Nerd Vs. NYC (Here she is, part 4!)

[Space Toaster]

Summary: Meet Angelina. She aspires to be a romance novelist, plays the piano, and uses pencils to keep her bun together instead of hair chopsticks. She lives in an apartment building in Manhattan with her mom, dad, and her trusty pug Zanzibar. Between spending hours in her room writing, taking piano lessons and of course watching Dukes of Hazzard, Angelina is basically occupied in her own little world. But when she falls asleep on the subway on the way to a piano lesson, she suddenly finds herself far from the little world she knew, and after a bad encounter with a gang leader, she finds herself running for her life. How will she get home? Maybe a little assistance from a certain gang called The Warriors will help?

NERD VS. NYC

COMING SOON TO A THREAD NEAR YOU! (Namely this thread)

[Warrior_Swan]

This sounds interesting, I can't wait to see what you do with this.

[Space Toaster]

Nerd Vs. NYC
By Sarah Bross

Part One
I'm Supposed To Be In Queens!

Hey, I'm Angelina. Don't call me Angie, that's what my parents call me.

You know how when you're sitting in a movie theater, and it's really dark, and the movie's over. You walk out of the theater, and find yourself half-blinded by the sun? And you just want to crawl back inside and sit in the dark, because that's what you're used to?

Trust me, after what happened last week, I know what that feels like.

It started out like any normal Saturday. My alarm clock blares in my ear, screaming at me to wake up. This alarm clock ends up being thrown across the room and into my closet, which overflows with dirty laundry and stuffed animals. This is Zanzi's cue to come in and jump on my bed, licking all over my face.

Zanzi (short for Zanzibar) is a little black pug with big brown "LOVE ME" eyes and a love of jumping on me in the morning. If the jumping and licking don't work, he starts tugging my hair with his teeth, demanding his breakfast and morning snuggles.

I refused to respond to the licking, so naturally the hair chomping began. I finally batted him away and (still wearing my Dukes of Hazzard PJs, mind you) skulked into the bathroom to brush my teeth and wash the drool from my hair. I stared groggily at my reflection. Wide mouth + big lips + messy dark hair = Ick. My dad thinks I look like my Aunt Lisa. I think I look like Joey Ramone in drag.

I get dressed and go into the kitchen/living room. The usual 'nerd' ensemble: jeans, sneakers, button-down shirt, and sweater vest. Let?s not forget the Wild Mane of Doom (my hair) pulled back into a messy bun secured with pencils. Maybe I should wear a tie and some thick glasses while I'm at it, seeing as I'm slowly spiraling down the elevator shaft leading to Nerd-dom.

Dad was already at work, Mom was watching the news on TV. Zanzibar ran around my ankles yipping until I pet, cuddled, and fed him. A box of doughnuts was on the table, guess Mom didn't feel like cooking today. I took a jelly one naturally, and flop onto the couch next to Mom to watch the news while I ate my delicious pastry.

"Do you have money for the subway?" She asked me while I chewed and swallowed. I nodded and licked a drop of thick strawberry ooze off my fingertip. I had a piano lesson today, the studio I go to is all the way in Queens, so I take the subway. I know Mom gets worried, there's a lot gangs in the city, but for some reason she doesn't say anything about it. There are quite a few gangs in Manhattan too, but I know what to do. Don't say anything, don't look at them, and keep walking. It works all the time for me. The station I go to is a hangout for a bunch of guys in overalls calling themselves The Punks. I had a creepy encounter with their leader once, the guy on roller skates. I was just walking, and out of nowhere he just skated around me in a circle and tugged my hair. It scared the crap out of me, and I guess he could tell cause he and the other guys started laughing at me. After that I just ran and got on the train. A friend told me his name but I forgot, something with a V.

I finished my doughnut and went to my room to get my stuff together. I put the usual stuff in my backpack: my wallet, my piano book, my sheet music, and of course, my notebook. I was working on writing a romance novel called Beauty and the Freak, it was about a dorky teenage girl who falls in love with some hot guy. It's coming out pretty good so far. It'd be pretty cool if I got published before I turned seventeen...

