It was just us that night. Me, Rembrant and Vermin. Cowboy decided to go soldier with Snow so our usual 4's a party was just a 3 crowd. Would've liked it if he had come along, though. Playing keep-away with his hat was something Vermin and I enjoyed and Rembrant just loved to watch. Rembrant was new, so he was getting used to everyones behaviors. He's a shy, sweet kid, but Jesus he had mad skills with the street paint. Not so much of a brawler, but he can take care of himself. Vermin on the other hand is basically our muscle in case we run into trouble going out. You never ever roam Coney Island by yourself. Especially when you got annoying Destroyer drunks that live next turf and love to come crashing and banging on yours. But for the most part, they arent too big of a problem. They're a bunch of pussy wimps anyway, as Ajax would call them.
"Sheesh, look at this." Vermin said, pointing to a Destroyer burner that had been so respectively tagged over our Warriors 5 layer throw-up.
"Is it fresh?" Rembrant asked, pulling some spray out of his tan messanger bag which he carries with him everywhere.
"Doubt it," I replied, feeling the dry wall."Havn't been back here to check in a while."
"Rembrant, you go fix that shit an' we'll go grab some hotdogs or somethin'." Vermin said. "We'll be by the meat market."
"Alright." he replied, not turning to look as his hand waved red paint against blue and loved hotdogs so he'll usually eat about three of them when we pass a food stand. But four for a dollar wasn't bad at all so we could get as many as we had money for is we wanted to.
"It's a bit chilly for July don't you think, 'Tasha?" Vermin asked me, giving Wally the hotdog man two singles.
"Today's only the First, though."
"Exactly. It was June yesterday, so it's a bit cold."
"Maybe you should wear a shirt under your vest, then."
"Don't got one."
"Lame excuse!" I laughed and took four hotdogs in my arms.
"Yeah, well, you ain't gotta wear one."
Vermin and I sat at a near by wooden lunch table and laid the food down. At that moment, he really bummed me out. It wasn't the fact I didn't have to wear a Warrior vest, oh no. I was forbidden to wear one.
My oldest brother Luther is Warlord of a gang called The Rogues whose turf is Hell's Kitchen in Manhattan. That was the only reason I was a former Rogue. The way my brotherdid things was too much for me, killed a fucking cop for Christ's sake. For Fun!So I left and ended up lost in the Big C.I. Vermin rescued me from getting mugged by a Destroyer and was allowed by the Warriors Warlord Cleon to stay in their hangout. I'm not an official Warrior, but I'm expected to act like it and soldier when needed if I am to continue living with them. Plus, I was female, and the Warriors didn't want any civil wars concerning women in an all male gang.
Dispite Vermin's remark, he's the only one I'm real close to. Except for Ajax, who used to flirt with me all the damn time, cocky rude lady's man that he is. Once he figured out that I'd never in a million years sleep with him, we would just hang out at Twiggy's Bong Shop sometimes and smoke up and talk about life and shit. He's real different on the inside and out.
After cramming a second hotdog in his mouth, Vermin asked me to go see if Rembrant was finished with the tag and why I hadn't touched my food.
"Not that hungry. You can have it."
Tonight was some world famous thing where the Ringling Brothers Circus would performalong the Coney Island boardwalk so it was pretty shoulder to shoulder as I tried to find Rembrant. Finally, I pushed past every freakazoid in my way and found him still spraying the wall.
"Take long enough?" I laughed and stood next to him.
"I'm experimenting with different shapes and fonts to come up with a new tag. Better then our usual ones," Rembrant said in his Puerto Ricain accent. "I'm getting bored with the ones I've been using. Need something new.
Rembrant searched his bag for more spray, pulling out all kinds of trash and old food wrappers and things. "Looks like you need more paint, too." I said, picking up some of his trash and tossing it in a bin nearby.
"Yeah, I know." he replied, dropping and kicking the spray can.
"Well, Vermin's got some 'dogs if you're hungry, come on."
"Sounds good" Rembrant said and turned to walk with me.
"Ever been to a circus before?" I asked him.
"Only once when I was little with my step mom. Havn't gotten around to go, you know?"
"They've got some circus down by the beach and boardwalk if you wanna go check it out."
"Nah, not really."
"Why not?"
"I really don't know. I guess I'd rather remember it the way I did when I was a kid."
"Yeah, I feel you."
We made our way back to the table and Rembrant picked up a hotdog.
"Holy crap, how many did you guys buy?" he asked.
"Around eight." Vermin replied, picking up a fourth one. " 'Tasha didn't want hers, so I ate it."
"On second thought, I'm kinda hungry now." I said, eating one.
"Well, I think it's best if I turn in for tonight, you guys." Vermin anounced.
"Aww, what for?" Rembrant asked.
"I gotta get up early and go with Swan and Fox to scout out this new area. Somethin' to do with Cyrus and the Riffs meeting on the Fourth."
"Oh, yeah, what about that?" I asked. "Is it still on?"
"I don't know. Maybe that's what we're gonna find out."
The Gramercy Riffs were the biggest and most well known gang in New York. Everyone says their leader Cyrus is some big fuckin' hot shot. He's having some meeting up in the Bronx on the Fourth of July in Van Cortlant Park where every gang in the city's gonna be there. Apparently there's a 'general truce' that's supposed to keep everyone from each gang from wreckin' eachother while we're there. Nine reps from each gang, no weapons. Little shaky if you ask me.
"Now, how long are you two going to stay out?" Vermin asked. leaning his arm on the table."I don't wanna get in trouble for not watchin youself somethin' happens."
"We're just going to find a paint dealer so Rembrant can finish his burner then I guess we'll head home." I said, turning to Rembrant. "Right?"
"Yeah. Right." he replied. Vermin shrugged and lifted himself off the table. "Ok, then. I guess I'll see you tomorrow." he said and walked away.
"Stay out of trouble, you hear?" he yelled.
"Mind yourself, too!" I yelled back as he turned the corner out of sight.
"Ready to go?" Renbrant asked, giving the last hotdog to a bum sitting by a ring-toss booth.
"Yeah." I said getting up. "Vermin's a worry-wort ain't he?" I said to Rembrant as we walked past people.
"Just lookin out for us," he replied. "You never know what could happen if you're not careful."
"Yeah, but we're just gonna go get some damn paint. I mean, how much trouble could we run into?"