Chapter 03 – There May Be Trouble Ahead
(Thank you to everyone who r+r'd the last chapter – please repeat your good
deed here! The only thing I own in this chapter is the character of Amy.
Everything else is © Sega as you full well know. R+R!)
Amy and Tab walked through Benten-cho together. Already some of the
discos and cafés were beginning to light up, and the streets were slowly
becoming bright and cheerful.
Amy walked, shoulders down, brow crumpled with worry. Tab watched
her. He'd asked her what was wrong but she'd just said "Nothing."
He didn't like Amy being scared. He was surprised to realise it. Sure,
he didn't like any of his friends being scared, but this was different. He felt
more protective of her. If he felt protective of Gum, she'd probably bite him.
Where was Gum, anyway? He felt a little guilty about sending her out
like that, but he'd been so mad he couldn't think straight. Well, he'd make it
up with her later.
They reached Amy's house. Even with the lit windows of the
surrounding buildings, it still looked dingy and miserable. Amy swallowed.
"Okay. See you tomorrow."
"Sure."
Tab made like he was skating away, but as she turned to knock on the
door, he stopped, ducked behind a lamppost, and watched.
Amy stood on the doorstep, and suddenly the front door flew open and a
woman's voice spat out, "So there you are. Thought you'd decide to grace this
house with your presence tonight, huh?"
"I'm sorry. I forgot to look at the time." Amy was staring at her feet.
Her voice was blank.
"Well, you aren't going to forget again." The woman's hand lashed out
and caught Amy on the side of the face. She stumbled. The woman hit her
again, and Tab conquered the urge to rush up and slap the bitch himself.
"Come on." She grabbed Amy's arm and dragged her inside. The door
slammed shut.
Tab shivered. He crept round to the front of the house, and peered in
through the living room window. The curtains weren't drawn, and he saw
Amy fall back against the sofa as the woman - her aunt? – hit her again. Both
of them were shouting, but he couldn't hear what they were saying.
He had to help her. But he couldn't.
He saw Amy's face whiten as her aunt grabbed her shoulders and
pushed her into the wall. Tab winced as Amy's head struck the white-painted
surface. She staggered, then turned and ran out of the room. Her aunt didn't
follow her – instead she sank down on the sofa and began to cry.
Tab stepped back from the house and looked up at Amy's bedroom
window. It was still broken. Quickly he hurried up the steps, jumped and
ground along the banister, and then up onto the phone line, and then, ducking
the jagged glass, into her room.
Amy was lying on her bed, sobbing. Tab felt his heart swell with some
emotion he couldn't name. Nervously he touched her shoulder.
Amy sat up quickly, fists clenched. Her eyes widened. "What are you
doing here?"
"I came to see how you were." He felt rage fill him again as he saw the
blood trickling from her lip.
"I wish you hadn't," Amy snapped.
"Why?"
"Well, how does it look to you? You're a GG, a rudie, and I'm just
lying here crying my eyes out – oh, yes, really cool!"
"Don't be dumb. You just got knocked around."
"It's nothing, okay?" Amy snarled. Her eyes were damp and red.
"She's just stressed and – and it's nothing I can't handle."
"That's what I thought too."
"Huh?"
Tab looked away from her, out at the glittering horizon. "My mum
moved in with a guy who beat me up. He didn't like kids, I guess. I thought I
could handle it. I knew a bunch of other kids, we all acted tough around each
other. I couldn't have told them. One night, he broke my arm, and I walked
out. Never went back."
"I'm sorry," Amy said.
Tab kept his gaze focused away from her. It was hard to talk about this,
but he didn't know what else to say to convince her. "I never told anyone else
about it. Gum knew 'cos I went to her house, the night I left. She knew who
did it but I never spelt it out to her."
"But you got really hurt. I'm just going through a bad patch, that's all."
Amy's voice wobbled a little. Tab turned to look at her, and put his hand in
hers.
"Look. She's hurting you. Right?"
"Yeah…"
"If she's trying to control you by hitting you, she has a discipline
problem, right?"
"I guess so."
"So don't worry. Just tell someone. Hey, I'm not encouraging you to
run away or nothing. Just tell someone and get her put away where she
belongs."
Amy didn't answer. She sat a little closer to him, and they studied the
Benten skyline together.
"Tab," Amy said at last.
"Yeah?"
"Am I really only a rudie wannabe?"
"Oh, Amy…look, Gum's in a bad mood at the moment for some reason.
I don't know why. She just took it out on you, okay? No one thinks you're
any of the things she said. You're a great gang member."
"Stop humouring me," Amy said.
"I'm not. Ask any of 'em."
"I don't know if you're right, but thanks."
"That's okay." Tab could feel her trembling next to him, and he
tentatively put an arm around her. She didn't seem to mind, just leaned back
against him a little. He was surprised to find that it was a nice position to be in.
"Tab, why did you say you don't think I should run away? You did, and
so did all the other GGs."
"It's not all fun and games. If I hadn't managed to join up with Gum
and Beat things would've been worse. You're a nice girl. I don't want you
ending up like – like a Love Shocker or something."
"That's hardly likely."
Tab looked down at her. Her eyes were wide, large grey eyes that
seemed beautiful in the faint city-glow touching her face.
Quickly he bent his head and kissed her.
At first she tensed up, almost tried to turn away, but then she relaxed.
When they separated she was blushing. "Why did you do that?"
"I wanted to. Sorry if it bugged you."
"Oh – no. No, it didn't do that."
Garam skated furiously through Benten-cho, angry with himself, angry with
Piranha, angry at everything.
What had he done? He couldn't have hit her or strangled her. He just
couldn't. He wasn't that sort of guy.
But you were once, weren't you? a voice taunted him.
