"Hey Riff!" Action asked, waving his hand in front of Riff's face, "Riff! You with us?"
"Yeah, sure." Riff cleared his throat, suddenly realizing all the Jets were looking at him. Apparently, Action had gotten into it with Flaco, one of the Sharks, on his way home the other night. Both had exchanged words and unsurprisingly thrown some punches, thus reigniting tensions. So now instead of just chilling out, this hang out turned out to be a round of twenty questions of what to do next. "Whatever you think, Action."
"I was just asking how therapy was going?" Action frowned slightly, "I ain't planning on scheduling a fight until you're back to yourself."
"Yeah, cuz he knows Tony would kill him." Mouthpiece laughed.
"Tony will kill us anyway." Balkan said seriously, "He's made it clear we ain't supposed to fight the Sharks no more. And if we are, we ain't supposed to bring you into it, RIff."
"Can you really blame him?" Baby John spoke up, somewhat shocking everyone, "I mean, look what happened last time."
"That's stupid." Action rolled his eyes, "Shows how little Tony knows. Riff ain't Riff without the Jets and the Jets ain't the Jets without Riff. Hey, I bet that's why you've been so distracted lately, Riff-man."
Truthfully, Riff has been distracted. It had nothing to do with fighting, or lack thereof. It had more to do with seeing Bernardo again. As much as he'd deny it.
He wasn't even sure why he was thinking about the Shark leader so much. He just knew he couldn't shake the image of the guy from his brain. No matter how hard he tried. It was like seeing the guy had left a damn tattoo or imprint on his mind.
"You have seemed a little distracted lately." A-Rab stated.
"Too much time for damn thinking." Action nodded, "That never did anyone any good."
"Yeah." Riff agreed, clearing his throat, relieved for a handed over excuse. It was true, he had been thinking too much. He probably always did. But this time it was a who rather than a what that occupied his thoughts. Not that he'd admit that. "That's probably pretty accurate."
"And that ain't good, buddy boy." Action, reached out, smacking Riff lightly in the stomach, "You're gonna get all washed up doing that shit. You'll get all soft. Just like your good old pal, Tony."
"Leave Tony outta this." Riff said, sensing the edge to his voice. Tony and Action have always butted heads. Always managing to put Riff in the middle. Riff didn't think either of them realized how much it stressed him out.
When really he thought about it, it made sense that they didn't get along. Both wanted to rule with command. Both practiced aggression first and foremost. Or at least Tony did.
In some ways it was surprising Action didn't insist on taking over when Tony went upstate. That role had naturally just been handed down to Riff whether he wanted it or not. The more Riff thought I'd it, the more he thought Action would have been a better fit.
Action was all heat and fire.
Action definitely wouldn't have been stupid enough to let his guard down during the rumble. Not for a goddamn minute.
He would have walked right in, did what needed to be done, without a second thought.
Sure, things still might not have gone their way but at least the Jets would have somewhat been able to hold their heads up. Unlike whatever it was they were doing now.
Action wouldn't have paused during the rumble to make damn conversation with Tony. Secretly hoping for reassurance of some sort. The type that he's been craving since Tony got back home. That type Tony seemed unwilling or unable to give.
Fuck. Action wouldn't have needed Tony in the first place.
"What's Tony been up to anyway?" Diesel asked, bringing Riff back into the conversation yet again. "None of us have seen him since you got outta the hospital."
"Well, minus his threatenin us if we wanna fight the Sharks again to leave Riff outta it." Mouthpiece added, "That was after you got home, Riff."
"I don't know where he gets off acting all great and all." Action replied, lighting a joint before passing it off to Riff, "Ain't like he's stuck by the shit he's been preachin. You all saw him that night with Bernardo. Same ol' Tony. Actually, that's the worst I'd ever seen him."
"Guy just has more to lose then the rest of us. One bad move and he's back on the bus upstate. For a long time."
He met Action's eyes. They were practically smirking. Riff shifted in his chair uneasily. He really wasn't in the mood to have this argument about Tony again. Ever since their argument, Riff was doing his hardest not to mention the Jets or anything about the Jets to him, and Tony seemed to be tiptoeing around him in some weird way Riff didn't quite understand. It made for some awkward silences that were never there before.
"How is your physical therapy going?" Baby John asked, changing the subject, much to Riff's relief. "Tony asked me to go with you a few times this week starting with later today. I guess Valentina's going to visit her sister or something and Tony's gotta run Docs?"
"It's going." Riff cleared his throat, reminding himself to thank the kid for his conversation changer. "Honestly, it ain't easy. Last time was pretty good though."
And that was the truth. Ever since seeing Bernardo, Riff had thrown himself into his physical therapy. It wasn't like he hadn't been trying before-he had-but something about seeing the guy made Riff want to prove something he couldn't quite understand.
Luckily, his determination seemed to pay off.
He'd actually stood yesterday.
Sure, it was only for a few moments, but hey, it still counted.
At least that's what Tony said.
Tony, who had come up to him like a goddamn proud parent, cuffing Riff by the back of his neck and grinning. Riff had tried to smile back, but just felt like a nervous wreck.
He just wasn't ready to share that news with the rest of the Jets. Not just yet.
Truth be told the idea of walking terrorized him. It felt like it was so close he could almost taste it-that the idea of maybe just maybe somewhat having an ordinary life was within his grabbing rights-but he also felt he couldn't trust his legs enough to carry him like they always did. It was crazy that something he never gave a second thought to less than three months ago, was now something that required complete concentration.
"That's great, Riff." Baby John grinned.
"I probably still got a long way to go." Riff said honestly, glancing at Action.
Standing had taken everything out of him. He'd come home and crashed, not waking up again until the middle of the night, a note on his nightstand from Valentina that his dinner was in the fridge. It scared him that it had just maybe been a fluke.
