Chapter Nine: The Rumble
Ashley: Okay, so the dance wasn't half-bad. EVEN IF YOU DIDN'T GET ASKED TO DANCE ONE SINGLE TIME! But I don't care about that, so, let's go on.
Kazu: What about the advice thingy?
Ashley: Oh, yes, if you're ever feeling really bad at a dance, go back to your table. There you just might see Andrew, one of your friends, dancing like a maniac. And then you feel a lot better.
Kazu: And you also should stay away from people with cameras. Two reasons: They might bombard you with cameras, asking you to take a picture OR they might just take a picture of YOU.
Ashley: Okay, that's all. Now for cookie handouts...to...Digifreak103 (of course), Dragongirl, Dark-Angel, Lilcherryblossom, and Kit-Kat (the dancing men scared me too).
Kazu: Ashley doesn't own Digimon, West Side Story, Katie, Sarah, and Amber if she appears. And now with chapter nine...
Ashley: One of my fav. scenes!! YAY!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Mrs. Tenner was running around backstage, throwing confetti in the air, that was SUPPOSED to be saved until after the play. But, she was so happy that she was using it early. And, one of the best scenes was coming up.
The curtain raised, and you see Rika pretending to sew a wedding veil, and Anita, who is taking off her smock.
"She's gone! The old bag of a bruja has gone!" Anita exclaimed.
"Bravo!" Rika said.
"The day is over, the jail is open, home we go!" Anita said.
"You go, querida. I will lock up."
"Finish tomorrow. Come!"
"I am in no hurry," Rika exclaimed.
"I am," Anita said, "I'm going to take a bubble bath all during supper, Black Orchid."
"You will not eat?" Rika asked.
"After the rumble...with 'Nardo."
Rika started sewing angrily. "That rumble, why do they have it?"
"You saw how they dance, like they have to get rid of something, quick. That's how they fight."
"To get rid of what?"
"Too much feeling. And they get rid of it, after a fight, that brother of yours is so healthy! Definitely, Black Orchid."
Suddenly, there is a knock on the door, and Ryo enters.
"Buenas noches!" Ryo said.
Anita mimicked Rika. "'You go, querida. I will lock up.'" And then she said to Tony, "It's too early for noches. Buenos tardes."
Ryo bowed. "Gracias. Buenas tardes."
"He just came to deliver aspirin," Rika said.
"You'll need it," Anita exclaimed.
"No, we're out of the world," Ryo said.
"You're out of your heads."
"We're twelve feet in the air."
Rika gently took Ryo's hand. "Anita can see all that." And then asked Anita, "You will not tell?"
"Tell what? How can I hear what goes on twelve feet over my head?" Anita opened the door, and said to Rika, "You better be home in fifteen minutes." And then, she left.
"Don't worry. She likes us!" Ryo said.
"But she is worried."
"She's foolish. We're untouchable, we are in the air, we have magic!" Ryo exclaimed.
"Magic is also evil and black," Rika reminded him, "Are you going to that rumble?"
"No."
"Yes."
"Why??" Ryo asked.
"You must go and stop it," Rika explained.
"I have stopped it! It's only a fist fight. 'Nardo won't get - "
"Any fight is not good for us."
"Everything is good for us and we are good for everything," Ryo said.
"Listen and hear me. You must go and stop it."
"Then I will."
"Can you?" Rika asked, surprised.
"You don't want even a fist fight? There won't be any fight."
"I believe you! You do have magic."
"Of course, I have you," Ryo said, "You go home and dress up. Then tonight, I will come by for you."
"You cannot come by. My mama..."
There was a pause until Ryo said, "Then I will take you to my house - "
Rika shook her head. "Your mama..."
Another awkward pause. Then Ryo grabbed a female dummy and pushed it forward. "She will come running from the kitchen to welcome you. She lives in the kitchen."
"Dressed so elegant?" Rika asked.
"I told her you were coming. She will look at your face and try not to smile. And she will say, skinny...but pretty."
"She is plump no doubt."
Ryo held out the waist of the dummy's dress. "Fat!"
