THE BAD BOY OF MANHATTAN
Chapter 52. I Just Don't Know.

"Classical stoner?" Darren frowned hearing Elric's melodic incision just now. He with the guitar in his hand tried to feel the tone. "okay ... A minor." Darren beckoned Elric to repeat the melody he made.

"Simple song with a simple tone. E, D, A, E. That is," kekeh Elric while playing the melody on his beloved Les Paul. "I can't think complicated" he continued.

Darren chuckles. "Your simple version is still a genius, El. If you're getting serious about complicated arrangements, even music critics are speechless." He got up from his seat and put the guitar on a guitar stand in the corner of the room. The young man stepped out of the studio and came back with two bottles of beer he had opened the lid on.

"Thanks," said Elric while receiving a bottle proffered by Darren. "Can I put this song on our first album?" tanyakanya.

"What's title?" Darren downed the beer bottle.

"Riding the dunes."

Darren poked his lips. "yeah. Why not?" He puts his shoulders.

Elric smiled happily. The young man put the tip of the bottle on his lips, then wet his throat. "Darren, can I stay here?" tanyakanya.

"Of course, Elric. You can stay here any way you want. Don't ask me for permission." Darren patted Elric's shoulder slowly.

The phone in Elric's pants pocket vibrates. Actually, he had felt that someone had called him, but he was too busy struggling with his guitar so he just ignored it. This time, he reached into his pants pocket and grabbed his phone. Elric knitted his eyebrows together after seeing a dozen missed calls from Emma on the screen. This was the first time the girl had contacted him. There was happiness in his heart. However, his regret at remembering Emma leaving with James tonight, led him to drop any intention of calling back the girl.

"Call it," teased Darren who saw the anxiety on Elric's face.

"No need" the young man sighed.

Darren chuckles. He got up from his seat and left Elric alone in the studio room. Elric kept his phone in his pants pocket. Then he re-occupied himself with his guitar. Tonight he lets himself blend in with his beloved guitar and tries to cast Emma's shadow out of his mind.

***

In the morning Emma wakes up and still has not found Elric coming home to the apartment. Until all night he fell asleep on the living room sofa to wait for the young man's return. Emma grabs the phone on the table and checks the screen, perhaps Elric texted her or called her while she was asleep. Nil. He only found an email from Zeta Elementary School asking him to do an interview. A few days ago Emma put a job application as a teacher of psychology and culture into that elementary school.

Emma should have been happy to receive that much-anticipated email. However, he still could not take his mind off Erlic who had yet to return.

With a shaky step he went into his room to get ready for work. While tidying up, Emma unceasingly grumbled in her heart. When Emma needed to talk to the boy, he disappeared. Elric didn't even pick up the phone when he called him a few times. How busy is it?

At the restaurant, the girl was very difficult to concentrate on her work. He repeatedly checks his phone screen hoping for a message from Elric. But still nothing. Only James sent her a message filled with friendly words. Then call him at lunch. However, Emma refuses when James offers to pick her up later that afternoon and take her to the man's apartment in Hudson. Emma felt she really had to meet Elric.

So after finishing work and still not finding Elric returned to the apartment, he decided to look for the child to his studio in the Columbia University area. Elric once told me that his studio was in an apartment owned by Darren near the campus building. It was easy for Emma to find the whereabouts of the apartment. Besides because he is familiar with the campus area because he is an alumni there, he also got an answer where exactly where Darren Chevalier lived in one time asked the person he met randomly. Of course, that's because Darren is very popular there.

And in front of the door that says number 321 that Emma stood pecking for a while. He hesitated to knock on the door. But he immediately gathered courage until his fingers now clashed with the door.

"Hi." A long-haired brownish blonde youth smiled kindly at Emma. "Can I help you (can I help you)?"

Emma gasps. That young man is Darren Chevalier. He was his younger brother at Columbia. His face was known to all the students there, including himself. But Darren doesn't know who Emma is.

"Owh, wait ...." Darren thought for a moment. "You're Emma, right?" her question surprised Emma. "I'm Darren" he continued, shaking Emma's hand. Darren knew him. Either because Darren remembers him as a level brother, or maybe when he met at the bar when he watched a Bad Boy Of Manhattan concert, or even Elric who told him about himself to Darren.

"Ehm. Hi, Darren."

"Searching Elric?" guess Darren as he puts on his friendly smile. "He's in the studio. Come on, come in."

Emma immediately became nervous. But he just followed Darren's steps into the apartment and the young man drove him into a room with a glass wall.

"That's her. You just go in" Darren said, letting Emma into the room, then passing in front of the girl.

From behind the glass wall, he saw Elric was struggling with his guitar. Emma enjoyed the beautiful scenery for a while. Elric with his guitar is not like the seventeen-year-old Elric who is trying to become an adult in his daily life. The young man actually looked mature in the room filled with musical instruments. How can an Elric transform in such a way by just playing the guitar in his cold and mysterious style?

Emma hastily brushed off the strange thoughts that perched in her mind. It must not forget its purpose of finding Elric to this place. Slowly the girl pushed the tightly closed glass door.

The young man who was tearing apart the strings of his guitar instantly stopped his movements. The two pairs of equal-brown netra also meet.

***

Does this include crazy up? Whatever it was I was obviously sleepy at all, but the urge to up was huge (absolutely amazed me with myself).