Broken Bad Boy novel Chapter 17

PERCIE

Eight months ago…

“Go, Emma! You can do it!” Grandpa was shouting as soon as the race started. Hundreds of participants had joined in different categories. Emma was one of them.

“Em! You can make it to the finish line!” I yelled as loud as I could. She may not be as fast as the others, but she made me so proud. My heart swelled. What could I say? I was her number one supporter. 

I couldn’t help but laughed as Emma tried so hard. Still, she was left behind by a few participants.

I followed her through as she raced with them. I also brought a towel, her backpack, and bottled water. I strode from the crowd of cheerers, but I couldn’t avoid bumping with the people busy cheering their athletes. 

In just less than fifty meters, Emma was already exhausted. My throat clogged. Looking so pale as white, she sweated profusely. 

“Em, are you okay?” My voice shook. 

She halted in the middle of the road. Shen then started with labored breathing. She was on the left side of the road while I was following her from the right. What’s wrong with her? 

As my heart beat wildly in my chest, I froze deadly in my tracks as if I just turned into a stone. I wanted to cross to come to her, but my feet weighed tons. 

“Emma! Em, you can move away to the side now, sweetheart!” I yelled. “I think that’s enough. You’ve already made me proud.” I started to shake. My body chilled with dread. 

She didn’t respond. 

My heart just stopped. I felt like someone just threw me a bucket of water. Realization hit me hard in my chest. This was what all about— about what she told me last night. No, Em.

“Emma, I’m coming to you!” I shouted louder than before. 

My breathing caught. Emma didn’t move. 

Her head fell forward. She wasn’t moving at all. 

I froze again, staring with my wide eyes. 

My breath stopped. My blood pounded in my ears. All I could hear was my grandparents’ voice shouting for help, but I couldn’t just move. I was so shocked by what I saw until someone shook me for attention. 

“Percie, we have to take Emma to the hospital,” Grandma said with a trembling voice. 

Speechless, I turned to face Grandma. Her tears just fell from her eyes like a stream. 

I shut my mouth close. I didn’t know I was crying until I wiped my tears on my cheeks, and my vision blurred. 

Grandma grabbed my hand to cross the street. People gathered around when the athletes had passed by. 

I was just watching there, my body numbing. Everything just faded around me. I felt lost again. 

The paramedics placed Emma on the stretcher. They already put an oxygen mask on her.

Grandpa kept mentioning Emma’s name. They immediately pushed the stretcher inside the ambulance and closed the door behind them. I let them take Emma away from me, and I couldn’t do anything than watched the vehicle drove off.

“Let’s get to the hospital, Percie. Now!” Grandpa ordered.

“Yeah. The—the hospital.” I stuttered. Either way, I followed him with Grandma out of the crowd. 

“What happened, Grandpa?” My voice came out a squeak. “She’s gonna be okay, right?” 

“We’ll talk in the hospital, Percie. I can’t answer you right now.” Grandpa snapped. 

“I thought she’s okay.” Those were the last words that came out from me.

I stayed silent in a cab as we rode to the hospital. Grandpa and Grandma didn’t talk to me anymore. I closed my eyes instead and prayed over and over again that Emma would be okay. I recalled jumbled thoughts in my head, but nothing made sense.

The doctor came out from where Emma was checked in.

“Who’s the relative of Emma Holmes?” the doctor asked.

I raised my hand. She didn’t ask again the moment she saw me. 

“They are my grandparents.”