Chapter 08 - Rage and Revelations
(Blah, disclaimer, blah. Amazingly enough, I don't own JSR! Wow! (Geez,
why do we bother?))
The GGs gazed at Mew in shock. She stood there, leaning on the arm of a
Noise Tank, the right side of her face covered in blood, a cut across her cheek,
clothes crumpled and eyes red.
"What happened?" Piranha gasped at last.
"She got jumped by some Love Shockers," said the Noise Tank. "I noticed the graffiti as I came up here. You got those girls mad."
"Hey, it's not our fault their leader's a psycho," Gum said as Piranha led
Mew away to see to her cut.
"By the way," the Noise Tank said, "I gotta thank you for busting us out
back last week. You did a great job."
"Hey, I know you!" Beat said. "You were my cellmate. You built the
radio!"
The Noise Tank shrugged. "I was in the neighbourhood. I was making
a dash from the cops, and I entered Shibuya and suddenly they quit chasing me.
Then I saw the Love Shocker tags everywhere, and then I heard your friend.
What's going on?"
"The Love Shockers hate our guts," Cube said. "Or rather, their leader
does, and she's trying to hurt us. Painting the town pink was one of the nicer
things."
"But why didn't the cops do anything? I mean, Onishima's unbalanced,
but surely he wouldn't have sat back and let them do it."
Gum shrugged. "Maybe they bribed him."
The Noise Tank snorted. "You think he'd take bribes from rudies?
Especially after we flew the coop. He'll be spitting nails already, he's not
gonna start selling himself out to us."
"Then how are they getting away with it?"
"We've tagged Shibuya before," Beat said. "It's not that difficult."
"Every brick?" The Noise Tank leaned against the doorway. "Anyway,
how'd they avoid you when they did this? I seen some GG tags, but the ratio is
definitely in favour of the Love Shockers."
"We were busy." Beat indicated Cube. "She'd been beaten up pretty
bad. We were trying to keep the cops away from her while she was in
hospital."
"I'm thinking if you find out why they've managed to avoid Onishima,
you'll find out how to stop them," the Noise Tank said.
"How'd you mean?"
"Well, either they're bribing him. My gang ain't gonna like that. Nor
are Poison Jam. Maybe some of the Love Shockers'll freak too. Then you'd
have allies. Or they've got some other relationship with him -"
"Eeeeuw! You don't mean -" Gum pretended to throw up.
"Maybe that. Maybe family. Maybe - I don't know. But I can promise
the Noise Tanks'll support you against them. And maybe Poison Jam too."
He turned to go. "Anyway, seems like you could be doing some
detective work. See you around, GGs."
The night wore on, and the GGs dozed. Or rather, most of them did.
Cube sat up, and accepted that she wasn't going to get to sleep tonight,
whatever her brain thought. Her plaster was itching, and Yo-Yo was snoring,
but both those things were, at the moment, normal. It was her thoughts that
were causing her insomnia.
Mew and Piranha had gone out to the hospital; Piranha had figured that
Mew needed stitches. But they all knew that it was lucky that that was all Mew
needed. The face was actually a pretty vulnerable thing, Cube thought.
Especially when you had a mad Love Shocker with a knife intent on wrecking
your looks.
When was this going to end? Gum had been derudiefied, if that was a
word. Mew had been scarred. She herself was stuck inside with two broken
legs. And Kell had threatened everyone...
Cube pictured more GGs coming back, bleeding, broken - dead. She
shuddered. Sure, she had her differences with the gang. They all did, at one
time or another. But that didn't mean she wanted them dead...
Kell's voice echoed in her head. 'Think of the trouble you could've
saved yourself if you'd just been a good girl earlier.' Not just herself,
everyone. She told herself that was a stupid thing to think, but deep down in
her brain, like a stone in your shoe, was the thought: I could've stopped all this.
She heard footsteps, and looked round to see Slate coming towards her. He sat down next to her, and whispered, "What's wrong?"
"Nothing."
"Then why're you awake at this time?"
"All right, maybe I'm a little worried, but why shouldn't I be? Things
aren't exactly great." She rested against his shoulder.
"You wanna tell me?"
"Now why should I want to do that?" She tried to grin.
"Cos I know you, Cube. You're scared, and whenever you're scared
you don't talk about it, and then you get tense, and the next thing we know you
smash Combo's ghetto blaster because he's playing a song you hate."
She glowered. "You know me too well."
"It's part of my charm." He gently touched the end of her hair, and she
felt warm inside. "So, what is it?"
"Just the Love Shockers, I guess. I'm scared for me, and you, and
Combo, and everyone, and I just think - if I'd just let her kiss me, back in jail it - it mightn't have happened..."
It was embarrassing to confess it, but doing so had made her feel lighter.
Slate shook his head. "She obviously hates our guts, and she seems
to've been doing it for some time. If you hadn't made her mad someone else
would've. I'm just sorry that..." He touched the scar under her eye. "I'm just
sorry that it had to be you."
She shrugged. "I can cope."
"Hey, is this a private party, or can anyone join in?"
They looked round. Combo, blinking, was standing there.
"I can't sleep with all this whispering."
"Sorry." Cube shifted up to make room for him on the sofa.
"So, what's the word?" Combo said.
"Not much. I was just freaking out a little."
"Hey, I think we're all worried 'bout this. That stuff on how she was
gonna hurt us all...and then Mew..." Combo shuddered. "She ain't a nice
girl."
"I can't figure out how she can know what'd hurt us all most. I mean,
sure it's obvious Mew likes to be pretty, but Gum being a rudie...that's a bit of
a stab in the dark." Cube winced at the phrase, and tried not to think of
knifeblades. "She could do that to any of us."
"But Gum - she was there from the beginning, right? And now she's
going stir-crazy," Combo said.
Cube nodded. "That's for sure. You know she can now identify any
washing powder commercial just from the opening line?"
"Not a good sign," Slate said.
"So how's she gonna get the rest of us?" Cube tried to speak
lightheartedly, but the darkness seemed to be crawling up the back of her neck.
She shivered, and moved closer to Slate.
Slate shrugged. "Beat - destroy the GGs. Seeing as he's leader...Tab,
she could probably hit him same as she did Gum, seeing as he's always been a
rudie as well. Garam...hurt Piranha. Piranha..."
"Hurt Garam? Seems a little unimaginative, for Kell," Cube said.