Rika grabbed another female dummy. "I take after my mama; delicate-boned." Ryo came over and tried to kiss Rika. "Not in front of Mama!" Ryo turned the dummy around as Rika went to a male dummy. "Oh, I would like to see Papa in this! Mama will make him ask about your prospects, if you go to church. But Papa...Papa might like you."
Ryo kneeled to the father dummy. "May I have your daughter's hand?" Pause. "Gracias!"
"And your mama?"
"I'm afraid to ask her," Ryo said.
"Tell her she's not getting a daughter, she's getting rid of a son!"
Ryo looked to the dummy. "She says yes."
"She has good taste." Rika grabbed the wedding veil and put it on as Ryo arranged the dummies.
"Maid of honor!" Ryo said.
"That color is bad for Anita."
Ryo grabbed a dummy. "Best man!"
"That is my papa!" Rika laughed.
"Sorry, Pap. Here we go. Riff, womb to tomb!" Ryo took the hat off the dummy.
"Now you see, Anita, I told you there was nothing to worry about," Rika said to a dummy.
The music started as she leaves the dummy and walked up to Ryo. They look at each other, and the play-acting vanishes. Slowly, seriously, they turn forward and kneel in front of an alter.
"I, Anton, take thee Maria..."
"I, Maria, take thee Anton..."
"For richer, for poorer..."
"In sickness and in health..."
"To love and to honor..."
"To hold and to keep..."
"From each sun to each moon..."
"From tomorrow to tomorrow..."
"For now to forever..."
"Till death do us part."
"With this ring, I thee wed." Ryo put an imaginary ring on Rika's ring finger.
"With this ring, I thee wed." Rika did the same.
Ryo started to sing, "Make of our hands one hand,
Make of our hearts one heart,
Make of our vows one last vow:
Only death will part us now.
And Rika sang, "Make of our lives one life,
Day after day, one life."
And both. "Now it begins, now we start
One hand, one heart-
Even death won't part us now."
Both looked at each other, and then at the reality of their "game". They smiled, and slowly put the dummies back to where they were. Though brought back to earth, they continued to sing.
"Make of our lives one life,
Day after day, one life.
Now it begins, now we start
One hand, one heart-
Even death won't part us now."
Very gently, Ryo kissed Rika's hand and the lights faded.
Mrs. Tenner was wiping her eyes, when Ryo and Rika walked backstage.
"You guys looked so...I dunno...real out there. You both are born actors!" Mrs. Tenner said, as the stage was being set up for the next scene.
The curtain started to raise, so they all rushed off to get in their places.
In different places, The Jets, Sharks, and other members are walking down the alleyways, waiting for the rumble to come. All they were all singing songs,
"The Jets are gonna have their day...tonight."
And the Sharks..."The Sharks are gonna have their way...tonight."
The Jets. "The Puerto Rican grumble,
"Fair fight."
But if they start a rumble,
We'll rumble 'em right."
The Sharks. "We're gonna hand 'em a surprise...tonight."
And back to the Jets. "We're gonna cut 'em down to size...tonight."
The Sharks. "We said, "O.K., no rumpus,
No tricks"-
But just in case they jump us,
We're ready to mix
Tonight!"
And both gangs. "We're gonna rock it tonight,
We're gonna jazz it up and have us a ball.
They're gonna get it tonight;
The more they turn it on, the harder they'll fall!
Jets. "Well, they began it..."
Sharks. "Well, they began it..."
And both. "And we're the ones to stop 'em once and for all...tonight!"
Then the spotlight shined in the corner of the stage, where Anita was dressed up in a black dress, singing,
"Anita's gonna get her kicks...tonight.
We'll have our private little mix...tonight.
He'll walk in hot and tired,
So what?
Don't matter if he's tired,
As long as he's hot...tonight!"
And then you got to hear Ryo sing.
"Tonight, tonight,
Won't be just any night,
Tonight there will be no morning star.
Tonight, tonight,
I'll see my love tonight
And for us, stars will stop where they are.
Today
The minutes seem like hours,
The hours go so slowly,
And still the sky is light.
Oh moon, grow bright,
And make this endless day endless night!"
Then Riff stopped Tony and sang,
"I'm counting on you to be there....tonight
When Diesel wins it fair and square....tonight.