I zipped up my backpack, went back out, kissed my mom and Zanzi goodbye and left for the subway station. It wasn't that crowded, oddly. Of course, The Punks were there, I simply walked past them to get to the train. Then I heard someone skating up behind me, following me. My 'You're-Going-To-Get-Attacked-And-Most-Likely-Molested' Alarm announced Code Red and I bolted. My long skinny legs saved my life, and as I glanced over my shoulder, I saw him just standing there watching me run. It was kind of creepy; it looked like he had a kind of....obsession with me. Ugh...it made me shudder. I got on the train, getting out my notebook to write while I waited. I can't concentrate that good when the train is moving. I heard someone knock on the window behind my head, I slowly turned my head...and sprung out of my seat into the empty one across from me. It was the leader of The Punks AGAIN. Then FINALLY, the train doors closed and it started moving. I rolled my eyes heavenward just to see if I was sitting in a miraculous beam of light. I wasn't, I just got lucky. I don't know how I'm going to deal with him when I come back, maybe I'll get off at a different station and walk home.

I was pretty tired today, I was up late last night watching Dukes of Hazzard with Zanzi. He gets all excited and wags his tail when Daisy comes on screen, it's so unbelievably cute. I smiled, feeling my eyes close, and my head tilt forward slightly. The train hit a bump and my head snapped up again. I must've fallen asleep for a second/ I looked to my left, I was the only person in the car. That was weird, I remembered two other people being in here a second ago. Maybe they moved when I fell asleep, it only felt like five minutes...suddenly the train slowed to a stop, and it announced the last stop in...BROOKLYN? What? There must be some mistake! I'm supposed to be in Queens! I looked at my watch. I've been asleep for hours!

I grabbed my backpack and ran off the train. This wasn't good. This wasn't good at all. I ran to find another train, one that would take me back to Manhattan, seeing as I missed my lesson. I wasn't looking where I was going, because I slammed into someone. I stumbled and nearly fell back on my rear. I looked at who it was I bumped into. It was some guy wearing a black and white tank top...with a bunch of other guys wearing the same shirt. One guy turned and I saw the logo of a snake biting a bloody sword. Below the gruesome picture it said in jagged letters 'Saracens'. Wonderful, just wonderful, I've run into another gang. The look I got from the guy I bumped into was nasty. It made you wonder who spit in his coffee this morning to make him so grouchy. Or maybe he suffered from a deficiency of caffeine. Either way that didn't change the face he looked ready to murder me!

I remembered my manners. "Um, uh, I'm sorry, I-"

"Wasn't watching where I was going!" The guy interrupted, finishing my sentence in a shrieky imitation of my voice. "Yeah, right, I've heard that one before."

"N-no, really! I didn't mean to!" I sputtered, starting to tremble as well as panic. I was scared already, I just wanted to start crying. One of the guys behind him laughed.

"Hey, Spike, look at her, poor wool's shaking!"

"I think she's gonna cry!" Another one said, mocking me.

'Spike' smirked at me. "Aww, poor baby, did she lose her mommy?"

I didn't say anything. He moved closer to me. Eeeeeep!

"I'll help ya find your mommy..." He snickered, like he actually thought I'd fall for that. I got the impression he thought all girls my age were stupid. Then he broke the fragile space between my personal space and his by reaching behind me. He grabbed my butt and squeezed. "Or maybe I'll just take ya home and you can call me 'daddy'." 

My eyes bugged out. That did it. Before I could even stop myself, my hand flew up and I slapped him so hard my palm stung and his head snapped to one side. Oh CRAP! I jumped back from him, my hands over my mouth in shock. I can't believe I just did that! The gang members looked at me like I was totally insane. Spike turned his head back to me, a red mark forming on his cheek. My bracelet must've gotten him too because there was a visible scratch near his chin. The look he gave me was...menacing.

"You hit me." His voice came out as a low growl. Before I could even start sputtering an apology (for defending myself? Geez I'm pathetic) he grabbed me by the hair.

"Nobody hits me!" He roared, punching me in the face. There was a searing pain in my cheek as I spun around once and fell down in a heap. They laughed at me, as I got up only to be kicked in the butt and fall down again. I wiggled my jaw experimentally. It wasn't broken, but I bet there was going to be a nasty bruise on my cheek. I wobbled to my feet again, not looking at them. I saw the exit. I could make it. I looked at them, they glared at right back me.

I ran.

[Scotty Rave]

Awesome beginning there. The way you portray Spike and Vance is great and I like how you added in the description of the Saracen logo. I wonder if this will lead to a confrontation between The Saracens and The Jones Street Boys. Oh yeah, the butt-squeezing bit, hilarious. I can't wait to read more.

