Two Worlds in a Dark Alleyway
A/N: This takes place right after the events of WSS. One-shot. Enjoy!
Anybody's was running. For the first time in her life, she was running away from the Jets without being told to 'beat it'. She didn't know where she was running to, she was just… running.
She knew what she was running from. She was running from that basketball court, from Bernardo's sister's hysterical tears, from the group of gang members carrying Tony's body like a funeral procession… And Tony was dead. Nothing and nobody that she could run into could be worse that image of her friend, her fellow Jet, taking his last breaths. Yes, Riff had also died, but she hadn't seen that… It was cold tonight. The wind brushed past her, as if it too wanted to escape… good thing she hadn't bought a skirt. She didn't really want to have to pat down her non-existent skirt 'Marilyn Monroe' style as she fled.
Suddenly, she tripped over something, and her stream of thought was broken. Looking behind her, she saw that it was a leg with a bright blue high heel attached to it. In the darkness was a face that she couldn't make out. Then, she saw the edge of a pastel-pink skirt, and heard some muttering in what she assumed was Spanish. It couldn't be…
"Anita?" she asked, almost disbelieving.
"That's the name." came a hoarse reply. Anybody's could tell just by hearing her voice that she had been drinking.
"Are you alright?" she asked. You dolt! She rebuked herself. Her boyfriend died just a few hours ago. Of course she's not alright!
"Grinning and bearing it." Anita grunted. Now that Anybody's eyes had adjusted a bit, she could see that Anita was most definitely not grinning. She had make-up stains all over her face, her eyes looked sunken in and exhausted, and she looked like she'd been slapped across the cheek a few times.
"What happened?" the young tomboy whispered.
"Ah, let's just say your precious Jets weren't all that you think they are." replied the Puerto Rican, smirking slightly.
Anybody's had no idea what she meant by this, but decided not to question the woman in front of her on that. A moment of silence ensued.
"You got a cigarette?" Anita asked.
The other did, and passed it to her.
"You got a lighter?" Anita asked.
The other did, and passed it to her.
Anita lit the cigarette and handed Anybody's the lighter. She took a puff, and the smoke made Anybody's eyes hurt. She hadn't smoked in ages- she only carried them around because the Jets liked them.
Anita laughed. "I just realized- I have absolutely no idea who you are."
"They call my Anybody's." said the girl, with slight pride at possessing such a nickname.
For once, there was no snarky spoken about the name when Anybody's disclosed it.
"I'm Anita."
"I know."
"How do you know?" asked Anita, taking another puff of the cigarette. "I can't remember every meeting you." She paused. "Then again, I can't remember much of anything right now."
"Nah, I saw you at the dance in the gym. I snuck in to see the Jets acting like idiots in front of their gals. I saw you dancing, and it was really nice, and, er… you looked… really nice, and I asked around, and they told me your name."
"That's who I used to be: beautiful, flamboyant, with something to live for. Not anymore."
"What changed?" Anybody's whispered.
"I betrayed my best friend."
"What?"
"I heard the gunshot from here. I know what happened. Now I'm this. Funny, really, isn't it?"
Anybody's looked down at the broken woman in front of her. Anita glared up at her proudly, as if daring the other to taunt her further. Then, Anybody's ran. She didn't know why, but she ran as fast as her legs could carry her.
She never saw Anita again. She didn't look for her, she didn't talk about her.
But she never forgot her.
A/N: In some staging of WSS, Anybody's is there when Anita is abused by the Jets. In this story, she wasn't. Just though I'd clear that up. Review please!