Little Cigars Little Muffins: Racetrack Higgins

Chapter Six

Hopefully muffins make up for me ignoring him for a week. I take a deep breath before I enter the bunk room, the room is rather large with beds lining the walls. I need to get the other Newsies out of here so I can talk to Race one on one.
"Pastries are downstairs" I say. However before I could finish the sentence all of the boys left. In the distance I see Race looking at me from behind one of the beds.
In an awkward haste I shuffle over to him. Once I get closer I can see that his lips are scabbed over and his eyes are bloodshot with dark circles underneath him. To put it simply he looks like a wreak.
"I brought muffins" I attempt to break the silence that is filling the room.
"Why didn't you talk to me" Race says just getting right to it. Guess he isn't one for sugar coating.
"The shop has been busy, to be honest I have only been working, sleeping, and taking Sophia out for walks" I attempt to explain. "I've been thinking about you though, day in and out. However I realize that you couldn't know that, and I'm sorry".
"No, I should have stopped by, but all of the other guys were saying that I was whipped. I needed to prove them wrong" he puts my hand in his, "I'm sorry".
"I still have the muffins"
"What did you grab"
"Blueberry" I say, "they are a little stale so I got them for free". I hand him the larger muffin of the two muffins.
"Is this a date?" Race says, completely ignoring my muffin explanation.
"You tell me" I say. If this is a date does that mean that the lodging house is the only date spot he has? I take a bite of my muffin while I await a response.
"Can I kiss you?" This boy is just full of questions.
"Eat up" I say. It isn't that I don't want to kiss him, it is just weird. I feel like it should happen organically, not though pestering.
The conversation takes a quick turn to stories. One time Jake was so drunk he brought home a rat thinking it was a small dog.
"So why did you want to go to the Races?" Race asks, making small talk. He is oblivious to the fact that I am stealing to pay rent. Should I tell him? No, things are just starting off. I am brought out of my thoughts when I see Race snapping his fingers infront of me.
"Hey"
"Phew, I thought you died. So why did you want to go to the races?"
"My dad used to go there and I just wanted to experience it" I lie. Why did I make that so personal? It is going to explode in my face when I actually tell him. Of course I plan on telling him I need to steal to support myself but it just seems to soon.
"That is incredibly sweet, if you don't mind me asking how did he pass", Race says now incredibly intrigued by my lie. I need to tell him now or else it will be worse later.
However against my gut instinct I continue to lie, to protect myself. I just need to tell him before he finds out on his own.