Every time Riff has had a romantic partner, his favorite thing to do is always compare hands. He is typically pleased to find that his hands are a lot bigger, a lot rougher and more messed-up than his partner’s. It comes from long hours of hard work, fights, burns from holding a cigarette for too long, and doing stupid shit just to feel something. Riff likes it when he holds hands with someone who’s smaller, cleaned up, smoother and more dainty. It makes him feel, for some reason, like he’s better. More human.

By all means, you and Riff are not romantic partners. In fact, Riff hates your guts. Not for any substantial reason, of course. But he and the Jets walk past the basketball court and notice you painting a large Puerto Rican flag mural on the concrete wall — something you had been paid to do, but still quite enjoyed doing — and immediately, Riff makes a judgment about your hands. An artist’s hands; dainty, pristine, perfect. Inhuman.

The Jets rush you all at once. They throw the gallons of paint onto your mural, ruining it. They throw paint onto you. A handful of them take a break from destruction of property and instead begin jumping you. Riff’s eyes fall onto your hands as they flail about, attempting to get the bullies off of you.

Covered in paint. Callused. Nails dirty and unkempt. Knuckles scraped. Scars on the fingers, palm, back of the hand. Cuticles all ripped and torn to hell.

Riff looks down at his hands. They’re the exact same, save for the paleness of his skin. Something inside Riff changes.

“Off,” he commands to the couple of Jets that were about to slam your face into the concrete. He says it with such authority, not even moving his body or stoic face. The Jets immediately back off. “All of you, get lost.”

“Riff—“ one of them begins to protest. Riff cuts him with his eyes. Slowly, they all leave.

Riff looks down at you. You’re bleeding and you look like shit, but you’ll live.

“Why’re you paintin’ this here?” Riff asks you, still staring, but pointing behind him at the now-ruined flag on the wall.