Chapter 01 - Dreams
Je n'ai pas creƩ le jouet d'ordinateur 'Jet Set Radio.' I also may as well confess that I am extremely nervous about this fic, I have no idea whether you'll like it, the only feedback I've had is from N1K and I can't trust him, lying little whelp...ahem, yes, so please be nice to me on this. If you hate the story, compliment me on my spelling! My description! The way you think I wear my hair! Anything! Oh, geez, self-esteem plummeting...what I'm trying to say is please be nice as I'm worried about sending this poor little fic out onto the snowy playground of fanfic.net. Please r+r!
The rain pounded on the window of Amy Winters's bedroom. She lay there,
listening to it, shivering in her cold bed.
I can't sleep now, she thought, and sat up, looking round the room.
Lightning flickered, shining for a millisecond on the grey walls and carpet, the
empty shelves, the blank-faced cupboards.
I've spent practically my whole life in this room, Amy thought. And
you'd never know it. It's the most boring place I've ever seen.
She got out of bed, biting back a yelp as her feet met cold air, and
crossed over to the window. Rain was dribbling down the glass, distorting the
view outside, but as she sat down on the window seat she made out a few city
lights bravely keeping bright despite the storm.
And figures...outside in the rain...
Amy squinted, wondering if she'd imagined it. But no - there they were
- a bunch of people, sliding along the banisters of the walkways below her.
Jumping, performing strange acrobatics in the air - and as one of them did so,
the lightning jumped again, and she saw that they were wearing skates.
"So that's the rudies everyone's talking about," she said to herself, and
watched more closely.
One of the rudies stopped, and took out a spray paint can. Amy stared
as the paint hissed through the rain, and the design took shape. She'd noticed
those sort of things around before, but it was odd to see one actually being
created now.
She pressed her nose against the cold window, and watched for all she
was worth.
"Tab, why are you bothering?" Gum said as Tab put the finishing touches to
his tag.
"I'm a rudie, aren't I? It's not like this paint is water soluble."
Gum shrugged, and flicked a tail of damp blonde hair out of her eyes. "I
guess so. I'd rather not stand still for long in this weather."
"Skating in the rain. Doncha just love it?" Tab grinned, finished his
tag, and leapt back onto the banister.
"No," Gum snapped, following him. "I'm cold. This wasn't my idea."
"Geez, quit moaning! You're just scared you'll slip and fall."
"I am not!"
Tab laughed as he ground away from her. The other GGs had spread
out around Benten-cho, and were tagging for all they were worth. It wasn't
exactly an attempt to take the area from the Noise Tanks...well, all right, it
was, but not a very serious one.
"Hey, Tab!" Gum called over thunder. "I dare you!"
"Dare me what?" Tab jumped neatly off the rail into a puddle, and
yelped as the cold water bit through his boiler suit. Gum grinned as she skated
to stand next to him.
"Well, what's the dare?"
Gum pointed up the steps that led to the highest walkway. "Grind up
that banister - jump onto the phone wire - grind along - wall ride off that
house, and I'll take points off if you smash the window - then get down
without breaking anything."
"That all? Honey, I was doing stuff like that when you were still in
kindergarten."
Gum made a face at him. "Well, do it this time, then."
"Fine." Tab backed up a little to give himself a run-up, then charged
towards the banister. He leapt onto it, and rose up. The phone wire loomed in
front of him. He jumped onto it. It sloped a little, and he felt himself begin to
slide faster and faster.
Benten-cho seemed kind of a long way down.
Tab prepared to jump and wall-ride. He probably would have done it if
his hat hadn't slipped even further down over his eyes, blinding him for a
crucial second. Quickly he pushed it up again, but he'd missed his cue. The
window was looming up in front of him - he saw a figure dash away from it -
throwing his arms up in front of his face he felt it strike.
CRASH!
"Oh, ow, oh, man, oooohhhh man!"
Tab landed on his stomach a few metres away from the window.
Gasping, he got to his feet, hearing broken glass crunch under his skates, and
looked round.
There was a girl, sitting on the bed, eyes wide.
"Hi," Tab said, giving her a nervous grin. "Look, I can explain
everything...I was just, um, walking up those steps, and suddenly this huge,
um, crow came and picked me up and threw me onto your phone wire, and I
couldn't jump off in time, and...so here I am. And I'll just be leaving."
"That's a good excuse," she said. "You're a rudie, right?"
"It's the skates, isn't it..." Tab stopped. "No. Course I'm not. Totally
not a rudie."
"I saw you, tagging."
"So? You got a problem with that?"
"No." She had large eyes, and they were watching him closely. "I
thought it looked cool."
Tab knew he should make a break for it, back out the window, but he
was intrigued. "Cool? You're a cute little rich kid. Why'd you think it's cool?
You should be running for the Keisatsu by now."
"Keisatsu?"
"Cops, you dweeb. Police. The boys in blue."
"Why'd I go for them?"
Tab wondered whether to bang his head against the wall. "Duh! I'm a
rudie. They want to smush me and every person who's ever put on a skate.
How come you don't even know that?"
"I don't get out much. I think they had a talk on it at school, but I
missed it. Why'd they hate you?"
"Oh, the small matter of tagging everything we can get our hands on..."
He looked round the room. "Geez, this place needs some interior decorating. I
thought you sort of girls had pink walls and a bunch of teddy bears."
"My aunt's not too keen on colour."
"Your parents?"
She blinked, once. "Dead."
"Sorry."
"Doesn't matter. Um - have you got to be anywhere tonight?"
Tab looked out at the rainy streets. They didn't look very inviting. And
Gum would laugh her head off when she next saw him.
"Not really. Why?"
She looked slightly away from him, face pale in the faint light from the
broken window. "Could you - tag - my room?"
"Huh?"
"Please!"
She was pleading with him. Tab put a thoughtful expression on. "I
don't know. You see, I don't do just any tagging..."
"Oh, but I'm sure such a brave, strong, handsome skater such as
yourself wouldn't mind...just one or two..."
"Ah, I never could resist flattery." Tab shook his spray paint can.
"Let's paint the town red! Or whatever."
He worked quickly, covering the acres of bare wall with swirls of red,
blue, orange, black. It was a good tag. He stepped back, pleased with it, and
bowed to her. "There you are, sister."
"Thanks. Thanks a lot."
Suddenly there were footsteps, and a voice called, "Amy? Amy, what
are you doing?"
"Shit!" Tab dashed to the window. "See ya, sweetheart." He bounded
out onto the phone wire, and away into the rain.
Amy threw herself under the covers, shut her eyes, and tried to breathe slowly
as she heard the door open.
"Amy Winters," her aunt's voice called. "What on earth is going on?"
"Huhhh...What time is it?" Amy blinked and yawned, hoping her
performance would be convincing enough.
"Amy, your window is smashed and - and - good grief, someone's
scribbled all over your wall!"
"I didn't hear anything..."
She glanced at her aunt, whose face was suspicious.
"I wonder, Amy. I wonder. Well, we'll talk about this in the morning."
Footsteps, the door slammed. Amy breathed out slowly, waiting.
Eventually she heard her aunt walk away from the door.
Eavesdropper, she thought. The room was even colder now, and she
could hear rain spattering onto the floor. But something had happened, and
things had changed.