"And as for Yo-Yo - I have no idea. She may just tag the others ten
times, or scar them..."
"No. She's got a dramatic touch. Never repeat yourself." Cube sighed.
They were talking about this so calmly - and yet she knew if it happened, she'd
be anything but. "What about you two?"
Both guys shrugged. "What about you?" Slate asked. "She said she'd
get you properly next time."
Cube felt her hands tighten, and forced her breathing to remain calm.
"Well, I'm not scared about that..." Liar, a voice whispered. She tried to
ignore it. "I'm more worried about what she'll do to you two."
"Hey, who says she'll get to us? No Love Shocker's gonna put one over
on me." Slate grinned.
Cube found herself irritated by his smugness, and snapped out, "Just like
the Rokkaku Group didn't put one over on you?"
The dark garage went silent, broken only by the breathing of the other
GGs.
"Rokkaku Group?" Combo said. "Cube, what're you talking about?"
Cube looked over at Slate. "You gonna tell him, or shall I?"
Slate shrugged. "You better, seeing as you know all about it." He
sounded angry. Cube decided to have it out with him later, and turned to
Combo.
"This is Coin," she said.
Combo's mouth dropped open as though she'd pulled a string.
"He's dead," he said at last.
Cube explained how he'd survived.
Combo looked from one to the other. "How long have you known?"
Cube looked down at her lap. "Since the GGs came to find us in Grind
City."
"And you never told me? Well, thanks a bunch. Some friends you are!"
Combo got to his feet.
"Combo, we didn't do it on purpose -"
"No, you just did it so I wouldn't butt in while you played tonsil hockey.
Don't bother, Cube."
He marched over to the other side of the garage.
"What's with him?" Cube said.
"Stress?" Slate wasn't looking at her.
"Look," she snapped, "Don't you start ignoring me as well, okay?
We're all tense, and it's a little hard for me when you got away with a few
scars and I'm a lame duck. Just because I believed that note..."
"Hey, hey, Cube, I'm sorry." He hugged her. "Let's just all quit taking
offence, huh?" He glanced over to where Combo's figure could just be made
out in the darkness. "Things'll look better in the morning."
"I sure hope so."
The next morning, Beat had a plan.
"I know how we can test how the Love Shockers are getting away with
all this."
"How?" Gum asked.
"Simple." Beat grinned. There was something a little unconvincing
about it. "We get them to tag the police station."
"That's all, is it?" Piranha said. "And how exactly are we meant to do
that?"
"That's the part I was hoping you guys could think about."
"We could do it," Gum said. "If we practised doing Love Shocker
tags..."
"That's a bit low, isn't it?" Piranha said.
"Oh, and like they've been majorly honourable lately."
"No, I think it has to be them doing it," Beat said.
"Then we're gonna have to dare them."
"You sure they haven't tagged it already?" someone said.
"Nope. Checked, yesterday. And I saw Onishima in his office, so they
haven't killed him."
"Well, maybe it's time to reply to their notes, then," Piranha said,
glancing towards the garage door. Then she froze.
There was another note under it.
She sighed. "Oh, well, best get the daily hate mail over with."
"I thought we were supposed to be watching out for them!" Beat
snapped.
"I think this one was delivered during the night," Piranha said, pulling it out from under the door. "And - hey, it's addressed to me!"
The other GGs watched her warily as she unfolded it. She looked at
them, and laughed. "Oh, come on. It's not like -"
She turned to read it, and stopped speaking.
For a few moments she was silent, and then she turned and ran into the
next room, slamming the door behind her.
The GGs looked at each other, stunned. Garam walked over and
knocked on the door. "Piranha? You okay -"
"Go away!" Her voice was thick with tears.
Garam did so, looking worried.
"Okay," said Beat, glancing nervously at them. "I was talking to our
Noise Tank friend, and he said he'd spread the word that the Love Shockers
were cowards because they hadn't tagged it and we have. They might be able
to get Poison Jam in on it too. So all we have to do is say it ourselves, and
hopefully they'll take the bait. And someone else can keep a watch, see if they
can nab any Love Shockers doing the mail."
"And then we can tag them ten times!" yelled Gum.
"Not unless it's a fair chase. You can't just hold them still while you tag them."
Damn!"
"Okay," Beat called, "Let's get moving!"
Over the next few days, every Love Shocker was greeted with the taunt of,
"You haven't tagged the police station!" And then, three days after Beat had
made the plan, Professor K announced, "The Love Shockers have done it,
folks! The Keisatsu are all broken hearted and the station's turned into a
Barbie house!"
"Yesss!" Gum punched the air.
"So what now?" Garam asked.
"Well, we look out for any reactions from the Keisatsu," Beat said.
"And if there aren't any, it's time to move onto the next stage. By the way,
Garam, how's Piranha?"
Garam shrugged. "She won't tell me nothing. Got another letter
yesterday."
Cube glanced over at Combo. He'd been avoiding her and Slate since
he'd found out about Coin. They'd both tried to talk to him, but he'd taken to
skating off on his own and staying out for a very long time. Cube suspected he
was as freaked out by the whole Slate-Coin thing as she'd once been.
"One day," Gum said, staring into the glowing TV screen, "One day
we'll be masters of this district again. And then I will personally hunt down
those bitches, spray their backs with my best tags, and then pull out their hair. Any objections to this?"
"Why d'you hate them so much?" Mew asked. She had got a scar, one
that grinned down the side of her face. It didn't enhance her looks, but most of it was hidden by her hair, and it gave her a vulnerable style that she was using to its full advantage.
"Duh! Talk about a dumb question!"
"No, but I mean, you used to hate them even before all this started,"
Mew said.
"Yeah, well..." Gum shrugged. "I got my own reasons for that."
"What?"
She turned away. "Just something."
"You may as well tell. It'll come out sooner or later."
"They killed my sister, okay?" Gum whirled round and stormed over to
Mew. "They killed her! They were in a car - blind drunk - and she was
crossing the road - they ran her down - I saw her die - my mom didn't care -"
She took a deep breath. They saw the tears in her eyes. "That's why I hate
them and I think I've got a reason to."
"Gum, why didn't you say?" Beat asked.
"Why should I? Not like it's important or anything. I'm fine, okay?"
She turned and walked towards the door, then stopped. "I forgot. Can't
go out now, thanks to them." Marching back towards the sofa, she sat down
and flicked channels on the TV.
They could hear Piranha crying.
