Riff (The Prequel)(west side story)

Chapter 2

     Ron sauntered down the high school hallways, acting like he was hot stuff, although most of the girls at his school could beg to differ.
     It was instantaneous. Suddenly, a thick notebook soared the sweaty school air and knocked Ron smack dab in the back of his scull. The surprise caught him off guard. He tripped over his too-small sneakers and face-planted into the tile floor.
     "Oh jeez, man, I'm so sorry!" Some guy cried. He grabbed Ron by the shoulder and pulled him up with the force of an athlete.
     "What gives?!" Ron shouted. "Don't you know how to use a notebook?!" He looked up to stare at the boy's eyes. Chestnut brown with smile lines indented underneath. Ron glared at him.
"Hey, I'm sorry." The boy stuck out a hand. "I'm Tony!"
Ron swatted the hand away and replied. "The name's Ron," he said.
Tony smirked at Ron's words, causing him to contemplate what he had said that had been so amusing.
"What's so funny, kid?" Ron accused with his thick New York accent. A fellow Jet of his stopped by to observe the spectacle, prepared to punch someone if need be.
Tony smirked again. "It's just that—you don't look like a Ron!"
"What makes a Ron?"
"Well, I imagine red hair, and tall!" Tony stated. Ron glared even harder.
"You callin' me short, bud?" Ron snapped. He clenched his fist and tightened his bicep, ready to throw his punch.
"Well, you ain't exactly tall." Ron was about to attack the kid, when suddenly, Tony spoke again.
"Riff," he said, completely out of the blue.
Ron paused, his arm about halfway up. "Riff?"
"Yeah, Riff. Sounds like a bad boy New Yorker if ya ask me," Tony explained.
"That's stupid!" Ron exclaimed.
"I'm just sayin' it's better for you than Ron. Riff says 'fear me, I'm the big cheese here.' Ron says 'I'm an ordinary kid off the side of the road.'"
Ron contemplated that for a moment. He did indeed find his birth name foolish. After thinking, he replied. "Fine, I'll be known as Riff, so long as you keep your flying notebooks to yourself, ya hear?"
"No problem, see ya around, Riff!" Tony walked off as the bell clamored loudly overhead. Riff turned to his Jet buddy, Mike.
"Riff?" He whispered, as though to confirm.
"Yup, make sure all the others know it too! Anyone who calls me Ron ain't a Jet no more."
"Yes sir!" Mike joked. He and Riff hurried off to their next class, silently deciding it wouldn't be wise to ditch on day one of school.