Garam skated faster, but he couldn't dash away from the memories
wriggling into his brain.
Meryl had been his first girlfriend, when he'd still been in school. He'd
never been part of the popular pack – instead, he'd got a reputation as someone
a bit wild, someone who always took you up on a dare, someone who didn't
give a damn what anyone else thought.
Garam felt sick as he pictured himself then. He'd been so sure of
himself, so certain that he was the man. Well, he'd been wrong, hadn't he?
Dead wrong.
Meryl hadn't been wild. She'd been a quiet kid, the sort of girl who just
watches. Small and delicate, with golden hair and a charming smile, Garam
had fallen for her very quickly. He'd tried to pretend it was nothing, of course.
Wouldn't do for the wild guy to show he actually had a heart.
But in the end, he'd admitted it to himself, and asked her out.
For a few weeks everything had been great. He'd been so happy he'd
even stopped goofing around. And then – then he'd started listening to his
mates, and he'd started to wonder himself why him and Meryl hadn't slept
together. When he'd put it to her, she'd told him she didn't want to, that she
didn't feel ready. He'd tried to accept it, but he hadn't found it easy.
And eventually the teasing got too much, and he told the guys that he
and Meryl had done the deed. And then everything had been all right again.
For a day or so.
And then Meryl had confronted him. "Why did you tell everyone we'd
had sex?" she'd demanded.
"Cos that's what people wanted to hear. Where's your problem?"
She'd actually laughed. "My problem? Do you know what people have
been saying about me? It's all right for you, you're 'da man.' Whereas I'm
just a slut. Thanks a lot!"
"Well, I didn't know they'd do that," he'd said, feeling hurt, knowing he
should apologise but not knowing how.
"We're finished!" she'd shouted.
People had stopped, looked at them, some had tittered. And – and he'd
lost it –
Garam closed his eyes, but he couldn't hide the picture he had of his
hand flying round, slapping Meryl across the face – and she'd fallen, the
schoolbooks she'd been carrying spilling across the floor – Algebra Key Skills,
To Kill A Mockingbird, Understanding Chemistry – and then that sickening
sound as her head struck the locker behind her – and people screaming –
She'd not died. Just gone into a coma. Just. Garam snorted. He'd seen
her, once, lying there in hospital, and thought, well, if she ain't dead she sure
looks like it – and then the view had blurred with tears and he'd left before
anyone saw him.
Her brother and his friends had beaten him up good. He remembered
fists slamming into his stomach, his face, feet catching his ribs to roll him over
and over and over – he'd been powerless, he knew it, and that anger joined the
smouldering rage building up inside him against the unfairness of the world…
He'd quit school, become a rudie, and now here he was, back to square
one. It was no good, was it? He was still the same old damaged freak he'd
always been. Still hurting.
Garam blinked, and realised while thinking he'd skated into the
backstreets of Benten, where he wasn't at all sure he wanted to be. He was
about to turn round, skate out again, when suddenly he heard someone calling.
"Help…help me…"
A girl. Sounded familiar. Garam looked around, and saw a crumpled
figure lying in an alleyway on his left. He called out, "Who are you?"
Silence. Garam wondered if it was a trap – but the girl looked pretty
bad. Maybe he'd just go and see. Anyway, if he didn't, they'd know he didn't
care about anything.
He stepped inside the alleyway, and bent over the girl.
It was Gum.
Garam looked in horror at the blood that had soaked into her dress.
She'd blacked out now. Quickly he checked her breathing and pulse, trying to
keep calm. They were both there, but shallow and weak.
He wanted to shake her, try to get her all right again, but common sense
held him back. He had to call an ambulance. How long had she been lying
there? He didn't know, but she didn't look good.
After he'd made his phone call, he headed back to the alley, to stay with
her. He sat down next to her, hoping she'd be able to hold on. Boy, he
thought, what did she do to the Noise Tanks now?
He let his eyes wander round the alley. Grimy posters covered its walls
like a second skin. Many were faded and torn by the rain and the weather, but
a few were new and neat. A pop concert ad – a flyer for some new mayor –
and – Garam's mouth fell open as he stared at the next poster.
It was a cute, happy golden rhino.
He looked from it to Gum, and made the connection. Those murderers
carried switchblades. Gum was a rudie. And now this was a warning…
He had to tell the others, as soon as possible.
Beat listened as Garam stumbled out his story.
"The ambulance came?" he said, surprised at how calm his own voice
sounded.
"Yeah. They said if I'd found her any later it would've been too late."
Garam didn't sound relieved, or proud. He sounded like he was sick of it all.
"She's in Shibuya General," Garam continued. "I don't know if they'll
call the cops. She's in a pretty bad way. But Beat, there was something
else…"
"What?"
"A Golden Rhino poster had been put up on the wall next to her."
"So they are back." Beat tried to focus on that fact so that he could
forget that any minute now they might get a call saying that Gum had – he
faced the next word head on – died.
"Seems like it."
"I'll go see her soon as I can." Beat looked round the garage. Piranha,
Tab and Amy were all absent, but everyone else was there. "Listen," he said.
"Be careful. There's something big going on. Tell the other three when you
next see them. Now I'm going out."
Outside it was drizzling rain. Beat skated along, moving faster and
faster, trying to outrun the urge to scream out his fear and fury to the black,
spitting sky.
The next day all the GGs had heard the news – Gum was in hospital, and the
Rhinos were back.
"Who's brought them back, though?" Mew said as she and Beat skated
through the bus terminal.
"I don't know." Beat began tagging a bus. "Koji?"
"What about Onishima?"
The line Beat was painting leapt out of the pattern and across Mew's
chest as he turned. "Huh?"