"Hey, Tab," Beat said, "You wanna come out tagging with me?"
They practically dashed out of the garage.
The others didn't look too comfortable, but they stayed - until Gum
snarled, "Look, either act normal or get out, okay? This silence is driving me
nuts!"
Cube sighed as the other GGs got up. She was gonna be stuck in here
again.
Then Combo said, "Hey, Cube, you coming?"
"Ha, ha." She scowled at him. Geez, what was his problem?
"You got a wheelchair. And I'll wait for you."
"Yeah, me too," Slate said.
Cube thought. She hated that wheelchair. It made her look like an
invalid. But - she glanced at Gum's stormy face.
"Okay."
She let them help her up, and wheel her out into the sunlight.
Gum watched them go, hurting inside. Sometimes she felt none of them really
liked her. And she admitted she'd been horrible to them. But she couldn't take
the gosh-what's-going-on gossipy silence.
Once they'd gone, she flopped down on the now empty sofa, and
channel-hopped. Football. Music. News. Soaps. Football. Music. News.
Soaps. Football...
I hate the Love Shockers, she thought.
Piranha was still crying quietly. Gum thought of trying to comfort her,
but in her present mood she'd probably just end up making things worse.
There was a rustling from under the door. She looked round, and saw
another envelope being shoved under it.
She leapt up, ready to chase after the messenger, then remembered she
was banned from skating.
And alone. In the garage. And they knew where it was...
Gum swallowed. Don't be stupid. They've dealt with you.
The envelope was for Piranha, she saw. If she just checked in it, she
could see why the other girl was so upset, and maybe she could help...
Or maybe she was just nosy.
What the hell.
She picked up the envelope.
Piranha put her head out of the door, then rushed in and yelled, "Give
me that!"
"I'm just looking."
"It's to me. Give it."
"No!" Gum slit the top of the envelope open.
Piranha rushed over and slapped her.
Gum, face stinging, stared at her in amazement. "What's your problem?
Look, we need to stick together, okay?"
Piranha was trembling. "Don't look," she sobbed. "Don't, I mean it,
Gum, you'll regret it, please don't..."
Gum knew that she shouldn't, she should just hand it back to Piranha
and say 'I'll be there for you if you want to talk,' or some such crap. But she
was sick of this mystery. She looked at Piranha, who was standing there, her
eyes terrified.
Inside the envelope were two photos. Gum took them out, and studied
the first one.
It was of a group of Love Shockers. The sort of stupid picture that every
group of friends has. Indeed, there were some of the same sort pinned up
around the garage at the moment - Yo-Yo crossing his eyes. Piranha pouting
at the camera.
This had four Love Shockers in it. They were all laughing, and making
peace signs at the camera. One was sticking her tongue out. Someone had
circled the head of one of the girls with biro. She looked familiar...she was
black, and she was blowing a kiss at the camera...
Written on the back was Piranha and friends.
Gum looked from the photo to Piranha. She couldn't speak. Numb
anger, like an ache, was flooding her throat.
She turned to the next picture, and memory slammed her in the ribs. It
showed a car. Once it had been black, but now it was covered in Love Shocker
tags. It was dented.
The number plate - one which had been burned into Gum's memory for
ages - was HY12 LUV.
She remembered. It had been so hot...the ground had soaked up the
sun...she'd been running to meet Mia, who was coming out of school...Mia
had always been the good one of the family. No skating and tagging for her.
When she got to Shibuya High School she wished she hadn't come.
Kids of all ages, with neat hair and smart clothes, were streaming out of the
gates, meeting friends and parents, munching sweets, never a care in the world.
But she'd said she'd meet her sister, and she wasn't going to let her down.
And there was Mia, walking out of the gates now. Her clothes were
shabbier than the others' were, but she still looked like one of them. Unlike
Gum, who knew she looked like a dropout. Which was unsurprising, seeing as
that was what she was.
The sisters met up, and Mia grinned. "Thought you weren't coming."
"I wouldn't desert my big sister, would I? School okay?"
"Yeah." Mia fiddled, with the strap of her bag, then said, "I wish you
hadn't dropped out."
"I couldn't stay, could I? Not after what happened." Gum tried to make
her voice harsh. She didn't want questions.
"Fine." Mia stared at the ground.
"Quit giving me a guilt trip, okay? Race you to the corner!" Gum leapt
up onto the railings and ground along them, skates striking sparks.
"Hey, no fair, you're faster than me!" Mia yelled. "Anyway, you're not
supposed to be skating here."
"Says who?" Gum called back.
"Says the law. It's a skate-free zone."
"Well, get you. You're just scared you'll lose!"
"Am not!" Mia began to run.
Gum leapt off the railings, dashed across the zebra crossing and along to
the corner. She stopped, leaning against the lamppost, and watched as Mia
dashed across the zebra after her.
The car came out of nowhere.
"Mia, watch out," Gum started to yell.
She'd only got to watch when it struck.
Gum screamed without knowing it, and began to run.
The car had been slowed down by the impact, and as she reached the
crossing she saw a glimpse of pink spiked hair, bruise-coloured lipstick, jagged
faces...laughter...a beer can skittered along the road at her feet.
Mia was lying in a crumpled heap on the road. Gum dropped down onto
the warm tarmac, screamed her name, over and over again, not wanting to
touch her in case she hurt her more, not knowing what to do, just wishing she
could rewind a few seconds and change everything back to normal. She didn't
notice the crowd gathering, cars encircling them both, the wail of sirens. All
she could think about was Mia, who looked amazingly calm for someone who'd just been knocked down.
She looked after the car as it drove away, spraying choking dust into her
face. Screamed after it, hating the girls who'd driven it with every molecule in her body. One day, she'd have her revenge.
Gum's hand shook as she stared at the photo. She turned it over, and read, the
sister-smashermobile. Piranha drove it.
"You didn't," Gum said, looking at the GG. A friend. An ally against
the world.
"Gum - I said don't open it -" Piranha's mouth was crumpled, tears
were wriggling down her warm skin.
"You were a Love Shocker?"
Piranha nodded.
"You said you were a lone skater when you joined us," Gum said, her
voice wobbling with anger. "You lied -"
"Can't we just forget it? Kell's been blackmailing me with this, okay?
Just -"
"Did you drive the car?"
"I -"
"Did you?" Gum felt the fury try and rip its way out of her throat. "Tell me!"
