The Raven and the Racetrack *** Chapter 13
Things between Raven and Racetrack only got better. They told each other that they loved each other more often, and they spent as much time together as possible. They did have the occasional argument, just as Racetrack said that they would. But they always made up after it was over.
One day, about two months after Jack's accident, Raven had gotten home early, when she heard Alicat scream.
"HE DID WHAT?" She screamed.
Raven ran down the stairs. She ran in the lobby to see what was the matter. She saw Alicat on her knees, sobbing her heart out.
"What happened?" Raven asked out of breath.
"I'se told her dat I'se saw Aces wid another goyl a couple of days ago." Itey said. He was a quiet newsie, and very sweet.
"Why would ya tell her sumthin' like dat?"
"Caus I did. I'se saw Aces wid another goyl a couple of days ago, I'se didn't want ta tell her, but I had ta, I knew dat she would find out, and I'se thought that it would be better if she found out sooner that Aces was cheating on her."
"Alicat, calm down."
"NO!"
Raven was speechless and just stood there like a statue. She was about to tell Itey that Aces would never do that, and that he must have seen the other newsie that looks like Aces when Alicat jumped up.
"There he is that two-timin' little creep! I'll give him a piece of my mind!" She jumped up and ran from the room.
"What did ya tell her that for? Didn't ya know about that other guy that looks like Aces, did ya know it was Aces foy a fact?"
Itey's face paled. He started to sputter:
"N-n-n-o-o-o. I'se didn't know about da other guy."
"Next time get it right!" Raven said exasperated.
".I'se never want ta see ya again!" She heard Alicat scream. She heard the door slam, and more sobbing.
Raven ran to the door, and yelled at Alicat for being stupid, and then ran out the door.
"Aces! Aces!" Raven started to run after Aces.
"What do you'se want Raven, ain't you mad at me to?"
"Of course not. I'se know dat you'se wasn't wid another goyl. I'se know dat there is another newsie dat looks like ya. Alicat didn't know dat. You gotta come back."
"Well, I'se don't knows if I'se wanna go back. If she can't trust me, then I'se guess dat shes didn't love me like I'se thought shes did. I'se love her, but I'se can't be wid her if she don't trust me. Ya understand?"
"Yeah.I'se understand, I'se guess. But I'se still gonna try to make her apologize to ya. I'se want ya both to be happy."
"Thanks Raven, but I'se think dat its ovuh."
"Wells, I'se guess I'se be seein' ya 'round."
Raven watched Aces walk away with slumped shoulders. He was devastated she knew that. She hated Alicat. Alicat always just did something without thinking about it first. She just got rid of the love of her life just because she didn't take the time to think about it.
Raven started back to the Lodging House. She knew exactly what she was going to say to Alicat. When she got inside, she went into the lobby.
"AMY VIOLET CARTER! WHERE THE HELL ARE YOU?" Raven yelled at the top of her lungs.
"Is he gone?" Ali asked from the door to the kitchen.
"Yeah he's gone. And that was the most STUPID thing that you have ever done in YOUR ENTIRE LIFE!" Raven yelled.
"Why? What was wrong about getting rid of a cheater?"
"Because he wasn't cheating."
"What?" Alicat asked with a look of disbelief on her face.
"Because Itey was mistaken. That was the other newsie, the one that looks like Aces. You even knew about the other newsie, remember when we saw him, and you thought it was Aces?"
"Oh my god." Ali muttered.
"You're a bitch Alicat. Why do you never think aboit stuff before ya go rushin' into it?" Raven was starting to raise her voice again.
"Oh! I'se can't believe I'se blew it like dat! I'se gotta go tell Aces dat I'se sorry!" She made a rush for the front door.
"Wait I'se didn't tell ya da bad news. Aces is mad at ya."
"I'se can understand dat, I'se gotta go apologize."
