I'm sorry about the long time it took. I was gonna update on Thursday,
really I was! It was typed out and everything! But you know the blackout
that happened on the east coast on Thursday? Since I live in Brooklyn, I
didn't have electricity until 4 yesterday. So, as an apology, I made this
chapter longer than it originally was. Hope you don't hate me!
Oh, and just to warn you, I think I mighta made up a couple of words but they work in the text.
Dedication: This chapter is dedicated to klover, for being the first person officially addicted to my story. Enjoy!
*********************** Chapter 3: Race's Feelings
Oh shit, shit, what the hell am I gonna do? Race was panicking, but not nearly as bad as Spot herself. She was shaking and pale, staring wide- eyed at the street past the alley.
The person would be on them any second. Suddenly and without warning, Racetrack grabbed Spot by her shoulders, spun her around so her back faced the entrance, and proceeded to kiss Spot Conlon on the lips with a passion. He took his hat off and put it behind Spot's head to hide the fact her hair was so short. Spot was limp in his arms, stunned by his daring.
"Racetrack? Dat you?" Kid-Blink stuck his head in the alleyway. He spotted the pair kissing. "oh sorry, I thought-Race!" His eye widened in surprise. "Dat IS you!"
Race had taken his mouth off Spot's so he could talk to Blink.
"Hey, Blink, what's up?"
"Oh, well, yous said you was gonna meet me at Tibby's once da race was over, and since it finished a while ago I wanted ta know why." He grinned impishly at Race and pointed to Spot. "Guess dat explains it."
Race made a face at Kid-Blink. "Yeah, I fogot all about dat. I'll come now. But foist," he turned his gaze to focus on Spot, "I gotta settle sometin wid this smart ass." He kissed her on the nose, then looked expectantly at Blink.
Kid stared back at them. Then it hit him. "Oh! You want me to..." he reddened slightly. "Yeah, I'll just, wait over there." He trotted off in the direction he pointed to give his friend some time alone with the girl.
As soon as Blink disappeared, Spot pulled out of Racetrack's grasp and slapped him across the face.
"Hey! Wat da hell was that for?" Race cried, holding a hand to his cheek.
"For kissing me widout me permission," Spot stated.
"But if I didn't, den Blink woulda found out!"
"True." Spot raised her hand and slapped Race across the other cheek.
"Hey! Now what'd I do?!"
"Kissed me."
"Didn't I just tell yous-"
"You told me why ya kissed me and I accept dat." Spot continued, glaring, "Wat yous failed ta mention was why I got the taste of cigas in me mouth." Race just stared, so Spot pulled him close to her and shouted, "Yous tongue was in me mouth!"
"Oh," Race said, blushing. "Ow....Yeah, dat." When he didn't explain further, Spot smirked at him and turned to leave.
"Wait!" Racetrack called. Spot turned back around and raised an eyebrow, an annoyed expression on her face. "Yous can't go out dere."
"And, why da hell not?"
"Cause if yous do, then Blink'll see ya, and if he recognizes ya, den yous can say 'bye bye' to ya secret."
"So, I'm pretty much stuck hea den?"
"No, I got a plan."
Spot snorted. "Well, that's a foist."
Rae ignored this comment. "Now, all wes gotta do is let me leave before yous. I'll start walkin' to Tibby's wid him, den yous leave and go da otha way."
Spot rolled her eyes. "Yeah, brilliant."
Race put his hat back on his head, lit a cigar, and turned to leave. He turned suddenly, slapped a hand against his head, and said, "Damnit!"
"Sometin' wrong wid yous precious plan?"
"Yous gotta get back ta Brooklyn."
"...And?
"Somebody'll prolly recognize ya!"
"Ya mean kinda like wat happened taday?" Spot said sarcastically.
"Dat's exactly wat I mean! Now, how are we gonna get yous back ta Brooklyn widout bein' seen?"
Spot stiffened. "Sorry, but 'we' ain't getting' me nowhere. I can get meself back on me own."
"Dear me! Aren't we touchy?"