The next day it had stopped storming, but the sky was still grey. Amy dressed
in her school uniform - white blouse, blue skirt and black tights - and steeled
herself for her aunt's anger over last night. Never mind that she'd denied
everything.
"What do you have to say for yourself?" her guardian stormed, pacing
up and down in front of the breakfast table.
Amy kept silent. She'd learnt from past experience that this was the
best thing to do.
"I give you a home, I take you in - care for you - feed you - and this is
how you repay me." Her aunt was become tearful. That was a bad sign. Amy
focused on her toast.
"Don't you understand?" sobbed her aunt. "How could you do this?
What did you do last night?"
Amy tried to breathe calmly. Any minute now...
Her aunt's hand lashed out, slapping her across the face. Amy
stumbled, and caught onto the table for balance. Her heart was pounding with
fury, but she forced it down.
"Well?" Hands gripped Amy's shoulders, shaking her back and forth.
Her vision wobbled, and she tried to hold onto the breakfast she'd eaten.
Finally her aunt let her go. Amy staggered back, and watched as her
relative began sobbing even more loudly.
Now was the time to apologise, like she always did. But then, for the
first time, she rebelled, turned away from her aunt, grabbed her bag and
marched out.
That was stupid, Amy said to herself as she made her way through the
dull Benten-cho streets, kicking aside old party poppers and takeaway boxes.
That was really stupid. She's going to be evil to you tonight.
Well, I don't care.
Her face stung. She tried to ignore it.
She can't treat me like this forever. Soon I'll be out of there.
Soon.
When she got to school, most of the girls in her class were clustered
round something, giggling.
"What is it?" Amy said, putting her bag down on her desk.
"Look." One of them handed her the magazine they'd been looking at.
"Business Monthly? What's the attraction?"
They giggled even more, and Katie Smith said, "Check out page
fourteen."
Amy flicked to the relevant page. On it was an article entitled, New
Blood For Rokkaku Firm. Half of the page was taken up with a colour photo of
a man and woman standing back to back.
"I assume it's the guy..." Amy said. She checked the name under the
picture. "Koji Rokkaku? Who's he?"
"You know the Rokkaku Corporation? Own everything in this city,
practically? Rich as somebody-or-other?"
"Yeah."
"You know the head of the company, Goji, got blown up in a
construction accident?"
"Yeah."
"Or so they say," someone else said. "The rudies know different."
Rudies...Amy found herself smiling, and quickly dragged her mind
back to the conversation.
"Well, Koji is his son. And the woman next to him is Camilla, Koji's
twin sister. And don't you think Koji is the cutest thing on earth?"
Amy studied the picture again. Both twins were very good looking,
with smoky-black hair and tanned skin. Koji seemed muscular under his suit,
and Camilla's hair was long, and she had a seductive smile on her dark red lips.
"I guess so," she said. "But I didn't know you went for businessmen,
Katie."
"I'd go for him if he was a - a plumber!" Katie giggled, and turned
back to her friends.
Amy turned away, wishing she could be as ditzy and happy as the
others. But she couldn't be. She kept quiet, she kept thoughtful.
Only last night she'd surprised herself. As she remembered the tag the
rudie had done for her, she felt a small smile creep over her lips.
As soon as school was over she hurried home, almost excited to get
there, which was a real first. Soon she'd see it, and that would prove it hadn't
been a dream, it would prove there were things outside the grey house, it would
prove that she could be part of them! When she got inside she dashed upstairs,
flinging her bag into a corner as she did so, up the three flights of stairs to her
room. She flung open the door -
And stared at a blank, white wall.
For a moment she couldn't breathe for disappointment. She stood there,
frozen, feeling her hands tremble. Then she walked slowly over to it, and
touched the fresh paint. It had only just dried.
She could just see the tag, buried underneath the paint like a drowning
victim. Amy felt like she was drowning herself.
You idiot, she told herself. Thinking you could escape. You'll never
escape. You'll be trapped forever.
She looked round the room, and she found herself hating it more than
she ever had before, and she thought, I've got to get out...got to...
And ran.
The streets of Benten-cho were the same as always, grey and silent,
waiting for the night. Amy ran through them, hating them, desperate to get out.
She didn't know where she was heading, but when she came the boundary of
Benten she realised where she could go. Kogane-cho was rough and
dangerous. But Shibuya-cho...
Daylight district. Amy walked along a sunny street. There were people
here. It was cleaner, quieter - more alive.
She turned a corner, and walked into a bus terminal. Legs growing
tired, she leant against the steps leading up to a walkway, and then at last she
managed to think, and realise what she'd done.
She's gonna kill me, she thought. She felt sick. What on earth was I
doing?
Well, I'm not going back. She took a deep breath. I won't.
She closed her eyes for a few seconds. Suddenly she heard the sound of
skates.
She opened her eyes to see three rudies zigzagging between the parked
buses. She recognised one of them as the guy who had crashed into her room
the night before. With him was a pale girl with blue-black hair wearing what
looked like a tattered blue leotard, with stripy tights underneath, and a skinny
guy with red hair and green goggles. They were all three tagging one of the
buses. Amy kept quiet. She wasn't about to draw attention to herself by going
near them. They'd only laugh at her.
She looked round the bus terminal. Cars were circling it, passing close
to her. Suddenly she saw a police car cutting through the traffic like a shark,
and remembered what the rudie had said: They want to smush me and every
person who's ever put on a skate...
"Hey, rudies!" she yelled. They turned, and she pointed as the car crept
closer.
"Hey, thanks!" called the girl. "Looks like Onishima's trying to be
sneaky," she said to her friends. "Let's move it!"
"Ah, come on," said the guy in the hat, the one Amy recognised. "Let's
just finish this!"
"Tab, move it," ordered the guy with the goggles. "It's too hot for a
chase."
Tab shook his paint can and carried on spraying. Amy watched. The
car had stopped. The doors opened, and three truncheon-wielding cops leapt
out. The driver stayed in the car.
"Hurry!" she yelled. "They're coming."
"Listen to the lady," the girl said, grabbing Tab's arm. "Move your butt
already!"
"I'm coming," Tab snapped. "You go wait for me."
The other two sighed, but they hurried up the steps and ducked down on
the bridge, where they were hidden from view.
Amy looked from the cops, who were creeping forward, to Tab, who
was happily spraying away as if he didn't have a care in the world. Didn't he
see the danger? On the other hand, rudies could skate pretty fast. Maybe he'd
be okay...
A cop leapt forward, making a grab for Tab, who dodged easily,
pivoted, and carried on finishing his tag. Amy itched to hit him. Just get out of
there! she thought.
At last he'd finished. Now he dashed away, the cops in hot pursuit.
Amy expected him to make a break for it down the road, but instead he leapt
onto a railing and began skidding along it, jumped across the road, onto another
railing, jumped again, tagging a lorry in the process, seemed to skate across a
billboard for a few seconds, then jumped another road onto another railing.
Amy would've clapped if she hadn't seen the cops hurtling along behind him.
Both the rudie and the police were coming towards her. She dodged out
of the way as Tab jumped onto the banister, and watched in amazement as he
rolled up it.
Well, up part of it. About halfway up, he seemed to lose momentum,
and began sliding back down again. He jumped several times, trying to gain
some speed, but he was slowly but surely heading back to the ground.