"No! You'se don't understand. He knows dat you'se made a mistake. He isn't talkin' to ya. He said dat you'se should have trusted him more if ya really loved him. But I'se could see da pain in his eyes when he said dat. I'se knows dat he loves ya. But I'se can understand why he's not talkin' to ya."
"He said dat? Oh my...I'm so sorry. I'se gotta talk to him. I'se gotta get him back."
"I'se don't know how you'se gonna do it, but good luck."
"Why didn't ya tell me dis, before I'se went and told him off?"
"Oh, so not its MY fault?"
"Yeah, Raven you're older, you'se gotta look out foy ya little sister."
"I'se don't gotta look out foy anybody but meself."
"I HATE YOU RAVEN!"
"Good, 'cause I hate you too BITCH!"
"DUMB ASS!"
"Ooh, is dat all you'se could come up wid?"
"Damn it Raven! You're a bitch!"
***
Racetrack got home and found Raven and Alicat sitting in the lobby in perfect silence. They were glaring at each other. Which was really surprising, considering that Alicat only shut up when she was asleep, and still on rare occasion, Race would wake up to her talking in her sleep.
"OK, what's wrong?"
Raven and Alicat started laughing.
"What's so funny?"
"Nothing, just the way you said that."
"What is going on?"
"Come upstairs, and I'll tell ya."
Racetrack followed Raven up the stairs. They went into the bunkroom, and sat on the bed.
"OK, what is all this about?" Racetrack asked.
"Well, Itey told Alicat dat he saw Aces wid another goyl a couple of days ago. Well dat wasn't true, because who he really saw was this other newsie that just looks like Aces. Well, Alicat didn't think of dis, and so when he came here this afternoon, she yelled at him and told him it was ovuh. Well, I ran after him, and told him dat it was a mistake, and he told me dat he couldn't be wid her if she couldn't trust him. When I'se got back to da Lodging House, I'se told Alicat what happened, and now she's heartbroken."
"Oh, sorry I axed." Racetrack said as he stood up. Raven started laughing and put her arms around his waist. She hugged him hard, glad that she still had him.
Things between Raven and Racetrack only got better. They told each other that they loved each other more often, and they spent as much time together as possible. They did have the occasional argument, just as Racetrack said that they would. But they always made up after it was over.
One day, about two months after Jack's accident, Raven had gotten home early, when she heard Alicat scream.
"HE DID WHAT?" She screamed.
Raven ran down the stairs. She ran in the lobby to see what was the matter. She saw Alicat on her knees, sobbing her heart out.
"What happened?" Raven asked out of breath.
"I'se told her dat I'se saw Aces wid another goyl a couple of days ago." Itey said. He was a quiet newsie, and very sweet.
"Why would ya tell her sumthin' like dat?"
"Caus I did. I'se saw Aces wid another goyl a couple of days ago, I'se didn't want ta tell her, but I had ta, I knew dat she would find out, and I'se thought that it would be better if she found out sooner that Aces was cheating on her."
"Alicat, calm down."
"NO!"
Raven was speechless and just stood there like a statue. She was about to tell Itey that Aces would never do that, and that he must have seen the other newsie that looks like Aces when Alicat jumped up.
"There he is that two-timin' little creep! I'll give him a piece of my mind!" She jumped up and ran from the room.
"What did ya tell her that for? Didn't ya know about that other guy that looks like Aces, did ya know it was Aces foy a fact?"
Itey's face paled. He started to sputter:
"N-n-n-o-o-o. I'se didn't know about da other guy."
"Next time get it right!" Raven said exasperated.
".I'se never want ta see ya again!" She heard Alicat scream. She heard the door slam, and more sobbing.
Raven ran to the door, and yelled at Alicat for being stupid, and then ran out the door.
"Aces! Aces!" Raven started to run after Aces.
"What do you'se want Raven, ain't you mad at me to?"
"Of course not. I'se know dat you'se wasn't wid another goyl. I'se know dat there is another newsie dat looks like ya. Alicat didn't know dat. You gotta come back."