That Puerto Rican punk'll go down.
And when he's hollered Uncle
We'll tear up the town...tonight!"
Rika was on the balcony, singing,
"Tonight, tonight
Won't be just any night.
And then she started to sing the same song Ryo had just sung. (A/N: Laziness...sign of hunger. Grab a snickers.)
Riff was talking to Ryo. "So I can count on you, boy?"
"All right.womb to tomb!
"Sperm to worm! I'll see you there about eight."
Then Ryo sang, "Tonight."
The Sharks..."We're gonna rock it tonight!!!"
Anita. "Tonight."
And the song goes on with them singing the same verses at the exact same time.
The Sharks ended with, "We're gonna jazz it tonight
They're gonna get it tonight...tonight.
They began it...they began it
And we're the ones
To stop 'em once and for all!
The Sharks are gonna have their way,
The Sharks are gonna have their day,
We're gonna rocks it tonight-
Tonight!
And Anita. "Tonight,
Late tonight,
We're gonna mix it tonight.
Anita's gonna have her day,
Anita's gonna have her day,
Bernardo's gonna have his way
Tonight...tonight.
Tonight...this very night,
We're gonna rock it tonight,
Tonight!
The Jets. "They began it.
They began it.
We'll stop 'em once and for all
The Jets are gonna have their day,
The Jets are gonna have their way,
We're gonna rock it tonight.
Tonight!
Rika. "Tonight there will be no morning star.
Tonight, tonight, I'll se my love tonight.
When we kiss, stars will stop where they are.
And Ryo and Rika at the same time. "Today the minutes seem like hours.
The hours go so slowly,
And still the sky is light.
Oh moon, grow bright,
And make this endless day endless night,
Tonight!"
And everyone ended with the same 'tonight' which got louder, and then the lights blacked out, and everyone ended the song.
The next scene was the last scene of the act. The stage was already set up. The lights came back on, and the gangs came onstage from shadows. Diesel and Bernardo stood in the middle.
"Ready."
"Ready!"
"Ready! Come center and shake hands."
"For what?" Bernardo asked.
"That's how it's done, buddy boy," Riff explained.
"More gracious living? Look, I don't go for that pretend crap you all go for in this country. Every one of you hates every one of us, and we hate you right back. I don't drink with nobody I hate, I don't shake hands with nobody I hate. Let's get at it."
"Okay," Riff agreed.
"Here we go."
Bernardo and Diesel started throwing punches at each other, until Ryo leaped over a fence and started toward Bernardo.
"Hold it!" Ryo shouted.
"Get with the gang," Riff said.
"No."
"What're you doing?" Riff asked.
"Maybe he has found the guts to fight his own battles," Bernardo said.
Ryo smiled. "It doesn't take guts if you have a battle. But we haven't got one, 'Nardo." Ryo extended his hand for Bernardo to shake. Bernardo knocked his hand out of the way and shoved Ryo backward.
"Bernardo."
"The deal is a fair fight between and Diesel," Riff said, and turned to Ryo, "Get with the gang."
Bernardo flicked Ryo's shirt, pushed his shoulder, and pinched Ryo's cheek while Riff was talking.
"I'll give you a battle, Kiddando," Bernardo said to Tony.
"You've got one," Diesel announced.
"I'll take pretty boy on as a warm-up. Afraid, pretty boy? Afraid, chicken? Afraid, gutless?"
"Cut that - " Riff exclaimed.
"I don't want to, Bernardo..." Ryo said.
"I'm sure."
"Bernardo, you've got it wrong."
"Are you chicken?" Bernardo taunted again.
"You won't understand!" Ryo said.
"What d'ya say, chicken?"
"Get him, Tony!" Kazu shouted.
"He is chicken."
"Tony - " Diesel said.
"Get him!" Kenta yelled.
"Bernardo, don't," Ryo said.
"Don't want, pretty little chicken?" Bernardo kept teasing.
"Tony, don't just stand..." Riff said.
"Yellow-bellied chicken..." Bernardo kept going.
"TONY!" Riff shouted.
"Murder him!" Kazu exclaimed.
