Skyline of concrete dreams- SwanQueen

Chapter 1

Hey guys!

As promised, here's the first chapter of the rewritten version of Skyline. I owe a huge thank you to Sammie and Larissa, my betas, for making this worth reading and mistakes-free :)

***

She stares out the window, the trees turning into a green blurry line, as the Double-Decker glides on the highway. The free newspaper is long discarded, having covered every single page in it during the long drive. Emma left Boston before the sun was even out, opting on skipping the morning traffic. But to be honest, the real reason was the fact that she couldn't wait to be out of this city and have her long-time-coming fresh start.

Emma grew up in the system. Saying that she wasn't fond of her foster home was the understatement of the year; The blonde never really fit in or made friends, and her inexplicable need to never back down caused her a lot of trouble (and a black eye or two). When she turned seventeen she started working for Mr. Baronio's catering business. The money wasn't great, but considering the limitations she had due to curfews and school, in addition to no experience whatsoever, she was simply thankful for having that job. She put on a smile and worked her butt off, earning a soft spot in her employer's heart in the process. Baronio was nice enough to let her keep her money in his safe, since taking cash back to her home, filled with poor foster kids, wasn't the smartest idea.

The money piled up over the course of a year and yesterday, two days after she finally turned eighteen, Emma dropped by his place to collect her earnings. Baronio, being the warm Italian man that he is, scooped her into a tight hug and wished her the best. Neal, his son, was there as well, smiling shyly at her while mumbling a good luck. It seemed like he had managed to overcome his feelings and came to bid her goodbye.

Neal was her first love, and like all young loves, it was passionate and drastic and unavoidably immature. They had quite a ride, growing up together, becoming the young adults they are today. But it was bound to end at some point, and after a few months they parted their ways.

She thanked him as they stood, awkwardly waiting for his dad to come back with her money. Green eyes scanned the place one last time, then, she said her goodbyes and left.

Her hands fiddle with the straps of her backpack. Her entire life is in that bag, everything she holds dear; so for the hundredth time since she got on that bus, she checks if everything is still there and confirms, that indeed, nothing had disappeared since her last check up. She glances up just in time to face the sign indicating New York is fifteen miles away.

She sucks in a breath and closes her eyes. This is it, it is finally happening.

***

Emma might have skipped Boston's rush hour but New York's traffic hits her hard. Crossing the city to the bus station takes them nearly an hour, helping subside the initial excitement. When the bus finally stops, at 42nd street between Lexington and 3rd, Emma is the first one off the bus.

It is a sunny day, mid-September, and the blonde decides on walking her way uptown.

She stops for a Starbucks along the way. Quite aware of her tight budget, she settles for a simple black coffee. Having nothing but her backpack on makes her walk nice and easy, and she reaches her destination in no time.

She looks down at the piece of paper in her hands, making sure she is at the right place, and nods to herself. The building is located on 81st street between York and 1st and is arguably presentable. But hey, Emma isn't picky. Besides, that's pretty much the best she can do with the money she has saved. The first floor is occupied by a diner named "Granny's". The cozy-looking restaurant and its proximity to her soon-to-be apartment make Emma unbelievably happy. In that moment, the blonde knows that this would be her new favorite go-to place. She approaches the door located to the dinner's right, assuming it's the building's entrance. She searches for the owner's name on the intercom list and presses twice.