Mew glowered at him and tried to rub off the paint. "Onishima and Goji
tried to wipe us out before. It sounds like those Rhinos were looking for Gum
– no one else has been hurt. Could this be a new police idea?"
"Onishima wants to drag us through court and into Alcatraz just so he
can see us squirm." Beat hurled paint onto the bus as he spoke. "Just stabbing
us in alleyways doesn't seem his style – and he wouldn't get any of the credit,
remember."
"I guess so." Mew sighed. "Are the new Rokkakus supporting the 21st
Century Project?"
"They said something about it…" Beat thought. "Oh, yeah…
'Although this town has a problem with vandalism, we feel that violence is not
the answer…blah, blah…although we support the work of the police force in
suppressing the wave of graffiti-related crime, the company is turning its
attention to other matters.' So I'd say no."
"Onishima's still using tear gas and paratroopers, though."
"Maybe they're still giving him funding. Anyway, it doesn't matter.
We beat those dumb Rhinos before and we can do it again."
"Yes. But I sure hope the assassins don't turn up," Mew said.
The GGs took turns sitting with Gum. She was unconscious at the
moment, but expected to wake some time in the next few days. They sat with
her partly because they were the only family she had, and partly because no
one knew whether Onishima knew where she was, so she needed protection.
And now it was Amy's turn.
Gum was in a room on her own. It was a hot day, with sunlight
covering everything. Amy had rolled up her sleeves and she was wearing ankle
socks rather than tights. She'd brought her homework to do, but she wasn't
really concentrating on it.
Gum lay there, breathing in time to the soft beep of her heart monitor.
Her hair was tangled into gold knots, and she was pale. Amy wondered if she
was ever going to open her eyes. It was funny. She'd always thought she'd be
jubilant if Gum quit the GGs, but now she couldn't think that. Not seeing her
enemy like this.
The clock in the room was out of step with the heart monitor, and Amy
itched to throw it out of the window. She had been pretty jumpy since Tab had
filled her in on exactly what the Rhinos were like. And if they'd taken Gum
out, Amy knew she'd be hopeless against them.
She yawned again, closing her eyes, and when she opened them, Gum
was looking at her.
Amy blinked, wondering if she'd dozed off, but no – the blonde GG was
awake. "What am I doing here?" she demanded.
"You got stabbed," Amy said. "You've been in a coma for ages. We
were all really worried."
"Oh." Gum looked round the room. Amy saw her sigh, and she said,
"Sorry, none of the others are here right now."
"Great." Gum rolled her eyes. "How long are you here for?"
"Till five o'clock. It's half-four now."
"Oh, no."
"What is your problem?" Amy snapped.
Gum gave her a long, cool look. "You don't deserve to be a GG.
Sorry."
"Why not?"
"You just don't have any talent. You're dumbing down our entry
standards." Gum's voice was dry, but there was harshness behind it.
Amy forced down the urge to shout insults. Making her voice steady,
she said, "If I could prove I had talent?"
"And how would you do that?"
"I don't know." Amy swallowed. Here goes. "Set me a task. One that
I can do without skates."
"Okay." Gum closed her eyes for a minute. Amy could see shadows
under them, and felt a little guilty for picking a fight so soon. But it wasn't like
she'd started it.
"I've got it," Gum said. "Shibuya High School."
"Yes?"
"It's got a clock on the front, hasn't it? On a small tower."
"Yes…" Amy's stomach sank.
"Tag the clock. What day is it today?"
"Tuesday."
"Okay. Tag it by Friday. If you do, I'll quit getting at you."
"If I don't?"
"You quit the GGs. Any of us could do it, so if you can't, you're not
meant to be one."
"Fine." Amy swallowed. She could picture the place Gum meant. She
didn't know how she was going to do this, but she knew one thing.
She had to succeed.
When she got back to the garage, only Tab was there. For a moment she felt
nervous of him, but then he looked up and grinned at her, and it was all right
again.
"Hi," she said, coming across to sit next to him. "Gum's awake."
Tab looked relieved, and Amy felt absurdly jealous. "That's great," he
said. "She's gonna be okay, then, right?"
"Sure she is." Amy tried to keep the sarcastic note out of her voice.
"Here – I got something for you," Tab said, scrabbling around in his
pockets. "It's just, like, a little thing, but…you know…anyway, here you are."
He handed her a small, rather battered-looking jewellery box. Amy
opened it. Inside was a delicate silver pendant – the letters 'GG' on a silver
chain.
"Oh, thank you!" Amy hugged him. "It's beautiful – where did you get
it?"
"I knew a guy who makes stuff like this for guys like us," Tab said,
kissing her. "I just thought you might like it."
"Of course I do! Help me put it on."
She shivered as she felt Tab's fingers brush her skin while he fastened it
round her neck. As she hugged him again, the stress generated by Gum's
challenge almost faded, but she knew it would soon return. Now Tab had
shown her he thought she might be able to handle this whole gang thing, and
she couldn't let him down.
On Thursday night there was a school concert. Amy attended. She had asked
her aunt for permission, and got it with only a few scratches. Now she stood
outside Shibuya High School in the darkness, clutching her school bag with her
paint cans in it, and thinking.
She could see how a skater would do it. Grind along the wall, jump,
wall ride off the science block, fly past the clock, tag, and drop. Simple.
For her this would require more thinking.
She was pretty sure there was no way up into the tower on which the
clock rested. They'd never been allowed up there, and besides, even if she got
into the tower she wouldn't be able to get out to the front of it.
No, she'd have to climb up from the outside.
She blessed her choice of clothing – jeans and top and trainers – and
then surveyed the empty playground again.
There was a ledge under the clock which she could stand on. Good.
The tower itself rose up from the main building, towering above the porch of
the main entrance. She could stand on that…but it was still too high to reach
the clock or the ledge.