"Kill him!" Takato yelled.
"Come on, you yellow-bellied Polack bas - " Bernardo didn't get to finish, because Riff hauled off and hit him. Bernardo reached for something in his back pocket, and Riff did the same. At the same time, each withdrew a gleaming knife. Both boys start lunging at each other. Ryo tried to get between them, but, to no avail.
"Hold him!" Riff shouted. Diesel and Kazu grabbed Ryo and held him back. The fight continued. Riff lost his knife, but was thrown another one. At least, he had Bernardo in a position where it seemed he was able to run him through. Tony breaks from Diesel, and moves to stop Riff.
"Riff, don't!" That caused Riff to hesitate a moment, the moment long enough for Bernardo to get out of the spot, and run his knife through Riff. Ryo leaped forward to catch Riff, and breaks his fall. Ryo took Riff's knife, and in anger, rams his knife into Bernardo. In that moment, a free- for-all continued.
A police whistle was heard in the background, and everything came to a dead stop. The kids run away in confusion and panic. As the stage cleared, Ryo stood over the still bodies of Riff and Bernardo. He bent over Riff's body and then rolled over Bernardo, staring. Suddenly, Ryo raised his voice in an anguished cry.
"MARIA!!!"
Another police whistle, closer now, but Ryo didn't move. From the shadows, Ashley appeared. She scurried over to Ryo and tugged at his arm. A siren, another whistle, and then a searchlight cut across the playground. Ashley's insistent tugging brought Ryo back to the realization of the danger. Ryo started to run with her to escape . Ashley reached it first, and went out, but the searchlight hit it as soon as Ryo was about to go through. Ryo darted here and there, and finally got away as a distant clock began to boom.
The curtain fell.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Kazu: MURDERERS!
Ashley: Yeah, kinda. Anyway, that was the end of the first act. Hope you liked the first act. Now we're in the second act, all the drama, and everything!
Kazu: Yep, and you find out if any more people die!
Ashley: Review if you are curious to what happens. Or review if you like this story. Or review if you want to. Just review.
R&R...PLEASE?!
Ashley: Okay, so the dance wasn't half-bad. EVEN IF YOU DIDN'T GET ASKED TO DANCE ONE SINGLE TIME! But I don't care about that, so, let's go on.
Kazu: What about the advice thingy?
Ashley: Oh, yes, if you're ever feeling really bad at a dance, go back to your table. There you just might see Andrew, one of your friends, dancing like a maniac. And then you feel a lot better.
Kazu: And you also should stay away from people with cameras. Two reasons: They might bombard you with cameras, asking you to take a picture OR they might just take a picture of YOU.
Ashley: Okay, that's all. Now for cookie handouts...to...Digifreak103 (of course), Dragongirl, Dark-Angel, Lilcherryblossom, and Kit-Kat (the dancing men scared me too).
Kazu: Ashley doesn't own Digimon, West Side Story, Katie, Sarah, and Amber if she appears. And now with chapter nine...
Ashley: One of my fav. scenes!! YAY!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Mrs. Tenner was running around backstage, throwing confetti in the air, that was SUPPOSED to be saved until after the play. But, she was so happy that she was using it early. And, one of the best scenes was coming up.
The curtain raised, and you see Rika pretending to sew a wedding veil, and Anita, who is taking off her smock.
"She's gone! The old bag of a bruja has gone!" Anita exclaimed.
"Bravo!" Rika said.
"The day is over, the jail is open, home we go!" Anita said.
"You go, querida. I will lock up."
"Finish tomorrow. Come!"
"I am in no hurry," Rika exclaimed.
"I am," Anita said, "I'm going to take a bubble bath all during supper, Black Orchid."
"You will not eat?" Rika asked.
"After the rumble...with 'Nardo."
Rika started sewing angrily. "That rumble, why do they have it?"
"You saw how they dance, like they have to get rid of something, quick. That's how they fight."
"To get rid of what?"
"Too much feeling. And they get rid of it, after a fight, that brother of yours is so healthy! Definitely, Black Orchid."
Suddenly, there is a knock on the door, and Ryo enters.