Spot glared and Race gulped. "You know what, smart-ass? It just so happens I came prepared ta go back ta Brooklyn." As if to prove her point, Spot bent down to pick her skirt up.
"Um...uh..." Race stammered, turning beet red.
"What?" Spot straightened up, her skirt in her hand. She realized what the problem must be, and laughed, loudly. "Oh! Yous tink...oh man! Yeah, genious, quit tinkin things like dat and look at me legs." Racetrack's blush deepened, causing Spot to laugh harder and thrust a trousered leg into Race's line of vision.
Wait a minute. Trousers?
He looked at both of Spot's legs and, sure enough, she had pants on under her skirt. If possible, Race's face turned even redder. Spot howled with laughter, letting go of her skirt.
Once she caught her breath, she said, "And did yous by any chance happen to look at me waist?"
Race did, noticing for the first time there was a pink ribbon tied around her waist. Only, it wasn't a ribbon.
"So dat's why yous wear pink suspenders."
"Yep. Now, ain't it time yous go join our buddy Blink outside?"
"Mmm." Race was staring into Spot's eyes. He tried to look away, but they were captivating.
A sharp pain in one leg brought him back to reality.
"Yous done gawkin' at me yet?"
Damn damn shit FUCK, Race thought fiercely. "Uh, yeah, I was just thinking...ya got any extra money?"
"I got a couple bucks. Why?"
"Well, maybe yous should buy a wig."
"Racey-boy, dat's prolly da most intelligent ting yous said all day."
Racetrack made a face, said, "So I'll see ya round den," and casually strolled out of the alley.
Kid-Blink spotted Race and waved him over. "So," he said slyly, "who was she?"
"Oh her? She's nobody, just an old friend."
"Do you kiss all your old friend like dat?"
"I eva kiss you like dat?"
Blink rolled his eye, and Race stuck his cigar in his mouth.They started walking to Tibby's.
"So, Race, I'm assuming you've gotten over your love for a certain Brooklyn newsie."
Racetrack, caught off-guard, accidentally inhaled his cigar smoke too quickly. Blink pounded Race on the back, and Race gasped, "What?"
"Yous remember, don't ya?"
~flashback~
Blink couldn't get to sleep. First he was too cold, so he pulled his blanket up higher around him. Next, Mush's snores were pounding in his ears from the bunk across from his, so he threw his pillow over Mush's face. Then, after thrashing about for twenty minutes, it was too hot.
Finally, as he was drifting off to sleep, he smelled cigar smoke coming from the bottom bunk.
"Race, I'm gonna soak ya," he muttered as he jumped down from his bottom bunk to face Racetrack.
Race was sitting in bed with his head leaning against the wall. He had a pile of cigar ashes on his shirt, a cigar burned almost to the butt in his mouth, and he was still fully clothed, shoes and all.
"Race?" Blink whispered.
Race turned his head to face Blink. "Whaddya want?"
"Yous alright?"
"Does it look like I'm alright?"
"What's wrong?"
"Nothin."
"Yous sure?"
"Fuck off."
Blink gave up trying to talk to him. "Geez, yous is startin ta sound a lot like Spot."
At the word 'Spot', a tear trickled out of Racetrack's eye and ran down his face.
Kid-Blink saw this and got worried. "Did Spot do somethin' to ya?"
"No."
"Then wat's wrong? Race, I neva seen yous like this."
Race moved away from the wall and pulled himself to the edge of the bed so his feet dangled off the side. He patted the spot next to him while taking the cigar butt out of his mouth and tossing it into the ashtray.
Blink sat down next to Race. Race glanced at him and put his head in his hands with his elbows on his knees. He was staring intently at the floor.
Kid thought Racetrack had forgotten about him until he heard Race say, "Yous eva been in love before, Blink?"
"Um, well, ah, I um, n-no, I don't tink so. Why?"
Silence. Race was still sitting there, head in hands, looking at the floor. Kid-Blink was wondering why he'd asked a question like that.
Then a thought occurred to him. "Race, don't tell me. Yous ain't in love wid Spot Conlon, are yous?"
