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Description
***Please read Author’s Comments below this before reading this chapter to understand the characters’ nicknames on who’s who. After you read this chapter, don’t be shy, please give the writer your comment on what you think of this so far. Thank you and enjoy reading!***

                                                                 Scene 9

Later that night, under the highway. A dead end with rotting plaster-and-brick walls and mesh wire fences. A street lamp. It is nightfall. The almost-silhouetted gangs come in from separate sides who were climbing over fences or crawling through holes in walls. There is silence as they fan out on opposite sides of the cleared space. Angry girl is watch behind a dumpster near them. Then Dino and Skull remove their jackets, handing them to their second: Nino and Nuggs.

Dino: (Cracks his knuckles and glares at Skull) Ready.

Nino: (Surprisingly not reading a book) Ready.

Skull: (Cracks his neck from side to side and his fists) Ready! Come to center and shake hands.

Dino: (Raises his eyebrows) For what?

Nuggs: That’s how it’s done , buddy boy.

Dino: (Rolls his eyes) More gracious living? Look, I don’t go for that pretend crap you all go for in this country. Every one of you hates every one of us, and we hate you right back. I don’t drink with nobody I hate, I don’t shake hands with nobody I hate. Now come on let’s start so we won’t waste time for Skull here from his booty call with his slutty Princess. (He and his Shark mates chuckles with him)

Skull: (Grits his teeth in anger) Watch your mouth buddy boy, you might lose it! (balls his fist up in anger)

Guapo: (From the group of chuckling Sharks) Yeah, hey Skull! How was she last night after I porked her?!  (All of the Sharks stopped laughing once he said that. He then sees Skull getting really pissed) Oh crap.

Skull: (Breathing heavily) Oh she’s fine! Hows your nose!? (Charges at him with his fist ready to punch him but Guapo puts his hand up in defense)

Guapo: (Scared) Not the face or the neck, hands, knees, legs,or anything in the chestil region! (Shivering in fear)

Skull: (Walks to the center and punches Dino hard in the stomach that makes him fall down) That’s for calling Princess a slut! (Once Dino gets up Skull gets ready to fight) Bring it on!

Nuggs: OK.

Dino: (moving to the center) Here we go.

Skull begins to move toward him. There are encouragements called from each sides. The “fair fight” is just beginning when there is an interruption.

Tommy B: Hold it! (He leaps over the fence and starts toward Dino)

Nuggs: (Calling to him) Get with the gang!

Tommy B: No

Nuggs: What’re you doing?

Dino: Maybe he has found the guts to fight his own battles.

Tommy B: (smiling) It doesn't take guts if you have a battle. But we haven't got one, Buddy Boy.

He extends his hand for Dino to shake it. Dino knocks the hand away and gives Tommy B a shove that sends him sprawling.

Dino: Dino.

Nuggs: (quiet, strong) The deal is a fair fight between You and Skull. (To Tommy B, who has
gotten up) Get with the gang.

During the following, Dino flicks Tommy B’s shirt, pushes his shoulder, pinches his cheek.

Dino: (To Tommy B) I'll give you a battle, Kiddando.

Skull: You've got one.

Dino: I'll take pretty boy on as a warm-up. Afraid, pretty boy? Afraid, chicken? Afraid, gutless?

Nuggs: Cut that-

Tommy B: I don't want to, Dino...

Dino: I'm sure.

Tommy B: Bernardo, you've got it wrong.

Dino: Are you chicken?

Tommy B: You won't understand!

Dino: What d'ya say, chicken?

Skull: Get him, Tommy B!

Dino: He is chicken.

Jock: Tommy B-

T-bag: Get him!

Tommy B: Dino, don't.

Dino: Don't want, pretty little chicken?

Nuggs: Tommy B, don't just stand-

Dino: Yellow-bellied chicken-

Nuggs: TOMMY B!

Skull: Murder him!

Partyboy: Kill him!

Dino: Come on, you yellow-bellied Polack bas-

He never finishes, for Nuggs hauls off and hits him. Immediately, the two gangs alert, and the following action takes on the form of a dance. As Dino reels back to his feet, he reaches for his back pocket. Nuggs reaches for his back pocket, and at the same instant each forth a gleaming knife. They jockey for position, feinting, dueling; the two gangs shift position, now and again temporarily obscuring the fighters. Tommy B  tries to get between them.

Nuggs: Hold him!