Think, Amy! she berated herself. She could see nothing which she
could take up onto the porch – nothing she could stand on to make herself
taller…
Then she looked from the wall to the science block to the tower, and an
idea formed in her brain.
Gum lay there, wishing she could open a window and let in some fresh air to
get rid of this stench of antiseptic. It was making her nose ache.
All the GGs had come to see her earlier, and she longed to get out and
go back to them. But the doctors said she had to stay here, so no dice. Beat
had been the last to leave. Gum realised she missed him already. He'd looked
so dweeby strolling through Shibuya-cho when they first met. Who'd have
thought they'd end up like this?
Get a grip, she told herself. The GGs are in serious shit and you're
being lovesick! Please!
The Rhinos.
She still couldn't remember what had actually happened. She'd been
kicked out of the garage by Tab, gone down to Benten-cho, skulked – and then
– yes, something had happened, but she couldn't – didn't want to? – think
about what it was. But Garam had told her there'd been a rhino poster, and
she'd definitely been stabbed, and there'd been all the trouble with music so…
Gum glanced out of the window at the dark sky, and shivered. What if
they came back to finish her off…what if…
She felt her breathing quicken, and heard her heart monitor speed up.
Calm, she told herself. Calm. No one cares about rudies dead in backstreets,
but there might be a bit of an outcry if someone's sliced in a hospital. And they
know that.
She tried not to think about what might happen to her friends.
She was a little worried about Onishima too – lying here, skateless, bed-
ridden and dependent on others for everything she felt extremely vulnerable,
but tonight she at least knew where he was. He'd gone to a school concert at
one of the Tokyo-to schools, and then he'd probably talk to the headteacher
about How To Spot A Rudie In Your Classroom.
Thinking of schools made her remember Amy. What was it about the
girl that got to her? Gum didn't know, but soon she'd be rid of her. No way
would she be able to tag that clock. The rudies mainly left the school alone – it
was kind of embarrassing tagging it, but Gum was positive that Amy wouldn't
be able to do it without skates. Well, almost positive.
Beat had told her they now only listened to Jet Set Radio when
necessary. This was making for some pretty close shaves, but it was the only
thing to do. They'd told Professor K, but he had no way of stopping the
interruptions. And the rival gangs had denied all knowledge of the music or
anything connected with it.
Gum lay back and tried to sleep, but she still felt nervous. She could
hear footsteps outside her room, voices, bleeps and clicks of various life-
support machines and a baby crying. It was going to be a long night.
Amy tried not to look down.
She was crouched on the sill of one of the windows in the science block,
which she'd reached from the wall. Now she reached out and rested her hands
on the next windowsill along, and slithered until she could get her whole body
onto it. The wind seemed stronger up here, she seemed heavier, and the ground
seemed very, very far away.
One window down. Two to go.
She gripped onto the sill, digging her nails into the mossy surface,
wondering who would care if she fell.
Another window passed successfully. Amy tried to ignore her frantic
heartbeat. She'd told none of the GGs where she was going. Now she wished
she had.
There, she'd done it. She crouched on the last windowsill. The tower
was about three feet away from her. The ledge was on a level with her ribs.
She swallowed, prayed she wouldn't die, and jumped.
For a moment she was falling – then she grabbed hold of the ledge –
hung there – then pushed herself onto it, gritting her teeth, feeling the rough
edge scrape her shins.
She was up. Quickly she pulled her bag off her back and took out the
paint, and began to tag. The clock was an antique-looking one, with Roman
numerals, and as she covered it with paint, for a moment she felt – silly –
immature – then she remembered that she'd be kicked out if she couldn't do
this, and fought down the feeling.
Suddenly, below her, she heard the door open, and her headmistress's
voice saying, "…A pleasure to have you here, Captain."
"That's all right, Miss Ichijouji."
Onishima. Amy cursed silently above them. She'd nearly finished the
tag, though…hopefully they'd go soon – but what if they saw her?
"I'm glad I could be of assistance," Onishima continued. Amy quickly
finished the tag while he was speaking, hoping he'd block out the sound of
spraying.
Then – to her horror – she felt the ledge tremble underneath her.
No, no, please don't, she implored it, realising she must have weakened
the stone by pulling herself up onto it. She tried to stay absolutely still.
The voices were getting fainter. If only one of them didn't turn round –
see the tag – but Miss Ichijouji would be coming back into the building soon –
oh, shit!
Suddenly the ledge dropped, and Amy dropped with it.
The ground punched the breath out of her, and sent a sharp pain up her
leg. She saw Miss Ichijouji turn, begin to hurry towards her – and Onishima
too – and the tag glowing in the darkness –
As she struggled to her feet, Miss Ichijouji grabbed her wrist, and called,
"Captain, it's a rudie – look, the clock!"
Onishima was running towards them. Amy's heart sank.
"What on earth do you – Amy Winters!" Miss Ichijouji's mouth
dropped open.
Amy's heart sank even further. Now she was for it. She was still
clutching her paint can. She'd been caught red-handed.
Onishima rushed towards her, and grabbed both her wrists, staring into
her face. Then he said, "I don't know this one – I'm assuming you want me to
press charges, madam?"
"Yes – yes – oh, Amy, how could you? I thought you were the last sort
of girl to engage in such destructive behaviour!" Her headmistress sighed
angrily. "Well, I hope you realise that you will not be returning to Shibuya
High School after this."
"You're expelling me?" Amy said. She shivered. Her aunt would kill
her.
Onishima slipped handcuffs onto her wrists and said, "Get used to it,
rudie. Now move it."
Amy struggled as she was dragged towards the waiting police car, but it
was no use. She was caught.
She didn't even want to think about what the GGs would say.
(Well? What did you think? Please r+r and make a poor little English girl
happy!)