A sob escaped Racetrack's lips. He'd been trying to hold it back, but couldn't when Blink stated, so simply, what had been bothering Race endless nights.
After the sob, Race's shoulders began shaking from crying. Blink felt sympathy for his friend, and rubbed his back, trying to soothe him.
"And yous know what da woist part is?" Race said, sitting up straight and wiping his eyes. "I can neva tell him. Every time I sees him, I just wanna tell him, hold him, do somethin'! But I can't." A look of horror crossed Race's features. "Damnit! Blink, ya can't tell anybody...jeez, if anybody else finds out-"
Blink held up a hand. "Don't worry, Racce, ya secret's safe wid me. Besides," he continued in barely a whisper, "I know exactly how yous feel."
Racetrack didn't hear him. "Thanks, buddy. Yous know, it feels a lot betta ta have told somebody." He bent down to pull off his boots, then crawled under the covers. "Night, Blink."
"G'night, Race," said Blink, climbing into his own pillowless bed. The last thing he saw before he drifted off to sleep was Mush, curled up and hugging Blink's pillow.
~present~
Once he could breathe again, Racetrack realized the irony of the situation and started laughing. First it was a snort, then a giggle, followed by a full-out, laughing-so-hard-your-sides-ache laugh. Blink just raised his eyebrows, watching his friend crack up.
As soon as Racetrack regained some control, he gasped, "Blink, do me a favor, would ya?"
"Yeah?"
"NEVER mention that EVER again!"
**********************************
Whew, that was long. Don't expect something like that again any time soon, all right?
Time for a couple of shout-outs:
KLOVER: You're the first person to be addicted to my story! Thank you very much! I'm really sorry it took so long for this chapter, hope it was worth the wait.
SNOOZA1: So, you like it then. Heh, thanks.
HARLEY: Honey, trust me, it takes a WHOLE lot more than that to lower my ego. Thank-you for the compliments, anyway, and hope you enjoyed this
That's all for now, if you read this and didn't review, do so now. It would make me happy, and when I'm happy I update faster. I promise I won't take longer than a week anymore, but that doesn't mean I HAVE to take a week!
~Liams Kitten~
Oh, and just to warn you, I think I mighta made up a couple of words but they work in the text.
Dedication: This chapter is dedicated to klover, for being the first person officially addicted to my story. Enjoy!
*********************** Chapter 3: Race's Feelings
Oh shit, shit, what the hell am I gonna do? Race was panicking, but not nearly as bad as Spot herself. She was shaking and pale, staring wide- eyed at the street past the alley.
The person would be on them any second. Suddenly and without warning, Racetrack grabbed Spot by her shoulders, spun her around so her back faced the entrance, and proceeded to kiss Spot Conlon on the lips with a passion. He took his hat off and put it behind Spot's head to hide the fact her hair was so short. Spot was limp in his arms, stunned by his daring.
"Racetrack? Dat you?" Kid-Blink stuck his head in the alleyway. He spotted the pair kissing. "oh sorry, I thought-Race!" His eye widened in surprise. "Dat IS you!"
Race had taken his mouth off Spot's so he could talk to Blink.
"Hey, Blink, what's up?"
"Oh, well, yous said you was gonna meet me at Tibby's once da race was over, and since it finished a while ago I wanted ta know why." He grinned impishly at Race and pointed to Spot. "Guess dat explains it."
Race made a face at Kid-Blink. "Yeah, I fogot all about dat. I'll come now. But foist," he turned his gaze to focus on Spot, "I gotta settle sometin wid this smart ass." He kissed her on the nose, then looked expectantly at Blink.
Kid stared back at them. Then it hit him. "Oh! You want me to..." he reddened slightly. "Yeah, I'll just, wait over there." He trotted off in the direction he pointed to give his friend some time alone with the girl.
As soon as Blink disappeared, Spot pulled out of Racetrack's grasp and slapped him across the face.
"Hey! Wat da hell was that for?" Race cried, holding a hand to his cheek.
"For kissing me widout me permission," Spot stated.
