epilogue

                                    

                                          
Dear Riff Lorton,
Words cannot describe how much I am longing to hear your voice again, each day without you is even harder than before. If I would have told myself that I would have fallen in love with the troublemaker I've known since I was a kid, I wouldn't have believed it. But looking back to a month ago when it was just us and no one else, it was the happiest I had ever been. I still repeat some of the things that you said to me in my head during the nights that we were together. You mean so much to me and you always will. It's been a month since the dreaded rumble but things have slowly began going back to normal. I've gotten to know Maria better and we strangely have a lot more in common than I thought. We're both helping each other mourn Tony who is hopefully living a better life now. His funeral was last week along with yours but I made sure that everything was perfect and just the way you would have wanted, but with my touch of course. I just can't understand how it all happened so quickly, but I know I shouldn't think about it too hard. There is hope for the future, I know it. We've suffered enough through this stupid rivalry and I think everyone is finally beginning to see that. The Jets and Sharks have began to live peacefully and Valentina and I think it's really quite beautiful. Still, nothing is the same without you and I love you more that you'll ever know. My heart is and always will be devoted to you, Riff.
Love,
Nancy Wyzek
Nancy stared at the piece of paper in her hands as she looked to the grave in front of her.
Turning her head to the right, her brother's name was engraved into the stone beside his best friend and Bernardo's was to the left.
Memories flashed her mind constantly of the horrid events that felt like they were happening over and over again. Remembering them caused Nancy to have quite a temper, but thankfully she was beginning to control it. 
As the sound of the gunshot rang in her ear, she held the note in her hand tighter to try and calm herself down. It wasn't until she felt a hand touch her shoulder.
"It's ok Nancy, take a deep breath," Baby John said softly.
The curly headed girl looked down to the note for Riff that was now slightly wrinkled due to a few of her tears falling onto the piece of paper.
Looking at the letter, she placed a kiss on the page and neatly folded it up into a square. Bending down to Riff's grave, she got on her knees and cleared away any weeds that had already began to grow.
And with one deep breath, she placed the letter within the flowers she had planted a few days ago.
With a newfound strength, she stood up and smiled at the Jet who had volunteered to come with her to the graveyard.
"Are you ready?"
"Of course."
The two walked back in a comfortable silence until they made in back to Doc's shop. The basement was now fully cleared out with crates of Nancy's belongings piled on top of the counters of the store.
"There you are! I was looking everywhere for you." Maria exclaimed with a box in hand.
Anita then appeared with Valentina behind her, both carrying a crate. "She was visiting Riff, querida, give her a moment."
The girl nodded but still walked up to Nancy so the two could share a hug.
"Are you still sure you want to do this, Maria?" The girl asked with hesitation lining her voice.
"Of course I do! There's no one else I'd want to live with."
The young girl embraced Nancy in a hug and was truly excited for the next step of her life with her closest friend.
A few seconds passed before the four girls heard the front door creak open. The young Jet's hand was on the doorknob as he tried to slip out of the store quietly.
"Wait!" Nancy called out, but as she did so Baby John's attention immediately turned to the girl.
"Thank you for being there for me this past month, Baby John, truly. Riff would be very proud of you." 
All the boy could do was smile at the girl he admired so deeply. He never found a time to tell her how much she meant to him, but he knew that now just wasn't the best time.
Without saying a word, he waved to Nancy and began his walk back home. She then retreated back into the store to help the others to start moving her crates into her new apartment.
As she opened the door and as she was met with Anita, Maria, and Valentina all looking to her with bright eyes, she knew things were going to get better.
Things were going to be all right. This was exactly what she needed.
But as she walked over to the crate with Riff's things, she picked up the necklace that she always saw him wearing around his neck.
She smiled at the memories it gave her as she decided it would look just as good around her neck as it did his.
The girls around her gave Nancy a smile as they all began to make their way to the car waiting outside.
As they did no, she held the necklace tightly in her palm and smiled as she squeezed it lightly, remembering that he would always be with her.
But little did she know that the Jet was smiling right back down at her from above.
the end!