(Thank you to everyone who r+r'd the last chapter – please repeat your good
deed here! The only thing I own in this chapter is the character of Amy.
Everything else is © Sega as you full well know. R+R!)
Amy and Tab walked through Benten-cho together. Already some of the
discos and cafés were beginning to light up, and the streets were slowly
becoming bright and cheerful.
Amy walked, shoulders down, brow crumpled with worry. Tab watched
her. He'd asked her what was wrong but she'd just said "Nothing."
He didn't like Amy being scared. He was surprised to realise it. Sure,
he didn't like any of his friends being scared, but this was different. He felt
more protective of her. If he felt protective of Gum, she'd probably bite him.
Where was Gum, anyway? He felt a little guilty about sending her out
like that, but he'd been so mad he couldn't think straight. Well, he'd make it
up with her later.
They reached Amy's house. Even with the lit windows of the
surrounding buildings, it still looked dingy and miserable. Amy swallowed.
"Okay. See you tomorrow."
"Sure."
Tab made like he was skating away, but as she turned to knock on the
door, he stopped, ducked behind a lamppost, and watched.
Amy stood on the doorstep, and suddenly the front door flew open and a
woman's voice spat out, "So there you are. Thought you'd decide to grace this
house with your presence tonight, huh?"
"I'm sorry. I forgot to look at the time." Amy was staring at her feet.
Her voice was blank.
"Well, you aren't going to forget again." The woman's hand lashed out
and caught Amy on the side of the face. She stumbled. The woman hit her
again, and Tab conquered the urge to rush up and slap the bitch himself.
"Come on." She grabbed Amy's arm and dragged her inside. The door
slammed shut.
Tab shivered. He crept round to the front of the house, and peered in
through the living room window. The curtains weren't drawn, and he saw
Amy fall back against the sofa as the woman - her aunt? – hit her again. Both
of them were shouting, but he couldn't hear what they were saying.
He had to help her. But he couldn't.
He saw Amy's face whiten as her aunt grabbed her shoulders and
pushed her into the wall. Tab winced as Amy's head struck the white-painted
surface. She staggered, then turned and ran out of the room. Her aunt didn't
follow her – instead she sank down on the sofa and began to cry.
Tab stepped back from the house and looked up at Amy's bedroom
window. It was still broken. Quickly he hurried up the steps, jumped and
ground along the banister, and then up onto the phone line, and then, ducking
the jagged glass, into her room.
Amy was lying on her bed, sobbing. Tab felt his heart swell with some
emotion he couldn't name. Nervously he touched her shoulder.
Amy sat up quickly, fists clenched. Her eyes widened. "What are you
doing here?"
"I came to see how you were." He felt rage fill him again as he saw the
blood trickling from her lip.
"I wish you hadn't," Amy snapped.
"Why?"
"Well, how does it look to you? You're a GG, a rudie, and I'm just
lying here crying my eyes out – oh, yes, really cool!"
"Don't be dumb. You just got knocked around."
"It's nothing, okay?" Amy snarled. Her eyes were damp and red.
"She's just stressed and – and it's nothing I can't handle."
"That's what I thought too."
"Huh?"
Tab looked away from her, out at the glittering horizon. "My mum
moved in with a guy who beat me up. He didn't like kids, I guess. I thought I
could handle it. I knew a bunch of other kids, we all acted tough around each
other. I couldn't have told them. One night, he broke my arm, and I walked
out. Never went back."
"I'm sorry," Amy said.
Tab kept his gaze focused away from her. It was hard to talk about this,
but he didn't know what else to say to convince her. "I never told anyone else
about it. Gum knew 'cos I went to her house, the night I left. She knew who
did it but I never spelt it out to her."
"But you got really hurt. I'm just going through a bad patch, that's all."
Amy's voice wobbled a little. Tab turned to look at her, and put his hand in
hers.
"Look. She's hurting you. Right?"
"Yeah…"
"If she's trying to control you by hitting you, she has a discipline
problem, right?"
"I guess so."
"So don't worry. Just tell someone. Hey, I'm not encouraging you to
run away or nothing. Just tell someone and get her put away where she
belongs."
Amy didn't answer. She sat a little closer to him, and they studied the
Benten skyline together.
"Tab," Amy said at last.
"Yeah?"
"Am I really only a rudie wannabe?"
"Oh, Amy…look, Gum's in a bad mood at the moment for some reason.
I don't know why. She just took it out on you, okay? No one thinks you're
any of the things she said. You're a great gang member."
"Stop humouring me," Amy said.
"I'm not. Ask any of 'em."
"I don't know if you're right, but thanks."
"That's okay." Tab could feel her trembling next to him, and he
tentatively put an arm around her. She didn't seem to mind, just leaned back
against him a little. He was surprised to find that it was a nice position to be in.
"Tab, why did you say you don't think I should run away? You did, and
so did all the other GGs."
"It's not all fun and games. If I hadn't managed to join up with Gum
and Beat things would've been worse. You're a nice girl. I don't want you
ending up like – like a Love Shocker or something."
"That's hardly likely."
Tab looked down at her. Her eyes were wide, large grey eyes that
seemed beautiful in the faint city-glow touching her face.
Quickly he bent his head and kissed her.
At first she tensed up, almost tried to turn away, but then she relaxed.
When they separated she was blushing. "Why did you do that?"
"I wanted to. Sorry if it bugged you."
"Oh – no. No, it didn't do that."
Garam skated furiously through Benten-cho, angry with himself, angry with
Piranha, angry at everything.
What had he done? He couldn't have hit her or strangled her. He just
couldn't. He wasn't that sort of guy.
But you were once, weren't you? a voice taunted him.
Garam skated faster, but he couldn't dash away from the memories
wriggling into his brain.