Piranha's shoulders sank. She whispered, not looking at Gum, "Yes.
Yes, I did."
Gum opened her fingers and let the photo fall to the floor.
"I'm sorry," Piranha gasped. "I am so sorry..."
Gum felt the tears come, bitter tears of rage, and the pain that had lain
dormant burst open again, and she rushed forward and punched Piranha in the
face.
The GGs raced down the road, Combo wheeling Cube, cutting a path through
unwary pedestrians.
"What'll we do if the cops come?" yelled Cube as the wind whipped
through her hair.
"See if this thing can go up stairs!" Combo replied, as the wheelchair
took the next corner on one wheel. "You okay, anyway?"
"I'm great! This has been such a cool run!"
They screeched to a halt in front of the garage. Beat flung open the door
-
Gum was shaking Piranha, whose head was rocking violently on her
shoulders. Both of them were crying, but Gum's face was bone white and her
eyes blazing.
"What the - what's happened?" Beat gasped.
Combo didn't waste time with words. He simply marched over, pulled
the two girls apart, and lifted one in each hand.
Slate wheeled Cube over to the sofa, and helped her out. No one else
moved. Piranha was still crying, making no effort to stop, and Gum shouted,
"Let go of me, she killed her, you don't understand -"
"What are you talking about?"
"Let go of me," Gum snarled at Combo, who did so. She landed on the
floor, picked herself up, and marched into the next room, slamming the door.
Combo put Piranha down.
"You gonna explain?" Mew asked.
Piranha didn't answer. She simply picked up two photos and a piece of
paper from the floor, and handed them to Beat. He studied them quickly, and
then said, "You were a Love Shocker?"
She nodded, and stood there waiting for the blow to fall.
Beat looked at the documents again. "You - you ran Gum's sister
down?"
She nodded again.
"Ah."
"I wasn't spying for them, honest I wasn't..." Piranha said at last. "I
quit, ages ago, because I decided I was sick of their man-hating policies...I'd
heard you guys were smart, and you seemed to be on top of things...I didn't
know about Gum..."
"Didn't you recognise her or nothing?"
"I didn't want to remember it - afterwards - the hit and run -" Piranha
shuddered. "I blocked most of it out. Gum was there, I think - she saw it
happen - but I didn't make the connection - with my hair different and all she
didn't recognise me."
She looked round, saw that all the GGs were listening.
"Kell wasn't leader when I was there. She was just a normal gang
member. Later, after I quit, the Love Shocker leader was killed or arrested or
something, and Kell inherited the throne, as it were...she talked to the others.
They knew who I was, but they didn't really care. They thought I was dumb to
go back to guys, and they said if I ever blabbed any Love Shocker secrets
they'd tell. But Kell must've decided this was a weak point - she sent me that
stuff - Gum opened the letter..."
She turned to face Beat. "I'm sorry. Tell Gum I am. I was off my face
when I drove, and I know that was stupid..." She began to walk out of the
garage.
"Hey, where are you going?" Beat asked.
"Away. You don't want me here."
"You're staying. You can't quit now, we need everyone we can," Beat
said. "Because I've got an idea."
Piranha turned, a faint grin struggling through the tears. "You're
serious?"
"Hey, I get ideas sometimes." He smiled at her. "Come on. I ain't
kicking out anyone else." He glanced at Cube. "I'm not going through all that
again."
Piranha turned back, and rushed into Garam's arms.
"So what's the plan?" Yo-Yo asked.
"We've got to..." Beat stopped. "No. I'll wait till Gum's back."
"You're gonna wait a long time." Piranha said.
Gum sat up. The room was dark, and her head ached from crying. She must
have fallen asleep.
She turned, and gasped as she saw Piranha standing over her. "What do
you want, Love Shocker?"
"Gum, I think we should talk."
"I'd rather not talk to you." Gum rolled over again and stared at the
wall.
Piranha sighed. "Then listen. I did not kill your sister on purpose."
Gum winced inwardly at the words, but she kept her back still so
Piranha couldn't see.
"Me and the girls...we were celebrating something, can't remember
what. We'd been drinking, and I think I was a little stoned anyway. And
someone suggested going for a drive. No one was sober enough to object."
"What's the point of this?" Gum demanded.
"I'm just explaining. Anyway, I leapt into the front seat, and shouted,
'Bags I drive!' That was all. And no one objected to that either, so we set off."
"Are you expecting me to feel sorry for you?"
"Just listen. I don't remember much of the actual accident. The next
thing I knew, I was back in Love Shocker HQ, and they told me I'd run
someone down. We saw it in the papers the next day." Piranha's voice was
dead. "I didn't know what to do. I knew what the cops did to rudies. I was too scared to confess. We tried to forget it."
"That must've been nice for you." Gum's voice quivered.
"I quit the gang because I didn't agree with their policy - but also things had become difficult there. They were nervous of me, didn't know how to
handle it. It all got too strained. So I quit. I wanted to start again."
"Didn't you know me?" Gum focused on a mark on the wall, trying to
ignore her misery.
"No. I told you, I blocked it out. I wouldn't have recognised your sister if I'd met her, and I only got a glimpse of you when it happened, I think. I didn't know your surname, so I never made any connection."
Gum stayed silent.
"I don't know what else to say," Piranha said. "I guess...sorry."
"Oh, well that makes it all right, doesn't it?" shouted Gum, sitting up at
last. "You don't know - you don't know how much it hurt - how scared I was
- you don't know how guilty I felt - I raced her, got her to run across the road
- and it was all you - you - drinking with your stupid friends..."
She buried her face in her hands and sobbed.
"I'm not kicking you out," she said at last, eyes swimming. "I've learnt
my lesson with that. But I'm not skating with you any more. I'm not speaking
to you."
"I don't blame you." Piranha blinked a few times. "The others are all
very sorry. Beat's got a plan, but he says he'll wait till you're feeling better."
Gum shrugged. Her eyes were throbbing. "Tell him to go ahead with it.
I haven't got much at the moment. I won't be much use."
"Are you sure?"
"I said, tell him. Now just leave me alone before I slap you again."
Piranha crept out of the room. Gum lay down again, wishing she could
sleep more. In sleep she didn't have to think. Or remember.
"Mia..." she whispered. "I miss you so much..."
(Well, that's another chapter up. Hope you liked it! All comments appreciated
except those of the flamish quality, which will be printed out and used as a
dartboard. OK?)
