THE BAD BOY OF MANHATTAN
Chapters 19. A Day So Bad For Emma.

"Hey, Eeemmaaa ...!"

The sound of a seductive call made Emma stop her steps. He turned to the narrow alley between two gray-painted apartment buildings that began to fade, a few blocks from the building where he lived. The girl hissed when she saw four teenagers, two blacks, one Hispanic like her, and another white.

Emma knows who they are. A delinquent who likes to riot in the East Harlem neighborhood. They often harass pedestrians, especially young women, asking for money by force and stealing at the supermarket. Actually, Emma had wanted to beat up those boys for a long time. Just waiting for the right moment to do it.

Then, when the four young men approached her, chuckling and teasing her, Emma prepared her fist to slam into each of their annoying faces. However, just as his hand was raised, someone held his hand and pulled his body back.

"Hey, don't bother him. He's my friend!" Someone exclaimed as he pushed softly against the chest of one of the young men who stood at the front.

Emma's eyes blocked the back of the tall figure before her. Eyes rounded. The black hoodie was none other than Elric. Emma clucked. Apparently the boy was stalking her.

"Wow ... Emma's your friend, El?" asked one of the young men while chuckling.

"Your friend? Or your girl friend," another goda.

Emma who heard those jokes slapped her forehead. While grumbling he stepped quickly to leave Elric and the delinquents.

"See you, Guys (see you, guys)," Elric said as he hurriedly pursued Emma's steps.

"Go get her, El (let's go after him, El)!"

Elric chuckled as he waved at the youths who turned out to be his friends in East Harlem. Now he half ran after Emma who was far ahead.

He tried to align his steps with the girl because her legs still hurt a little. "Besides being weird and crazy, you're also a hotshot girl, huh?" elric said while gasping.

"Why are you hanging around here, huh? Why don't you just sit back and be the sweetest kid in your comfortable home?" tease Emma. He halted his steps and looked at the cynical Elric while crossing both arms in front of his chest.

"I don't have a home. That's Nathan Bradley's house. I'm just hitching a ride" said Elric, chuckling.

Emma rolled both her eyes. "Whatever you say," he said, considering Elric's speech only the wind.

"Hey, don't switch the conversation, Emma!" sergeant Elric. "You really intend to fight them?" tanyakanya. He looked at Emma with his furrowed brows.

"I've been wanting to beat up that mob for a long time. And since you're a member of their gang, don't blame me if I'm going to beat you up one day if I see you bothering someone else" Emma solemnly threatened.

Elric laughed at Emma's words. "That's why I said, besides being weird and crazy, you're a hotshot, too."

"Your apartment's in that building, isn't it?" elric asked as he pointed at a building next to the apartment that Ryan and his family lived in.

"So (then)?" Emma raised both eyebrows, looking at Elric full of probing.

"God! I'm just asking, why are you so fierce?" sulk Elric.

Emma growled in annoyance. He continued his steps again leaving Elric who immediately also stepped foot to compensate him. "Why follow me?" ask her with a half-hardened tone.

"Who followed you? I'm going to Ryan's apartment" Elric said, putting on his innocent face.

Emma exhaled her rough breath. This kid really made his mood worse. He moved away from Elric who had now stopped in front of Ryan's apartment building.

"See you, Emma!" exclaimed Elric while chuckling.

"I hope we don't have to see each other again!" emma's voice made Elric who was stepping into the main door of the building, open.

***

Emma stepped in and closed the door of her apartment slowly. Living room lights not yet turned on. That is, Juana, her mother, has not returned from her workplace in a mini market. Emma's hand slowly touched the switch embedded in the wall with her index finger to turn on the light. Juana's bedroom door was still sealed shut. Emma decided to go into the room and rest.

After cleaning herself up, Emma laid on her narrow bed as her eyes glared at the shabby ceiling of her room. Today was exhausting. Working all day at a restaurant, he meets Rodrigo, his father, and they have to talk about their divorce. And Elric, that kid is making his day worse.

Drowsiness began to attack him. Physical and mental fatigue made his eyes feel so heavy. Moments later, Emma fell asleep.

He woke up two hours later at eight p.m., as police car sirens roared outside. Emma got out of bed, went out of her room to the kitchen to get a glass of water to relieve the thirst that hit.

There was no sign of her mother coming home from work. The door to the woman's room was still tightly closed. Emma felt a little strange. Usually the distance of their return from their respective workplaces does not linger too long like this. Emma only realized that there was a glass filled with milk that had been drunk half, located on the dining table. He remembered this morning when he finished breakfast with his mother, the dining table was done. And Juana said goodbye to go first.

She thought her mother might have come home from this afternoon and was sleeping in her room. Somehow Emma felt anxious to open the door to Juana's room and check if the woman was indeed sleeping.

Slowly he opened the door of Juana's room and what he saw inside there made his heart seem to want to jump out. He was struck by lightning when he saw his mother's body lying on the floor with her mouth foaming. Next to him lay a small orange bottle bearing the words of empty antidepressants pills, and on the bed, there was a whiskey bottle that was also empty.

"Ma-ma!" terbatunya. Emma felt her bones slip away for a moment until she collapsed onto the floor. He crawled up to his mother's body and with the rest of his energy he shook Juana's cold body.

***