FicWad

The sound of fingers snapping in unison echoed through the playground in upper West Side New York. Bored yet intensely watching a group of boys play basketball were the Jets, the local gang, leaning against a brick wall they had earlier graffitied and trying to look tough. Not that they weren't tough. Oh, they were.
Brendon, who was referred to as Riff - each gang member had their own nickname - sat in the center of their intimidating group. The moment he stopped snapping, everyone else did the same, turning to him with all their attention focused on what he was about to say.
"So, boys-" Riff started. Hannah -better known as Action- cleared her throat loudly and flipped her flaming red hair over her shoulder, glaring sternly at Riff- "and ladies. What are we gonna do about them Sharks?"
Suddenly, an unfamiliar voice broke the awkward silence. Upon looking up, Action noticed Ray, leader of the Sharks, lounging cockily at the top of the brick wall, grinning down at the Jets almost like a cat.
"Hey, we got trouble, buddy boy." Spencer, better known as Diesel, muttered to Riff. The Jets all looked up nervously at Ray, and Mikey, whose nickname was Baby John, gulped.
"Gee," He said meekly.
"I say go go!" Action exclaimed suddenly, and jumped at Ray. Riff and Diesel held her back, and she spit on Ray furiously.
"Cut it, Action." Riff sighed, and they watched as Ray retreated happily. "Look, as I was sayin', we really gotta do somethin' about the Sharks. And I'm thinkin' we need Gerard back in the gang." He continued from where he had left off.
"Oh, who needs Gerard?" Action scoffed, pouting and crossing her arms over her chest. Everyone in the gang knew she wanted to be in charge, and it was obvious she felt Gerard was a threat to her authority.
"We need Gerard. He's got a rep bigger than the whole West Side." Diesel said, wrapping his arm around his girlfriend Jen's waist. She rested her head on his shoulder and cooed "You tell 'er, Daddy-O," twirling her black, wavy, shoulder-length hair around her finger. Anybody's, a young girl who was always trying to be taken seriously by the Jets, came to Action's rescue. She made a gun with her fingers and "fired" it at Jen, shouting "Pow! Pow!"
"Oh, poo." Jen said, and she and Riff's girlfriend, Velma, giggled obnoxiously.
"Beat it, Anybody's." Riff said rudely, eyeing her like she was a worthless piece of trash. Anybody's looked at him pleadingly and stepped closer to Action. "Aw, c'mon Riff, you gotta let me in the gang! Didn't ya see me and Chino last weekend in the park? I'm smash, I'm a killer, I wanna fight!"
"/Beat it/." Riff said, more sternly this time, and she spit on them before walking away in a huff.
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Meanwhile in the bridal shop down the street, Pete, Ray's loyal boyfriend, worked fervently behind his sewing machine, making a dress. Frank, Ray's younger brother, stood in his underwear, watching Pete work.
"Por favor Pete, make the neck lower." Frank said, bouncing on his toes. 
"Stop it, Frank." Pete said firmly, not looking up from his work. Frank put his hands on the edge of Pete's work table and batted his eyelashes at him. "One inch. How much can one little inch do?"
"Too much." Pete grumbled. "Pete, it is now to be a dress of dancing, no longer for kneeling in front of an altar!" Frank exclaimed exasparatedly.
"With those boys, you can start in dancing and end up kneeling." Pete Sao wisely, shaking his head.
"Querida, one little inch, uno poca poca-"
"Ray made me promise--"
"Ai! Ray! For one month have I been in this country-do I ever even touch excitement? I sew all day, I sit all night. For what did my fine brother bring me here?" Frank cried, leaning against the work table.
"To be with Chino."
"When I look at Chino, nothing happens."
"What do you expect to happen?"
"I don't know: something. What happens when you look at Ray?"
"It's when I don't look at him that it happens." Pete sighed dreamily, smiling up at Frank before returning to his work.
Frank paused for a moment to think, then smiled mischievously at Pete. "I think I will tell Mama and Papa about you and Ray in the balcony of the movies!"
"I will rip this to shreds!" Pete cried, holding up the finished dress.
"No. But you perhaps could manage to lower the neck-"
"Next year."
"Next year, I will be married, and no one will care if it is down to here!"
"Down to where?"
"Down to here!" Frank exclaimed, indicating his waist. "I hate this dress!"
"Then don't wear it and don't come to the dance."
"Don't come?" Frank asked, shocked. "Could we not dye it red, at least?"
"No, we could not." Pete said, starting to help Frank into the dress.
"But white is for babies!" Frank whined as Pete zipped up the dress for him. "I will be the only one there in a white-" Frank glanced at his reflection in the full-length mirror and squealed happily, grinning.
"Oh, si." He said, turning from side to side. "Mhmm." Pete murmured, admiring his work.
There was a knock on the door.
"Come in!" Frank called. Ray and Chino stepped in, wearing suits.
"How does it look, Ray?" Frank asked. 
"Beautiful." Ray said with a smile, stepping forward to kiss Frank's forehead.
"Um, I didn't quite catch that." Pete said sarcastically.
"Beautiful." Ray repeated, kissing Pete much differently.
"Now, I trust that you will look after Frank tonight when I cannot. Yes?" Ray asked Chino. Chino nodded.
"Oh, my brother is a silly watchdog." Frank huffed.
"You are a precious jewel."
"And what am I? Cut glass?" Pete asked curtly. Ray laughed and looked at his boyfriend lovingly.
"Ray, it is most important that I have a wonderful time tonight." Frank said, smiling innocently.
"And why is that?"
"Because tonight is the real beginning of my life as a young man of America." Frank explained, twirling around the shop and admiring the way his skirt fanned out around him.