We sat around the long table for dinner. Once rowdy, rambunctious boys, were now quiet and polite. It all seemed tense... Barely anyone spoke. Some played with their kitchen utensils, maybe to distract themselves. Others twiddles their thumbs. I just sat staring at my food. I didn't eat very much. I'd lost my appetite. After I'd finished I walked upstairs and into Jacks room. I sat on the bed in silence. If Jack found out I'd gone to see Spot he'd be quiet angry. He hadn't even wanted me to go in the first place.

Also, what about that question I was left with after going going to see Spot. Did he know that he was going to die? Maybe he knew it was a possibility, so he wanted to make sure that Faith would be stable after his possible death. He had said that it the rumors were unrealistic. They were just rumors after all. People can fabricate rumors. But now everyone was worried and everything was so tense and uncomfortable for all of the newsies because of this rumor. The way Spot looked made it obvious to me that he was suffering from something far worse then the common cold.

I sighed. So many questions to ask, with no answers to them! I laid back on the bed. I had no clue what to do now. Do I tell Faith? No, I probably shouldn't. Faith would most likely react negatively. I can't blame he anyway, I'd be pretty distraught too if my love died. Thinking of this was frustrating! Do I tell Race? Well based on the way he was acting earlier that day I shouldn't, but based on the way he usually acted it was still an option. I couldn't tell most of the other newsies (especially Kid Blink) about this because of the way they had spread rumors about Spot dying. What it had boiled down to was: do I tell anyone at all?

I had no idea.

I heard the door open, this snapped my out of thoughts. I sat up. Jack stood in the door.

"Hey." He murmured as he walked inside.

He sat down on the bed next to me.

"Hi Jack. Are you okay?" I asked.

He looked tired. I placed a hand on his shoulder. He didn't answer.

"Jack, are you alright?" I asked.

"I'm fine, just a bad selling day. I had to work long hours, I feel tired." He sighed.

"Then sleep here with me."

He shook his head.

"I've got to go out tonight." He explained.

"With who?"

"No, not like that. I'm just going out to get some air."

"Clearing your head?"

"Exactly. It's just been a tough week, for everybody."

"Than go out." I kissed his cheek. "Feel better."

He smiled.

"Don't worry, I'll be back before you know it." He whispered.

Jack touched my cheek.

"I love you." He added.

"I love you too."

He walked out of the room. Then there I was sitting in a small room alone.

Then there was a knock at the door.

"Jack isn't here." I said.

"I'm here to talk to you, not Jack."

It was Racetrack's voice. Even though the door made his voice muffled it was still unmistakable. I expected that he was here to joke about something like he usually was, or that he was here to apologize for the way he had acted earlier that day. I opened the door.

"Hi." I greeted.

He cleared his throat.

"I wanted to apologize for earlier today." He murmured.

He leaned against the door frame.

"Can I come in?" Race asked.

"Yeah."

He walked in and closed the door behind him. What do I do now? How do I stay in a room with this person without blurting out what I was thinking about Spot?

"So how you doing?" He asked.

"Nothing."

"Oh... Alright."

We stood in awkward silence for a moment. Race bit his lip.

"Is Faith still mad at you?" I asked.

Earlier Faith was a bit unruffled because of what happened with Racetrack. Race smirked.

"I think that you know the answer already." He laughed.

"You'd better not have let anyone know we went to see Spot today."

He cocked his head to the side. He looked extremely confused.

"Jack didn't want me to see him and become ill. Didn't I tell you this?" I hissed.

He raised an eyebrow and shrugged.

"I have to remember?"

I sighed, what Spot had told me was begging me to tell Race.

"Race I've got something to talk to you about. I may sound absolutely mad, but you have to hear me out." I explained.

"Nah, I'm not going to think you're crazy."

He looked at me and winked. I smiled in response. I took in a breath. Then I blurted it all out. After there was a pause causing me to feel slight sting of regret.

"So," Race said finally. "like you said you can look at this in many different ways. He's probably just trying to make sure Faith is alright, just in case."

"But you had to have heard the way he said it... It seemed... Well, I can't even explain it. It felt mournful, maybe that's a way to describe it. He seemed mournful, yet he was trying to hide it. Did you follow? It seemed kind of hard to follow." I tried.

"I followed. He was sick, I'm sure that is all it was. He was sick, he was tired. That can make your voice sound different."

"I've been sick before Racetrack. It wasn't like that. His voice was raspy, but that's not at all what I mean."

He smiled, "I wouldn't worry."

He found my thoughts endearing, like a child's wild imagination. Maybe he was just trying to bring some more realism to my thoughts.

"Alright... I'll try not to worry about it so much." I sighed.

"Good." He declared.

Racetrack turned to walk out of the room.

"Race!" I called.

He turned quickly.

"Something wrong?" He asked.

"You can not tell Faith." I said, my voice firm.

"I know, I know. Faith won't even look at me for a while, let alone talk to me." He joked.

I smiled.

"Okay than, good luck out there." I laughed.

He winked and walked out of the room, leaving the door open.

"Close the door Race!" I hissed.

"Sorry about that." He mumbled as he quickly closed the door.

Well... Maybe he was right. Maybe I needed to look ay it more realistically.