[Furies4life]

Agreed With Scooty Rave!!!! You are one of the best female writers on this fourm. I love the desprtion of each gang and etc. Also maybe you can add the trains like the "D" or "R" If you know the subway i mean. Keep it up.

[Space Toaster]

Part Two
Oh Great, Another Gang!

?GET HER!? Spike shouted, and I heard at least six pairs of footsteps thundering after me. I scrambled up the stairs of the subway and down the sidewalk, my legs pumping, my heart pounding like a jackhammer. I never had to run so fast in my life. It felt like I was flying down the sidewalk. I ran and ran and ran, it felt like I?ve been running forever. After a few blocks however, I was exhausted. My legs felt like gelatin and I felt like someone shoved a vacuum done my throat and sucked the air from my lungs. My once light backpack now felt like there was a fifty-pound rock on my back. I?d run onto what looked a boardwalk or something. My legs gave out under me, and I collapsed. I saw a bunch of guys nearby in red vests. I was gasping for air, but I was still able to mouth words to them as The Saracens ran up to me.

?Help?me?? I mouthed, praying they would see what I was trying to say. ?Please?help me??

Two Saracens grabbed me and turned me over and they all crowded around me. I weakly tried to push and kick them away, but that didn?t work.

?Hold her down!? I heard Spike order. I couldn?t see him ?cause my head was spinning. My arms and legs were pinned down, one guy had a grip on my hair and was pulling it and making my eyes tear. One guy tugged at the collar of my shirt. I wanted to scream, ?NO! Let go of me! STOP IT!? but I had no air left.

?Hey!? I heard a new voice and the hands in my hair and on my collar stopped. I looked, I could vaguely make out three figures through my blurry eyes.

?This is Warrior turf, Saracens.? A male voice said.

?So yous better back off before we beat your ass.? Said another male voice.

?And hand over the girl while you?re at it.? Added the last voice, male as well.

?I got a better idea.? Spike sneered.

I was forced to stand up, some guy had his arm around my waist.

?We?ll fight ya. If we lose we?ll leave and you?ll get the kid, if we win we keep the kid and you have to leave us alone while we have our fun.?

?Fine.? Said one of the voices. ?Bring it.?

I was so confused and dazed, I didn?t know where I was or what was going on. Who?s fighting what now? Huh? I was too tired, my knees buckled and I collapsed to the ground unconscious.

I heard voices in the dark.

?Who's that?? Said a male voice I didn?t know.

?We dunno, Swan. The Saracens were trying to jump her on our turf, so we bopped ?em.? Said one of the voices I heard on the boardwalk. .

?Jeez, lookit that bruise, I didn?t think you could turn that shade of purple.? Said a female voice.

??Is that a pencil in her hair?? Said a voice.

?I didn?t see any ID in her wallet.? Said another one of the voices.

Something freezing was pressed to my bruise, making my cheek sting. I turned my head away with a groan, and slowly my eyes opened. I saw myself surrounded by several people, mostly guys and one woman. I looked around them, confused.

?W-where am I?? I finally said.

?The Warrior?s hideout.? Said a young African-American boy. He had an afro and I think he was quite cute. ?You passed out before we fought the Saracens.?

The woman pressed an ice pack to my cheek again. I wanted to turn my head away, but she meant well, so I let her.

?What?s your name, hon?? The woman asked me, letting go of the ice pack so I could hold it to my face.

?Angelina.? I said, sitting up.. She nodded, smiling a little bit.

?I?m Mercy.?

?I?m Swan, I?m Warlord.? Said a Caucasian man with blondish hair. I nodded a greeting.

?Rembrandt.? Said the boy with the afro. A guy wearing a Stetson and a guy with curly brown hair stood next to him. ?And that?s Cowboy and Vermin.?

?Er, hi.? I said, waving awkwardly.

Mercy stood up, and offered me a hand up from the couch I was sitting on. ?Come on, let?s get you fixed up, you look like you got hit by a bus.?