Jock and Skull grab Tommy B and hold him back. The fight continues. Nuggs loses his knife, is passed another by Skull. At last, he has Dino in a position where it seems that he will be able to run him through. Tommy B breaks from Jock and Skull and, crying out, moves to stop Nuggs.

Tommy B: Nuggs, don't!

Nuggs hesitates a moment; the moments is enough for Dino-whose hand goes forward with a driving motion, running his knife into Nuggs accidently. Dino was in shock for what he did. He walks backwards slowly and trembling form the near killed body. Tommy B leaps forward to catch Nuggs. He breaks his fall, then takes the knife in his left hand, leaps at the shocked Dinoo, but is held back from Skull to prevent him attacking Dino.

Skull: Brad! Brad! Stop! (Hold him tighter) WILL YOU- (interrupted by Tommy B elbowing him in the chest which made him lose his grip on him)

All this happens terribly fast; and Tommy B grabs Dino repeatedly punches Dino in his stomach with his right hand. Then without knowing, accidently uses his left hand and rams his knife into Dino’s chest. The free-for-all continues a moment longer. Then there is a sharp police whistle. Everything comes to a dead stop- dead silence. Then a distant police siren: the kids waver, run one way, another, in panic, confusion. Skull is looking at the two lifeless bodies and at the traumatized Tommy B. He is called to by Partyboy and runs off. As the stage is cleared, Tommy B stands, horrified, over the still bodies of Nuggs and Dino. He bends over Riff's body

Tommy B: (Shaking Nuggs bloody body) Nuggs! (Faintly says with tear coming outta his eyes) Hey, buddy boy? Come on we get- (Pauses once he sees Nuggs not breathing anymore. Nuggs is dead. Tears are falling Tommy B’s dirty face and scream in anguish.) SARAH!

Another police whistle, closer now, but he doesn't move. From the shadows, Angry girl appears. She scurries to Tommy B and tugs at his arm. A siren, another whistle, then a searchlight cuts across the playground. Angry girl's insistent tugging brings Tommy B to the realization of the danger. He crouches, starts to run with her to one escape way. She reaches it first, goes out-but the searchlight hits it just as he would go through. He stops, runs the other way. He darts here, there, and finally gets away as a distant clock begins to boom.  The Curtain Falls as the two dead bodies are left to rest in peace.

Description
***Please read Author’s Comments below this before reading this chapter to understand the characters’ nicknames on who’s who. After you read this chapter, don’t be shy, please give the writer your comment on what you think of this so far. Thank you and enjoy reading!***

                                                                 Scene 9

Later that night, under the highway. A dead end with rotting plaster-and-brick walls and mesh wire fences. A street lamp. It is nightfall. The almost-silhouetted gangs come in from separate sides who were climbing over fences or crawling through holes in walls. There is silence as they fan out on opposite sides of the cleared space. Angry girl is watch behind a dumpster near them. Then Dino and Skull remove their jackets, handing them to their second: Nino and Nuggs.

Dino: (Cracks his knuckles and glares at Skull) Ready.

Nino: (Surprisingly not reading a book) Ready.

Skull: (Cracks his neck from side to side and his fists) Ready! Come to center and shake hands.

Dino: (Raises his eyebrows) For what?

Nuggs: That’s how it’s done , buddy boy.

Dino: (Rolls his eyes) More gracious living? Look, I don’t go for that pretend crap you all go for in this country. Every one of you hates every one of us, and we hate you right back. I don’t drink with nobody I hate, I don’t shake hands with nobody I hate. Now come on let’s start so we won’t waste time for Skull here from his booty call with his slutty Princess. (He and his Shark mates chuckles with him)

Skull: (Grits his teeth in anger) Watch your mouth buddy boy, you might lose it! (balls his fist up in anger)

Guapo: (From the group of chuckling Sharks) Yeah, hey Skull! How was she last night after I porked her?!  (All of the Sharks stopped laughing once he said that. He then sees Skull getting really pissed) Oh crap.

Skull: (Breathing heavily) Oh she’s fine! Hows your nose!? (Charges at him with his fist ready to punch him but Guapo puts his hand up in defense)

Guapo: (Scared) Not the face or the neck, hands, knees, legs,or anything in the chestil region! (Shivering in fear)

Skull: (Walks to the center and punches Dino hard in the stomach that makes him fall down) That’s for calling Princess a slut! (Once Dino gets up Skull gets ready to fight) Bring it on!

Nuggs: OK.

Dino: (moving to the center) Here we go.

