"Stop it! This isn't funny! You're hurting her! STOP IT! STOP!" Nancy yelled as she tried to get the attention of the Jets from inside of the shop.
Her hand was bright red from banding on the glass part of door to try and get them to snap out of whatever they were doing.
It was disgusting what she was witnessing, but she couldn't stop it in time because of Baby John and Mouthpiece practically throwing her out without a say when she had changed her mind of revenge.
Tears were beginning to fall as she continued to bang on the shop's door. "Please!"
It felt like ages of seeing the torment before Valentina came in from the back door and broke up the potential crime that could have occurred.
All that was heard from the inside was yelling from Anita towards all of the boys who Nancy didn't trust anymore after what she had just witnessed.
The night was silent when the Shark opened the door and stumbled her way out, Nancy did not hesitate for a second to get out of the woman's way.
Guilt immediately consumed the curly headed girl from the inside out. Now that Riff was gone, the rest of the Jets had fallen apart and she was ashamed to even think she could have been associated with them for a time.
"Anita!" The woman she was calling to didn't stop walking in the other direction.
"Anita wait please!"
"What?!" She snapped back.
"I'm ashamed...Riff would never encourage something like this. I'm sorry...I–I can't believe this is what I've become."
Nancy's throat began to sting as she broke down once again. Her life was being held together by a single string and she could feel that it was about to fall apart.
This was all her fault. If she hadn't entertained Riff for as long as she did none of this would have happened.
"I don't even know who I am anymore."
Ugly sobs escaped her lips as she stood in the street crying. She was fully lost in the depths of her own mind and didn't even care to run after Anita anymore.
Nancy suddenly felt two hands touch her shoulders, "Here, get out of the street before a car hits you Nancy."
Guiding her to the sidewalk, the older woman sat the broken girl down even in the midst of just being attacked.
She didn't know why she did this, if anything she hated the Jets with every bone in her body, but seeing a girl who reminded her of Maria gave her a pinch of guilt because of what her own boyfriend did to Riff.
"Why are you doing this? You're being nice to me—after everything they did to you?"
"Bernardo is the reason your boyfriend is dead, you shouldn't have to suffer either because of the mistakes from the people around us."
Nancy looked up, mascara sitting under her eyes. "Do you think things will ever go back to normal?"
"Someday...I think."
The curly headed girl smiled at the woman showing her sympathy as the two finally felt a moment of peace.
It was shattered quickly when the two heard the door behind them was thrown open revealing a flustered Tony who was breathing harshly.
Nancy immediately stood as she saw her brother in such a state, "Tony are you okay?"
The words meant nothing to him as the only thing he could think of was to get back at Chino for what he had supposedly done to Maria. Anita and Nancy shared a glance as he took off in the opposite direction they were standing.
Tears lined Tony's face as he shouted for the killer of his love and didn't waste any time before running off to the side of the building.
"Tony what's going on? The cops'll see you if you keep shouting like this," Nancy demanded.
"No no no you don't understand, Chino killed Maria. She's gone."
Anita could hear the sibling's heartbreaking conversation at a distance and felt her heart sting as she knew that the information wasn't true.
Not wanting to interfere or face any confrontation between the two, she silently began walking the other direction with her head hung low. Guilt flooded her body as she thought of what Nancy would think of her right as they had just made amends.
The Shark was so lost in her own guilt that she didn't see Maria running past her going to where she had just come from.
Nancy still tried to get her brother to listen to her in the quiet of the night, "Tony you need to calm down. We can figure this out inside," She placed a hand on his shoulder.
"Get off of me Nancy!" He pushed her off, "Chino kill me! Don't leave me like this..."
Rubble scraped against the curly headed girl's legs as she was forcefully thrown to the ground. Tony had never done such a thing to her and it was horrifying to see the strength he possessed when he was angry.
She angrily stood up and dusted off her cut up legs ready to put her brother back in his place.
But when she stood up, Chino was in front of her ready to aim a weapon at Tony. Trying not to breath, she stood still so the Shark wouldn't hear here. But as he continued to advance, she knew her plan was going to be short-lived.
"Tony behind y–"
Two loud shots rang in the air before Nancy could deliver her warning. Maria screamed out as she saw Tony stumble to the ground helpless.
"TONY!"
She ran past the killer to try and assess her brother that she prayed was still breathing.
But as she saw him in Maria's arms, she froze. The only family she had left was drifting away right in front of her and there was nothing that could prevent it from happening.
Her hands clasped her mouth as the blood became more evident on her brother's chest when Maria moved away to stand up to Chino. The second she stood up, Nancy collapsed onto the ground but saw that he was already gone.
Tony was dead and she didn't even get to say goodbye.
"I've lost Riff...I can't loose you too..." Nancy mumbled as tears stained her check for the second time.
She didn't get to say goodbye to her last bit of family she had, she was now truly alone.
If she hadn't followed her stupid three rules that she had come up with years ago then none of this would have happened, it was all her own falt.
Maria's shouts became blurred as Nancy cried over her brother's body. Her sobs became louder as she went to close Tony's eyes that were staring up at her.
"Tony you were all I had."
Out of the corner of her eye, Maria slowly appeared beside her and bent down to give Tony a last kiss. At least he got to truly love someone Nancy thought as she went to grab his hand that lay limp beside her.
The two girls on each side of the past rivalry sat quiet for a moment, grieving over the boy that both meant so much to them in different ways.
It wasn't until a siren sounded that a Jet tried to pull Maria from the dead body.
"Don't touch her!" Nancy shouted as Maria shrieked.
"Nancy," Baby John intervened boldly, "the cops...we have to go."
Out of desperation, she looked to the other girl who was sitting with her, not knowing what to do anymore. Maria's eyes were glossed over as she held out a hand for the two to stand up.
"C'mon, we'll get through this together."
The two finally stood up and were still holding each other in desperation. A cry escaped Nancy's mouth as the two sides began to both pick up Tony's body together.
The young girl embraced her in a hug as she let out a breath she didn't know she was holding.
As the two broke away, Nancy noticed Baby John standing back from the group that was beginning to walk in the direction of Doc's shop. The two exchanged a quick glance before she took her first step towards the shop.
In all honesty, she couldn't comprehend how each event had played out after the other to end up with her boyfriend and brother dead. But too her right, she had a girl who was going through the same things she was and she hadn't even notice it.
Tapping her on the shoulder lightly, she turned to the young Shark with a tear stained face.
"Maria I–thank you."
She nodded back as the two walked into Doc's shop as a few police cars began to line through side of the road.
After this night, Nancy didn't know what her future was going to look like, but she knew there was an unexpected friend to help her along the way.
And for the first time in a while, Nancy took a deep breath.
emma speaks :)
- epilogue is coming tomorrow, thank you guys so much for reading this far! it means a lot to me