(Blah, disclaimer, blah. Amazingly enough, I don't own JSR! Wow! (Geez,
why do we bother?))
The GGs gazed at Mew in shock. She stood there, leaning on the arm of a
Noise Tank, the right side of her face covered in blood, a cut across her cheek,
clothes crumpled and eyes red.
"What happened?" Piranha gasped at last.
"She got jumped by some Love Shockers," said the Noise Tank. "I noticed the graffiti as I came up here. You got those girls mad."
"Hey, it's not our fault their leader's a psycho," Gum said as Piranha led
Mew away to see to her cut.
"By the way," the Noise Tank said, "I gotta thank you for busting us out
back last week. You did a great job."
"Hey, I know you!" Beat said. "You were my cellmate. You built the
radio!"
The Noise Tank shrugged. "I was in the neighbourhood. I was making
a dash from the cops, and I entered Shibuya and suddenly they quit chasing me.
Then I saw the Love Shocker tags everywhere, and then I heard your friend.
What's going on?"
"The Love Shockers hate our guts," Cube said. "Or rather, their leader
does, and she's trying to hurt us. Painting the town pink was one of the nicer
things."
"But why didn't the cops do anything? I mean, Onishima's unbalanced,
but surely he wouldn't have sat back and let them do it."
Gum shrugged. "Maybe they bribed him."
The Noise Tank snorted. "You think he'd take bribes from rudies?
Especially after we flew the coop. He'll be spitting nails already, he's not
gonna start selling himself out to us."
"Then how are they getting away with it?"
"We've tagged Shibuya before," Beat said. "It's not that difficult."
"Every brick?" The Noise Tank leaned against the doorway. "Anyway,
how'd they avoid you when they did this? I seen some GG tags, but the ratio is
definitely in favour of the Love Shockers."
"We were busy." Beat indicated Cube. "She'd been beaten up pretty
bad. We were trying to keep the cops away from her while she was in
hospital."
"I'm thinking if you find out why they've managed to avoid Onishima,
you'll find out how to stop them," the Noise Tank said.
"How'd you mean?"
"Well, either they're bribing him. My gang ain't gonna like that. Nor
are Poison Jam. Maybe some of the Love Shockers'll freak too. Then you'd
have allies. Or they've got some other relationship with him -"
"Eeeeuw! You don't mean -" Gum pretended to throw up.
"Maybe that. Maybe family. Maybe - I don't know. But I can promise
the Noise Tanks'll support you against them. And maybe Poison Jam too."
He turned to go. "Anyway, seems like you could be doing some
detective work. See you around, GGs."
The night wore on, and the GGs dozed. Or rather, most of them did.
Cube sat up, and accepted that she wasn't going to get to sleep tonight,
whatever her brain thought. Her plaster was itching, and Yo-Yo was snoring,
but both those things were, at the moment, normal. It was her thoughts that
were causing her insomnia.
Mew and Piranha had gone out to the hospital; Piranha had figured that
Mew needed stitches. But they all knew that it was lucky that that was all Mew
needed. The face was actually a pretty vulnerable thing, Cube thought.
Especially when you had a mad Love Shocker with a knife intent on wrecking
your looks.
When was this going to end? Gum had been derudiefied, if that was a
word. Mew had been scarred. She herself was stuck inside with two broken
legs. And Kell had threatened everyone...
Cube pictured more GGs coming back, bleeding, broken - dead. She
shuddered. Sure, she had her differences with the gang. They all did, at one
time or another. But that didn't mean she wanted them dead...
Kell's voice echoed in her head. 'Think of the trouble you could've
saved yourself if you'd just been a good girl earlier.' Not just herself,
everyone. She told herself that was a stupid thing to think, but deep down in
her brain, like a stone in your shoe, was the thought: I could've stopped all this.
She heard footsteps, and looked round to see Slate coming towards her. He sat down next to her, and whispered, "What's wrong?"
"Nothing."
"Then why're you awake at this time?"
"All right, maybe I'm a little worried, but why shouldn't I be? Things
aren't exactly great." She rested against his shoulder.
"You wanna tell me?"
"Now why should I want to do that?" She tried to grin.
"Cos I know you, Cube. You're scared, and whenever you're scared
you don't talk about it, and then you get tense, and the next thing we know you
smash Combo's ghetto blaster because he's playing a song you hate."
She glowered. "You know me too well."
"It's part of my charm." He gently touched the end of her hair, and she
felt warm inside. "So, what is it?"
"Just the Love Shockers, I guess. I'm scared for me, and you, and
Combo, and everyone, and I just think - if I'd just let her kiss me, back in jail it - it mightn't have happened..."
It was embarrassing to confess it, but doing so had made her feel lighter.
Slate shook his head. "She obviously hates our guts, and she seems
to've been doing it for some time. If you hadn't made her mad someone else
would've. I'm just sorry that..." He touched the scar under her eye. "I'm just
sorry that it had to be you."
She shrugged. "I can cope."
"Hey, is this a private party, or can anyone join in?"
They looked round. Combo, blinking, was standing there.
"I can't sleep with all this whispering."
"Sorry." Cube shifted up to make room for him on the sofa.
"So, what's the word?" Combo said.
"Not much. I was just freaking out a little."
"Hey, I think we're all worried 'bout this. That stuff on how she was
gonna hurt us all...and then Mew..." Combo shuddered. "She ain't a nice
girl."
"I can't figure out how she can know what'd hurt us all most. I mean,
sure it's obvious Mew likes to be pretty, but Gum being a rudie...that's a bit of
a stab in the dark." Cube winced at the phrase, and tried not to think of
knifeblades. "She could do that to any of us."
"But Gum - she was there from the beginning, right? And now she's
going stir-crazy," Combo said.
Cube nodded. "That's for sure. You know she can now identify any
washing powder commercial just from the opening line?"
"Not a good sign," Slate said.
"So how's she gonna get the rest of us?" Cube tried to speak
lightheartedly, but the darkness seemed to be crawling up the back of her neck.
She shivered, and moved closer to Slate.
Slate shrugged. "Beat - destroy the GGs. Seeing as he's leader...Tab,
she could probably hit him same as she did Gum, seeing as he's always been a
rudie as well. Garam...hurt Piranha. Piranha..."
"Hurt Garam? Seems a little unimaginative, for Kell," Cube said.
