Disclaimer: I do not own Once Upon A Time.
A/N: Sorry guys, it's been forever since I've posted anything. The thing about this story is that while I was writing Injustice, it just didn't feel right for some reason. So I took the flashbacks and I'm rewriting the actual story from the beginning, sans the events in that story. I have the first two chapters completed, so hopefully I don't get too far behind in this one. It really kills me not to be able to write or post.
Enjoy.
The chilly autumn air whips unmercifully at Emma's face as she sits on the edge of the high school roof, staring out at the football field at the edge of the campus, the jocks running through their plays for the upcoming game Friday night. She tucks her jacket tighter around her in an unsuccessful attempt to warm herself and sighs, reaching for her slingshot and a pebble from the pile she'd collected on the way to the roof.
Aiming for the quarterback currently standing on the sidelines, head thrown back as he gulps water from one of the team's water bottles, she takes a deep breath before releasing the elastic, watching her target closely for proof of her shot. She smirks when Marcus howls in pain, hand slapping over the back of his head, and he spins in circles, looking for his attacker.
Emma chuckles to herself as she picks another pebble and aims for another player—she's pretty sure he's a wide receiver—and takes another deep breath. "Excuse me, I don't think you're supposed to be up here," a voice behind her offers and she jumps, her aim going wide and missing the field entirely.
"Damn it!" She turns to tell the intruder to leave her alone, but she freezes. Of course it would be the principal's daughter. Calculating the chance the girl would actually relay this to her mother and the amount she could offer the brunette to keep her quiet, Emma narrows her eyes. "What are you doing up here then, if no one's supposed to be?"
The girl rolls her eyes. "You could have some manners." She crosses her arms and examines the blonde. "You're that Swan girl, right? The one who disrupts classes and causes trouble everywhere you go?"
Emma smirks proudly. "So what if I am? Are you going to tell your mother what I'm doing, Princess?" Much to her surprise, Regina shakes her head and steps closer, halting five feet away from her. "Can I help you?" the blonde asks cautiously, confused by the girl's actions. Of course, she's used to failing at the intimidation factor, but to have the principal's daughter in her personal space and not being the snobby bitch she usually is throws Emma off guard.
Regina raises her brow curiously as she stares at the slingshot in Emma's hand, turning her attention to the pile of pebbles as she tries to piece together the delinquent's intentions. "I'm going to pretend I didn't see any of this," she mutters. "I was never here and neither were you." Emma nods in agreement and watches in confusion as Regina exits through the door to the stairs, wondering whether she can actually trust the principal's daughter not to rat her out.
Swinging her legs back onto the solid surface of the roof, she casts one final longing glance toward the football field and sighs, slowly standing. She doesn't think about much as she journeys home, hands shoved in her jacket pockets and head ducked.
She turns at the driveway to her mother's house and glares at the rust-colored pickup truck occupying it, knowing that she was meant to play 'happy daughter' for the night. Emma pauses; it isn't that she doesn't like David. He isn't an asshole and actually cares about her mother, but she's always expected to actually pretend that she and her mother don't have their issues.
Okay, maybe not issues, but their relationship is far from perfect, and Emma's rebellion doesn't help anything.
Opening the door, she glances around the foyer before mentally cheering and stealthily closing the door behind her. She attempts to sneak toward the stairs, but her luck is relinquished when she realizes that David and her mother can see her from the living room. Rolling her eyes, she supposes she should at least acknowledge their guest and leans against the doorway, offering a tiny smile and a half-hearted wave toward the boyfriend. "Hey, David."
"Emma."
An awkward silence thrums between them before the blonde decides she's been social enough and turns to leave. "Emma, where have you been?" Mary Margaret inquires. "You said you would be home for dinner and that was hours ago."
Emma shrugs. "I was at the library with Ruby. We lost track of time." It isn't the first time she's lied to her mother, and when the woman shakes her head, she knows she'll be lectured later about being a delinquent in the dead of night. "If you'll excuse me, I'm going to go to bed." Before any other word can be uttered by the couple on the sofa, she turns on her heel and climbs the stairs.
Once in her room, she closes the door behind her and leans against it before crossing the room and sitting on her bed and kicking her sneakers off. Removing her phone from the back pocket of her jeans, she types a quick text to Ruby and sets it on the bedside table, yanking her socks off.
Knuckles tap against her window and she glances toward it as the glass is pushed up and a tall brunette girl slips in. "So I guess your mom is pissed that you were out late again?" Emma shrugs, swinging her legs onto the bed and leaning against the headboard. Ruby sits next to her, their shoulders touching, and stretches her legs. "Have you told her about you and Neal yet?"
"Nah, she'd just gush over him because he's oh so perfect for me and his father's rich. Plus I don't think she'd want to know exactly what we're doing, and I really don't want to listen to her try and explain that I'm too young and we should be safe." She crinkles her nose in disgust and wraps her arms around her legs, tucking her knees under her chin. "She's so…weird about shit like that and it's aggravating."
Silence blankets them momentarily, until Ruby realizes the time. "Why are you home so early? You're usually out until after midnight."
Emma debates whether to tell her best friend the truth about what happened on the gymnasium roof, or if she should just leave out Regina altogether. "I don't know. I guess I just didn't feel like doing much tonight. Football practice was boring." She shrugs. "Are you going to stay the night or are you meeting up with your mystery boy later?"
Ruby playfully shoves her and shakes her head. "There is no boy." Emma raises her brow and the brunette blushes. "There's no girl either," she mutters.
Emma grins. "You are so lying! What's her name?"
Ruby shakes her head. "I'm not telling you! Last time I gave you a name, she ended up liking you instead and I never heard from her again." She glares pointedly at the blonde, who gives a sheepish smile. "So just let me have this one, okay?" Emma nods and watches as her friend slips from the bed and crosses the room to the window. "Don't let Neal come over," she tells her with a wink, before swinging a leg over the sill and creeping out into the night.
Emma rolls her eyes and slides down the bed, pulling the blanket up and over her head. Honestly, she doesn't want to think about Neal at all, much less let him come over. He had been acting strange all day, seeming to avoid her, and she couldn't help but feel as though he were hiding something from her.
She sighs, mentally making a note to find out tomorrow just what that might be. For now, though, she just wants to sleep and forget about the heart that's been pounding since she ran into a particular brunette on the rooftop.