"Buenas noches!" Ryo said.
Anita mimicked Rika. "'You go, querida. I will lock up.'" And then she said to Tony, "It's too early for noches. Buenos tardes."
Ryo bowed. "Gracias. Buenas tardes."
"He just came to deliver aspirin," Rika said.
"You'll need it," Anita exclaimed.
"No, we're out of the world," Ryo said.
"You're out of your heads."
"We're twelve feet in the air."
Rika gently took Ryo's hand. "Anita can see all that." And then asked Anita, "You will not tell?"
"Tell what? How can I hear what goes on twelve feet over my head?" Anita opened the door, and said to Rika, "You better be home in fifteen minutes." And then, she left.
"Don't worry. She likes us!" Ryo said.
"But she is worried."
"She's foolish. We're untouchable, we are in the air, we have magic!" Ryo exclaimed.
"Magic is also evil and black," Rika reminded him, "Are you going to that rumble?"
"No."
"Yes."
"Why??" Ryo asked.
"You must go and stop it," Rika explained.
"I have stopped it! It's only a fist fight. 'Nardo won't get - "
"Any fight is not good for us."
"Everything is good for us and we are good for everything," Ryo said.
"Listen and hear me. You must go and stop it."
"Then I will."
"Can you?" Rika asked, surprised.
"You don't want even a fist fight? There won't be any fight."
"I believe you! You do have magic."
"Of course, I have you," Ryo said, "You go home and dress up. Then tonight, I will come by for you."
"You cannot come by. My mama..."
There was a pause until Ryo said, "Then I will take you to my house - "
Rika shook her head. "Your mama..."
Another awkward pause. Then Ryo grabbed a female dummy and pushed it forward. "She will come running from the kitchen to welcome you. She lives in the kitchen."
"Dressed so elegant?" Rika asked.
"I told her you were coming. She will look at your face and try not to smile. And she will say, skinny...but pretty."
"She is plump no doubt."
Ryo held out the waist of the dummy's dress. "Fat!"
Rika grabbed another female dummy. "I take after my mama; delicate-boned." Ryo came over and tried to kiss Rika. "Not in front of Mama!" Ryo turned the dummy around as Rika went to a male dummy. "Oh, I would like to see Papa in this! Mama will make him ask about your prospects, if you go to church. But Papa...Papa might like you."
Ryo kneeled to the father dummy. "May I have your daughter's hand?" Pause. "Gracias!"
"And your mama?"
"I'm afraid to ask her," Ryo said.
"Tell her she's not getting a daughter, she's getting rid of a son!"
Ryo looked to the dummy. "She says yes."
"She has good taste." Rika grabbed the wedding veil and put it on as Ryo arranged the dummies.
"Maid of honor!" Ryo said.
"That color is bad for Anita."
Ryo grabbed a dummy. "Best man!"
"That is my papa!" Rika laughed.
"Sorry, Pap. Here we go. Riff, womb to tomb!" Ryo took the hat off the dummy.
"Now you see, Anita, I told you there was nothing to worry about," Rika said to a dummy.
The music started as she leaves the dummy and walked up to Ryo. They look at each other, and the play-acting vanishes. Slowly, seriously, they turn forward and kneel in front of an alter.
"I, Anton, take thee Maria..."
"I, Maria, take thee Anton..."
"For richer, for poorer..."
"In sickness and in health..."
"To love and to honor..."
"To hold and to keep..."
"From each sun to each moon..."
"From tomorrow to tomorrow..."
"For now to forever..."
"Till death do us part."
"With this ring, I thee wed." Ryo put an imaginary ring on Rika's ring finger.
"With this ring, I thee wed." Rika did the same.
Ryo started to sing, "Make of our hands one hand,
Make of our hearts one heart,
Make of our vows one last vow:
Only death will part us now.
And Rika sang, "Make of our lives one life,
Day after day, one life."
And both. "Now it begins, now we start
One hand, one heart-
Even death won't part us now."
Both looked at each other, and then at the reality of their "game". They smiled, and slowly put the dummies back to where they were. Though brought back to earth, they continued to sing.
"Make of our lives one life,
Day after day, one life.
