The chapters should start getting longer soon, and hopefully more interesting. I have a rough plan and these first couple of chapters were always going to be slow. Please take the time to review, I really want to know now whether you think this story is on the right track or not.
- Cassie.
Disclaimer: I do not own West Side Story, just aspects of this storyline.
Chapter 2
Riff was woken the next morning by Tony throwing his bags onto the bed, on which Riff had collapsed in a fit of defeat the night before after yet another failed attempted to reach level 14.
"You do have your own room, you know."
"Yeah but yours is so much better than mine," Riff mumbled in reply. He pulled a pillow over his eyes to hide from the harsh morning light, but the heat made it almost unbearably uncomfortable, so he gave in and sat up to face Tony. "How was the trip?"
"It was great! I'll take you out there sometime." Tony grinned at him.
"I find this level of cheeriness in the morning offensive."
"Offensive?"
"Yes. To my culture."
"What culture?"
Riff tried to think of a witty answer, but failed, deciding instead to ask the time.
"About half past ten. Shouldn't you be out with the guys by now?"
Yes, he should. Riff wasn't someone who liked to sleep in.
"Oh, and stop by Doc's later, yeah? I feel like I haven't seen the guys in ages,"
Although the store was rarely occupied by anyone other than the Jets, it made most it's money delivering to the local businesses. Tony had a job running these deliveries for Doc during the day, and would often hang out with the Jets between runs. Riff assured Tony he would, and went about his usual morning business quickly before heading out to the basketball courts, where the Jets generally met up in the morning.
"Hey it's out fearless leader," A-Rab greeted him as he turned the corner into the courts. "You had us worried."
"Yeah, yeah. Slept in. What'd I miss?" Riffed asked, sitting down amongst the other Jets.
"Oh nothing, we just walked around in circles, panicking until you showed up," said Snowboy.
"Ha ha," Riff replied sarcastically, "Where's Baby John?" He had only just noticed the absence of the youngest Jet, who was almost always with A-Rab.
"He texted me this morning. I don't think he's coming out, said he wasn't feeling well," A-Rab explained.
"That kid is always sick," Mouthpiece, the slowest of the Jets, added. "We should get him one of those plastic bubbles, like in that movie."
"Tony back yet?" A-Rab asked, surprising Riff with the change of subject.
"Yeah, got in this morning, but he'll be at Docs later. I told him we'd go down."
"Speak for yourself," snapped Action, who took Tony finding new friends as a personal insult.
"Like you got anything better to do." Ice replied coolly.
"Well I'm actually focussing on what we're going to do about them YS's," Action replied angrily.
"Calm down, we're not going to war," said Snowboy, looking amused.
Snowboy was right, of course, but they really did need to do something about those YS kids. He didn't want another run in like A-Rab's. Life was a lot simpler when everyone kept to their respective sides of town.
About an hour later, after a small attempt at a basketball game, the Jets made their way to Docs, in great need of cool drinks and shade. They, Action included though he didn't show it, where looking forward to seeing Tony, however the only people in the store when they arrived was a pathetic looking business man drinking coffee, and the elderly store owner.
"Hey Doc, where's Tony?" Riff called, taking a seat close to a newly erected pedestal fan.
"He's running a little late. I think he's with a girl," Doc said, raising his eyebrows.
Riff shook his head, "Nah, no way. I'd know if he met a girl, the guy isn't exactly subtle."
Tony had always been a romantic. Many times he'd come strolling into Riff's bedroom with a smile on his face, claiming to have met the love of his life. Riff would reply with something like, "Oh yeah man, 17th time's the charm." Tony would of course scoff at this, as he never stopped believing his true love was right around the corner, no matter how many failed relationships he had endured in the search. Then Riff thought back to Tony's grin when he'd seen him this morning. Could he have met a girl? Riff only had a moment to feel slightly insulted by the prospect that Tony hadn't confided in him when the man in question walked into Doc's store.
"Oh," said Tony, surprised. "You're hear earlier than I expected." He did have a lovesick air about him.
"It's a pleasure to see you too, Tony," A-Rab replied sarcastically.
"Well it's hot as hell outside. Can't do nothin'," said Big Deal. He then put his face to the fan and spoke into it. "Speaking of which, like the fan, Doc," he said with a now robotic sounding voice.
"I don't," said Action, shoving Big Deal. "Now people might actually come in here."
"God forbid," Doc replied, dead-pan.
"So Tony," said Riff. "What's this I hear about you getting a girl?"
Tony looked momentarily surprised but recovered quickly. "A girl?"
"Yeah. There someone special I don't know about?"
The smile grew on Tony's face. "Well there's no girl… there's a lady," he responded mysteriously, joining Doc behind the counter.
"Do we know her?" Mouthpiece asked.
"Do I know her?" Riff raised his eyebrows.
"I doubt it," Tony replied, before getting started on his orders.
Riff decided to leave the subject for now. He would ask Tony about it back home, away from the other guys.
"Surely you boys have something better to do?" Doc asked them as they settled into their usual routine of checking social media and sharing newly found YouTube videos.
"Nope. Why, you sick of us?" answered Snowboy. "You no longer enjoy the joyful sounds of youth filling your store?"
"It's summer holidays. You youths should be annoying the elderly outside."
"But then we'd miss you too much," Ice added.
Riff didn't stay late that night. Tony left work early and Riff followed him, determined to get to the bottom of this girl thing.
"So who's the lucky lady?"
Tony jumped at his friend's voice. "Jesus, Riff."
"Come on, I'm used to getting the full report the moment you meet a girl. Aren't you going to tell me about this one?"
Tony sighed. "I was just waiting for the right time. This one's special, man."
"Yeah I bet Tony. Even more special then the last one, right?"
Tony just smiled more at this. "You bet'cha, boy-o."
"So, come on, what's her name?"
"Maria," Tony said as though it were the nicest word in the whole world, as though every syllable was made of glass.
"Sounds…" Riff tried to think of something appropriately nice to say about it. "Nice. Real nice. I don't think I know her. Was she in your grade?"
Tony was a grade above Riff. This past year had been his last.
"Yeah. Yeah she was," nodded Tony. "You know, I think she might be it."
Riff rolled his eyes. "I can't believe you still believe in that stuff."
"It's love, Riff, not Santa Clause."
"How long have you even known her?"
"You know," replied Tony, "you're kind of ruining my mood."
Riff had never seen love the way Tony did. He had his girl, Graz, and she was great, but he wasn't planning on spending the rest of his life with her and Graz understood that. They were happy, they had fun together and that was enough for him. That wasn't to say he'd never get married or settle down, sure that could happen. However while Tony lived in the future, Riff lived in the present. And his present was a hot red head with whom he was completely content.
