My Girl ~Racetrack~

nineteen

I woke up in a sweat from a nightmare and worried I was still up in the attic. My eyes opened suddenly and I melted when I realized I wasn't in the attic, but in the arms of Race.

Shortly after, the morning bell rang. "Boys! Get up!" Jack's voice ran through the wall. "Albert groaned loudly and hit his head with a pillow. I sat up and looked around and has a sense of comfort.

I was back where I belong. Race slowly but surely awoke and when he did, he made it everyone's problem. Race IS NOT a morning person. Oddly, I missed it. I missed the pillows he threw when someone dragged him out of bed. I missed having to drag him by both legs out of bed. I missed it all.

I went outside to breathe the fresh air. I smile to myself as I watch the sun rise. As my eyes squinted in the soft light shining from above, I feel two slim arms slither around me and a chin rest on my head.

Race. It was then that the burden of the world slid from the shoulders, allowing my heart, freed from its chains, to see as it had always desired. I was liberated. If that were possible, I feared that my soul soared for days, such was my joy. Everything is perfect.

"Papes for the newsies! Line up!" Weasel yelled. Mhm. Same old same old. I walked up to go in line when Jack stopped me. "What do you think you're doing?" He asked as he put his hand in front of me, stopping me.

"Getting my papes." I pursed my lips. "Not after what you've been through a couple days ago." He shook his head.

"Jack if I don't get back on track I'm going to starve. I can't live off you and the boy's savings. I need to make my own." I defend

"What if something happens to you?" He asked, his eyes tearing up. "Jackie...nothing is going to happen. Would it make you feel better if I sold with Race?" I asked

Jack shook his head. "I don't want you selling at all!" He raised his voice. I furrowed my eyebrows. "You can't tell me what to do!" I matched his tone.

"I damn well can! I don't want to loose you again. I've lost you too many times. Not again!" He yelled. I shook my head. "I am almost 17, I am not the little girl I once was. I don't need you fighting for me. I don't need it!" I wave my arms around

"I'm going to say this once. You. Are. Not. Selling. Today." He said through his teeth. "No. I am. And if you loose me again, I don't care. I don't need you in my life." I could feel tears coming up but I swallowed them. I knew I went too far, but I can't take it back now, because at that time, I meant it.

I gave Weasel my money and Race and I started to sell our papes.

As Race and I were selling, I was venting. "I just can't have him fighting my battles. I need to do stuff on my own." I said as I took the penny from a customer. "I understand but you went too far at the end." He said, trying not to upset me

"Don't you think I know that? I couldn't take it back though. I needed to stand my ground." I sighed.

"I agree, he shouldn't have been telling you what to do. But you need to makeup at some point. You need each other more than you think." He nodded.

"I don't think so. Yeah, I love him. But I don't NEED him. If he can't learn that I'm not a little girl who needs his protection anymore, then screw him. He was like this when you and I started dating." I sold another newspaper, then, I was finished selling.

I sat down on a nearby bench. Race sat next to me. He put a hand on my knee. "I think you should apologize." He rubbed circles on my knee. Race hates fighting. He thinks that it's a horrible thing and if you don't make up immediately, you won't ever make up.

"I can't. He's being stubborn and stupid. Not until he apologizes." I sighed again. "Well, let's go back since we're done selling and see if he has anything to say after a couple hours of stewing over it." He grabbed my hand and we walked back to the lodging house.

We arrived at the lodging house and we sat in the common room where Mush and Romeo sat. "Has Jack gotten back?" I asked.

Both boys shook their heads. "He's usually done selling by now. Unless he went to Medda's." I conquer.

Race nodded.

-

Later, at about 8 PM, Jack still had not come back. I was starting to worry, then, I head a knock on the lodging house door.

I swung the door open to see Bubbles. "Bubbles?" I ask. "Kat!" He flung his arms around me. I noticed he had a letter in his hand. "What's this?" I ask

"A letter from Viper." His voice seemed shaky. I unfolded the letter.

Dear KitKat,

If you ever want to see your brother again, you better turn yourself into my arms.

Viper

My mouth ran dry. "No." My knees buckled and I melted to the floor. "Kat?" I heard Albert's voice. He had just gotten back from a date with Destiny. "Viper's got Jack." Is all I said.

"WHAT!" I heard all the boys yell.

"What are we going to do?"

"Kat! What do we do?"

"Are we going to get him back?"

"Tell me what to do and I'll do it."

"Everybody shut up!" I waved my hands and ran out of the door. I ran all the way to a familiar apartment.

As I inched closer to the door, I heard yells, as if she was fighting with someone. I knocked on the door and the shouts stopped.

The door opened and I saw Destiny. "Destiny! I-" My eyes trailed in the back and saw...

Viper. I stepped back as he stepped closer. "You've met my sister?" My viper asked, licking his lips. "Sister?" I muttered. I look at Destiny and she looks embarrassed.

"HELP!" I heard a familiar muffled scream. "Is that Jack? Jack!" I attempted to enter the room but Viper knocked me back. You saw what I wrote. "Hand yourself to me and he is free."

I shook my head with tears pooled in my eyes. I ran quickly out of the building. As I ran with tears blurring my vision, i ran into a person.

"Kat! There you are." Through the blur I see black hair. Elmer. "Elmer." I cried. "Destiny is Viper's sister and they have Jack." Elmer wrapped his arms around me and I sobbed in his arms. So much for being free.

"We'll figure this out, Kat. Just tell me what to do." He had his hands on my shoulders and looked me in the eyes. "That's the problem! Everyone thinks I'm a leader. I'm not. Jack was the leader I just agreed. He has the ideas. You guys just listen to me more. He does it all. But he's not here. And my worst regret is that the last thing I said to him was that I didn't need him in my life!" I rambled.

"Then we'll get him back, together." He said. I sighed and closed my eyes. "Why can't our life get back to normal?" I asked with a dry laugh.

Elmer gave me a sad look. Then, I saw Albert and Race approaching us. Can't wait to tell Albert that his date is a traitor.

I didn't feel like talking so Elmer filled both boys in on the situation. Albert looked like he was gonna cry but quickly snapped out of it. "We need a plan like we did for the strike." Race nodded.

"Like talk to Spot?" Albert asked. The three boys looked at each other and nodded. "I'll go." I whispered. Race's eyes locked with mine. "I'll go with you." He assured.

I shook my head. "No. I'm going alone." I slowly put my hand on Race's cheek and gave him a quick kiss. "I'll be back soon." I stated and I left to go to Brooklyn.