?I feel like I got hit by a bus.? I muttered, letting her help me up. She showed me where the bathroom was and I went in. I gawked at my reflection. I lost one of my makeshift chopsticks, so there was one pencil tangled in my ?mane.? Most of the swelling in my cheek went down, but it was still a nasty shade of purple. I looked awful. I straightened my shirt, washed my face and combed my hair with my fingers. I twisted it back into a knot and secured it with my remaining pencil. MUCH better. I walked out, turned a corner to go thank them for helping me, and bumped right into one of the guys, one I didn?t know. He was tall, had dark hair, and looked like he could crush my skull by merely tapping me on the forehead. I stared up at him, my mouth hanging open.

He stared down at me and glanced over his shoulder at the other guys.

?Who the f*** is she??

?That?s that girl the guys saved from The Saracens.? Said Swan.

??Saved?,? Ajax grumbled. ?We ain?t superheroes, buncha faggots??

We tried to move past each other, but the hallway was too small. Finally, fed up, he grabbed me under my arms, picked me up like I weighed nothing, turned and plopped me down on the floor. He stalked away, fuming and mumbling to himself.

I gaped at him, watching him leave and I looked at the others.

?Is he like that all the time?? I asked, walking over.

?Not always.? Cowboy said, shrugging. I sat on the couch again, I was still really tired after running for so long. Vermin sat down next to me and slung an arm over my shoulder. I scooted away from him slightly. He wasn?t wearing a shirt under his vest and his hairy chest kind of grossed me out. He didn?t notice

?So why were The Saracens chasing you?? He asked me. I sighed, this story might take a while.

?Well, it all started when I got on the subway to go to a piano lesson??

I told them about how I fell asleep, how I ended up in Brooklyn instead of Queens, how I slapped Spike (They gave me an odd look when I said that) and how they chased me.

?You slapped him?? Cowboy repeated. I nodded sheepishly.

?Yep.?

Vermin snickered, patting my shoulder. ?I like her, girl?s got guts.?

?Actually, it wasn?t guts it was more like a spastic nervous reaction induced by a perverted gang leader putting his hand on my butt.? I responded. They looked at me funny again. I sighed.

?Anyway, do you guys mind if I stay here a little longer, just to get my energy back? Then I?ll sneak my way back to the nearest station and remove myself from your hair.?

?That?s fine, kid.? Swan replied, arms crossed over his chest. Vermin looked at me.

?Aw, so you don?t want to stay here with me?? He asked, hopefully joking. He gave the shoulder his hand rested on a squeeze. I just looked at him. After what I went through, I was not in the mood for humor OR his somehow perverted shoulder squeezing.

?I think that was implied when I said I was going to leave.? I answered, scooting to the opposite end of the couch and away from him. Rembrandt and Cowboy started laughing, Vermin just shrugged.

[Scotty Rave]

Nice new addition. I agree with Ajax, the main gang members saving a girl is a little weird, but it's better than letting creeps like Spike have their way with her. You've somehow made Vermin creepier than he originally was.

[Warrior_Swan]

This story's going real good, I like what I'm seeing, you have talent with characters, and with writing in general, keep writing!

[Space Toaster]

Thank you all so much! I appreciate your comments very much, and I am ecstatic you were entertained by this and you consider me talented. I truly believe that this is my calling, and it's what I'm going to do for the rest of my life.

So thank you very much for your compliments and encouragement, that's the boost I need to keep going. ^_^

Muffins for all!

[Space Toaster]

Part Three
Manhattan Bound

So I just hung around for a little bit. I talked to Cowboy, and Rembrandt, ignored Vermin?s ?innocent? passes at me, and got introduced to a bunch of people, most of them being guys with the occasional girl. I did meet this nice guy Tiger and his girlfriend Cherub. I also met Snowball, (I had to pinch myself not to laugh, sorry Snow) Cochise, Cannon, Jacker, Elvis, Rodent and a bunch of others. They were mostly nice to me; I was pretty surprised. I guess not all gangs are out to molest and kill the common nerd girl. (Namely me)

Although, there was this one time when I was writing in my notebook, only to have it snatched out of my hands. I looked to see a tall boy with a Mohawk flipping through it.

?What?s this, your diary?? He snickered, flipping through it. I turned red and got up.

?Give it back.?

??And then Thomasina realized she had fallen in love with Jerome??? He read out loud. He looked at me, a pierced eyebrow raised. ?Is this a romance novel??

?Give. It. Back.? I repeated myself, speaking through clenched teeth.