The cops rushed up and circled the steps. Wherever Tab landed, he'd be
in trouble. Amy tried to think. What could she do?
She opened her mouth and screamed, "Help! Help! A rudie stole my
bag!"
"What?" One of the cops came over to her. "Where is he?"
Amy pointed, trembling, down the road the other way.
"Right. Come on," the cop said to the other two. "Bag-snatching's a
bigger fish."
They rushed away down the way Amy had pointed. Amy hurried up the
steps and helped Tab off the railing. He grinned, and said, "Thanks. But I
could've handled it, you know. Don't worry about me."
"Well, sorry! You just looked like you were struggling!" Amy said,
feeling herself blush.
"Ah, don't be mad with me! Hey, Beat, Mew, get over here!"
The other two rudies got to their feet and came over to Amy and Tab.
"Thanks," the girl - Mew - said. "I think it was a great thing to do,
even if Mr Cool here -" she shoved Tab - "doesn't."
"That's okay," Amy said. She felt herself smiling - rudies actually
thanking her.
Suddenly something stung her arm, and she cried out.
"What happened?" Tab asked.
A voice yelled from below them, "Freeze, rudies!"
"Onishima," Mew said.
"Typical." Beat grinned. "Okay, Mew, me and you'll go one way -
Tab, you go the other. Try and lose him and meet up at the garage. Okay?"
They nodded. Tab grabbed Amy's wrist, and said, "Run!"
They dashed along the bridge towards the billboards. Amy knew Tab
could've run much faster, but he seemed to be holding back for her. She didn't
know whether to feel good or bad about that.
Tab slid down the banisters. Amy ran down the stairs. There was a
shot, and she fell as a rubber bullet hit her back. Her knees scraped the ground.
Tab grabbed her wrist, hauled her to her feet, and set off, half dragging her.
She felt ladders rush down her tights.
They dashed out of the bus terminal, and into the crowds in the square,
zigzagging between them. Amy concentrated on avoiding people. Then Tab
charged down a small side street. Amy followed. They took several turns,
rushing deeper and deeper into the maze of backstreets. Finally Tab stopped
running, and led her to a derelict-looking house. The top floor had had its
walls ripped off, and the rooms lay open to the air.
"Hardly the Ritz," he said, breathing quickly, "but it's a safe house.
Come on."
He led her inside, through the dusty hallway and into a large room that
was empty except for two old packing cases.
"Sit down, madam," he said, sweeping an elaborate bow.
Amy, grinning, did so, grateful to rest.
"I didn't take us back to the garage - that's our headquarters - cos he
seemed to be following us, and I don't want to risk leading him there."
"That's okay," Amy said. The air was dusty, and she swallowed. "But
who exactly are you? I mean, apart from being a rudie. Whose headquarters is
it?"
"I'm part of a gang of us, called the GGs."
"Why's it called that?"
Tab shrugged. "You know, I'm not actually sure. Some say it stands
for 'good guys.' Anyway, who're you? I don't even know your name."
"I'm Amy."
"Why'd you help us back there? Most kids think we're cool, but they
don't actually go up against the law."
"I wanted to. You were nice to me."
"All I did was tag your room."
At the mention of that tag Amy felt rage boil inside her. To cover it she
said, "Yeah, well, I need distractions at the moment. And you lot are all so
brave."
"Us, brave? We're just regular kids."
"You're not afraid of the cops."
"No, but we're all a little nervous of getting caught. Not that we will, of
course. We're smart. But if we did...well, they're pretty tough on juvie
skaters. Any skaters, really. You don't skate, do you?"
"No. I tried, once, but I couldn't keep upright."
Tab laughed. "That must've been a sight for sore eyes. What about
tagging?"
"Look, you said yourself I'm a cute little rich kid. What do you think?"
"Just wondered." He looked thoughtful. "You want to try?"
"Really?"
Tab threw her a can of paint. "Just spray something. Anything."
Amy shrugged, and sprayed a large, wobbly A onto the floor in black
paint.
"Colour it," Tab said, handing her another can.
She filled in the outline, spattering the concrete floor with blue specks.
"Not bad," Tab said. "But relax a bit, okay?"
"What do you mean?"
"It's not gonna bite you. Be gentle with it. And do it quicker."
Amy sprayed another A, trying to follow his instructions. This one
came out better, and she was almost pleased with it.
"Why are you helping me with this?" she asked Tab as she sprayed.
"Why not?" He looked slightly shifty.
"Come on. You've got to have some reason."
"Well...I have, to tell the truth...but it's stupid. You'd not agree with it,
anyway."
"What is it?"
"Welllll..." Tab appeared to contemplate running, changed his mind,
and said, "You were pretty helpful back there. The cops would never have
believed you if you'd been looking like us. The school uniform and all..."
"So?"
"I was wondering if I could interest you in the post of honorary GG."
"Huh?"
"You can't skate, but you're a good distraction, and you look really
innocent. Course, I'd have to clear it with Beat - the other guy you saw, he's
our leader - but I reckon I could get him interested."
"You're kidding. Right?"
"No, course I'm not."
"Then you've got some ulterior motive, right? You want - I don't know
- something I have."
"Yeah. Your little rich schoolgirl persona. Nothing else."
Amy thought about it. What had she got to lose? "Okay. But I bet your
leader won't agree."
"I'll work on him. We're like that." He crossed his fingers. "Anyway,
why're you so negative? Be happy. Chill, babe." He put on a meditating
attitude, and Amy laughed despite herself.
"I'm sorry."
"Nah, don't worry. Let's get moving, anyway."
Tab led her back through Shibuya-cho. It was getting late, and their shadows
lengthened behind them. Amy knew she'd be in for a row when she got back,
but at that moment she didn't care. She was much more nervous about meeting
the other GGs.
Tab reached a small, battered looking garage. He opened the door with
one hand and gripped Amy's with the other. They walked inside.
"Hey, Beat!" Tab dashed up to the guy with green goggles, dragging
Amy, who was starting to feel nervously queasy. "Listen, I have a great idea."
He began to explain to his leader, and to a blonde girl in a white
minidress, who was watching him suspiciously. Amy stood there, trying not to
meet the eyes of the other rudies. Mew gave her a smile, but the rest just
looked at her, puzzled.
"Can she skate?" Beat said.
"Uh - no. But look, that's part of the point! If she doesn't skate, she
doesn't look like a rudie, and if she doesn't look like a rudie, she doesn't get
suspected, and if she doesn't get suspected - look, do you see what I'm getting
at? Cos if you don't, I'm thinking you're not bright enough to be leader, no
offence meant..."
"Tab, shut up," said the girl. "I'm sorry, but how is a skateless GG
supposed to be useful?"
"Arrrrrrrrgh!" Tab smashed his head down onto the sound system.
"Will you listen already! Beat, you saw what happened. Convince her!"
"I guess it makes sense," said Beat. "Come on, Gum - she did help
us..."
Gum glowered. "Yeah. Maybe. But how's she gonna help you tag?
It's not like she can reach anything off the ground."
"Yeah," Tab said. "But while we're jumping all over the place tagging
the tough stuff, and Onishima's watching us, she can do the easy stuff."
"That makes absolutely no sense," Gum said.
"Oh yeah? Well, it's a better idea than any of yours!"
"You calling me dumb?"
"Shut up, you two!" Beat yelled. "I'm leader and I say we should test
her."
