Chapter 11;

Hey! So… sorry it's been a lot longer than I thought. But I'm finally writing again!

Racetrack's mind was whirling. He was being dragged along by the two much despised policemen, to a fate of the much more despised refuge- where he knew his life until his 20th birthday would be an all-too-familiar life of injustice, ridicule, and imprisonment.

Racetrack had tried to make Arisa leave, but before she could, the men took hold of her as well. He forced himself to focus on her, and ignore the terrified feelings sweeping over him more and more frequently the closer they got to the refuge.

Before the Newsies, this had been his home and only chance to survive. But that didn't alter his absolute hate for the place one bit. Or fear of it.

"Listen, Arisa. I'm sorry. This is my fault. When we get to the refuge, you won't see me very much. Keep your head down, be careful, but-"

Before Race could finish, he was cut off by the taller of the men slapping him.

"No whispering to each other!" he warned.

They were almost to the large, foreboding gate of the Refuge. Racetrack broke away for a moment and hugged Arisa, for the last time in a long while, and yelled "but don't give up!" before being ripped away from her and dragged through the gate.

**}~{**

Back and forth. Back and forth. Jack paced as if his life depended on it. As if it could calm his nervous insides. As if it could keep his suspicions and fears from being true.

Racetrack was late. Very late. Everyone else was already asleep. Arisa hadn't returned either. Jack could find no reasonable excuse as to why Racetrack and Arisa, who had been selling with him, would not return to the lodging house by midnight. Not even send word to Jack. And he had tried to make himself believe all the excuses he could think of.

They stayed in Brooklyn overnight or at the Jacobs'. They lost track of time at Medda's or the races.

When the old, worn clock said 12:43, Jack gave in. He couldn't believe anymore that they were ok. He had to find out.

Jack grabbed his boots and hat as quietly as possible, carefully checked that everyone was asleep, and climbed out the window to the fire escape.

I know… super short. Hopefully I'll have more up this week though, but I really need sleep currently. I hope you enjoyed. There are no words for how sorry I am that it is always so long between updates. Love y'all; thank you for being amazing! Goodnight. Enjoy. :)