The Celts (West Side Story: Riff X Reader)

Chapter 9: TW

(TRIGGER WARNING FOR SEXUAL ASSAULT!!!!! Do not read any further if you are triggered by reading this. It will be explained in the next chapter. This chapter will be in 3rd person POV for dramatic irony purposes.)

Many people believe that monsters lurk within the shadows and hide from ever being caught. Many others believe that if one was truly a monster, they would be rampaging. Neither are true. Most monsters inflict their horrors in the dark and strut out with no remorse. The victims are both the damaged and those who placed their trust in the monster, only to have it ravaged as though you have just handed somebody a loaded gun and pointed it at yourself.

The storms had rolled back over from where they had passed, so the sky was dull and overcast. The lights were broken in the abandoned apartment complex, so the only light was the watery dimness that was flooding in through the windows. Boys and girls were all collecting themselves and heading out to make their livings. A girl with beautifully short auburn hair stepped out of her sister's room and left the complex, ready for a day full of begging on street corners and fake coughing.

When she was outside, her milky gaze landed on their self-appointed gang leader, Ronan. He had a very kind face; despite his young age of 25, the corners of his eyes were creased with wrinkled caused by smiling, his eyes were comforting, and his voice was warm.

"Hey," Nettie said after walking up to him. He was wearing a dark blue shirt and a gray jacket.

"Is Liza back?" He asked as he fastened a brown cap atop his head, casting a shadow across his sharp jawline. He was easily the more attractive of the many Celtic guys in their gang.

"Yeah, I spoke to her this morning." Nettie nodded. "She said that Clanner lied about following her."

"What do you mean?" Ronan's dark brown hair had a dusty appearance to it beneath his cap. 

"Liza said that she followed Clanner into Jet terf." Nettie said. As they were talking, Ronan was subtly turning their course into a closed-off area beside the complex. "I'm not really sure why, but she said that he could have been going after a girl."

"Maybe." Ronan said, leaning against the brick wall behind him. Nettie was standing in front of him. His dark eyes looked over her small frame as she talked about the things that her sister had just told her. "Nettie."

"What?" She stopped talking.

"You know what? I've never noticed how beautiful you are." The twenty-five year-old man said to the eighteen year-old woman. 

"Thanks," Nettie said, pausing for a moment before continuing. "Anyway, I think—" Just then, Ronan planted his hands on her shoulders and flipped their positions to where it was Nettie against the wall and slammed his cracked lips against hers. Her milky eyes flew open and she ducked away from his advance, though he was about double her weight and her job required acting skills, while his required laborious efforts. There was no way she would be able to overpower him without a weapon, which she was severely lacking.

"Stop." Nettie said in shocked, shaking voice.

"Nettie, you're an adult now. We can do this now." Ronan said, nuzzling his face into her neck and planting kisses on skin that did not want them.

"Ronan, I don't want to do this." Nettie said, squirming away from him, though not escaping his grip. 

"Come on." Ronan said as he made another advance. He jumped away from Nettie the very instant the apartment building's door opened and Liza walked out. 

"Hey, Ronan, I'm sorry about yesterday." She said as she approached the two, completely unaware of the situation she had just halted. 

"Listen, come back to the building at noon and we're all going to go back and get our revenge." Ronan said with venom dripping from his voice. 

"Are you sure we should?" Liza asked with a doubtful but secretly gleeful expression on her face.

"Certain." He nodded grimly. 

"I trust you." Liza said before looking over at her younger sister. "Be safe today, Nettie. I'll see you at noon."

"Yep." Nettie said. And Liza left the Monster with her little sister with absolutely no knowledge of what was about to ensue. However, unbeknownst to all involved, someone lurked in the shadows and saw it happen. Horror and white-hot anger filled every molecule of Riff's body when he realized what he had just witnessed.