"But if I didn't, den Blink woulda found out!"
"True." Spot raised her hand and slapped Race across the other cheek.
"Hey! Now what'd I do?!"
"Kissed me."
"Didn't I just tell yous-"
"You told me why ya kissed me and I accept dat." Spot continued, glaring, "Wat yous failed ta mention was why I got the taste of cigas in me mouth." Race just stared, so Spot pulled him close to her and shouted, "Yous tongue was in me mouth!"
"Oh," Race said, blushing. "Ow....Yeah, dat." When he didn't explain further, Spot smirked at him and turned to leave.
"Wait!" Racetrack called. Spot turned back around and raised an eyebrow, an annoyed expression on her face. "Yous can't go out dere."
"And, why da hell not?"
"Cause if yous do, then Blink'll see ya, and if he recognizes ya, den yous can say 'bye bye' to ya secret."
"So, I'm pretty much stuck hea den?"
"No, I got a plan."
Spot snorted. "Well, that's a foist."
Rae ignored this comment. "Now, all wes gotta do is let me leave before yous. I'll start walkin' to Tibby's wid him, den yous leave and go da otha way."
Spot rolled her eyes. "Yeah, brilliant."
Race put his hat back on his head, lit a cigar, and turned to leave. He turned suddenly, slapped a hand against his head, and said, "Damnit!"
"Sometin' wrong wid yous precious plan?"
"Yous gotta get back ta Brooklyn."
"...And?
"Somebody'll prolly recognize ya!"
"Ya mean kinda like wat happened taday?" Spot said sarcastically.
"Dat's exactly wat I mean! Now, how are we gonna get yous back ta Brooklyn widout bein' seen?"
Spot stiffened. "Sorry, but 'we' ain't getting' me nowhere. I can get meself back on me own."
"Dear me! Aren't we touchy?"
Spot glared and Race gulped. "You know what, smart-ass? It just so happens I came prepared ta go back ta Brooklyn." As if to prove her point, Spot bent down to pick her skirt up.
"Um...uh..." Race stammered, turning beet red.
"What?" Spot straightened up, her skirt in her hand. She realized what the problem must be, and laughed, loudly. "Oh! Yous tink...oh man! Yeah, genious, quit tinkin things like dat and look at me legs." Racetrack's blush deepened, causing Spot to laugh harder and thrust a trousered leg into Race's line of vision.
Wait a minute. Trousers?
He looked at both of Spot's legs and, sure enough, she had pants on under her skirt. If possible, Race's face turned even redder. Spot howled with laughter, letting go of her skirt.
Once she caught her breath, she said, "And did yous by any chance happen to look at me waist?"
Race did, noticing for the first time there was a pink ribbon tied around her waist. Only, it wasn't a ribbon.
"So dat's why yous wear pink suspenders."
"Yep. Now, ain't it time yous go join our buddy Blink outside?"
"Mmm." Race was staring into Spot's eyes. He tried to look away, but they were captivating.
A sharp pain in one leg brought him back to reality.
"Yous done gawkin' at me yet?"
Damn damn shit FUCK, Race thought fiercely. "Uh, yeah, I was just thinking...ya got any extra money?"
"I got a couple bucks. Why?"
"Well, maybe yous should buy a wig."
"Racey-boy, dat's prolly da most intelligent ting yous said all day."
Racetrack made a face, said, "So I'll see ya round den," and casually strolled out of the alley.
Kid-Blink spotted Race and waved him over. "So," he said slyly, "who was she?"
"Oh her? She's nobody, just an old friend."
"Do you kiss all your old friend like dat?"
"I eva kiss you like dat?"
Blink rolled his eye, and Race stuck his cigar in his mouth.They started walking to Tibby's.
"So, Race, I'm assuming you've gotten over your love for a certain Brooklyn newsie."
Racetrack, caught off-guard, accidentally inhaled his cigar smoke too quickly. Blink pounded Race on the back, and Race gasped, "What?"
"Yous remember, don't ya?"