?Tsk, tsk, tsk, there?s such a thing as saying ?please?, sweet-pea.? He said, pinching my un-bruised cheek like he was my Aunt Millicent. I swatted his hand away.

?Please give it back.? I said, ready to kick him in the leg if he didn?t. He handed it back to me, snickering.

?Man, Buzz, that wool?s [bad word deleted]ed.? One guy muttered.

?Stop calling me that!? I snapped at him. ?I?m not a damn sheep!?

They started laughing. I was starting to get annoyed. I shoved my notebook in my backpack, zipped it up and started for the door. I saw Swan on my way out.

?Thanks for letting me stay and everything.? I said, walking out the door. I saw Rembrandt, Cowboy and Vermin (my saviors, I guess) hanging around outside. I walked over to them.

?Hey.? I said. They looked at me. ?I?m going home now. Thanks for, you know, saving my butt.?

?No problem, kid.? Cowboy said, tipping his hat to me.

?Just don?t go slapping anymore gang leaders.? Rembrandt joked, patting me on the back. I couldn?t help but laugh.

?Don?t worry, I won?t.? I said. Vermin hugged me. Actually, it was more like he wrapped one arm around my waist and squeezed me to him as I tried not to gag at contact with his chest hair. (I?m weird like that) If he kisses me I?m stabbing him in the eye.

?Come back and visit me, ?kay?? He said, lightly punching my chin.

?Maybe.? I said, half-smiling as he released me from his grip. Whether he?s just kidding around or not, what he sees in me I?ll NEVER know. Or maybe he?s one of those perverted dudes with a fetish for young innocent teen girls. Ewww.

I spotted Tiger and Cherub on the beach, watching the sunset. I didn?t want to bother them, so I just asked Rembrandt to tell them goodbye for me. I eventually found the other guys I might and said bye too, I actually would kind of miss them.

I started walking away when I heard a familiar voice.

?Where?re you goin???

I looked to see Ajax, slouching against a wall and drinking what mostly like was beer. I shrugged my shoulders.

?Home, where else??

?Ya got jumped by some gang and almost got killed, and now you?re goin? back out again alone.? He pointed out, before taking a swig of his drink. ?In other words, you?re risking your skinny ass all over again.?

That was true?I could get attacked again. Still, I didn?t like that he was talking to me as if I was stupid.

?I?ll find a way.? I said simply, then added: ?Why do you care, anyway??

?I don?t.? He responded. I scowled at him.

?You know something?? I said to him. ?You?re a jerk.?

?And you?re a know-it-all bitch.? He replied. ?Ya think you?re smarter than me cause ya got a home and a family waitin? for ya? Feh, I ain?t no faggot.?

?Could?ve fooled me.? I answered, turning around and walked away. Something fell out of the sky in front of me and shattered at my feet. Judging by the nasty smelling liquid splattered on my sneakers, he?d thrown his beer bottle at me.

I glared at him over my shoulder, he responded by flipping me off. I stepped over the pile of broken glass and walked away from him. I?ll miss you too, jerk. But what he said to me I had to admit was true. I was being kind of?condescending. I would?ve gone back to apologize, but something tells me that wouldn?t change his opinion of me.

And it wasn?t a good idea to try to get home alone either. It?s too big a risk, in fact, my ?You?re-Going-To-Get-Attacked-And-Most-Likely-Molested? Alarm was beginning to beep. I turned around and ran back to the hideout. There?s no way I can make it home alone.

Damn you Ajax. And thank you, too.

??So I really don?t feel safe doing this alone. Please, will you help me?? I stood in front of three guys, practically begging them.

The first guy was Buzz, the guy with the Mohawk who stole my notebook.

The second guy was Marley, an African-American with dreadlocks

The third guy was Harpo, a boy with curly blond hair and a top hat he told me he stole from a ?Hi-Hat?. (Some gang from SoHo he told me)

The three guys exchanged glances, than looked at me again.

?Yeah, sure, why not?? Marley said.

?I never pass up an opportunity to help a lady out.? Harpo said, winking at me jokingly.

Buzz smirked. ?So when I steal your notebook, you don?t like me, but when you WANT something from me??

?Nobody says you have to come too.? I responded, arms folded over my chest.

?Feh, what the hell, I?ll come too.? Buzz said, throwing his hands up in the air.

?Wonderful. Well, we better start walking then.? I said.

?Lead the way, missy.? Harpo said.