"She can't skate!" both Gum and Tab yelled.
"Will you keep your mouths shut?" He turned to Amy. "Can you tag?"
"Sort of."
"Okay, then. Tag. Make room, everyone. Tag the floor," he said, and
handed her some paint cans.
Amy took a deep breath and tried to look confident. She picked up the
black paint can and shook it with damp fingers. Then she began to spray.
The paint hissed onto the floor, spattering her skirt, as she drew out the
A again. On the way to the garage she'd seen other tags, and now she tried to
make the A look like them.
That was the outline. A little blotchy in places, but not bad. She picked
up the dark blue paint, and filled in the top of the letter, trying to relax like Tab
had said, and trying to ignore the other GGs, whom she could feel watching
her.
Now the light blue. She blended it in with the dark colour. Her heart
was drumming in her ears. And it was so quiet. Were they all so horrified at
how bad it was?
Now the silver. The paint smell stuck in her throat, and she coughed a
little.
Finally it was finished.
Amy stepped back, and met Beat's eyes. She wasn't going to show
them how scared she was.
He studied the tag a few moments, then grinned and said, "Not bad."
"So she's in?" Tab said.
"Hey, I didn't say that. Look," he said to Amy. "You helped us today,
and I'm grateful for that. I'm sure you could be useful if it was just a question
of tagging. But say you do slip up - cops figure out what you're doing -
how'll you get away? You can't run fast enough, and you don't have skates."
"I'd think of something," Amy said. "You wouldn't have to wait for me
or anything - I could handle myself."
"The whole point of being in a gang," Gum said, in the tones of one
talking to an idiot, "is that we help each other. If we help you, we get our own
butts hauled off to jail."
"Not necessarily," Amy said, fighting to keep her voice calm. "It didn't
happen today, did it?"
"Could do."
"Yes, and you could trip and break your ankle, or the wheels could
come off your skates, or something, and then someone helping you could get
caught. I know it's dangerous. I don't expect you guys to keep worrying about
me. I'll take my chances."
"Why d'you want to join so much, anyway?" asked a dark-skinned girl
in a white top and trousers. "I don't see what's in it for you."
"I'm sick of adults pushing me around," Amy heard herself say.
"Oh, I see. Little rich kid rebel," sneered Gum. "Well, you know, some
of us actually want to prove a point here. We're not just doing it 'cos mummy
grounded us yesterday."
"Her mum's dead," Tab snapped. "You shut your mouth."
"What point?" Amy asked. Inwardly she was pleased that Tab had
stuck up for her, but she tried not to show it.
"We're expressing ourselves. We're fighting for our freedom of
speech." Gum looked down at Amy and smirked.
"How do you know I'm not?" Calm, Amy told herself. Calm.
"You said yourself, it was just to get back at adults who'd pushed you
around."
"Fine. I'm expressing rage against them. I can't do that at home. I'm
fighting for my freedom of speech too."
Gum opened her mouth, then closed it again, glared at Amy and Tab,
and marched away.
"Nice one," Beat said. "Don't worry about her. I'll bring her round."
"Does that mean Amy's in?" demanded Tab.
"Yeah, okay. If she realises it's risky, and doubly so for her."
"I do." Amy could hardly believe this was happening.
"Okay, then. Meet us here tomorrow, any time."
"It'll have to be after school." Amy blushed. "Is that okay..."
"Sure. But don't tell anyone there about this, will you? This is
supposed to be a secret hideout."
"Sure."
Tab walked her home. Amy was glad of it. As they approached Benten-cho,
she remembered how furious her aunt was likely to be, and she shivered.
"Man, this place is one big mess in daylight." Tab kicked a beer can,
and it rattled down the pavement. "I don't think I've seen it at this time
before."
"How come?"
"Oh, well, during the day we hang in Shibuya-cho. Gotta protect our
turf and all. But at night the Noise Tanks come out - they're the gang that live
round here - and it's fun to piss'em off a little by tagging round here. That's
what we were doing last night."
They reached the house. Amy looked nervously up at it. She could see
her bedroom window, still smashed. The jagged hole in the glass was dark and
vicious.
"I'd better go," she said flatly. "Thanks for everything."
"Sure. See ya tomorrow, okay?"
"You bet." Amy walked up the steps and knocked on the front door.
She turned and waved to Tab as he skated away, watching until he'd rounded
the corner -
- hands grabbed her shoulders. She shrieked.
"So there you are," her aunt growled. "And where have you been all
afternoon?"
"Shibuya-cho," Amy said, fixing her eyes on the floor.
"And what about the rule which says you have to come home straight
after school?"
"I did. Then I went out again."
"Oh, I see." Amy winced as she was dragged into the hallway. Her
aunt slammed the front door and pushed her against it. "You went out. Did
you even think of asking me?"
"I -"
"No, of course you didn't, you ungrateful little slut." She slapped Amy
round the face, hard. "Well, don't think you're going to do it again."
Amy kept silent, fixing her eyes on a small brass lion which stood on a
table near the door. It was not a good idea to tell her aunt she was going out to
meet a gang of rudies tomorrow.
"Answer me!"
Amy cried out as her head was banged against the door. "I'm sorry!"
"You will be." Her aunt dragged her to the stairs. "Get up there.
You're staying in your room all today and tomorrow, and don't think I'm going
to put myself out bringing meals to you."
"Fine!" Amy shouted.
"You dare shout at me?"
Her aunt grabbed the lion from the table behind her, and swung it at
Amy, who threw up her arms to cover her face. Just in time. She felt a dull
pain spread through her upper arm, turned and dashed up the stairs. She felt
her aunt following her, and moved even faster, but the older woman caught up
with her, and grabbed her wrist, twisting it behind her back.
Amy didn't even bother to struggle as she was pushed into her room.
The door banged shut behind her and was locked.
Upstairs she reviewed the damage. Her face was stinging, but that
would pass. There was a bruise on the back of her head. Ditto. She
unbuttoned the sleeve of her blouse and rolled it up. Her arm was red and it
burned with pain. She prayed it wasn't broken. Not only would that be very
hard to hide, but the GGs mightn't let her come out with them tomorrow.
Anyway, the worst was over. No meals wasn't a problem. She was
used to it.
Then she remembered the GGs.
How could she get to them now?
Well, she'd find a way. If she didn't turn up, they'd all think she'd lost
her nerve. She'd find a way.
She glanced at the broken window, and then crept over to it, and looked
out. The phone line was just below her. And a little way below that - well, a
metre or two - was a bridge.
Well, that was a possibility. Amy sighed. If Tab could get in, she could
get out. If only she could skate...
Downstairs she heard sobbing. Her aunt always cried after their fights.
Soon she'd probably go and get dressed up, then stay out partying in Benten-
cho all night. She'd sleep in the next day, and that would give Amy time to
figure out an escape plan.
She glanced at the picture of her mum and dad that was on top of her
bedside table. They'd died when she was two. She'd been in care for eight
years, then with her aunt until now.
It hadn't always been so bad, Amy reflected. It was only recently - in
the last year or so - that her aunt had become so angry. Before she'd been
tense, touchy, not very child-friendly, but not violent. Now...
Amy rubbed her arm. It was sending pulses of pain through her body.
She blinked back tears.
(Be nice, be nice, be nice...at the moment I hate this fic...please r+r...)