~flashback~
Blink couldn't get to sleep. First he was too cold, so he pulled his blanket up higher around him. Next, Mush's snores were pounding in his ears from the bunk across from his, so he threw his pillow over Mush's face. Then, after thrashing about for twenty minutes, it was too hot.
Finally, as he was drifting off to sleep, he smelled cigar smoke coming from the bottom bunk.
"Race, I'm gonna soak ya," he muttered as he jumped down from his bottom bunk to face Racetrack.
Race was sitting in bed with his head leaning against the wall. He had a pile of cigar ashes on his shirt, a cigar burned almost to the butt in his mouth, and he was still fully clothed, shoes and all.
"Race?" Blink whispered.
Race turned his head to face Blink. "Whaddya want?"
"Yous alright?"
"Does it look like I'm alright?"
"What's wrong?"
"Nothin."
"Yous sure?"
"Fuck off."
Blink gave up trying to talk to him. "Geez, yous is startin ta sound a lot like Spot."
At the word 'Spot', a tear trickled out of Racetrack's eye and ran down his face.
Kid-Blink saw this and got worried. "Did Spot do somethin' to ya?"
"No."
"Then wat's wrong? Race, I neva seen yous like this."
Race moved away from the wall and pulled himself to the edge of the bed so his feet dangled off the side. He patted the spot next to him while taking the cigar butt out of his mouth and tossing it into the ashtray.
Blink sat down next to Race. Race glanced at him and put his head in his hands with his elbows on his knees. He was staring intently at the floor.
Kid thought Racetrack had forgotten about him until he heard Race say, "Yous eva been in love before, Blink?"
"Um, well, ah, I um, n-no, I don't tink so. Why?"
Silence. Race was still sitting there, head in hands, looking at the floor. Kid-Blink was wondering why he'd asked a question like that.
Then a thought occurred to him. "Race, don't tell me. Yous ain't in love wid Spot Conlon, are yous?"
A sob escaped Racetrack's lips. He'd been trying to hold it back, but couldn't when Blink stated, so simply, what had been bothering Race endless nights.
After the sob, Race's shoulders began shaking from crying. Blink felt sympathy for his friend, and rubbed his back, trying to soothe him.
"And yous know what da woist part is?" Race said, sitting up straight and wiping his eyes. "I can neva tell him. Every time I sees him, I just wanna tell him, hold him, do somethin'! But I can't." A look of horror crossed Race's features. "Damnit! Blink, ya can't tell anybody...jeez, if anybody else finds out-"
Blink held up a hand. "Don't worry, Racce, ya secret's safe wid me. Besides," he continued in barely a whisper, "I know exactly how yous feel."
Racetrack didn't hear him. "Thanks, buddy. Yous know, it feels a lot betta ta have told somebody." He bent down to pull off his boots, then crawled under the covers. "Night, Blink."
"G'night, Race," said Blink, climbing into his own pillowless bed. The last thing he saw before he drifted off to sleep was Mush, curled up and hugging Blink's pillow.
~present~
Once he could breathe again, Racetrack realized the irony of the situation and started laughing. First it was a snort, then a giggle, followed by a full-out, laughing-so-hard-your-sides-ache laugh. Blink just raised his eyebrows, watching his friend crack up.
As soon as Racetrack regained some control, he gasped, "Blink, do me a favor, would ya?"
"Yeah?"
"NEVER mention that EVER again!"
**********************************
Whew, that was long. Don't expect something like that again any time soon, all right?
Time for a couple of shout-outs:
KLOVER: You're the first person to be addicted to my story! Thank you very much! I'm really sorry it took so long for this chapter, hope it was worth the wait.
SNOOZA1: So, you like it then. Heh, thanks.
HARLEY: Honey, trust me, it takes a WHOLE lot more than that to lower my ego. Thank-you for the compliments, anyway, and hope you enjoyed this
That's all for now, if you read this and didn't review, do so now. It would make me happy, and when I'm happy I update faster. I promise I won't take longer than a week anymore, but that doesn't mean I HAVE to take a week!
~Liams Kitten~