Love is a Gamble(A Racetrack Higgins Love Story)

Telling Everyone

She made the tough decision to tell everyone else the next morning. Jack was a scab, they had found out, and they needed honesty right now more than anything else. She gripped Mush and Race’s hands tightly then yelled, “Hey Newsies! I…I have something to show you.” She slowly unbuttoned her shirt and they saw. She hurriedly buttoned it back up. Some mouths opened, and some pairs of eyes widened. She explained how she had really run away, and begged them to keep her secret just that, a secret. They all nodded and came over and hugged, spitshook, or clapped her on the back.

         They headed out to continue the strike. As she walked out with all the others, she smiled and spoke in a sweet, girlish voice that sounded like music compared to her usual tongue. “It really is nice now that everyone knows. I don’t have any more secrets to worry about.” She grabbed Race and Mush’s hands and pulled them out. Even though Jack had betrayed them all, they were not leaderless, and now, they were closer than ever. That night, she found to her absolute delight that none of the boys treated her any differently. She gambled, smoke, and laughed with the boys, just like normal. Later, she lay on Blink’s bunk with a cigar in her mouth. She pulled one of the littler boys on her lap and began to sing a lullaby, “Ti amo fratello, ti amo sorello, lo non ti lascero, ti amo fratello, ti amo sorella, lo non ti lascero.” All the little ones were asleep at the end of her song, and Racetrack found that he was quite in love with his little ‘sorella” He was so screwed. She looked at him and whispered, “buonanotte” He smiled softly and went to bed.

Ti amo fratello, ti amo sorello, lo non ti lascero, ti amo fratello, ti amo sorella, lo non ti lascero- I love you brother, I love you sister, I will never leave you, I love you brother, I love you sister, I will never leave you.