And lead I did. We walked for a while, I explained to them how I ended up in Brooklyn like I did before with the other guys. (They were surprised I hit Spike too, naturally)

We turned a corner in Bensonhurst?only to see The Saracens and some gang I didn?t recognize facing down each other.

?The Saracens and The Jones Street Boys. Great.? Buzz sighed.

?This is gonna get messy.? Marley cringed. 

Here comes that sinking feeling?


(Tiger, Cherub, Cannon, Elvis and Rodent make cameo appearances courtesy of Scotty Rave! )

[Ajax_41]

More! =D> More! [-o< More!

[Ajax_41]

i like the ajax part

[Furies4life]

LOve it. Scotty Rave i knew you had something to do with this lol. Keep it going it good.

[Space Toaster]

Part Four
Back In The Bowery

The four of us just stood there, staring. The Jones Street Boys were a bunch of guys in black and yellow striped shirts, and they looked pissed with a capital P. The leaders started exchanging insults and soon after a fight broke out.  Buzz looked at me, than turned to Harpo.

?Take Angelina and cut through the alleys or something. We?ll cover you.?

Harpo nodded and grabbed my hand and we ducked down through the alleys. As we did that, Buzz and Marley fought off anyone who got in their way.

A Jones Street Boy ran at Marley. He kicked him in the stomach and punched him in the face when he doubled over. Another guy jumped on his back, he elbowed him in the stomach multiple times until he let go.

One of the Saracens pounced on Buzz as he tried to get past, Buzz grabbed his collar and repeatedly punched him in the nose. There was a loud crack and blood gushed onto Buzz?s fist. He dropped the now howling Saracen and ran.

Marley was jump by a Saracen ?newblood?, this one armed with a switchblade. Before he could jump back, the Saracen swiped forward and sliced one of his dreads in half. Marley stared at him.

?Oh?you?re dead meat.? He said. He kicked the knife out of the amateur?s hand and proceeded to beat the tar out of him. Meanwhile, Buzz had caught up with Harpo and I. Marley caught up with us soon after and we ran for the train station.

We stopped on a street corner to catch our breath. I noticed Marley?s dread.

?What happened to your-?

?I don?t wanna talk about it.? He sulked. O?kay?someone has an emotional attachment to his hair?

Buzz finally broke the awkward silence. ?Come on, let?s get you home, Angie.? He took my arm and we continued down the street to the train station.

?Don?t call me Angie.? I said. Buzz looked at me, he didn?t hear me.

?Huh??

?I said, don?t call me Angie.? I repeated, looking back at him.

?Why not?? Harpo asked.

?I only let my parents and relatives call me Angie.? I responded, looking ahead of me again. Buzz nodded.

?Can I call you Angel??

?No.?

?Lina??

?No.?

??Angel-pants??

?No!? I looked at him again.

?Then what am I gonna call you?? Buzz complained. Marley and Harpo rolled their eyes. Apparently they found him annoying too.

?You can call me Angelina. You, know, my name?? I said.

?But that?s so?boring.? Buzz went on complaining.

Oh for the love of?

?Fine, you can call me Angie.? I mumbled.

?Okay, Angie.?

I rolled my eyes. Finally, we reached the subway station and waited for the next train to Manhattan to arrive. There was this big awkward silence while we waited.

?Um?well, you guys, thanks for helping me out. You going to get back okay?? I asked them.

?Yeah, don?t worry about us.? Harpo patted me on the back. ?You just get home.?

?Where do you live in Manhattan, by the way? Marley asked me.

?The Bowery.? I replied. The three exchanged glances.

?I guess you?ve seen The Punks there?? Marley said.

?Oh yeah. Their leader keeps stalking me, the guy on the skates.?  I said, shrugging my shoulders.

??Vance is stalking you?? Buzz repeated, using the guy?s name this time.

?Oh, that?s his name? He never told me, Mr. I?m-Going-To-Follow-You-Around-The-Station-On-My-Skates-And-Watch-Your-Every-Move!? I said, gingerly touching the bruise on my face. It still hurt.

?You gonna be okay getting back to the station? Cause we could go with?? Harpo volunteered.

?Nah, he never actually does anything to me.?

?Besides, you guys, I heard Swan and some other guys had a nasty run-in with The Punks awhile back. If we showed up, they?d kick our ass.? Marley pointed out.