Meryl had been his first girlfriend, when he'd still been in school. He'd
never been part of the popular pack – instead, he'd got a reputation as someone
a bit wild, someone who always took you up on a dare, someone who didn't
give a damn what anyone else thought.
Garam felt sick as he pictured himself then. He'd been so sure of
himself, so certain that he was the man. Well, he'd been wrong, hadn't he?
Dead wrong.
Meryl hadn't been wild. She'd been a quiet kid, the sort of girl who just
watches. Small and delicate, with golden hair and a charming smile, Garam
had fallen for her very quickly. He'd tried to pretend it was nothing, of course.
Wouldn't do for the wild guy to show he actually had a heart.
But in the end, he'd admitted it to himself, and asked her out.
For a few weeks everything had been great. He'd been so happy he'd
even stopped goofing around. And then – then he'd started listening to his
mates, and he'd started to wonder himself why him and Meryl hadn't slept
together. When he'd put it to her, she'd told him she didn't want to, that she
didn't feel ready. He'd tried to accept it, but he hadn't found it easy.
And eventually the teasing got too much, and he told the guys that he
and Meryl had done the deed. And then everything had been all right again.
For a day or so.
And then Meryl had confronted him. "Why did you tell everyone we'd
had sex?" she'd demanded.
"Cos that's what people wanted to hear. Where's your problem?"
She'd actually laughed. "My problem? Do you know what people have
been saying about me? It's all right for you, you're 'da man.' Whereas I'm
just a slut. Thanks a lot!"
"Well, I didn't know they'd do that," he'd said, feeling hurt, knowing he
should apologise but not knowing how.
"We're finished!" she'd shouted.
People had stopped, looked at them, some had tittered. And – and he'd
lost it –
Garam closed his eyes, but he couldn't hide the picture he had of his
hand flying round, slapping Meryl across the face – and she'd fallen, the
schoolbooks she'd been carrying spilling across the floor – Algebra Key Skills,
To Kill A Mockingbird, Understanding Chemistry – and then that sickening
sound as her head struck the locker behind her – and people screaming –
She'd not died. Just gone into a coma. Just. Garam snorted. He'd seen
her, once, lying there in hospital, and thought, well, if she ain't dead she sure
looks like it – and then the view had blurred with tears and he'd left before
anyone saw him.
Her brother and his friends had beaten him up good. He remembered
fists slamming into his stomach, his face, feet catching his ribs to roll him over
and over and over – he'd been powerless, he knew it, and that anger joined the
smouldering rage building up inside him against the unfairness of the world…
He'd quit school, become a rudie, and now here he was, back to square
one. It was no good, was it? He was still the same old damaged freak he'd
always been. Still hurting.
Garam blinked, and realised while thinking he'd skated into the
backstreets of Benten, where he wasn't at all sure he wanted to be. He was
about to turn round, skate out again, when suddenly he heard someone calling.
"Help…help me…"
A girl. Sounded familiar. Garam looked around, and saw a crumpled
figure lying in an alleyway on his left. He called out, "Who are you?"
Silence. Garam wondered if it was a trap – but the girl looked pretty
bad. Maybe he'd just go and see. Anyway, if he didn't, they'd know he didn't
care about anything.
He stepped inside the alleyway, and bent over the girl.
It was Gum.
Garam looked in horror at the blood that had soaked into her dress.
She'd blacked out now. Quickly he checked her breathing and pulse, trying to
keep calm. They were both there, but shallow and weak.
He wanted to shake her, try to get her all right again, but common sense
held him back. He had to call an ambulance. How long had she been lying
there? He didn't know, but she didn't look good.
After he'd made his phone call, he headed back to the alley, to stay with
her. He sat down next to her, hoping she'd be able to hold on. Boy, he
thought, what did she do to the Noise Tanks now?
He let his eyes wander round the alley. Grimy posters covered its walls
like a second skin. Many were faded and torn by the rain and the weather, but
a few were new and neat. A pop concert ad – a flyer for some new mayor –
and – Garam's mouth fell open as he stared at the next poster.
It was a cute, happy golden rhino.
He looked from it to Gum, and made the connection. Those murderers
carried switchblades. Gum was a rudie. And now this was a warning…
He had to tell the others, as soon as possible.
Beat listened as Garam stumbled out his story.
"The ambulance came?" he said, surprised at how calm his own voice
sounded.
"Yeah. They said if I'd found her any later it would've been too late."
Garam didn't sound relieved, or proud. He sounded like he was sick of it all.
"She's in Shibuya General," Garam continued. "I don't know if they'll
call the cops. She's in a pretty bad way. But Beat, there was something
else…"
"What?"
"A Golden Rhino poster had been put up on the wall next to her."
"So they are back." Beat tried to focus on that fact so that he could
forget that any minute now they might get a call saying that Gum had – he
faced the next word head on – died.
"Seems like it."
"I'll go see her soon as I can." Beat looked round the garage. Piranha,
Tab and Amy were all absent, but everyone else was there. "Listen," he said.
"Be careful. There's something big going on. Tell the other three when you
next see them. Now I'm going out."
Outside it was drizzling rain. Beat skated along, moving faster and
faster, trying to outrun the urge to scream out his fear and fury to the black,
spitting sky.
The next day all the GGs had heard the news – Gum was in hospital, and the
Rhinos were back.
"Who's brought them back, though?" Mew said as she and Beat skated
through the bus terminal.
"I don't know." Beat began tagging a bus. "Koji?"
"What about Onishima?"
The line Beat was painting leapt out of the pattern and across Mew's
chest as he turned. "Huh?"
Mew glowered at him and tried to rub off the paint. "Onishima and Goji
tried to wipe us out before. It sounds like those Rhinos were looking for Gum
– no one else has been hurt. Could this be a new police idea?"