Now it begins, now we start
One hand, one heart-
Even death won't part us now."
Very gently, Ryo kissed Rika's hand and the lights faded.
Mrs. Tenner was wiping her eyes, when Ryo and Rika walked backstage.
"You guys looked so...I dunno...real out there. You both are born actors!" Mrs. Tenner said, as the stage was being set up for the next scene.
The curtain started to raise, so they all rushed off to get in their places.
In different places, The Jets, Sharks, and other members are walking down the alleyways, waiting for the rumble to come. All they were all singing songs,
"The Jets are gonna have their day...tonight."
And the Sharks..."The Sharks are gonna have their way...tonight."
The Jets. "The Puerto Rican grumble,
"Fair fight."
But if they start a rumble,
We'll rumble 'em right."
The Sharks. "We're gonna hand 'em a surprise...tonight."
And back to the Jets. "We're gonna cut 'em down to size...tonight."
The Sharks. "We said, "O.K., no rumpus,
No tricks"-
But just in case they jump us,
We're ready to mix
Tonight!"
And both gangs. "We're gonna rock it tonight,
We're gonna jazz it up and have us a ball.
They're gonna get it tonight;
The more they turn it on, the harder they'll fall!
Jets. "Well, they began it..."
Sharks. "Well, they began it..."
And both. "And we're the ones to stop 'em once and for all...tonight!"
Then the spotlight shined in the corner of the stage, where Anita was dressed up in a black dress, singing,
"Anita's gonna get her kicks...tonight.
We'll have our private little mix...tonight.
He'll walk in hot and tired,
So what?
Don't matter if he's tired,
As long as he's hot...tonight!"
And then you got to hear Ryo sing.
"Tonight, tonight,
Won't be just any night,
Tonight there will be no morning star.
Tonight, tonight,
I'll see my love tonight
And for us, stars will stop where they are.
Today
The minutes seem like hours,
The hours go so slowly,
And still the sky is light.
Oh moon, grow bright,
And make this endless day endless night!"
Then Riff stopped Tony and sang,
"I'm counting on you to be there....tonight
When Diesel wins it fair and square....tonight.
That Puerto Rican punk'll go down.
And when he's hollered Uncle
We'll tear up the town...tonight!"
Rika was on the balcony, singing,
"Tonight, tonight
Won't be just any night.
And then she started to sing the same song Ryo had just sung. (A/N: Laziness...sign of hunger. Grab a snickers.)
Riff was talking to Ryo. "So I can count on you, boy?"
"All right.womb to tomb!
"Sperm to worm! I'll see you there about eight."
Then Ryo sang, "Tonight."
The Sharks..."We're gonna rock it tonight!!!"
Anita. "Tonight."
And the song goes on with them singing the same verses at the exact same time.
The Sharks ended with, "We're gonna jazz it tonight
They're gonna get it tonight...tonight.
They began it...they began it
And we're the ones
To stop 'em once and for all!
The Sharks are gonna have their way,
The Sharks are gonna have their day,
We're gonna rocks it tonight-
Tonight!
And Anita. "Tonight,
Late tonight,
We're gonna mix it tonight.
Anita's gonna have her day,
Anita's gonna have her day,
Bernardo's gonna have his way
Tonight...tonight.
Tonight...this very night,
We're gonna rock it tonight,
Tonight!
The Jets. "They began it.
They began it.
We'll stop 'em once and for all
The Jets are gonna have their day,
The Jets are gonna have their way,
We're gonna rock it tonight.
Tonight!
Rika. "Tonight there will be no morning star.
Tonight, tonight, I'll se my love tonight.
When we kiss, stars will stop where they are.
And Ryo and Rika at the same time. "Today the minutes seem like hours.
The hours go so slowly,
And still the sky is light.
Oh moon, grow bright,
And make this endless day endless night,
Tonight!"
And everyone ended with the same 'tonight' which got louder, and then the lights blacked out, and everyone ended the song.
The next scene was the last scene of the act. The stage was already set up. The lights came back on, and the gangs came onstage from shadows. Diesel and Bernardo stood in the middle.
"Ready."
"Ready!"
"Ready! Come center and shake hands."