Je n'ai pas creƩ le jouet d'ordinateur 'Jet Set Radio.' I also may as well confess that I am extremely nervous about this fic, I have no idea whether you'll like it, the only feedback I've had is from N1K and I can't trust him, lying little whelp...ahem, yes, so please be nice to me on this. If you hate the story, compliment me on my spelling! My description! The way you think I wear my hair! Anything! Oh, geez, self-esteem plummeting...what I'm trying to say is please be nice as I'm worried about sending this poor little fic out onto the snowy playground of fanfic.net. Please r+r!
The rain pounded on the window of Amy Winters's bedroom. She lay there,
listening to it, shivering in her cold bed.
I can't sleep now, she thought, and sat up, looking round the room.
Lightning flickered, shining for a millisecond on the grey walls and carpet, the
empty shelves, the blank-faced cupboards.
I've spent practically my whole life in this room, Amy thought. And
you'd never know it. It's the most boring place I've ever seen.
She got out of bed, biting back a yelp as her feet met cold air, and
crossed over to the window. Rain was dribbling down the glass, distorting the
view outside, but as she sat down on the window seat she made out a few city
lights bravely keeping bright despite the storm.
And figures...outside in the rain...
Amy squinted, wondering if she'd imagined it. But no - there they were
- a bunch of people, sliding along the banisters of the walkways below her.
Jumping, performing strange acrobatics in the air - and as one of them did so,
the lightning jumped again, and she saw that they were wearing skates.
"So that's the rudies everyone's talking about," she said to herself, and
watched more closely.
One of the rudies stopped, and took out a spray paint can. Amy stared
as the paint hissed through the rain, and the design took shape. She'd noticed
those sort of things around before, but it was odd to see one actually being
created now.
She pressed her nose against the cold window, and watched for all she
was worth.
"Tab, why are you bothering?" Gum said as Tab put the finishing touches to
his tag.
"I'm a rudie, aren't I? It's not like this paint is water soluble."
Gum shrugged, and flicked a tail of damp blonde hair out of her eyes. "I
guess so. I'd rather not stand still for long in this weather."
"Skating in the rain. Doncha just love it?" Tab grinned, finished his
tag, and leapt back onto the banister.
"No," Gum snapped, following him. "I'm cold. This wasn't my idea."
"Geez, quit moaning! You're just scared you'll slip and fall."
"I am not!"
Tab laughed as he ground away from her. The other GGs had spread
out around Benten-cho, and were tagging for all they were worth. It wasn't
exactly an attempt to take the area from the Noise Tanks...well, all right, it
was, but not a very serious one.
"Hey, Tab!" Gum called over thunder. "I dare you!"
"Dare me what?" Tab jumped neatly off the rail into a puddle, and
yelped as the cold water bit through his boiler suit. Gum grinned as she skated
to stand next to him.
"Well, what's the dare?"
Gum pointed up the steps that led to the highest walkway. "Grind up
that banister - jump onto the phone wire - grind along - wall ride off that
house, and I'll take points off if you smash the window - then get down
without breaking anything."
"That all? Honey, I was doing stuff like that when you were still in
kindergarten."
Gum made a face at him. "Well, do it this time, then."
"Fine." Tab backed up a little to give himself a run-up, then charged
towards the banister. He leapt onto it, and rose up. The phone wire loomed in
front of him. He jumped onto it. It sloped a little, and he felt himself begin to
slide faster and faster.
Benten-cho seemed kind of a long way down.
Tab prepared to jump and wall-ride. He probably would have done it if
his hat hadn't slipped even further down over his eyes, blinding him for a
crucial second. Quickly he pushed it up again, but he'd missed his cue. The
window was looming up in front of him - he saw a figure dash away from it -
throwing his arms up in front of his face he felt it strike.
CRASH!
"Oh, ow, oh, man, oooohhhh man!"
Tab landed on his stomach a few metres away from the window.
Gasping, he got to his feet, hearing broken glass crunch under his skates, and
looked round.
There was a girl, sitting on the bed, eyes wide.
"Hi," Tab said, giving her a nervous grin. "Look, I can explain
everything...I was just, um, walking up those steps, and suddenly this huge,
um, crow came and picked me up and threw me onto your phone wire, and I
couldn't jump off in time, and...so here I am. And I'll just be leaving."
"That's a good excuse," she said. "You're a rudie, right?"
"It's the skates, isn't it..." Tab stopped. "No. Course I'm not. Totally
not a rudie."
"I saw you, tagging."
"So? You got a problem with that?"
"No." She had large eyes, and they were watching him closely. "I
thought it looked cool."
Tab knew he should make a break for it, back out the window, but he
was intrigued. "Cool? You're a cute little rich kid. Why'd you think it's cool?
You should be running for the Keisatsu by now."
"Keisatsu?"
"Cops, you dweeb. Police. The boys in blue."
"Why'd I go for them?"
Tab wondered whether to bang his head against the wall. "Duh! I'm a
rudie. They want to smush me and every person who's ever put on a skate.
How come you don't even know that?"
"I don't get out much. I think they had a talk on it at school, but I
missed it. Why'd they hate you?"
"Oh, the small matter of tagging everything we can get our hands on..."
He looked round the room. "Geez, this place needs some interior decorating. I
thought you sort of girls had pink walls and a bunch of teddy bears."
"My aunt's not too keen on colour."
"Your parents?"
She blinked, once. "Dead."
"Sorry."
"Doesn't matter. Um - have you got to be anywhere tonight?"
Tab looked out at the rainy streets. They didn't look very inviting. And
Gum would laugh her head off when she next saw him.
"Not really. Why?"
She looked slightly away from him, face pale in the faint light from the
broken window. "Could you - tag - my room?"
"Huh?"
"Please!"
She was pleading with him. Tab put a thoughtful expression on. "I
don't know. You see, I don't do just any tagging..."
"Oh, but I'm sure such a brave, strong, handsome skater such as
yourself wouldn't mind...just one or two..."
"Ah, I never could resist flattery." Tab shook his spray paint can.
"Let's paint the town red! Or whatever."
He worked quickly, covering the acres of bare wall with swirls of red,
blue, orange, black. It was a good tag. He stepped back, pleased with it, and
bowed to her. "There you are, sister."
"Thanks. Thanks a lot."
Suddenly there were footsteps, and a voice called, "Amy? Amy, what
are you doing?"
"Shit!" Tab dashed to the window. "See ya, sweetheart." He bounded
out onto the phone wire, and away into the rain.
Amy threw herself under the covers, shut her eyes, and tried to breathe slowly
as she heard the door open.
"Amy Winters," her aunt's voice called. "What on earth is going on?"
"Huhhh...What time is it?" Amy blinked and yawned, hoping her
performance would be convincing enough.
"Amy, your window is smashed and - and - good grief, someone's
scribbled all over your wall!"
"I didn't hear anything..."
She glanced at her aunt, whose face was suspicious.
"I wonder, Amy. I wonder. Well, we'll talk about this in the morning."
Footsteps, the door slammed. Amy breathed out slowly, waiting.
Eventually she heard her aunt walk away from the door.
Eavesdropper, she thought. The room was even colder now, and she
could hear rain spattering onto the floor. But something had happened, and
things had changed.