"Onishima wants to drag us through court and into Alcatraz just so he
can see us squirm." Beat hurled paint onto the bus as he spoke. "Just stabbing
us in alleyways doesn't seem his style – and he wouldn't get any of the credit,
remember."
"I guess so." Mew sighed. "Are the new Rokkakus supporting the 21st
Century Project?"
"They said something about it…" Beat thought. "Oh, yeah…
'Although this town has a problem with vandalism, we feel that violence is not
the answer…blah, blah…although we support the work of the police force in
suppressing the wave of graffiti-related crime, the company is turning its
attention to other matters.' So I'd say no."
"Onishima's still using tear gas and paratroopers, though."
"Maybe they're still giving him funding. Anyway, it doesn't matter.
We beat those dumb Rhinos before and we can do it again."
"Yes. But I sure hope the assassins don't turn up," Mew said.
The GGs took turns sitting with Gum. She was unconscious at the
moment, but expected to wake some time in the next few days. They sat with
her partly because they were the only family she had, and partly because no
one knew whether Onishima knew where she was, so she needed protection.
And now it was Amy's turn.
Gum was in a room on her own. It was a hot day, with sunlight
covering everything. Amy had rolled up her sleeves and she was wearing ankle
socks rather than tights. She'd brought her homework to do, but she wasn't
really concentrating on it.
Gum lay there, breathing in time to the soft beep of her heart monitor.
Her hair was tangled into gold knots, and she was pale. Amy wondered if she
was ever going to open her eyes. It was funny. She'd always thought she'd be
jubilant if Gum quit the GGs, but now she couldn't think that. Not seeing her
enemy like this.
The clock in the room was out of step with the heart monitor, and Amy
itched to throw it out of the window. She had been pretty jumpy since Tab had
filled her in on exactly what the Rhinos were like. And if they'd taken Gum
out, Amy knew she'd be hopeless against them.
She yawned again, closing her eyes, and when she opened them, Gum
was looking at her.
Amy blinked, wondering if she'd dozed off, but no – the blonde GG was
awake. "What am I doing here?" she demanded.
"You got stabbed," Amy said. "You've been in a coma for ages. We
were all really worried."
"Oh." Gum looked round the room. Amy saw her sigh, and she said,
"Sorry, none of the others are here right now."
"Great." Gum rolled her eyes. "How long are you here for?"
"Till five o'clock. It's half-four now."
"Oh, no."
"What is your problem?" Amy snapped.
Gum gave her a long, cool look. "You don't deserve to be a GG.
Sorry."
"Why not?"
"You just don't have any talent. You're dumbing down our entry
standards." Gum's voice was dry, but there was harshness behind it.
Amy forced down the urge to shout insults. Making her voice steady,
she said, "If I could prove I had talent?"
"And how would you do that?"
"I don't know." Amy swallowed. Here goes. "Set me a task. One that
I can do without skates."
"Okay." Gum closed her eyes for a minute. Amy could see shadows
under them, and felt a little guilty for picking a fight so soon. But it wasn't like
she'd started it.
"I've got it," Gum said. "Shibuya High School."
"Yes?"
"It's got a clock on the front, hasn't it? On a small tower."
"Yes…" Amy's stomach sank.
"Tag the clock. What day is it today?"
"Tuesday."
"Okay. Tag it by Friday. If you do, I'll quit getting at you."
"If I don't?"
"You quit the GGs. Any of us could do it, so if you can't, you're not
meant to be one."
"Fine." Amy swallowed. She could picture the place Gum meant. She
didn't know how she was going to do this, but she knew one thing.
She had to succeed.
When she got back to the garage, only Tab was there. For a moment she felt
nervous of him, but then he looked up and grinned at her, and it was all right
again.
"Hi," she said, coming across to sit next to him. "Gum's awake."
Tab looked relieved, and Amy felt absurdly jealous. "That's great," he
said. "She's gonna be okay, then, right?"
"Sure she is." Amy tried to keep the sarcastic note out of her voice.
"Here – I got something for you," Tab said, scrabbling around in his
pockets. "It's just, like, a little thing, but…you know…anyway, here you are."
He handed her a small, rather battered-looking jewellery box. Amy
opened it. Inside was a delicate silver pendant – the letters 'GG' on a silver
chain.
"Oh, thank you!" Amy hugged him. "It's beautiful – where did you get
it?"
"I knew a guy who makes stuff like this for guys like us," Tab said,
kissing her. "I just thought you might like it."
"Of course I do! Help me put it on."
She shivered as she felt Tab's fingers brush her skin while he fastened it
round her neck. As she hugged him again, the stress generated by Gum's
challenge almost faded, but she knew it would soon return. Now Tab had
shown her he thought she might be able to handle this whole gang thing, and
she couldn't let him down.
On Thursday night there was a school concert. Amy attended. She had asked
her aunt for permission, and got it with only a few scratches. Now she stood
outside Shibuya High School in the darkness, clutching her school bag with her
paint cans in it, and thinking.
She could see how a skater would do it. Grind along the wall, jump,
wall ride off the science block, fly past the clock, tag, and drop. Simple.
For her this would require more thinking.
She was pretty sure there was no way up into the tower on which the
clock rested. They'd never been allowed up there, and besides, even if she got
into the tower she wouldn't be able to get out to the front of it.
No, she'd have to climb up from the outside.
She blessed her choice of clothing – jeans and top and trainers – and
then surveyed the empty playground again.
There was a ledge under the clock which she could stand on. Good.
The tower itself rose up from the main building, towering above the porch of
the main entrance. She could stand on that…but it was still too high to reach
the clock or the ledge.
