𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐣𝐞𝐭 | riff wss

fourteen.

The group of boys that called themselves the Jets were known as ruthless and dangerous by the entire West Side.

From stealing items from street venders to fighting another gang who threatened their territory to the death, they had a reputation that followed them wherever they went.

The sad thing about it was that it also bled onto the others around them, no matter what affiliation they had with the boys.

But they each still took care of their own, even if that meant bringing home the heartbroken girl they had gotten to know over the past few weeks because of their leader.

She was quiet the whole walk home, soaked from the rain just like the rest of the Jets were, but they still guarded her from the front and the back just like she was one of them.

As they reached the front door of Doc's shop, Baby John stepped ahead to open the door. Nancy didn't thank him or even glance his way when she stepped through the doorway.

But when she turned around to shut the door herself, not a word was said from either her or the Jets. They all seemed completely speechless.

Worrying about the future of what was to come hadn't hit them yet, the shock and fear of the rumble was still settling into each of them.

The door closed with a 'click' and as soon as she heard it, Valentina came rushing out of her room to see who it was. Cops had been heard continuously through the night and it was eating her up not knowing where her kids were.

She was prepared to scold Nancy for being out so late but everything changed once she saw her appearance.

"Is everything alright? What happened?" The old woman asked as she looked as the drenched girl in front of her.

The Wyzek sister tried to tell her but she couldn't even tell herself that it was even true.

"R-Riff...he–" She tried to finish but had to wipe the tears from her face so she could see.

Valentina's hand went straight to her mouth as she saw the hand that she wiped her eye with was a dark shade of red. "Nancy, who's blood is that?!"

She tried to wipe it off on her dress but there was no use. "It's Riff's...he was killed Valentina and I wasn't there to stop it!" Nancy shouted as she stormed over to the basement door.

Valentina looked at her in shock as she shouted and walked away like the life had been drained out of her.

She had never seen her so distraught over the leader of the Jets even in the midst of their fight, Nancy had never even yelled before at her before.

As Valentina still trailed behind to make sure the girl she treated as her daughter was alright, Nancy opened the basement door in hopes to find Bernardo's killer.

"Tony? I need to talk to you." Nothing was heard after she spoke.

She held into the railing tightly as she stepped down one further into her room. "Tony?" Silence was heard again.

In this moment of desperation to find her brother, Nancy finally gave up. Her legs almost gave out as she plopped herself onto the step and covered her face with her hands.

Her parents are dead, her boyfriend is dead, and her brother is missing, she had lost everything.

More tears began to fall and she sobbed into her hands at the realization of who all she had lost. The silent cries became ugly sobs as she tried to call out for Tony again.

"Tony!" Nancy's voice broke as she envisioned what had happened before she got to the salt shed. Riff was brutally stabbed and then out of anger her own brother had stabbed Bernardo.

She thought Tony had changed, she even saw his improvement when he denied getting into all the Jet business the past few weeks.

But what had changed? What had made him run towards the fire?

Betrayal stung her heart as she thought of his actions, knowing that her brother was not the person she thought he was.

In this moment of hearing her heartbreak, Valentina's heart shattered as well for the young girl she loved so much.

She had already seen her mother fall in love with a Jet and then lost her life because of the consequences. Now Nancy was the second to replicate the tragic pattern of both of her parents, left alone because of the violence and danger of gangs.

So she wouldn't startle the girl, she slowly walked down the stairs and sat on the same one the curly headed girl sat on.

Caught up in her thoughts, Nancy barely felt a thing when the older woman put her arms around her and began to hum a tune that they both knew very well.

She finally took a deep breath to calm herself down when she heard the tune that used to put her and Tony to bed every night.

Then after calming herself down so she could breath at a steady pace, Nancy leaned in to Valentina as she continued to hum the familiar tune.

The comfort of the woman who felt like her mother made her feel less alone but there was still a sting of loneliness that would forever change her after tonight.

That Riff could be the one to comfort her, but he was gone forever.

emma speaks:)
- let's all say a prayer for Nancy and the next 24 hours she is going to have to endure!