?Yes, and Swan told me if you guys didn?t come back in one piece, I would be in trouble.? I added. The train to Manhattan pulled in. I looked at the guys.

?Well, thanks again for helping me. Maybe I really will come back and visit one day.?

Buzz snickered. ?Vermin?s gonna be one happy camper, then.?

I looked around to make sure no one was looking and then I hugged that annoying Mohawk boy.

?Call me crazy, but I?ll actually miss you.? I said, letting go. He smirked.

?Heh, I?ll miss ya too, Angie.?

I hugged Marley and Harpo too, said goodbye and got on the train. I knew I still had to get past The Punks, but I was too excited to be going home to care.

And THIS time I stayed awake!

Finally, I got off at the station in The Bowery. I was so glad to see it I was about ready to throw myself down and kiss the floor. But it was all dirty and stuff, so I didn?t. Then, I saw him. Vance, my stalker on roller-skates. He saw me, too, and wheeled towards me, hands tucked in the pouch of his overalls. I stared right back at him, and began to walk towards the exit. He followed me, and skated up in front of me. I stared up and me, he stared down at me. (The skates made him taller) I tried to get pass, he just moved in my way. That was the straw that broke the camel?s back.

?Look, Vance, that?s your name, right? Well, I?m not in the mood. I fell asleep on the train, got off in Brooklyn when I was supposed to be in Queens, nearly got molested and killed by The Saracens, had to beg some guys to escort me back to the train station and right now I?m lucky to be alive! I don?t know WHAT your problem with me is, but I sure as hell don?t feel like dealing with you right now!? I took the pencil out of my hair. ?So if you don?t let me pass, I?m jamming this pencil into your EYE!?

He simply plucked the pencil out of my hand and snapped it in half. ?Okay, so much for that. I saw his guys hanging out nearby, they started laughing at me. Oh?screw this! I shoved my way past Vance and bolted for the stairs. Out the corner of my eye I saw the Punks start for me, but Vance held out his hand, signaling them not to bother and leave me alone. ?She?s not worth it.? I thought I heard him say. When I got up the stairs and glanced over my shoulder, I saw Vance bend down and pick up my broken pencil and tuck it in his pocket.

Okay, that?s just creepy. I turned around and ran for home.

I bolted up the stairs to the fourth floor, I was too excited to take the elevator. I ran to our door and threw it open. Mom stood up from the couch, I could tell she?d been crying. Dad ran into the room. They were both shocked. I would?ve thought they?d been mad or something, but when they looked more like relieved I was okay.

?Angie!? My mom threw her arms around me, crushing me to her bosom in a hug. Zanzibar ran into the room, yapping like crazy and running around. Dad hugged the both of us, then pulled away.

?I?ll call the police station and tell them you came home.? He said, walking towards the phone. Mom sat me down on the couch, hugging and kissing me like she hadn?t seen me in ten years. Zanzibar remained on the floor, happily tugging on my sock with his teeth and slobbering on my sneakers. Mom was asking me a million questions a minute while Dad got ice for my bruise. I told them everything, from how I fell asleep on the train to when the guys escorted me home.

?Oh, my poor Angie?? Mom lamented, hugging me. ?I?m so sorry you went through that...?

?It?s okay, Mom, really.? I said. ?I?ll be fine.?

?Yeah, Marie, what matters is that she?s home, and she?s safe.? Dad pointed out. ?I don?t think there?s anything we could?ve done to prevent it.?

?Yeah?? I said. ?It just?happened.?

Mom nodded, dabbing her eyes with a tissue. ?Well, you should get some sleep now, hon.?

?You don?t need to tell me twice!? I said, getting up off the couch. ?Come on, Zanzi.?

So after that, things pretty much went back to normal. Dad convinced Mom to keep letting me take the subway to Queens on Saturday, Vance kept stalking me from afar, and I came very close to finishing my novel. I really did miss The Warriors through, even that jerk Ajax. Although if he hadn?t been a jerk, I probably wouldn?t get home alive. I pretty much thought I?d never see them again?

Then I found out my parents were going on a second honeymoon, and the only person I could stay with while they were gone was my cousin in Brooklyn?

The End...for now

[Warrior_Swan]

Excellent story. Your characterizations are remarkable, and your writing style is easy to read and descriptive. You sure do have real talent, keep it up!