Author's Notes: Written for silver magess' January drabble challenge. 497 words. Told in the first person by Yuji Nakano. it's a bit silly, but I care not.
January in New York. It's funny how things seem so much colder in the big city. Perhaps it's the people, perhaps it's my broken heater… but maybe… just maybe… it's both.
Deciding to move here wasn't such a bad idea. People come to see my off off off Broadway show because they like it, not because they're looking for ways to stalk Hiroshi. No one follows me home, looking for ways to meet Hiro. Now, if someone follows me home, I know they're just trying to mug me or something, which is fine, because I have no money.
It's the afternoon. Two days ago it snowed around three inches. I have a show to perform tonight, and I have to arrive early for a quick run through.
Cautiously, I look out my window. I live on the third floor of an apartment building in the Bronx. Kids in New York can be kind of rowdy. I learned quickly in the past two days that they like to attack when there's snow on the ground. They form it into balls and pelt whoever happens to appear in their path. The snow is the perfect consistency to really give someone a black eye. If you run, they follow. I tried running yesterday.
I can't see anyone from the window, but that doesn't mean they're not there. Today, if I happen to run into them, I have a new plan.
I leave my apartment at 4 PM. As I'm about half way down the street , a snowball whizzes by my face, just grazing my left cheek. Another hits me in the chest, and I fall, lying motionless on the sidewalk. I don't know what the faces of the neighborhood kids look like, because I'm flat-faced on the pavement, but their silence speaks wonders.
"I didn't throw it!"
"… Holy shit. He slipped and he's like… dead or something. Go check him out."
"I'm getting out of here before someone comes! I didn't throw it at him!"
Several voices agree, and I listen to them argue amongst themselves like the little goblins that they are. I'm seriously injured and they're just standing around. Call an ambulance!
I hear several pairs of feet run off, their frantic voices chattering and echoing through the street, gradually fading away.
"Get a stick!"
From the voices and the shuffling of feet I can tell that at least half of the pack remain, good Samaritans that they are.
Several of them come closer. They must not have been able to find a stick, because one of the kids nudges me with his hand.
Time to put the plan into action. I spring up, grab the random kid, and give him a white-wash in the face with a thick handful of snow, before he knows what hit him. And another… just because I'm such a nice guy.
The kid screams. The snow must be cold or something.
Never mess with an actor!
I love New York.