Happy New Year! Guys, this is gonna be a good year. I can feel it. I love the feeling of starting new. It's a good feeling. And I'm so excited to see what this year is going to bring. I would like to thank each and every one of you for helping make my year a little bit better! You guys make my life. I love you all so much!

So this is a story that I've been working on for quite a while. I think since just after I posted No One But Me. If you haven't read it, please go read it! You don't have to I'm order to understand the story, but it will give you a heads up to what might happen next. This's already almost finished, though. I hope to update it once a week. So every Monday, if you guys like it. ;)

Alright everyone... please enjoy this little mess that I like to call Racetrack Higgins...

Race hugged his backpack close to his chest. There wasn't much in it. But it was all he had. And, though this might be a normal occurrence for him, being tossed from home to home never did get any easier. Even if he at least knew someone at this new one. It didn't stop him from worrying about the other kids. There were over ten of them, he'd been told. Maybe even fifteen. And they were all boys. Race had never gotten along with many teenage boys. In fact, he had a really rough time in the last house he was in. A house in Brooklyn, a place where the boys didn't like newcomers.

Race placed a protective hand over his left shoulder. The bruise had been there for over a week. He didn't think it would ever fade.

"Take a deep breath, honey. Someone is very excited ta see you. You'll be okay." Race looked up to the front of the car at the woman speaking to him. She was dark and had the kindest smile the boy had ever seen. Her eyes sparkled in the rear view mirror and Race felt himself starting to calm down. However, he couldn't find it in himself to smile back. He just gave her a short nod and let his eyes wander aimlessly out the window.

He let his forehead fall against the cool glass and he tugged down the sleeves on his black sweatshirt, letting his mind think up so many ways to escape before hugging his bag again. He heard the glass hitting against each other and he could practically smell the smoke that his body longed for. And then he remembered the one thing in that bag that was irreplaceable. And the boy found himself unzipping the front pocket, slipping a picture out of it.

Two boys stood, happily, in the midst of a green field. One was taller. His hair was a light brown color and he had forest green eyes that could make anyone feel loved. His smile lit up a room and his arm was slung around the other boy's shoulders. The younger boy had blond curls on the top of his head. His blue eyes caught the attention of anyone who saw them. He looked like something that was foreign to Race. He looked happy.

As Race looked down at it, he found himself wishing he could just jump into the piece of paper and be that boy again. Be the boy with a friend that would be there forever. There everyday for him to mess with. Have a place to go and play. Have that arm around his shoulders that made him feel safe and secure, unlike any other feeling Race had ever experienced. Be happy.

The blond boy ran a hand over the small photo between his fingers. The memories that came flooding back to him, however, weren't the ones of two boys who loved each other like brothers. They were the memories of the things that happened after that day, when Race's life started to crumble and fall apart. And he remembered why he had the things he had smuggled into his bag.

When the car pulled to a stop, Race shoved the picture away, hiding it from anyone who might be able to see it. He let his eyes take a glance out the window and he sat, frozen in his seat, looking up at the large house. There were three cars in the driveway. The one that Race couldn't stop staring at was the one he'd seen many times before. An old, beat up, faded green truck.

When the kind woman opened the door, urging him to get out of the car, he gave her a nervous glance. "Cmon, baby. He's been waitin' for too long," she pleaded with him. And the boy looked up at the house he could only describe as a mansion again before he slowly stepped out of the car.

Race felt his heart start beating faster when she rang the doorbell. He gripped one strap of his backpack tightly with both of his hands. He found himself unable to stand still as he shifted his weight from one foot to the other. It seemed like years past before the door finally creaked open.

The soft brown hair... that loving smile... those green eyes. God, Race missed it all too much. He was unable to keep from launching himself into the older boy, holding onto him so tight, the other kid probably barely had time to register who he was. When he chuckled, Race felt lighter, like the world was okay in that single moment. He felt arms encircle him and a hand brush over his hair. All Race could do was completely bury his face in the crook of his friend's neck.

"Hey Kloppy!" he heard the kind boy call out. "He's here!" And then Race realized how much he missed hearing that voice everyday. He had missed it so much. And he had missed the giggle that the older boy gave off when he pressed himself further into his embrace. "Welcome home, Racer," he whispered.

Race felt himself starting to fight the tears in his eyes. "Jack..." It was all he could choke out. He hadn't realized how badly he wanted to be held, how much pain the past few years had caused him, until he was in those arms. Until he felt safe again.

"Get in here, kid. We can't leave you and Miss Medda out here in the cold." And inside they went. Little did Race know, this house would be the one to change his life for good.

I really hope you guys like this fic. I'll be back with an update for this next Monday. I have a goal of ten reviews. Please help me get there! I love hearing your guys' feedback. It really motivates me. Thank you so much!

Before I forget, I have to give a huge thank you to bexlynne. Cause here's the truth, I'm pretty insecure and I send her a lot of my stories beforehand because I don't know if anyone will like them. She helps me so much and encourages me so much. Thank you! I love you, friend! She helped me with the story so much!

As always, thanks for reading! Make sure to tell me what you liked, what you didn't, what you'd change or what you'd improve by leaving me a review. Happy New Year, loves!