"And as for Yo-Yo - I have no idea. She may just tag the others ten
times, or scar them..."
"No. She's got a dramatic touch. Never repeat yourself." Cube sighed.
They were talking about this so calmly - and yet she knew if it happened, she'd
be anything but. "What about you two?"
Both guys shrugged. "What about you?" Slate asked. "She said she'd
get you properly next time."
Cube felt her hands tighten, and forced her breathing to remain calm.
"Well, I'm not scared about that..." Liar, a voice whispered. She tried to
ignore it. "I'm more worried about what she'll do to you two."
"Hey, who says she'll get to us? No Love Shocker's gonna put one over
on me." Slate grinned.
Cube found herself irritated by his smugness, and snapped out, "Just like
the Rokkaku Group didn't put one over on you?"
The dark garage went silent, broken only by the breathing of the other
GGs.
"Rokkaku Group?" Combo said. "Cube, what're you talking about?"
Cube looked over at Slate. "You gonna tell him, or shall I?"
Slate shrugged. "You better, seeing as you know all about it." He
sounded angry. Cube decided to have it out with him later, and turned to
Combo.
"This is Coin," she said.
Combo's mouth dropped open as though she'd pulled a string.
"He's dead," he said at last.
Cube explained how he'd survived.
Combo looked from one to the other. "How long have you known?"
Cube looked down at her lap. "Since the GGs came to find us in Grind
City."
"And you never told me? Well, thanks a bunch. Some friends you are!"
Combo got to his feet.
"Combo, we didn't do it on purpose -"
"No, you just did it so I wouldn't butt in while you played tonsil hockey.
Don't bother, Cube."
He marched over to the other side of the garage.
"What's with him?" Cube said.
"Stress?" Slate wasn't looking at her.
"Look," she snapped, "Don't you start ignoring me as well, okay?
We're all tense, and it's a little hard for me when you got away with a few
scars and I'm a lame duck. Just because I believed that note..."
"Hey, hey, Cube, I'm sorry." He hugged her. "Let's just all quit taking
offence, huh?" He glanced over to where Combo's figure could just be made
out in the darkness. "Things'll look better in the morning."
"I sure hope so."
The next morning, Beat had a plan.
"I know how we can test how the Love Shockers are getting away with
all this."
"How?" Gum asked.
"Simple." Beat grinned. There was something a little unconvincing
about it. "We get them to tag the police station."
"That's all, is it?" Piranha said. "And how exactly are we meant to do
that?"
"That's the part I was hoping you guys could think about."
"We could do it," Gum said. "If we practised doing Love Shocker
tags..."
"That's a bit low, isn't it?" Piranha said.
"Oh, and like they've been majorly honourable lately."
"No, I think it has to be them doing it," Beat said.
"Then we're gonna have to dare them."
"You sure they haven't tagged it already?" someone said.
"Nope. Checked, yesterday. And I saw Onishima in his office, so they
haven't killed him."
"Well, maybe it's time to reply to their notes, then," Piranha said,
glancing towards the garage door. Then she froze.
There was another note under it.
She sighed. "Oh, well, best get the daily hate mail over with."
"I thought we were supposed to be watching out for them!" Beat
snapped.
"I think this one was delivered during the night," Piranha said, pulling it out from under the door. "And - hey, it's addressed to me!"
The other GGs watched her warily as she unfolded it. She looked at
them, and laughed. "Oh, come on. It's not like -"
She turned to read it, and stopped speaking.
For a few moments she was silent, and then she turned and ran into the
next room, slamming the door behind her.
The GGs looked at each other, stunned. Garam walked over and
knocked on the door. "Piranha? You okay -"
"Go away!" Her voice was thick with tears.
Garam did so, looking worried.
"Okay," said Beat, glancing nervously at them. "I was talking to our
Noise Tank friend, and he said he'd spread the word that the Love Shockers
were cowards because they hadn't tagged it and we have. They might be able
to get Poison Jam in on it too. So all we have to do is say it ourselves, and
hopefully they'll take the bait. And someone else can keep a watch, see if they
can nab any Love Shockers doing the mail."
"And then we can tag them ten times!" yelled Gum.
"Not unless it's a fair chase. You can't just hold them still while you tag them."
Damn!"
"Okay," Beat called, "Let's get moving!"
Over the next few days, every Love Shocker was greeted with the taunt of,
"You haven't tagged the police station!" And then, three days after Beat had
made the plan, Professor K announced, "The Love Shockers have done it,
folks! The Keisatsu are all broken hearted and the station's turned into a
Barbie house!"
"Yesss!" Gum punched the air.
"So what now?" Garam asked.
"Well, we look out for any reactions from the Keisatsu," Beat said.
"And if there aren't any, it's time to move onto the next stage. By the way,
Garam, how's Piranha?"
Garam shrugged. "She won't tell me nothing. Got another letter
yesterday."
Cube glanced over at Combo. He'd been avoiding her and Slate since
he'd found out about Coin. They'd both tried to talk to him, but he'd taken to
skating off on his own and staying out for a very long time. Cube suspected he
was as freaked out by the whole Slate-Coin thing as she'd once been.
"One day," Gum said, staring into the glowing TV screen, "One day
we'll be masters of this district again. And then I will personally hunt down
those bitches, spray their backs with my best tags, and then pull out their hair. Any objections to this?"
"Why d'you hate them so much?" Mew asked. She had got a scar, one
that grinned down the side of her face. It didn't enhance her looks, but most of it was hidden by her hair, and it gave her a vulnerable style that she was using to its full advantage.
"Duh! Talk about a dumb question!"
"No, but I mean, you used to hate them even before all this started,"
Mew said.
"Yeah, well..." Gum shrugged. "I got my own reasons for that."
"What?"
She turned away. "Just something."
"You may as well tell. It'll come out sooner or later."
"They killed my sister, okay?" Gum whirled round and stormed over to
Mew. "They killed her! They were in a car - blind drunk - and she was
crossing the road - they ran her down - I saw her die - my mom didn't care -"
She took a deep breath. They saw the tears in her eyes. "That's why I hate
them and I think I've got a reason to."
"Gum, why didn't you say?" Beat asked.
"Why should I? Not like it's important or anything. I'm fine, okay?"
She turned and walked towards the door, then stopped. "I forgot. Can't
go out now, thanks to them." Marching back towards the sofa, she sat down
and flicked channels on the TV.
They could hear Piranha crying.
