A New Way of Living

Chapter One

Disclaimer: I do not own West Side Story or any elements of it.

"Bye, Viv!"

Vivienne waved goodbye to her classmates as they walked out of the building and went the other direction.

Heading towards the subway, she buttoned her coat, protecting herself from the cold night air.

It had been a long day of classes and she was tired. Her heels clicked against the sidewalk as she made her way over to the subway entrance.

It was a short ride from the school to her apartment where she lived, but it could also be lonely. Her evening classes meant that sometimes she was waiting on the platform alone. Luckily, it wasn't that late and other people scattered around her on their way home this time.

On the train, she watched a couple in front of her laugh and kiss. She smiled to herself, somewhat sadly.

When she reached her stop, she walked up the steps and felt the few other people around her walk off in different directions.

A few streets later, she glanced over her shoulder. A young man was walking behind her. She was sure she had seen him get on the subway the same time as her. When he walked under a streetlamp and she caught his face, she was certain that he had been on the train, too. Was he following her?

As an experiment, she turned the corner and backed onto herself, walking down the street she had just came from. When he did the same, she began to feel a slight panic arise.

For the most part, she kept to herself and managed to avoid any unwanted attention as a woman who lives alone, but that didn't stop her from feeling on edge late at night.

She picked up her pace, noting that he did too.

When she turned the corner, she ducked into a side alley and crouched behind a trash can. When nothing happened, she stood up and exhaled with relief.

Suddenly, a hand appeared from nowhere and clasped itself over her mouth. She let out a scream, but nothing came. The person behind her locked their other arm around her stomach, preventing her from escaping.

"Just relax," a male voice said. "We're not gonna hurt ya' if you do what we say."

We? As she had time to process the thought, two other men appeared from the shadows.

"Do it," one of them commanded. The other stepped forward and wrapped a piece of fabric over her eyes, blinding her to the outside world.

She kicked against the person behind her, and heard them yelp in pain as her heel caught his knee.

"Ow!" he cried. "She's stronger than she looks."

"What, do you need some help holdin' your own against a girl?" the other voice teased. "Let's go."

She felt herself being picked up and swung over the shoulder of someone. Again, she tried to kick, but a strong hand grabbed onto her ankles and held them in place.

"Stop fighting. It'll be a lot easier if you just calm down," someone else said.

Electing to try and conserve her energy, she stopped kicking and fighting back. Her body remained coiled however, waiting to run free if she got the chance.

They walked for a short while, and eventually she heard other new voices come into the picture.

"Was the blindfold really necessary?" someone asked, sounding annoyed.

"I don't know, it seemed like somethin' we should do," the other admitted, a little clueless.

The youth of the voices threw her. It made her feel less intimidated.