"For what?" Bernardo asked.
"That's how it's done, buddy boy," Riff explained.
"More gracious living? Look, I don't go for that pretend crap you all go for in this country. Every one of you hates every one of us, and we hate you right back. I don't drink with nobody I hate, I don't shake hands with nobody I hate. Let's get at it."
"Okay," Riff agreed.
"Here we go."
Bernardo and Diesel started throwing punches at each other, until Ryo leaped over a fence and started toward Bernardo.
"Hold it!" Ryo shouted.
"Get with the gang," Riff said.
"No."
"What're you doing?" Riff asked.
"Maybe he has found the guts to fight his own battles," Bernardo said.
Ryo smiled. "It doesn't take guts if you have a battle. But we haven't got one, 'Nardo." Ryo extended his hand for Bernardo to shake. Bernardo knocked his hand out of the way and shoved Ryo backward.
"Bernardo."
"The deal is a fair fight between and Diesel," Riff said, and turned to Ryo, "Get with the gang."
Bernardo flicked Ryo's shirt, pushed his shoulder, and pinched Ryo's cheek while Riff was talking.
"I'll give you a battle, Kiddando," Bernardo said to Tony.
"You've got one," Diesel announced.
"I'll take pretty boy on as a warm-up. Afraid, pretty boy? Afraid, chicken? Afraid, gutless?"
"Cut that - " Riff exclaimed.
"I don't want to, Bernardo..." Ryo said.
"I'm sure."
"Bernardo, you've got it wrong."
"Are you chicken?" Bernardo taunted again.
"You won't understand!" Ryo said.
"What d'ya say, chicken?"
"Get him, Tony!" Kazu shouted.
"He is chicken."
"Tony - " Diesel said.
"Get him!" Kenta yelled.
"Bernardo, don't," Ryo said.
"Don't want, pretty little chicken?" Bernardo kept teasing.
"Tony, don't just stand..." Riff said.
"Yellow-bellied chicken..." Bernardo kept going.
"TONY!" Riff shouted.
"Murder him!" Kazu exclaimed.
"Kill him!" Takato yelled.
"Come on, you yellow-bellied Polack bas - " Bernardo didn't get to finish, because Riff hauled off and hit him. Bernardo reached for something in his back pocket, and Riff did the same. At the same time, each withdrew a gleaming knife. Both boys start lunging at each other. Ryo tried to get between them, but, to no avail.
"Hold him!" Riff shouted. Diesel and Kazu grabbed Ryo and held him back. The fight continued. Riff lost his knife, but was thrown another one. At least, he had Bernardo in a position where it seemed he was able to run him through. Tony breaks from Diesel, and moves to stop Riff.
"Riff, don't!" That caused Riff to hesitate a moment, the moment long enough for Bernardo to get out of the spot, and run his knife through Riff. Ryo leaped forward to catch Riff, and breaks his fall. Ryo took Riff's knife, and in anger, rams his knife into Bernardo. In that moment, a free- for-all continued.
A police whistle was heard in the background, and everything came to a dead stop. The kids run away in confusion and panic. As the stage cleared, Ryo stood over the still bodies of Riff and Bernardo. He bent over Riff's body and then rolled over Bernardo, staring. Suddenly, Ryo raised his voice in an anguished cry.
"MARIA!!!"
Another police whistle, closer now, but Ryo didn't move. From the shadows, Ashley appeared. She scurried over to Ryo and tugged at his arm. A siren, another whistle, and then a searchlight cut across the playground. Ashley's insistent tugging brought Ryo back to the realization of the danger. Ryo started to run with her to escape . Ashley reached it first, and went out, but the searchlight hit it as soon as Ryo was about to go through. Ryo darted here and there, and finally got away as a distant clock began to boom.
The curtain fell.
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Kazu: MURDERERS!
Ashley: Yeah, kinda. Anyway, that was the end of the first act. Hope you liked the first act. Now we're in the second act, all the drama, and everything!
Kazu: Yep, and you find out if any more people die!
Ashley: Review if you are curious to what happens. Or review if you like this story. Or review if you want to. Just review.
R&R...PLEASE?!