A week had passed. The funerals would be today.

Everyone was there: Action, Diesel, Baby John, Pepe, Consuela, Anybodys, Francesca, A-Rab; all people from each of the gangs.

With the exception of Tony's mother and Maria and Bernardo's parents.

White roses were given to everybody to place on the caskets. An assembly line was made, and continued until all three were completely covered, except for one space on each of them.

Then Maria, Anita, and Graziella, Riff's girlfriend, came forward, dressed in black and carrying single red roses. They placed them on top of their lover's coffins then silently made the crucifix across their chests.

After that, Tony, Riff and Bernardo became one with the earth, never to come back. Except maybe, in a few of everyone's dreams.

"Salir! Salir, y no volver nunca mas!" *

"Por favor, Mama! Papa!"

"That bastard killed your brother!" Maria's father yelled at her. "Your only brother!"

"How could you love a man like that?!" her mother sobbed.

"It was an accident!" Maria snapped at them. "He never meant to hurt 'Nardo!"

"Salir, y no volver nunca mas!" Papa shouted. "Estupido mocoso!" *

Maria's eyes filled with tears, and she ran out of the apartment.

Anita gladly took in Maria, as she was like a little sister to her since she had been with Bernardo.
Together they went back to Maria's apartment, collected all her things, and settled her into her flat.

"Gracias, Anita," Maria said as they got ready for bed. "I don't know where I would be if not for you."

"You've always been like a sister to me, Maria," Anita replied. "I would never let anyone harm you."

Time passed. Everyone slowly began to get back on their feet.

Anybodys admitted to having a crush on Action, so in sympathy, he took her out on a date. In the end, he enjoyed her company and they began seeing each other.

Despite her friends' suggestions, Graziella didn't start dating again; she was still too broken over losing Riff. It would take her a long time to cope with his death; they had been together for so long.

When Consuela turned twenty-one years old, Pepe proposed to her. The Sharks held a big party to celebrate, and invited the Jets to join in their festivities.

Before long, the engagement party also became a union party, where both gangs decided to merge as one.

Also that night, Baby John took notice of a ditzy, but pretty young Shark girl, Francesca. They immediately hit it off, and became a couple within the next week.

The newly united gangs named their new group the Knights, to stand for unity and courage.

They vowed to always stand together, and would always.

Two months went by; two months without her love. Without her time.

Of the month.

"Anita," she whimpered one evening as her sister, as they now called each other, brushed her hair.

"What is wrong, Maria?" Anita inquired.

"I haven't had my period for two months. I think I am..."

Anita went stone cold. "Oh, Maria…"

Maria began to sob. She was carrying Tony's child; a child that would never know its father.

She noticed Anita also crying hard. "Oh, Anita, don't cry for me," she said softly.

"I am not," Anita sniffled. "I am crying for not only yours, but mine."

Maria brought forth a son that November, naming him Anton Bernardo.

One week later, Anita gave birth to a daughter named Josefina Maria.

With the support of their friends, they raised their children with the same love as their fathers had given the young mothers, and the Upper West Side never split in half again.

I wrote this in commemoration of a production of West Side Story performed by my school November of 2013. Hope you enjoyed it!

"Leave! Leave and never come back!" "Stupid brat!"