I'SE HOPE YOU'RE HAPPY!" With that, Raven stormed out of the room, and slammed the door.
"Raven! Come back." The last two words were muttered under his breath. He knew he had made a mistake, but he let her go. He knew he should go after her, but he thought that maybe letting her think might help.
About an hour later, Jack walked into the room, and saw that Racetrack looked a little depressed.
"Heya Racetrack, what's da mattah?"
"It's jist Raven, she jist been getting over concerned aboit me. Ya know since what happened ta ya."
"Oh."
"I yelled at hoy, I'se feel really bad aboit it, 'cause I know dat she does it because she loves me, nut I'se don't know what ta say. She ran out of da room, and I wouldn't be surprised if she never spoke ta me again."
"Dat ain't gonna happen."
"Why?"
"Because of what ya jist said. If she loves ya like I'se know dat she does, den she's gotta talk ta ya again."
"Thanks Jacky boy."
"She's on da roof."
"What?"
"Ya know what I'se mean."
Racetrack knew exactly what he meant. Jack had just told him to go talk to Raven. Racetrack didn't want to, but he knew that he had to if he was going to sleep in his bed tonight.
***
Raven sat on the roof, she knew that Racetrack was right. She was getting way too paranoid when he was out late. She should learn to trust the fact that he knew how to take care of himself.
She was just upset about what he had said. He wanted her to leave him alone. Did that mean for good, did henot love her anymore? She was very upset. She didn't want to think about the fight anymore, so she started to think about all of the fun times they had had together.
She thought about when they had first met, when he saved her from the speeding carriage, about the time that they had danced right here on the roof. She thought about when he first kissed her under the lamppost, even though he had only known her for one night. She was so wrapped up in her memories that she didn't notice that someone had joined her on the roof until she heard a voice.
"Hey sweethoyt." It was Racetrack.
"What?" she replied her voice void of any emotion.
"Ouch, um, I'se guess dat da reason I'se came up here, is ta apologize. I'se shouldn't have yelled at ya like that."
"You had every right to yell at me. Like you said, I'se was jist getting way too paranoid. I'se was jist getting in da way. It's OK, Racetrack, you were right. You can take care of yourself."
"No, Raven. Please."
"I am goin' ta move my stuff into the guest room foy now, so dat you'se ain't gotta live wid me no more."
"Raven, don't do this."
"I'se not gonna be wid someone who don't love me. Its OK, I'se totally understand." Raven walked towards the door, her heart sinking with every step. She turned around, and said:
"I'se jist want ya ta know dat I'se still in love wid ya." She turned around slowly and walked inside.
Racetrack felt like someone had just punched him in the stomach. He felt like he had lost Raven. He had to talk to her, but what would he say? He didn't care. If he let her walk away, then she would really think that he didn't love her. Racetrack rushed after Raven.