"Hey, Tab," Beat said, "You wanna come out tagging with me?"
They practically dashed out of the garage.
The others didn't look too comfortable, but they stayed - until Gum
snarled, "Look, either act normal or get out, okay? This silence is driving me
nuts!"
Cube sighed as the other GGs got up. She was gonna be stuck in here
again.
Then Combo said, "Hey, Cube, you coming?"
"Ha, ha." She scowled at him. Geez, what was his problem?
"You got a wheelchair. And I'll wait for you."
"Yeah, me too," Slate said.
Cube thought. She hated that wheelchair. It made her look like an
invalid. But - she glanced at Gum's stormy face.
"Okay."
She let them help her up, and wheel her out into the sunlight.
Gum watched them go, hurting inside. Sometimes she felt none of them really
liked her. And she admitted she'd been horrible to them. But she couldn't take
the gosh-what's-going-on gossipy silence.
Once they'd gone, she flopped down on the now empty sofa, and
channel-hopped. Football. Music. News. Soaps. Football. Music. News.
Soaps. Football...
I hate the Love Shockers, she thought.
Piranha was still crying quietly. Gum thought of trying to comfort her,
but in her present mood she'd probably just end up making things worse.
There was a rustling from under the door. She looked round, and saw
another envelope being shoved under it.
She leapt up, ready to chase after the messenger, then remembered she
was banned from skating.
And alone. In the garage. And they knew where it was...
Gum swallowed. Don't be stupid. They've dealt with you.
The envelope was for Piranha, she saw. If she just checked in it, she
could see why the other girl was so upset, and maybe she could help...
Or maybe she was just nosy.
What the hell.
She picked up the envelope.
Piranha put her head out of the door, then rushed in and yelled, "Give
me that!"
"I'm just looking."
"It's to me. Give it."
"No!" Gum slit the top of the envelope open.
Piranha rushed over and slapped her.
Gum, face stinging, stared at her in amazement. "What's your problem?
Look, we need to stick together, okay?"
Piranha was trembling. "Don't look," she sobbed. "Don't, I mean it,
Gum, you'll regret it, please don't..."
Gum knew that she shouldn't, she should just hand it back to Piranha
and say 'I'll be there for you if you want to talk,' or some such crap. But she
was sick of this mystery. She looked at Piranha, who was standing there, her
eyes terrified.
Inside the envelope were two photos. Gum took them out, and studied
the first one.
It was of a group of Love Shockers. The sort of stupid picture that every
group of friends has. Indeed, there were some of the same sort pinned up
around the garage at the moment - Yo-Yo crossing his eyes. Piranha pouting
at the camera.
This had four Love Shockers in it. They were all laughing, and making
peace signs at the camera. One was sticking her tongue out. Someone had
circled the head of one of the girls with biro. She looked familiar...she was
black, and she was blowing a kiss at the camera...
Written on the back was Piranha and friends.
Gum looked from the photo to Piranha. She couldn't speak. Numb
anger, like an ache, was flooding her throat.
She turned to the next picture, and memory slammed her in the ribs. It
showed a car. Once it had been black, but now it was covered in Love Shocker
tags. It was dented.
The number plate - one which had been burned into Gum's memory for
ages - was HY12 LUV.
She remembered. It had been so hot...the ground had soaked up the
sun...she'd been running to meet Mia, who was coming out of school...Mia
had always been the good one of the family. No skating and tagging for her.
When she got to Shibuya High School she wished she hadn't come.
Kids of all ages, with neat hair and smart clothes, were streaming out of the
gates, meeting friends and parents, munching sweets, never a care in the world.
But she'd said she'd meet her sister, and she wasn't going to let her down.
And there was Mia, walking out of the gates now. Her clothes were
shabbier than the others' were, but she still looked like one of them. Unlike
Gum, who knew she looked like a dropout. Which was unsurprising, seeing as
that was what she was.
The sisters met up, and Mia grinned. "Thought you weren't coming."
"I wouldn't desert my big sister, would I? School okay?"
"Yeah." Mia fiddled, with the strap of her bag, then said, "I wish you
hadn't dropped out."
"I couldn't stay, could I? Not after what happened." Gum tried to make
her voice harsh. She didn't want questions.
"Fine." Mia stared at the ground.
"Quit giving me a guilt trip, okay? Race you to the corner!" Gum leapt
up onto the railings and ground along them, skates striking sparks.
"Hey, no fair, you're faster than me!" Mia yelled. "Anyway, you're not
supposed to be skating here."
"Says who?" Gum called back.
"Says the law. It's a skate-free zone."
"Well, get you. You're just scared you'll lose!"
"Am not!" Mia began to run.
Gum leapt off the railings, dashed across the zebra crossing and along to
the corner. She stopped, leaning against the lamppost, and watched as Mia
dashed across the zebra after her.
The car came out of nowhere.
"Mia, watch out," Gum started to yell.
She'd only got to watch when it struck.
Gum screamed without knowing it, and began to run.
The car had been slowed down by the impact, and as she reached the
crossing she saw a glimpse of pink spiked hair, bruise-coloured lipstick, jagged
faces...laughter...a beer can skittered along the road at her feet.
Mia was lying in a crumpled heap on the road. Gum dropped down onto
the warm tarmac, screamed her name, over and over again, not wanting to
touch her in case she hurt her more, not knowing what to do, just wishing she
could rewind a few seconds and change everything back to normal. She didn't
notice the crowd gathering, cars encircling them both, the wail of sirens. All
she could think about was Mia, who looked amazingly calm for someone who'd just been knocked down.
She looked after the car as it drove away, spraying choking dust into her
face. Screamed after it, hating the girls who'd driven it with every molecule in her body. One day, she'd have her revenge.
Gum's hand shook as she stared at the photo. She turned it over, and read, the
sister-smashermobile. Piranha drove it.
"You didn't," Gum said, looking at the GG. A friend. An ally against
the world.
"Gum - I said don't open it -" Piranha's mouth was crumpled, tears
were wriggling down her warm skin.
"You were a Love Shocker?"
Piranha nodded.
"You said you were a lone skater when you joined us," Gum said, her
voice wobbling with anger. "You lied -"
"Can't we just forget it? Kell's been blackmailing me with this, okay?
Just -"
"Did you drive the car?"
"I -"
"Did you?" Gum felt the fury try and rip its way out of her throat. "Tell me!"