Think, Amy! she berated herself. She could see nothing which she
could take up onto the porch – nothing she could stand on to make herself
taller…
Then she looked from the wall to the science block to the tower, and an
idea formed in her brain.
Gum lay there, wishing she could open a window and let in some fresh air to
get rid of this stench of antiseptic. It was making her nose ache.
All the GGs had come to see her earlier, and she longed to get out and
go back to them. But the doctors said she had to stay here, so no dice. Beat
had been the last to leave. Gum realised she missed him already. He'd looked
so dweeby strolling through Shibuya-cho when they first met. Who'd have
thought they'd end up like this?
Get a grip, she told herself. The GGs are in serious shit and you're
being lovesick! Please!
The Rhinos.
She still couldn't remember what had actually happened. She'd been
kicked out of the garage by Tab, gone down to Benten-cho, skulked – and then
– yes, something had happened, but she couldn't – didn't want to? – think
about what it was. But Garam had told her there'd been a rhino poster, and
she'd definitely been stabbed, and there'd been all the trouble with music so…
Gum glanced out of the window at the dark sky, and shivered. What if
they came back to finish her off…what if…
She felt her breathing quicken, and heard her heart monitor speed up.
Calm, she told herself. Calm. No one cares about rudies dead in backstreets,
but there might be a bit of an outcry if someone's sliced in a hospital. And they
know that.
She tried not to think about what might happen to her friends.
She was a little worried about Onishima too – lying here, skateless, bed-
ridden and dependent on others for everything she felt extremely vulnerable,
but tonight she at least knew where he was. He'd gone to a school concert at
one of the Tokyo-to schools, and then he'd probably talk to the headteacher
about How To Spot A Rudie In Your Classroom.
Thinking of schools made her remember Amy. What was it about the
girl that got to her? Gum didn't know, but soon she'd be rid of her. No way
would she be able to tag that clock. The rudies mainly left the school alone – it
was kind of embarrassing tagging it, but Gum was positive that Amy wouldn't
be able to do it without skates. Well, almost positive.
Beat had told her they now only listened to Jet Set Radio when
necessary. This was making for some pretty close shaves, but it was the only
thing to do. They'd told Professor K, but he had no way of stopping the
interruptions. And the rival gangs had denied all knowledge of the music or
anything connected with it.
Gum lay back and tried to sleep, but she still felt nervous. She could
hear footsteps outside her room, voices, bleeps and clicks of various life-
support machines and a baby crying. It was going to be a long night.
Amy tried not to look down.
She was crouched on the sill of one of the windows in the science block,
which she'd reached from the wall. Now she reached out and rested her hands
on the next windowsill along, and slithered until she could get her whole body
onto it. The wind seemed stronger up here, she seemed heavier, and the ground
seemed very, very far away.
One window down. Two to go.
She gripped onto the sill, digging her nails into the mossy surface,
wondering who would care if she fell.
Another window passed successfully. Amy tried to ignore her frantic
heartbeat. She'd told none of the GGs where she was going. Now she wished
she had.
There, she'd done it. She crouched on the last windowsill. The tower
was about three feet away from her. The ledge was on a level with her ribs.
She swallowed, prayed she wouldn't die, and jumped.
For a moment she was falling – then she grabbed hold of the ledge –
hung there – then pushed herself onto it, gritting her teeth, feeling the rough
edge scrape her shins.
She was up. Quickly she pulled her bag off her back and took out the
paint, and began to tag. The clock was an antique-looking one, with Roman
numerals, and as she covered it with paint, for a moment she felt – silly –
immature – then she remembered that she'd be kicked out if she couldn't do
this, and fought down the feeling.
Suddenly, below her, she heard the door open, and her headmistress's
voice saying, "…A pleasure to have you here, Captain."
"That's all right, Miss Ichijouji."
Onishima. Amy cursed silently above them. She'd nearly finished the
tag, though…hopefully they'd go soon – but what if they saw her?
"I'm glad I could be of assistance," Onishima continued. Amy quickly
finished the tag while he was speaking, hoping he'd block out the sound of
spraying.
Then – to her horror – she felt the ledge tremble underneath her.
No, no, please don't, she implored it, realising she must have weakened
the stone by pulling herself up onto it. She tried to stay absolutely still.
The voices were getting fainter. If only one of them didn't turn round –
see the tag – but Miss Ichijouji would be coming back into the building soon –
oh, shit!
Suddenly the ledge dropped, and Amy dropped with it.
The ground punched the breath out of her, and sent a sharp pain up her
leg. She saw Miss Ichijouji turn, begin to hurry towards her – and Onishima
too – and the tag glowing in the darkness –
As she struggled to her feet, Miss Ichijouji grabbed her wrist, and called,
"Captain, it's a rudie – look, the clock!"
Onishima was running towards them. Amy's heart sank.
"What on earth do you – Amy Winters!" Miss Ichijouji's mouth
dropped open.
Amy's heart sank even further. Now she was for it. She was still
clutching her paint can. She'd been caught red-handed.
Onishima rushed towards her, and grabbed both her wrists, staring into
her face. Then he said, "I don't know this one – I'm assuming you want me to
press charges, madam?"
"Yes – yes – oh, Amy, how could you? I thought you were the last sort
of girl to engage in such destructive behaviour!" Her headmistress sighed
angrily. "Well, I hope you realise that you will not be returning to Shibuya
High School after this."
"You're expelling me?" Amy said. She shivered. Her aunt would kill
her.
Onishima slipped handcuffs onto her wrists and said, "Get used to it,
rudie. Now move it."
Amy struggled as she was dragged towards the waiting police car, but it
was no use. She was caught.
She didn't even want to think about what the GGs would say.
(Well? What did you think? Please r+r and make a poor little English girl
happy!)