"Well, I'se don't knows if I'se wanna go back. If she can't trust me, then I'se guess dat shes didn't love me like I'se thought shes did. I'se love her, but I'se can't be wid her if she don't trust me. Ya understand?"
"Yeah.I'se understand, I'se guess. But I'se still gonna try to make her apologize to ya. I'se want ya both to be happy."
"Thanks Raven, but I'se think dat its ovuh."
"Wells, I'se guess I'se be seein' ya 'round."
Raven watched Aces walk away with slumped shoulders. He was devastated she knew that. She hated Alicat. Alicat always just did something without thinking about it first. She just got rid of the love of her life just because she didn't take the time to think about it.
Raven started back to the Lodging House. She knew exactly what she was going to say to Alicat. When she got inside, she went into the lobby.
"AMY VIOLET CARTER! WHERE THE HELL ARE YOU?" Raven yelled at the top of her lungs.
"Is he gone?" Ali asked from the door to the kitchen.
"Yeah he's gone. And that was the most STUPID thing that you have ever done in YOUR ENTIRE LIFE!" Raven yelled.
"Why? What was wrong about getting rid of a cheater?"
"Because he wasn't cheating."
"What?" Alicat asked with a look of disbelief on her face.
"Because Itey was mistaken. That was the other newsie, the one that looks like Aces. You even knew about the other newsie, remember when we saw him, and you thought it was Aces?"
"Oh my god." Ali muttered.
"You're a bitch Alicat. Why do you never think aboit stuff before ya go rushin' into it?" Raven was starting to raise her voice again.
"Oh! I'se can't believe I'se blew it like dat! I'se gotta go tell Aces dat I'se sorry!" She made a rush for the front door.
"Wait I'se didn't tell ya da bad news. Aces is mad at ya."
"I'se can understand dat, I'se gotta go apologize."
"No! You'se don't understand. He knows dat you'se made a mistake. He isn't talkin' to ya. He said dat you'se should have trusted him more if ya really loved him. But I'se could see da pain in his eyes when he said dat. I'se knows dat he loves ya. But I'se can understand why he's not talkin' to ya."
"He said dat? Oh my...I'm so sorry. I'se gotta talk to him. I'se gotta get him back."
"I'se don't know how you'se gonna do it, but good luck."
"Why didn't ya tell me dis, before I'se went and told him off?"
"Oh, so not its MY fault?"
"Yeah, Raven you're older, you'se gotta look out foy ya little sister."
"I'se don't gotta look out foy anybody but meself."
"I HATE YOU RAVEN!"
"Good, 'cause I hate you too BITCH!"
"DUMB ASS!"
"Ooh, is dat all you'se could come up wid?"
"Damn it Raven! You're a bitch!"
***
Racetrack got home and found Raven and Alicat sitting in the lobby in perfect silence. They were glaring at each other. Which was really surprising, considering that Alicat only shut up when she was asleep, and still on rare occasion, Race would wake up to her talking in her sleep.
"OK, what's wrong?"
Raven and Alicat started laughing.
"What's so funny?"
"Nothing, just the way you said that."
"What is going on?"
"Come upstairs, and I'll tell ya."
Racetrack followed Raven up the stairs. They went into the bunkroom, and sat on the bed.
"OK, what is all this about?" Racetrack asked.
"Well, Itey told Alicat dat he saw Aces wid another goyl a couple of days ago. Well dat wasn't true, because who he really saw was this other newsie that just looks like Aces. Well, Alicat didn't think of dis, and so when he came here this afternoon, she yelled at him and told him it was ovuh. Well, I ran after him, and told him dat it was a mistake, and he told me dat he couldn't be wid her if she couldn't trust him. When I'se got back to da Lodging House, I'se told Alicat what happened, and now she's heartbroken."
"Oh, sorry I axed." Racetrack said as he stood up. Raven started laughing and put her arms around his waist. She hugged him hard, glad that she still had him.