Piranha's shoulders sank. She whispered, not looking at Gum, "Yes.
Yes, I did."
Gum opened her fingers and let the photo fall to the floor.
"I'm sorry," Piranha gasped. "I am so sorry..."
Gum felt the tears come, bitter tears of rage, and the pain that had lain
dormant burst open again, and she rushed forward and punched Piranha in the
face.
The GGs raced down the road, Combo wheeling Cube, cutting a path through
unwary pedestrians.
"What'll we do if the cops come?" yelled Cube as the wind whipped
through her hair.
"See if this thing can go up stairs!" Combo replied, as the wheelchair
took the next corner on one wheel. "You okay, anyway?"
"I'm great! This has been such a cool run!"
They screeched to a halt in front of the garage. Beat flung open the door
-
Gum was shaking Piranha, whose head was rocking violently on her
shoulders. Both of them were crying, but Gum's face was bone white and her
eyes blazing.
"What the - what's happened?" Beat gasped.
Combo didn't waste time with words. He simply marched over, pulled
the two girls apart, and lifted one in each hand.
Slate wheeled Cube over to the sofa, and helped her out. No one else
moved. Piranha was still crying, making no effort to stop, and Gum shouted,
"Let go of me, she killed her, you don't understand -"
"What are you talking about?"
"Let go of me," Gum snarled at Combo, who did so. She landed on the
floor, picked herself up, and marched into the next room, slamming the door.
Combo put Piranha down.
"You gonna explain?" Mew asked.
Piranha didn't answer. She simply picked up two photos and a piece of
paper from the floor, and handed them to Beat. He studied them quickly, and
then said, "You were a Love Shocker?"
She nodded, and stood there waiting for the blow to fall.
Beat looked at the documents again. "You - you ran Gum's sister
down?"
She nodded again.
"Ah."
"I wasn't spying for them, honest I wasn't..." Piranha said at last. "I
quit, ages ago, because I decided I was sick of their man-hating policies...I'd
heard you guys were smart, and you seemed to be on top of things...I didn't
know about Gum..."
"Didn't you recognise her or nothing?"
"I didn't want to remember it - afterwards - the hit and run -" Piranha
shuddered. "I blocked most of it out. Gum was there, I think - she saw it
happen - but I didn't make the connection - with my hair different and all she
didn't recognise me."
She looked round, saw that all the GGs were listening.
"Kell wasn't leader when I was there. She was just a normal gang
member. Later, after I quit, the Love Shocker leader was killed or arrested or
something, and Kell inherited the throne, as it were...she talked to the others.
They knew who I was, but they didn't really care. They thought I was dumb to
go back to guys, and they said if I ever blabbed any Love Shocker secrets
they'd tell. But Kell must've decided this was a weak point - she sent me that
stuff - Gum opened the letter..."
She turned to face Beat. "I'm sorry. Tell Gum I am. I was off my face
when I drove, and I know that was stupid..." She began to walk out of the
garage.
"Hey, where are you going?" Beat asked.
"Away. You don't want me here."
"You're staying. You can't quit now, we need everyone we can," Beat
said. "Because I've got an idea."
Piranha turned, a faint grin struggling through the tears. "You're
serious?"
"Hey, I get ideas sometimes." He smiled at her. "Come on. I ain't
kicking out anyone else." He glanced at Cube. "I'm not going through all that
again."
Piranha turned back, and rushed into Garam's arms.
"So what's the plan?" Yo-Yo asked.
"We've got to..." Beat stopped. "No. I'll wait till Gum's back."
"You're gonna wait a long time." Piranha said.
Gum sat up. The room was dark, and her head ached from crying. She must
have fallen asleep.
She turned, and gasped as she saw Piranha standing over her. "What do
you want, Love Shocker?"
"Gum, I think we should talk."
"I'd rather not talk to you." Gum rolled over again and stared at the
wall.
Piranha sighed. "Then listen. I did not kill your sister on purpose."
Gum winced inwardly at the words, but she kept her back still so
Piranha couldn't see.
"Me and the girls...we were celebrating something, can't remember
what. We'd been drinking, and I think I was a little stoned anyway. And
someone suggested going for a drive. No one was sober enough to object."
"What's the point of this?" Gum demanded.
"I'm just explaining. Anyway, I leapt into the front seat, and shouted,
'Bags I drive!' That was all. And no one objected to that either, so we set off."
"Are you expecting me to feel sorry for you?"
"Just listen. I don't remember much of the actual accident. The next
thing I knew, I was back in Love Shocker HQ, and they told me I'd run
someone down. We saw it in the papers the next day." Piranha's voice was
dead. "I didn't know what to do. I knew what the cops did to rudies. I was too scared to confess. We tried to forget it."
"That must've been nice for you." Gum's voice quivered.
"I quit the gang because I didn't agree with their policy - but also things had become difficult there. They were nervous of me, didn't know how to
handle it. It all got too strained. So I quit. I wanted to start again."
"Didn't you know me?" Gum focused on a mark on the wall, trying to
ignore her misery.
"No. I told you, I blocked it out. I wouldn't have recognised your sister if I'd met her, and I only got a glimpse of you when it happened, I think. I didn't know your surname, so I never made any connection."
Gum stayed silent.
"I don't know what else to say," Piranha said. "I guess...sorry."
"Oh, well that makes it all right, doesn't it?" shouted Gum, sitting up at
last. "You don't know - you don't know how much it hurt - how scared I was
- you don't know how guilty I felt - I raced her, got her to run across the road
- and it was all you - you - drinking with your stupid friends..."
She buried her face in her hands and sobbed.
"I'm not kicking you out," she said at last, eyes swimming. "I've learnt
my lesson with that. But I'm not skating with you any more. I'm not speaking
to you."
"I don't blame you." Piranha blinked a few times. "The others are all
very sorry. Beat's got a plan, but he says he'll wait till you're feeling better."
Gum shrugged. Her eyes were throbbing. "Tell him to go ahead with it.
I haven't got much at the moment. I won't be much use."
"Are you sure?"
"I said, tell him. Now just leave me alone before I slap you again."
Piranha crept out of the room. Gum lay down again, wishing she could
sleep more. In sleep she didn't have to think. Or remember.
"Mia..." she whispered. "I miss you so much..."
(Well, that's another chapter up. Hope you liked it! All comments appreciated
except those of the flamish quality, which will be printed out and used as a
dartboard. OK?)