A Place For Us

Chapter Eighteen

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

*Trigger Warning: This chapter contains scenes of sexual harassment/assault which may not be suitable for everyone.

CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

As the Jets carried Darcy through the backstreets and down past the torn-down tenements, she continued to kick and fight against them.

When they reached a demolition yard where several buildings lay crumpled and abandoned cranes sat hollow, they called out to the other Jets who came running. Darcy craned her neck to try and see Riff, but her heart sank when she saw he wasn't there. She was growing increasingly afraid by the second, knowing there was no way for her to defend herself against this group.

"Hey, what's goin' on?" one of the other Jets from the hangout asked. They all came over, most with bottles in their hands and mischief in their eyes.

"This pretty girl was giving us some trouble," the big one replied. He grabbed Darcy's chin and turned her forcefully to look towards the rest of them. "Said she knew Riff, so we thought we'd bring her over as a special surprise."

One of the others eyed her. "Lucky Riff."

The ones holding her threw her onto the ground, where she scrambled up onto her feet and found that they were all standing around her now. Nowhere for her to go. She had seen them countless times on the streets, running around like boys. But now, in the dark of night with their eyes hungrily locked onto her, they looked entirely different. Now, they were a threat.

"What's wrong?" one of them called out to her. "Not nice enough for ya?"

"Sorry it ain't the Ritz baby, but it'll have to do."

Baby. Hearing them use the name that Riff often called her made her feel nauseous. They're all the same, she thought.

"Listen," she pleaded. "Just let me-"

One of them moved forward and grabbed her around the waist, cackling as he did. The others yelled words of encouragement. Darcy pushed herself away and backed up.

"Just listen to me!" she yelled, her breath hitching in her throat.

"Enough talkin'!"

Stumbling back into the arms of another, much bigger Jet, she panicked as he lifted her off the ground. She brought back her elbow and slammed it down into his face, feeling his nose underneath the contact.

"Shit!" he exclaimed. In anger, he threw her across into the arms of another, who was waiting to grab onto her.

She struggled back, but this one was prepared for it. He held her tight and used his free hand to reach down and tug on the hem of her skirt.

"Hey, to me!" one of the others called.

Darcy found herself being flung across and stumbling into his grasp.

"Stop! Let me go!"

The one holding her laughed and turned to a smaller, much younger Jet next to him.

"Baby John, all yours!"

Once more, she was thrown towards another Jet, but this one did not catch her. Instead, he grabbed her arms and looked at her. He seemed half uncertain, half elated. They yelled celebratory remarks at him. She realised he was not much bigger than her, so she reached forward and gave him a fierce shove. He fell backwards onto the ground and she took off running.

She only made it a few feet away until she found herself being picked up and lifted into the air. She screamed at nothing and nobody, desperate for someone to come. A couple of the Jets grabbed onto her and pushed her down onto the ground, and she felt what seemed like a thousand hands tugging at her clothes, pressing her limbs sharply into the rocky ground. Above her, they laughed.