Boy, Boy, Crazy Boy

Chapter 4: The Visits

Riff came to visit Tony at West Side's little station three times before he was shipped upstate. Each time ended in either an argument or tears. Or both. Or worse. 

<~•~•~>

The first visit. 

It was barely five hours after Tony had been arrested. Tony was sitting on his cot in his cell, with Riff next to him. 

"There's so much blood, Riff." Tony stammered, eyes almost unfocused as he stared at his hands. "I did that. I- I-"

"Hey, hey- Tony- TONY." Riff slid off the cot, dropping to his knees to be level with his friend as he took Tony's face in his hands. There was almost a savage pride in his eyes, along with the fear he had seen earlier. He was trying to hide it, but Tony knew him too well to be fooled. "Calm down buddy boy. You done good."

"Good?!" He repeated incredulously. "Riff, you seen what I done- what I almost done to that kid? That's not good. That's bad. That's a bad mistake that I don't know how to fix Riff!"

Riff sighed and glanced around quickly before placing a chaste kiss on the other's lips. The tender movement was so out of character for Riff, always hungry, desperate, and angry in everything he did, that it shocked the taller to the point that he almost didn't feel the bit of metal that his friend snuck into his pocket.

The shorter wrapped his arms around his friend's midriff and spoke softly into his ear.

"Use that to pick the lock on your cell. There's an old laundry chute on the left side o' the building. Just get there as fast as you can and get down it. Action'll be keepin' watch and I'll be waitin' for you."

He pressed his lips to his friend's cheek lightly, resting his head there for a moment, then pulled away and stood up, turning to leave.

"Wait," Tony called hoarsely. "Riff, what is this?"

"What's it look like?" Riff said in a low voice, a ghost of a teasing smirk on his face. "We're gettin' you out."

Tony's eyes widened. "No." 

"Yes." Riff countered.  

"No." Tony repeated. "I realized somethin' earlier, Riff." He wasn't exactly speaking loudly, but his words were resonating in Riff's ears. "I'd do anythin' for you. Doesn't matter what it is. I can't tell you no. And maybe..." He mouthed words, trying to find the right ones. "Maybe that's not a good thing."

"Tony." Riff stated plainly. "Look at me wouldja?"

The taller's eyes agreed a little overzealously, raking over Riff from bottom to top, stopping at his eyes.

"This ain't about me." He said firmly. "This is about gettin' you outa trouble."

Tony just shook his head. "I- I can't, Riff."

"Please," There was a desperation in his voice unlike anything Tony had ever heard from Riff. "You said you'd do anythin' for me, so I'm askin' you for this. Please, let us get you outa here."

That was the second time Riff asked Tony for something. 

And it was the first time Tony denied him. 

<~•~•~>

The second visit.

Almost one full day had passed before Riff was back in Tony's cell, in the middle of an argument with him. 

"You'll be fine." Tony was saying. "The Jets listen to you. You're a good leader, Riff. You'll be f-"

"I can't do this without you, Tony!" Riff interrupted. "You've still got half my brain."

'And my whole heart.' 

"I'm sorry, Riff," Tony sounded sincere. "But I gotta serve my time." 

Riff shook his head, opening his mouth to speak, but he was cut off by Krupke's voice. 

"Visiting hours are over." He yelled. "Get outta here, Lorton." 

Riff shot them both a bitter look on his way out. 

<~•~•~>

The third visit. 

Riff visited again the next day. 

And of course, there was an argument. 

"You're no good, Riff!" Tony snapped.

"'Course I'm no good, I'm a Jet!" He threw the word at Tony with all the verbal force he could muster. "And you are, too." 

"NO." Tony shouted. "ONE OF US HAS TO GROW UP, RIFF. AND IT SURE AS HELL AIN'T GONNA BE YOU. BECAUSE YOU ALWAYS STAY THE SAME, YOU NEVER CHANGE, YOU'LL BE STUCK IN THIS FUCKIN' CITY, WITH YOUR FUCKIN' GANG FOREVER." 

"Our gang, Tony." Riff cut him off. He wasn't yelling, but there was a quiet rage behind his eyes. "We made the Jets, together, Tony, you and me, just like always. And we take care of each other, remember? When your ma kicked you out, I took care of you. When I got laid off, you took care of me. When you end up in jail, I take care of you." 

Tony was shaking his head. "If I hadn't made that stupid decision, then I wouldn't be in here, dragging you down for my mistake-" 

"MISTAKE?" Riff was yelling now. "YOU SAVED MY LIFE, TONY." 

"WELL MAYBE I SHOULDN'T HAVE!" 

The silence was deafening. 

Riff was staring at Tony with his mouth slightly ajar, a hurt look on his face as he stumbled backward. 

"Ri-Riff I didn't mean-" 

"Like hell you didn't." Riff cut him off in a harsh whisper. His whole body was trembling with the effort he was putting into not crying. 

Tony reached forward, trying to get a good hold on the struggling boy. "Riff, that's not- it just slipped out-"

Riff whimpered, pulling himself away from Tony. 

"Riff." Tony's voice broke. "I'm sorry, I just meant that-"

"That what? That you wish you hadn't saved my life?" Riff looked Tony in the eye, voice so quiet it was barely audible. "I know I ain't worth much, Tony, but I thought at least you..." 

Tony couldn't speak. 

Riff had nothing left to say. 

So he left. 

<~•~•~>

Riff didn't visit again after that. 

Instead, when he left, he wandered the streets. He put his fist through the window of a car. He considered getting a drink or picking a fight. He eventually found himself down by the docks. 

He and Tony had come there many times before. 

They'd gotten high behind that pile of construction equipment that had been sitting there since forever. Riff had convinced Tony to skip school one day when they were kids to come sit by the water and talk. Tony had fucked Riff against the wall in that alley over there just last week. 

As he thought, Riff barely even noticed what he was doing, only coming out of his stupor when he felt a slight pain on his palm. 

He looked down at his hands and wasn't too surprised at what he'd done. He'd picked up a brick and some rope and tied them together. 

He didn't falter as he strode to the end of the dock. He didn't stop as he tied the rope around his neck. He stood at the end of the dock, looking out at the dark water, he never had learned to swim, he and Tony had always said they would learn together, but they never did. 

He stepped off the dock. 

He felt water entering his lungs and his body naturally tried to cough it out, causing him to inhale more. Black spots started appearing across his vision as he sank deeper and deeper. Until finally, he blacked out.