The next day it had stopped storming, but the sky was still grey. Amy dressed
in her school uniform - white blouse, blue skirt and black tights - and steeled
herself for her aunt's anger over last night. Never mind that she'd denied
everything.
"What do you have to say for yourself?" her guardian stormed, pacing
up and down in front of the breakfast table.
Amy kept silent. She'd learnt from past experience that this was the
best thing to do.
"I give you a home, I take you in - care for you - feed you - and this is
how you repay me." Her aunt was become tearful. That was a bad sign. Amy
focused on her toast.
"Don't you understand?" sobbed her aunt. "How could you do this?
What did you do last night?"
Amy tried to breathe calmly. Any minute now...
Her aunt's hand lashed out, slapping her across the face. Amy
stumbled, and caught onto the table for balance. Her heart was pounding with
fury, but she forced it down.
"Well?" Hands gripped Amy's shoulders, shaking her back and forth.
Her vision wobbled, and she tried to hold onto the breakfast she'd eaten.
Finally her aunt let her go. Amy staggered back, and watched as her
relative began sobbing even more loudly.
Now was the time to apologise, like she always did. But then, for the
first time, she rebelled, turned away from her aunt, grabbed her bag and
marched out.
That was stupid, Amy said to herself as she made her way through the
dull Benten-cho streets, kicking aside old party poppers and takeaway boxes.
That was really stupid. She's going to be evil to you tonight.
Well, I don't care.
Her face stung. She tried to ignore it.
She can't treat me like this forever. Soon I'll be out of there.
Soon.
When she got to school, most of the girls in her class were clustered
round something, giggling.
"What is it?" Amy said, putting her bag down on her desk.
"Look." One of them handed her the magazine they'd been looking at.
"Business Monthly? What's the attraction?"
They giggled even more, and Katie Smith said, "Check out page
fourteen."
Amy flicked to the relevant page. On it was an article entitled, New
Blood For Rokkaku Firm. Half of the page was taken up with a colour photo of
a man and woman standing back to back.
"I assume it's the guy..." Amy said. She checked the name under the
picture. "Koji Rokkaku? Who's he?"
"You know the Rokkaku Corporation? Own everything in this city,
practically? Rich as somebody-or-other?"
"Yeah."
"You know the head of the company, Goji, got blown up in a
construction accident?"
"Yeah."
"Or so they say," someone else said. "The rudies know different."
Rudies...Amy found herself smiling, and quickly dragged her mind
back to the conversation.
"Well, Koji is his son. And the woman next to him is Camilla, Koji's
twin sister. And don't you think Koji is the cutest thing on earth?"
Amy studied the picture again. Both twins were very good looking,
with smoky-black hair and tanned skin. Koji seemed muscular under his suit,
and Camilla's hair was long, and she had a seductive smile on her dark red lips.
"I guess so," she said. "But I didn't know you went for businessmen,
Katie."
"I'd go for him if he was a - a plumber!" Katie giggled, and turned
back to her friends.
Amy turned away, wishing she could be as ditzy and happy as the
others. But she couldn't be. She kept quiet, she kept thoughtful.
Only last night she'd surprised herself. As she remembered the tag the
rudie had done for her, she felt a small smile creep over her lips.
As soon as school was over she hurried home, almost excited to get
there, which was a real first. Soon she'd see it, and that would prove it hadn't
been a dream, it would prove there were things outside the grey house, it would
prove that she could be part of them! When she got inside she dashed upstairs,
flinging her bag into a corner as she did so, up the three flights of stairs to her
room. She flung open the door -
And stared at a blank, white wall.
For a moment she couldn't breathe for disappointment. She stood there,
frozen, feeling her hands tremble. Then she walked slowly over to it, and
touched the fresh paint. It had only just dried.
She could just see the tag, buried underneath the paint like a drowning
victim. Amy felt like she was drowning herself.
You idiot, she told herself. Thinking you could escape. You'll never
escape. You'll be trapped forever.
She looked round the room, and she found herself hating it more than
she ever had before, and she thought, I've got to get out...got to...
And ran.
The streets of Benten-cho were the same as always, grey and silent,
waiting for the night. Amy ran through them, hating them, desperate to get out.
She didn't know where she was heading, but when she came the boundary of
Benten she realised where she could go. Kogane-cho was rough and
dangerous. But Shibuya-cho...
Daylight district. Amy walked along a sunny street. There were people
here. It was cleaner, quieter - more alive.
She turned a corner, and walked into a bus terminal. Legs growing
tired, she leant against the steps leading up to a walkway, and then at last she
managed to think, and realise what she'd done.
She's gonna kill me, she thought. She felt sick. What on earth was I
doing?
Well, I'm not going back. She took a deep breath. I won't.
She closed her eyes for a few seconds. Suddenly she heard the sound of
skates.
She opened her eyes to see three rudies zigzagging between the parked
buses. She recognised one of them as the guy who had crashed into her room
the night before. With him was a pale girl with blue-black hair wearing what
looked like a tattered blue leotard, with stripy tights underneath, and a skinny
guy with red hair and green goggles. They were all three tagging one of the
buses. Amy kept quiet. She wasn't about to draw attention to herself by going
near them. They'd only laugh at her.
She looked round the bus terminal. Cars were circling it, passing close
to her. Suddenly she saw a police car cutting through the traffic like a shark,
and remembered what the rudie had said: They want to smush me and every
person who's ever put on a skate...
"Hey, rudies!" she yelled. They turned, and she pointed as the car crept
closer.
"Hey, thanks!" called the girl. "Looks like Onishima's trying to be
sneaky," she said to her friends. "Let's move it!"
"Ah, come on," said the guy in the hat, the one Amy recognised. "Let's
just finish this!"
"Tab, move it," ordered the guy with the goggles. "It's too hot for a
chase."
Tab shook his paint can and carried on spraying. Amy watched. The
car had stopped. The doors opened, and three truncheon-wielding cops leapt
out. The driver stayed in the car.
"Hurry!" she yelled. "They're coming."
"Listen to the lady," the girl said, grabbing Tab's arm. "Move your butt
already!"
"I'm coming," Tab snapped. "You go wait for me."
The other two sighed, but they hurried up the steps and ducked down on
the bridge, where they were hidden from view.
Amy looked from the cops, who were creeping forward, to Tab, who
was happily spraying away as if he didn't have a care in the world. Didn't he
see the danger? On the other hand, rudies could skate pretty fast. Maybe he'd
be okay...
A cop leapt forward, making a grab for Tab, who dodged easily,
pivoted, and carried on finishing his tag. Amy itched to hit him. Just get out of
there! she thought.
At last he'd finished. Now he dashed away, the cops in hot pursuit.
Amy expected him to make a break for it down the road, but instead he leapt
onto a railing and began skidding along it, jumped across the road, onto another
railing, jumped again, tagging a lorry in the process, seemed to skate across a
billboard for a few seconds, then jumped another road onto another railing.
Amy would've clapped if she hadn't seen the cops hurtling along behind him.
Both the rudie and the police were coming towards her. She dodged out
of the way as Tab jumped onto the banister, and watched in amazement as he
rolled up it.
Well, up part of it. About halfway up, he seemed to lose momentum,
and began sliding back down again. He jumped several times, trying to gain
some speed, but he was slowly but surely heading back to the ground.
The cops rushed up and circled the steps. Wherever Tab landed, he'd be
in trouble. Amy tried to think. What could she do?