"It's fine." Action shrugged, "Gives us more time to prepare. I just gotta know if you're in? If you're willing to have another rumble? I'd imagine you'd want to even the score a little bit."
Riff paused, glancing at his guys. They were all looking at him, their eyes eager. He knew that look. He's given the same look to Tony ever since he came back home. Anytime he's brought up fighting with the Sharks, or trying to recruit him back to the Jets.
"Yeah." Riff swallowed, putting out a grin, "I'm in. Just do me a favor and don't mention it to Tony."
"Wait to go, buddy boy." Action punched him on the shoulder. "I knew you'd go for it."
"We'll wipe the floor with them like we woulda and shoulda the first time." Ice said, high giving Diesel and Mouthpiece. "Cuz no one is better than the Jets."
Riff nodded. It wasn't like that wasn't the truth. He still believed that completely.
Plus, at least this was one sure way to ensure he'd see Bernardo again.
Bernardo's, whose goddamn eyes he couldn't get out of his head. Those damn fucking eyes that looked at him like he suddenly knew him.
Like he knew him more than anyone ever else could or would. Like he saw Riff and Riff was being seen for the first time in his life. Like Riff was an actual person and could be somebody and something to someone else.
At least that's how Bernardo made him feel.
Bernardo and his goddamn beautiful eyes.
Tony was busy wiping down the counter, eager to shut down Doc's for the evening. It had been a long day and he fully regretted not being able to take Riff to his therapy session. Luckily, Baby John had agreed to take him, and he figured that was the closest best thing to him going himself. At least Baby John would pay attention to the details the therapist said, that Riff constantly chose to ignore.
He turned, about to flick off the lights, when he heard the door open behind him.
"Hey, we're closed." He called over his shoulder. "We open tomorrow at eight."
"Tony…" A soft voice spoke behind him.
Tony whipped around, seeing Maria standing behind him.
"Maria…" He breathed. He couldn't help but falter a little at her beauty, at the way she made his heart race with just the mere presence of her.
"Stay where you are." Maria held up her hand, her normally gentle beautiful eyes blazing with anger. "Tell me it's not true."
"If what isn't true?" Tony threw the towel that he'd been holding over his shoulder. He was confused why Maria looked so angry. She looked less upset when he'd ended things with her. Sure she'd cried…cried making his heart that was already broken break more…but she hadn't looked at him like she was right now.
"Did you attack my brother the other day?" Maria said, crossing her arms. "I overheard him telling Chino that he came here, and that you attacked him."
"What…" Tony felt a bit stunned by the harshness of her tone, "I mean…I didn't attack him. I just shoved him….I saw him near Riff….and I–"
"So, it's a yes." Maria's voice was firm. "How could you?"
"I didn't hurt him, Maria." Tony said defensively.
"But you did, Tony." Maria shook her head, "I do not agree with everything my brother does. I know that he was fighting just the same way you all were. But you act like Riff was the only one who got hurt that night."
"That's not fair." Tony said, feeling himself growing a little hot, "I don't think it's fair to compare what happened to Riff to whatever Bernardo has going on."
"We are never going to see things the same way when it comes to my brother and Riff." Maria shook her head, sighing. "This would always be a problem. You see things from your side, and I see things from mine."
"I told you before that Riff ain't never had it easy." Tony disagreed, "You told me before about that you felt Riff was taking away Bernardos hope…what do you think Bernardo did to Riff? Maria, Riff's in a wheelchair."
"I am not saying Riff isn't hurt. But, Bernardo, my brother, was hurt too. He hasn't been the same since. He stopped going out. He almost lost his job. He broke up with Anita…"
"All things he chose." Tony said pointedly. He was really hating how this conversation was going. He didn't want to fight with Maria. Not now. Not ever. He still loved her.
"Do you know what it took for him to come here?" Maria continued,, "Into this shop? How dangerous it was for him? He came to talk to Riff. To apologize. He came to say he was sorry for what he did."
"Yeah." Tony could feel his cheeks growing red, "That's what Riff said, actually."
"Things were beginning to calm down." Maria said, moving her purse from one side to the other, "We were all trying to move on. Now, I overheard them talking about wanting another rumble."
"Over me shoving him." Tony couldn't help but laugh. "Maria, that's ridiculous."
"It's not." Maria shook her head, "Is it any more ridiculous than any of you wanting revenge for what my brother did to Riff? For what you did to my brother's face? From what I've learned from this America you all live in, is that it doesn't take much to make dislike become hate. An for hate to become violence."
"Maria…" Tony went to reach out, to pull her in for a hug, but she shook her head.
"You made how you feel clear already Tony. With me. With my brother. Please. Just do something to fix this. Before someone gets hurt worse than they already have. If you ever cared for me at all, I'm begging you to try." Maria gave him a long, sad, look. Then she turned, slowly walked out of the store.
Tony sighed, throwing himself back into one of the bar stools.
Seeing Maria again brought back all the same feelings he had from the first time he saw her and every time he'd been with her.
Only this time, instead of the feeling of her catching him from falling made him feel like he was falling faster than he ever has before.
She was also right about one thing…it doesn't take a lot to make dislike turn to hate and then hate turn to violence.
And despite who Tony wanted to be, and who he was trying to be-that better then himself guy that he worked so hard for-he also recognized hate wasn't something he could turn off so easily.
He'd try though. He'd try again for Maria. He'd failed so miserably the first time. But he'd try again. To settle the tensions between himself and Bernardo…between the Jets and the Sharks…between Riff and Bernardo.
But, he also knew that made him dance a fine line himself.
A line that any moment he could cross between what he did to Bernardo and what he could actually do to Bernardo.
A line that could make him more dangerous than he ever thought himself to be.