Skull begins to move toward him. There are encouragements called from each sides. The “fair fight” is just beginning when there is an interruption.

Tommy B: Hold it! (He leaps over the fence and starts toward Dino)

Nuggs: (Calling to him) Get with the gang!

Tommy B: No

Nuggs: What’re you doing?

Dino: Maybe he has found the guts to fight his own battles.

Tommy B: (smiling) It doesn't take guts if you have a battle. But we haven't got one, Buddy Boy.

He extends his hand for Dino to shake it. Dino knocks the hand away and gives Tommy B a shove that sends him sprawling.

Dino: Dino.

Nuggs: (quiet, strong) The deal is a fair fight between You and Skull. (To Tommy B, who has
gotten up) Get with the gang.

During the following, Dino flicks Tommy B’s shirt, pushes his shoulder, pinches his cheek.

Dino: (To Tommy B) I'll give you a battle, Kiddando.

Skull: You've got one.

Dino: I'll take pretty boy on as a warm-up. Afraid, pretty boy? Afraid, chicken? Afraid, gutless?

Nuggs: Cut that-

Tommy B: I don't want to, Dino...

Dino: I'm sure.

Tommy B: Bernardo, you've got it wrong.

Dino: Are you chicken?

Tommy B: You won't understand!

Dino: What d'ya say, chicken?

Skull: Get him, Tommy B!

Dino: He is chicken.

Jock: Tommy B-

T-bag: Get him!

Tommy B: Dino, don't.

Dino: Don't want, pretty little chicken?

Nuggs: Tommy B, don't just stand-

Dino: Yellow-bellied chicken-

Nuggs: TOMMY B!

Skull: Murder him!

Partyboy: Kill him!

Dino: Come on, you yellow-bellied Polack bas-

He never finishes, for Nuggs hauls off and hits him. Immediately, the two gangs alert, and the following action takes on the form of a dance. As Dino reels back to his feet, he reaches for his back pocket. Nuggs reaches for his back pocket, and at the same instant each forth a gleaming knife. They jockey for position, feinting, dueling; the two gangs shift position, now and again temporarily obscuring the fighters. Tommy B  tries to get between them.

Nuggs: Hold him!

Jock and Skull grab Tommy B and hold him back. The fight continues. Nuggs loses his knife, is passed another by Skull. At last, he has Dino in a position where it seems that he will be able to run him through. Tommy B breaks from Jock and Skull and, crying out, moves to stop Nuggs.

Tommy B: Nuggs, don't!

Nuggs hesitates a moment; the moments is enough for Dino-whose hand goes forward with a driving motion, running his knife into Nuggs accidently. Dino was in shock for what he did. He walks backwards slowly and trembling form the near killed body. Tommy B leaps forward to catch Nuggs. He breaks his fall, then takes the knife in his left hand, leaps at the shocked Dinoo, but is held back from Skull to prevent him attacking Dino.

Skull: Brad! Brad! Stop! (Hold him tighter) WILL YOU- (interrupted by Tommy B elbowing him in the chest which made him lose his grip on him)

All this happens terribly fast; and Tommy B grabs Dino repeatedly punches Dino in his stomach with his right hand. Then without knowing, accidently uses his left hand and rams his knife into Dino’s chest. The free-for-all continues a moment longer. Then there is a sharp police whistle. Everything comes to a dead stop- dead silence. Then a distant police siren: the kids waver, run one way, another, in panic, confusion. Skull is looking at the two lifeless bodies and at the traumatized Tommy B. He is called to by Partyboy and runs off. As the stage is cleared, Tommy B stands, horrified, over the still bodies of Nuggs and Dino. He bends over Riff's body

Tommy B: (Shaking Nuggs bloody body) Nuggs! (Faintly says with tear coming outta his eyes) Hey, buddy boy? Come on we get- (Pauses once he sees Nuggs not breathing anymore. Nuggs is dead. Tears are falling Tommy B’s dirty face and scream in anguish.) SARAH!

Another police whistle, closer now, but he doesn't move. From the shadows, Angry girl appears. She scurries to Tommy B and tugs at his arm. A siren, another whistle, then a searchlight cuts across the playground. Angry girl's insistent tugging brings Tommy B to the realization of the danger. He crouches, starts to run with her to one escape way. She reaches it first, goes out-but the searchlight hits it just as he would go through. He stops, runs the other way. He darts here, there, and finally gets away as a distant clock begins to boom.  The Curtain Falls as the two dead bodies are left to rest in peace.