She opened her mouth and screamed, "Help! Help! A rudie stole my
bag!"
"What?" One of the cops came over to her. "Where is he?"
Amy pointed, trembling, down the road the other way.
"Right. Come on," the cop said to the other two. "Bag-snatching's a
bigger fish."
They rushed away down the way Amy had pointed. Amy hurried up the
steps and helped Tab off the railing. He grinned, and said, "Thanks. But I
could've handled it, you know. Don't worry about me."
"Well, sorry! You just looked like you were struggling!" Amy said,
feeling herself blush.
"Ah, don't be mad with me! Hey, Beat, Mew, get over here!"
The other two rudies got to their feet and came over to Amy and Tab.
"Thanks," the girl - Mew - said. "I think it was a great thing to do,
even if Mr Cool here -" she shoved Tab - "doesn't."
"That's okay," Amy said. She felt herself smiling - rudies actually
thanking her.
Suddenly something stung her arm, and she cried out.
"What happened?" Tab asked.
A voice yelled from below them, "Freeze, rudies!"
"Onishima," Mew said.
"Typical." Beat grinned. "Okay, Mew, me and you'll go one way -
Tab, you go the other. Try and lose him and meet up at the garage. Okay?"
They nodded. Tab grabbed Amy's wrist, and said, "Run!"
They dashed along the bridge towards the billboards. Amy knew Tab
could've run much faster, but he seemed to be holding back for her. She didn't
know whether to feel good or bad about that.
Tab slid down the banisters. Amy ran down the stairs. There was a
shot, and she fell as a rubber bullet hit her back. Her knees scraped the ground.
Tab grabbed her wrist, hauled her to her feet, and set off, half dragging her.
She felt ladders rush down her tights.
They dashed out of the bus terminal, and into the crowds in the square,
zigzagging between them. Amy concentrated on avoiding people. Then Tab
charged down a small side street. Amy followed. They took several turns,
rushing deeper and deeper into the maze of backstreets. Finally Tab stopped
running, and led her to a derelict-looking house. The top floor had had its
walls ripped off, and the rooms lay open to the air.
"Hardly the Ritz," he said, breathing quickly, "but it's a safe house.
Come on."
He led her inside, through the dusty hallway and into a large room that
was empty except for two old packing cases.
"Sit down, madam," he said, sweeping an elaborate bow.
Amy, grinning, did so, grateful to rest.
"I didn't take us back to the garage - that's our headquarters - cos he
seemed to be following us, and I don't want to risk leading him there."
"That's okay," Amy said. The air was dusty, and she swallowed. "But
who exactly are you? I mean, apart from being a rudie. Whose headquarters is
it?"
"I'm part of a gang of us, called the GGs."
"Why's it called that?"
Tab shrugged. "You know, I'm not actually sure. Some say it stands
for 'good guys.' Anyway, who're you? I don't even know your name."
"I'm Amy."
"Why'd you help us back there? Most kids think we're cool, but they
don't actually go up against the law."
"I wanted to. You were nice to me."
"All I did was tag your room."
At the mention of that tag Amy felt rage boil inside her. To cover it she
said, "Yeah, well, I need distractions at the moment. And you lot are all so
brave."
"Us, brave? We're just regular kids."
"You're not afraid of the cops."
"No, but we're all a little nervous of getting caught. Not that we will, of
course. We're smart. But if we did...well, they're pretty tough on juvie
skaters. Any skaters, really. You don't skate, do you?"
"No. I tried, once, but I couldn't keep upright."
Tab laughed. "That must've been a sight for sore eyes. What about
tagging?"
"Look, you said yourself I'm a cute little rich kid. What do you think?"
"Just wondered." He looked thoughtful. "You want to try?"
"Really?"
Tab threw her a can of paint. "Just spray something. Anything."
Amy shrugged, and sprayed a large, wobbly A onto the floor in black
paint.
"Colour it," Tab said, handing her another can.
She filled in the outline, spattering the concrete floor with blue specks.
"Not bad," Tab said. "But relax a bit, okay?"
"What do you mean?"
"It's not gonna bite you. Be gentle with it. And do it quicker."
Amy sprayed another A, trying to follow his instructions. This one
came out better, and she was almost pleased with it.
"Why are you helping me with this?" she asked Tab as she sprayed.
"Why not?" He looked slightly shifty.
"Come on. You've got to have some reason."
"Well...I have, to tell the truth...but it's stupid. You'd not agree with it,
anyway."
"What is it?"
"Welllll..." Tab appeared to contemplate running, changed his mind,
and said, "You were pretty helpful back there. The cops would never have
believed you if you'd been looking like us. The school uniform and all..."
"So?"
"I was wondering if I could interest you in the post of honorary GG."
"Huh?"
"You can't skate, but you're a good distraction, and you look really
innocent. Course, I'd have to clear it with Beat - the other guy you saw, he's
our leader - but I reckon I could get him interested."
"You're kidding. Right?"
"No, course I'm not."
"Then you've got some ulterior motive, right? You want - I don't know
- something I have."
"Yeah. Your little rich schoolgirl persona. Nothing else."
Amy thought about it. What had she got to lose? "Okay. But I bet your
leader won't agree."
"I'll work on him. We're like that." He crossed his fingers. "Anyway,
why're you so negative? Be happy. Chill, babe." He put on a meditating
attitude, and Amy laughed despite herself.
"I'm sorry."
"Nah, don't worry. Let's get moving, anyway."
Tab led her back through Shibuya-cho. It was getting late, and their shadows
lengthened behind them. Amy knew she'd be in for a row when she got back,
but at that moment she didn't care. She was much more nervous about meeting
the other GGs.
Tab reached a small, battered looking garage. He opened the door with
one hand and gripped Amy's with the other. They walked inside.
"Hey, Beat!" Tab dashed up to the guy with green goggles, dragging
Amy, who was starting to feel nervously queasy. "Listen, I have a great idea."
He began to explain to his leader, and to a blonde girl in a white
minidress, who was watching him suspiciously. Amy stood there, trying not to
meet the eyes of the other rudies. Mew gave her a smile, but the rest just
looked at her, puzzled.
"Can she skate?" Beat said.
"Uh - no. But look, that's part of the point! If she doesn't skate, she
doesn't look like a rudie, and if she doesn't look like a rudie, she doesn't get
suspected, and if she doesn't get suspected - look, do you see what I'm getting
at? Cos if you don't, I'm thinking you're not bright enough to be leader, no
offence meant..."
"Tab, shut up," said the girl. "I'm sorry, but how is a skateless GG
supposed to be useful?"
"Arrrrrrrrgh!" Tab smashed his head down onto the sound system.
"Will you listen already! Beat, you saw what happened. Convince her!"
"I guess it makes sense," said Beat. "Come on, Gum - she did help
us..."
Gum glowered. "Yeah. Maybe. But how's she gonna help you tag?
It's not like she can reach anything off the ground."
"Yeah," Tab said. "But while we're jumping all over the place tagging
the tough stuff, and Onishima's watching us, she can do the easy stuff."
"That makes absolutely no sense," Gum said.
"Oh yeah? Well, it's a better idea than any of yours!"
"You calling me dumb?"
"Shut up, you two!" Beat yelled. "I'm leader and I say we should test
her."
