Hero (A Racetrack Higgins Love Story)

Chapter 13: Gambling Problem

That same day, the newsies did some more striking at the distribution center. I could tell something was wrong with Race. He was snapping at the boys and getting irritated fast. I'd be lying if I said I wasn't worried; I get how hard it is to help handle this strike.

"Hey Mush!" I ran up beside Mush where he stood outside of the lodging house. Most of the boys were either inside our outside. The sun was starting to set and I didn't see Race in the lodging house. He turned around and smirked at me.

"More boyfriend problems, huh?" He asked. I laughed and shrugged my shoulders.

"Kind of actually. Have ya see Race around? It's almost sun down and I'se don't know where he is." Mush's smile dropped immediately as he looked around the group outside.

"I'se haven't seen him since da distribution centa earlier. Maybe he's at da races?" I sighed, knowing that the races is exactly where he went. He is addicted to gambling and that is his favorite place. It's a bad habit though so he promised me he'd stop. All the stress with the strike probably made him go back.

"Thanks a lot Mush." I turned around and started walking away, until he called after me.

"Wait, where are you'se going?"

"To save my boyfriend from doing something stupid."

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  When I was halfway to the Sheepshead Races, the sun had already gone down. It made me a little nervous to be going down to the races this late. The streets were scary enough, but the races was not somewhere you should go at night if your a girl. There are no more races so the guys just stay at the bar and drink. My stomach churned at the thought of Race drinking and being around other guys who were also drinking. Alcohol does scary things to some people.

When I arrived, I managed to sneak in through a back door into the bar space. When I entered, the smell of smoke and alcohol hit me like a truck. I coughed and covered my mouth, trying to muffle the sound. I didn't want to draw attention to myself.

I looked around to see men of all ages. There were a few my age, some very old, but most of them were middle aged men. Big men at that. They were all jacked up with tattoos, piercings, and cigarettes.

I crept around the room, trying my best to be discreet. I looked through several faces trying to find the face of my boyfriend. Truthfully, I was scared to see him though. And then, I saw him.

He was slumped in a chair, leaning against the wall. He was sipping something from a cup that I prayed wasn't liquor. His cigar hung from his mouth and he looked miserable.

With a sad expressions, I quickly walked over to him. I stood in front of him, but he didn't even look at me. Either he doesn't notice me or he's ignoring me. I leaned down in front of him so I could look in to his eyes. But his stare was still somewhere  else.

"Anthony?" I asked quietly. He looked at me slowly, but his expression was still blank.

"What...what do you'se waaant, Marchelllla?" He asked slowly. I could tell he was drunk by the way he slurred all his words. I sighed and managed to hold tears back.

"Come on Anthony, we'se leavin'." I grabbed him around the waist and wrapped his arm around my shoulders. He started mumbling grumpily about not wanting to leave. I didn't listen though and kept basically carrying him to the back door. But just as we reached the door, a few men in their thirties looked up at us. I made direct eye contact with them as they smirked and nodded to one another. They all got up and were making their way over. Shit.

I panicked immediately, knowing what they wanted. I pulled Race out the back door and in to an alley. We need to run if we wanna get rid of these guys, but Race was really not cooperating right now.

"Race, ya gotta help me. Dose guys are comin' to hoit us or ta have fun wid us! Ya gotta help me out a bit!" Race kept staring off in to space though and made no effort to walk himself. I groaned out of frustration. What is gonna happen when those guys come out here?

We can't move fast enough out of the alley. They'll catch us before then. I started to look around for a hiding spot. There was absolutely no where except the dumpster which I couldn't open without letting go of Race and I won't be able to get him in there anyways. Hearing the door creak open, I shoved Race behind the dumpster quickly, me following right behind him.

The four men walked around and looked around. I was praying they wouldn't happen to see us.

"Damn, dey'se not here anymore. And ta think, she was a pretty one too." And after that, they were gone.

She was a pretty one, he said. They wanted me. Those disgusting, grown ass pigs were going to molest a 15 year old girl. I punched the dumpster out of frustration then put both hands on my face. I was mad and frustrated, but also upset. Thinking about what would've happened made me sick.

Remembering Race, I looked over at him because he hadn't done anything. I was worried for a second, before I saw him just dozing against the wall. A wave of anger rushed through me. He brought himself out here and now I have to get both of us home and almost get attacked in the process.

With an angry grunt, I pull myself out from behind the dumpster and pull Race up as well. He groaned again as his practically limp body weighed on me. Yes, I am angry. But I need to get us home.

With a knocked out Race and a heavy heart, I trudged back towards the lodging house. Which is a long walk from here.

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"WOW! What happened?!" I brought a passed out Race in to the lodging house as Davey yelled out to me. He and Blink came towards me and took Race from around me. I nearly fell down, I was so exhausted. I breathed heavily as Blink and Davey brought Race upstairs.

"Are you'se ok, Hero? What happened?" I looked up at Mush's heartfelt expression and that's when I broke down. I jumped on him with a huge hug as I started sobbing. He didn't waste a second when he hugged me back. We walked over to the only couch in the whole lodge and sat down with eachother.

"Tell me everything."