THE BAD BOY OF MANHATTAN
Chapter 23. The Failed Dinner.

Emma was staring at herself in front of the mirror. He had already put on his face with a makeup polish that was slightly thicker than usual, although not impressed menor. Then, she wears a knee-length dress in red brick with a collarless neck that looks simple. Although the dress has been five years outdated, but still looks perfectly wrapped slim body.

Ten minutes, James will pick her up. Once again Emma took care of herself, making sure everything stuck to her body was neat. Then he grabbed his sling bag and put on his favorite black vintage shoes.

Emma decides to wait for James outside the building. He sat on the building's guardrail and sidewalk which was only half a meter high. His chest was pounding awaiting James' arrival. It was like waiting for the coming of a prince from a land in the middle of nowhere who would take him away from this tribulation. Emma's lips revealed her thin smile.

However, Emma's smile faded as two black teenagers ran across her carrying baseball bats. The two are seen rushing towards Emma's old apartment block which is about a kilo away from her current apartment.

Emma got off the top of the guardrail and noticed the two teenagers were starting to move away. But he was surprised again with three other teenagers who also passed by him. One of them even accidentally hit his shoulder. The three of them also carried baseball bats and ran towards the two black teenagers. They were wearing the same jacket that read Fordham Fire. They came from the Bronx.

Actually, such a scene is no stranger to East Harlem. Clashes between gangs have happened often. People there do not want to interfere because they do not want to be harmed.

Emma stroked her chin. Suddenly his mind floated on Elric. He hoped the boy would not be involved. I hope the bandit has gone home. But, his chest was pounding as shouts rang out a few blocks from where he stood. Emma bit her finger. His feelings became unpleasant.

***

"Hey, White Boys (white boys)!I warned you not to step on our territory. Apparently you're a bunch of bengal kids who are pretentious, yeah."

Elric who had just gotten a punch on his face, looked up at the young man in black who was brandishing a baseball bat at him. "They're the Fordham Fire gang of the Bronx" whispered Ryan as he held back Elric's fist that was ready to retaliate.

Elric was eight, while the young man in black was ten. The two camps were getting ready to attack each other, preparing weapons in each other's hands.

"They're in our cage. Do not be afraid," said Elric glanced at his friends.

"Attack (attack)!"

The alley between the two apartment buildings was instantly rowdy. A fight between two groups who hate each other is inevitable. They hit each other, hit each other, and pushed each other.

The overflowing young blood seemed to be thirsting for an impingement.

Bugghs.

One punch landed on Elric's face, injuring his temple. Fresh blood poured down his cheeks. His anger can no longer be contained. Elric shouted as he pushed the young man who had hit him and pressed him against the wall. But, he had not swung his punch towards the young man, someone hit him on the back with a baseball bat so hard that he fell down.

"Eat that, White Boy (feel that, white boy)!"

Elric tried to get up when he saw a young man in black about to hit him back with a baseball bat in his hand. Elric immediately crossed both arms to serve as a shield to protect his body. Unexpectedly, the young man was lying before him. Looks like someone hit him first. Elric who had not had time to digest what had happened, felt his arm being pulled by someone and forced him to run away from the place as tight as he could.

The girl in a maroon dress, has long hair, and is very pretty. "Emma?"

"Shut up, Elric!" hardik Emma while forcing him into the apartment building.

The bewildered Elric complies when the girl takes him into the elevator and goes up to the second floor. Emma bangs on door number 210 loudly, calling out Lessy's name.

When the door opened, a middle-aged woman who was none other than Lessy, was startled then hurriedly told Emma and Elric to enter. "What's going on?" ask Lessy to panic.

"This wayward!" hardik Emma while pushing Elric's back and forcing him to sit on the sofa. "Want to be a hero." Emma glared at Elric who was looking at her in awe.

"Let me prepare some water to clean the wound," Lessy said as she stepped towards the kitchen.

Emma squinted her eyes, staring at the fierce Elric. "You really don't love your life, do you?"

"You don't know the problem, Emma."

"Is that? Whahuh? Mafia business? Wow .. so cool." Emma applauded Elric's actions. I don't know why he was so upset with the boy. Why Elric is so happy to get into trouble. Emma was completely inexhaustible. Elric undoes his intention to answer Emma when he sees Lessy coming with a bowl of water, a small towel and a first aid box to treat the wound on Elric's forehead.

"I'm sorry to bother you, Lessy," said Emma. Lessy's apartment just flashed through her mind as she carried Elric away from the brawl between the gangs.

"No problem. You just help Elric, Emma. I'm preparing dinner." Lessy did not need to ask the details of the incident experienced by Elric. As a citizen of East Harlem, he must have understood what happened.

Emma sat down beside Erlic and cleared the young man's forehead. His face looks sour. Occasionally glanced at Elric cynically. He was really upset with the boy.

"I have to know the situation of my friends" said Elric.

"Don't move (don't move)!" snapped Emma. Finished cleaning Elric's wound, he opened the first aid box and looked for a cure to smear the wound and also the covering cloth.

Elric's eyes follow Emma's movements, deftly taking care of the wound on her forehead. "Thanks, Emma," he said after Emma had finished covering her wound.

Emma exhaled her rough breath. He threw his back against the couch. "Why get involved with them, El?" tanyakanya.

"To put some muscle (to make muscle)," kekeh Elric while showing his arm muscles made Emma roll her eyeballs slurred.

Elric examined Emma's face as well as the clothes the girl was wearing. "You're getting dressed, aren't you?" goda.

Emma gasps. "Oh, sh it (shit)!" He hastily picked up the cell phone in his bag. Eyes rounded. He closed his gaping mouth. "Oh, no," he lamented. Dozens of missed calls and messages from James filled the screen of his phone.

The girl scratched her forehead. His dinner with James failed. The man had been waiting for him for more than an hour and gave up because he could not be reached.

"Your dinner failed?" ask Elric. He pulled the corner of his lips.

Emma nodded in disbelief. She had dressed up in such a way as to wish James could see and praise her as they dined. It turns out that he missed it, because of his concern for Elric who was somehow so strong.

"Let me judge your performance tonight" Elric said, looking at Emma from head to toe. "Lumayan ... although still a little old-fashioned," he wrote. But soon she grimaced in pain as Emma deliberately pressed the wound on her forehead hard.

***

Hello, thank you for following this story, yes .. hopefully can provide entertainment when you are tired of waiting for your favorite authors and favorite novels to update a new chapter.

Read it casually, take comments, criticisms, suggestions, from the hard to build, all I will accept with pa ha and da open, uh, open arms.

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Lady Magnifica