Turning Tables

chapter twelve

// - chapter twelve - \\
"close enough to start a war."

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ALLEY BETWEEN WEST 64th AND 65th STREET
WEDNESDAY MORNING

Underneath a large wrecking ball Ice opens up a cellar door and tosses a paint can up to A-Rab, who catches it effortlessly and then two more come up from the ground. He throws the extra cans to Diesel and Action before hauling Ice out of the cellar with a can of his own. They began walking across the construction site, not caring if they got in the way of the workers because as far as they were concerned, this was their territory and nothing would stop them from being there. Their fingers clicked in sync as they trudged across the debris and knocked down walls, sticking together as the Jets ruled this side of town. The foursome made their way down the alley with their paint cans, stopping at a gutted tenement, just in front of it was a vandalised wrecking crane.

One of the treads had been crowbarred off and the engine had been looted, a whistle from the group summons Riff out of the cab. His hair was tousled and there was lipstick smeared across his mouth, he steps to one side and allows Graziella to come into view. Smirks on both of their faces as they share a deep kiss before he pulled away, hopping down to the pavement and helping her off the machinery. She sashays past the Jets, only wearing a small skimpy two piece set and appreciates the wolf whistle that Ice sends her way until Riff cuts him off. "Jets!"

He takes a paint can from Action and leads them down a mostly deserted street, ambling and clowning around but with intent of a destination. They kick over a sawhorse with a sign that read: Men Working and calmly split up as a police car drives through the middle of them. The Jets were not scared of the cops, not as they should be and found the ones in New York to be more amusing than scary. The boys watched as the police car slowly cruised by them, not stopping but watching the boys closely because they didn't trust the kind of trouble that they could easily get into. As they pass Doc's Drugstore, Riff raps on the window and four more Jets bound out onto the street, Snowboy, Mouthpiece, Tiger and Big Deal all rushed to catch up with the others.

Most of the buildings that they pass are inhabited, boarded up and chained with signs warning people of danger. Riff leads the Jets, swinging their paint cans from behind the crane to Broadway, past abandoned or ruined tenements as pedestrians clear out of their way. As they pass through the streets, more Jets appear as they spot their group and rush to join them, Balkan, Numbers and Skink fall into step with the others. The younger members of the gang, Little Moly and Baby John were eager to join but also scared of what could happen; they had been there the night that Tony almost killed a kid and they didn't want to get into trouble. Numbers jumps up from basement level, forgetting his cigarette as he was desperate to keep up with the others, falling behind Riff the Jets were complete and ready for their day of troublemaking.

Just walking down the street they intimidated people, stepping into the intersection and crossing a boundary into a new neighbourhood which was bright and full of colour. Beyond the crossroads there were all sorts of vibrant things to discover, with Puerto Rican flags hanging from windows and grocery stores filled with fruit that had only been dreamt of until now. The Jets just stare suspiciously at the baskets of mangoes and guanabanas as this was strange to them. Riff signals and they spread out through San Juan Hill, a teeming Puerto Rican neighbourhood, alive with Spanish culture, protesting the demolition and relocation of residents. Baby John is the only one to not follow the others, seemingly lost in the middle of this part of the city but the leader notices his worry and steps back, throwing a supportive arm over his shoulder. "C'mon."