4EVER [R.HIGGINS]

Four

It was pretty much night time and I sold all of my papers and went back to the lodging house. "Hey lilah!'' I heard jack say. "How's yours first day?" He asked. "Good, sold all of my papes." I replied. "Well lookie here, we's have a natural!" Jack announced to everyone. I looked around and saw everyone clapping which i hated, but my eyes met with Races. He's the only name i can remember perfectly. "Good job lilah!" Crutchie said, i felt like a four year old that just learned how to read.

"Well i mean its nothin' " i said as jack patted me on the back and i went over to my bunk and took off my shoes, I saw Race coming up to me nervousl, i don't exactly know why I wasn't going to hurt him. "Are youse ok, i mean from what happened today." He said. "Yeah Race, I'm fine" i said with a smile and went over to talk to Albert and Elmer.

"Hey guys" i said as i walked over to Albert and Elmer. "Who's you doin' lilah." Albert asked. "Good, anyways i had a question about Race. Does he always act like this, like shy?" I asked. "Pshh, never only when there's a really pretty goil around. He's only had like a few crushes and this is usually how he acts." Elmer said as Albert agreed.

'Pretty girl?" I thought, he couldn't have a crush on me, I've said like 10 words to him. "He has a crush on me?" I asked them. "Possible." Albert said. We all sat around and talked for the rest of the night.

In the morning i woke up and did the same thing i did yesterday, same tune but not the same words, still carrying the banner. I saw Race again and smiled again and he smiled back and i felt a little tiny spark. But that died when jack came over and sang the same song yesterday trying to get me to sing along.

"What's the headline today gents" jack said snatching the paper out of my hand. "Man sells business for cigars. Is that man Race?" Jack asks sarcastically as everyone laughs. "Hey, hey jack, we all knows Race isn'ta man."Specs said as Race hit him. "I can be a man." Race said defensively. "Sure you can." I said walking away.

"Hey, who's, who are you anyways?" Someone asked coming up behind me. "What?" I asked and saw that it was race. "Why are youse here, when you already have a family?" H asked. "Excuse me?" I said offended. "I mean youse have a father, so why did you leave? Just to be rebellious?" He asked. "Why did i leave? Why did i leave, i left not to be rebellious, but because my father was a horrible man." I said getting angry. "You had money, we never had money. I just think its not fair that youse just left because youse didn't like your father." He said. "Oh i just left because I didn't like him huh? You think that i had the most perfect life until i 'wanted something to do', you think this isn't hard? You think that this is fun? Of course its nice to have people that actually care about you, but i never had it easy. My mom left when i was 3 and my brother went missing when he was 4, I always knew my father never cared about me. If it weren't for my mother I would have been put in the orphanage when i was a new born. My father only wanted boys because in his mind woman where useless. After they both left my father would beat me and call me names and force me to marry some rich man just so he could get the money. I have to live everyday with the thought of what if my mother is dead, what if my brother didn't 'run away' what if he was put into the refuge because of something he did and he's dead now. So don't you dare say i had it easy." I snapped back at him with tears in my eyes.

He stood there speechless then he pulled me into a hug. "I'm so so sorry." He whispered, I could tell he was crying. "Sorry i snapped at you." I said still in the hug with Race. For being as mad as i was with him i felt safe with him, I've only just met him but I didn't want to let go. "Youse don't have to be sorry, I'm the one thats supposed to be sorry.my father died when I'se was 5 and my mother died when i'se was 7. I had nothing, I always that i had a tragic life, I would get mad or jealous when i saw other people that had it better." He said. I really felt bad for him, we both had it hard, just in different ways.

"I'm sorry Race." I said crying. "Hey, hey don't cry." He said as he wiped away a tear, i felt something, like butterflies in my stomach and a Connection. "Well, i have to get back to selllin these papes." I said as our hands parted, I didn't even know we where holding hands. "Me too. It was uh good talking to you." He said a we both laughed a little. He walked away but then he turned around like he didn't expect me to still be there. He was embarrassed but coved it was with a smile as i smiled back at him.

I was walking around New York with the same question in my head, 'do i have a crush on Racetrack?'