"She can't skate!" both Gum and Tab yelled.
"Will you keep your mouths shut?" He turned to Amy. "Can you tag?"
"Sort of."
"Okay, then. Tag. Make room, everyone. Tag the floor," he said, and
handed her some paint cans.
Amy took a deep breath and tried to look confident. She picked up the
black paint can and shook it with damp fingers. Then she began to spray.
The paint hissed onto the floor, spattering her skirt, as she drew out the
A again. On the way to the garage she'd seen other tags, and now she tried to
make the A look like them.
That was the outline. A little blotchy in places, but not bad. She picked
up the dark blue paint, and filled in the top of the letter, trying to relax like Tab
had said, and trying to ignore the other GGs, whom she could feel watching
her.
Now the light blue. She blended it in with the dark colour. Her heart
was drumming in her ears. And it was so quiet. Were they all so horrified at
how bad it was?
Now the silver. The paint smell stuck in her throat, and she coughed a
little.
Finally it was finished.
Amy stepped back, and met Beat's eyes. She wasn't going to show
them how scared she was.
He studied the tag a few moments, then grinned and said, "Not bad."
"So she's in?" Tab said.
"Hey, I didn't say that. Look," he said to Amy. "You helped us today,
and I'm grateful for that. I'm sure you could be useful if it was just a question
of tagging. But say you do slip up - cops figure out what you're doing -
how'll you get away? You can't run fast enough, and you don't have skates."
"I'd think of something," Amy said. "You wouldn't have to wait for me
or anything - I could handle myself."
"The whole point of being in a gang," Gum said, in the tones of one
talking to an idiot, "is that we help each other. If we help you, we get our own
butts hauled off to jail."
"Not necessarily," Amy said, fighting to keep her voice calm. "It didn't
happen today, did it?"
"Could do."
"Yes, and you could trip and break your ankle, or the wheels could
come off your skates, or something, and then someone helping you could get
caught. I know it's dangerous. I don't expect you guys to keep worrying about
me. I'll take my chances."
"Why d'you want to join so much, anyway?" asked a dark-skinned girl
in a white top and trousers. "I don't see what's in it for you."
"I'm sick of adults pushing me around," Amy heard herself say.
"Oh, I see. Little rich kid rebel," sneered Gum. "Well, you know, some
of us actually want to prove a point here. We're not just doing it 'cos mummy
grounded us yesterday."
"Her mum's dead," Tab snapped. "You shut your mouth."
"What point?" Amy asked. Inwardly she was pleased that Tab had
stuck up for her, but she tried not to show it.
"We're expressing ourselves. We're fighting for our freedom of
speech." Gum looked down at Amy and smirked.
"How do you know I'm not?" Calm, Amy told herself. Calm.
"You said yourself, it was just to get back at adults who'd pushed you
around."
"Fine. I'm expressing rage against them. I can't do that at home. I'm
fighting for my freedom of speech too."
Gum opened her mouth, then closed it again, glared at Amy and Tab,
and marched away.
"Nice one," Beat said. "Don't worry about her. I'll bring her round."
"Does that mean Amy's in?" demanded Tab.
"Yeah, okay. If she realises it's risky, and doubly so for her."
"I do." Amy could hardly believe this was happening.
"Okay, then. Meet us here tomorrow, any time."
"It'll have to be after school." Amy blushed. "Is that okay..."
"Sure. But don't tell anyone there about this, will you? This is
supposed to be a secret hideout."
"Sure."
Tab walked her home. Amy was glad of it. As they approached Benten-cho,
she remembered how furious her aunt was likely to be, and she shivered.
"Man, this place is one big mess in daylight." Tab kicked a beer can,
and it rattled down the pavement. "I don't think I've seen it at this time
before."
"How come?"
"Oh, well, during the day we hang in Shibuya-cho. Gotta protect our
turf and all. But at night the Noise Tanks come out - they're the gang that live
round here - and it's fun to piss'em off a little by tagging round here. That's
what we were doing last night."
They reached the house. Amy looked nervously up at it. She could see
her bedroom window, still smashed. The jagged hole in the glass was dark and
vicious.
"I'd better go," she said flatly. "Thanks for everything."
"Sure. See ya tomorrow, okay?"
"You bet." Amy walked up the steps and knocked on the front door.
She turned and waved to Tab as he skated away, watching until he'd rounded
the corner -
- hands grabbed her shoulders. She shrieked.
"So there you are," her aunt growled. "And where have you been all
afternoon?"
"Shibuya-cho," Amy said, fixing her eyes on the floor.
"And what about the rule which says you have to come home straight
after school?"
"I did. Then I went out again."
"Oh, I see." Amy winced as she was dragged into the hallway. Her
aunt slammed the front door and pushed her against it. "You went out. Did
you even think of asking me?"
"I -"
"No, of course you didn't, you ungrateful little slut." She slapped Amy
round the face, hard. "Well, don't think you're going to do it again."
Amy kept silent, fixing her eyes on a small brass lion which stood on a
table near the door. It was not a good idea to tell her aunt she was going out to
meet a gang of rudies tomorrow.
"Answer me!"
Amy cried out as her head was banged against the door. "I'm sorry!"
"You will be." Her aunt dragged her to the stairs. "Get up there.
You're staying in your room all today and tomorrow, and don't think I'm going
to put myself out bringing meals to you."
"Fine!" Amy shouted.
"You dare shout at me?"
Her aunt grabbed the lion from the table behind her, and swung it at
Amy, who threw up her arms to cover her face. Just in time. She felt a dull
pain spread through her upper arm, turned and dashed up the stairs. She felt
her aunt following her, and moved even faster, but the older woman caught up
with her, and grabbed her wrist, twisting it behind her back.
Amy didn't even bother to struggle as she was pushed into her room.
The door banged shut behind her and was locked.
Upstairs she reviewed the damage. Her face was stinging, but that
would pass. There was a bruise on the back of her head. Ditto. She
unbuttoned the sleeve of her blouse and rolled it up. Her arm was red and it
burned with pain. She prayed it wasn't broken. Not only would that be very
hard to hide, but the GGs mightn't let her come out with them tomorrow.
Anyway, the worst was over. No meals wasn't a problem. She was
used to it.
Then she remembered the GGs.
How could she get to them now?
Well, she'd find a way. If she didn't turn up, they'd all think she'd lost
her nerve. She'd find a way.
She glanced at the broken window, and then crept over to it, and looked
out. The phone line was just below her. And a little way below that - well, a
metre or two - was a bridge.
Well, that was a possibility. Amy sighed. If Tab could get in, she could
get out. If only she could skate...
Downstairs she heard sobbing. Her aunt always cried after their fights.
Soon she'd probably go and get dressed up, then stay out partying in Benten-
cho all night. She'd sleep in the next day, and that would give Amy time to
figure out an escape plan.
She glanced at the picture of her mum and dad that was on top of her
bedside table. They'd died when she was two. She'd been in care for eight
years, then with her aunt until now.
It hadn't always been so bad, Amy reflected. It was only recently - in
the last year or so - that her aunt had become so angry. Before she'd been
tense, touchy, not very child-friendly, but not violent. Now...
Amy rubbed her arm. It was sending pulses of pain through her body.
She blinked back tears.
(Be nice, be nice, be nice...at the moment I hate this fic...please r+r...)
