"When I looked upon the past with her, she disappeared without me noticing.

Or she may not have existed from the start."

I slipped into my bug and cringed at my appearance in the front mirror. My foundation had faded from sweat, the front of my uniform had a small but noticeable spaghetti stain, and my light hair had strayed in to disarray from the updo I sill haven't gotten down yet. Sighing, I put the key in the ignition and turned the radio to a slight hum. It's been a horrifically long day.

I work at Granny's, one of Boston's finest restaurants. The name was quite ironic considering the richest people in the area came to eat there. I don't even know how I managed to get a job there, but I'm glad I did. It's constantly bustling and some days it's straight up horrific with the amount of people who want to eat at the same time, but I've managed to work my way up to being extremely popular among the customers. It's hard, but I make great tips; plus I have the best coworkers a girl could ask for. Ruby and Mary Margaret are my best friends, colleagues, and roommates. Sure it can get pretty crowded back at the apartment, but I love it. I've certainly had enough time on my own to last a lifetime, and I don't need any more.

As I arrive back to the flat I instantly feel the weight of the day leave my shoulders when the little green door comes into sight. I stepped out of the car and watched it open with a relieved smile as Mary Margaret pokes her head out, her hand emerging soon after to offer me a cup of tea. She must have seen the overwhelming gratitude on my face as I approached, because she kissed my cheek and looked at me in that bright, genuine way only Mary could.

I gently took the tea from her hand with a 'thank you' and hugged her upon remembering what day it was.

"Happy birthday M&M."

"Thanks for everything. Really, today was unreal," she released me.

"No problem."

"Long day?" She asked with a smile, taking a sip of her own tea.

I slid past her and shut the door with a yawn, throwing my purse on the counter.

"Yeah, no longer than usual though. Its gonna be a lot better when you start working with me and Rubes again."

"I know, believe me I'm itching to get back. I should be better in a few days, don't worry."

I flopped onto the couch, swinging my feet over the armrest, "I hope so. How are you feeling since...?"

I felt the cushion dip as she sat down carefully next to me, placing her tea on the coffee table.

"A lot better, thanks," I noticed the far away look in her eyes, "Just trying to forget."

Sitting in silence for a few minutes, I lolled my head back into her lap, attempting to guide her through the melancholy she was trying so hard to bury.

I met her eyes upside down and offered her a small smile, "Listen, it's gonna be fine. You've got us."

She stroked my cheek softly, like I imagined a mother would, "I know."

The moment was broken by the obnoxiously loud knock at the door. I stood to open it and was soon tackled by the predictable flash of red.

"Emma! Granny let me leave my shift early since it's Mary's birthday. I figured the two of you had something planned."

She looked at Mary expectantly over my shoulder. I looked back too and saw the pixie haired woman shaking her head with a smile,

"The perks of being the owner's granddaughter. I wish I got that kind of treatment when I worked in retail. The Christmas season was an absolute nightmare!"

Ruby laughed and gave her a pointed look, "You're deflecting."

Mary stood and went to put her cup by the sink, "Well, I'm not really sure. I mean, you guys have already done so much for me. Calling my old friends from high school, paying for lunch out, breakfast in bed, the gifts, and everything else you've managed to squeeze in. You guys really went all out, and I'm so thankful to have you two."

I shrugged, "Its really no big deal. If we couldn't actually be with you for most of the day, we had to make sure you would have a great time without us."

Ruby nodded vigorously, "Totally. So Mary, you up for a trip to the Rabbit Hole tonight?"

The Rabbit Hole was the highest end club in Boston. Truthfully, we were waitresses who didn't exactly come from that walk of life, so Ruby (the wild one) had to pull out all the stops to make it happen. But she deemed it worth it when we walked in feeling like a million dollars. We had had some time to kill before it opened so we had gone out to get new dresses, our nails done, and get our hair and makeup done by professionals (which, might I add, seemed pointless when you could save fifty dollars and do it yourself). I was insanely glad Ruby and I had been saving up for Mary Margaret's birthday for such a long time. It marked the day we all met; making it one of the most important days for us all, so I had known Ruby would put something fancy together. I didn't mind the enormous drain in my bank account. Or so I told myself.

Once we entered, I was quickly became afraid for my hearing. The electro music was all-encompassing, and the lights flashed so many colors at once I had trouble thinking straight. But once I got myself together, I was blown away by the interior of the nightclub. The furniture was sleek and probably cost more than our apartment, the decorations were striking and beautiful, and overall it was extremely huge. There were many thick glass steps leading down to a dance floor that lit up along with the beat of the music. The crowd of people at the bottom was insanely large and I began to feel the excitement course through me. Mary Margaret tugged on my arm as she bobbed up and down with the same exhilaration. I tore my eyes away from the dance floor as we walked towards a bar, overhearing Ruby ordering our shots.

"Don't, worry," she yelled as we sat down, "My friend paid for all our expenses already."

I raised my eyebrows at her but she was too busy throwing down vodka(?) to notice. What friend? I turned to see Mary Margaret staring at the shot glass put in front of her and laughed as she grabbed it with a shaky hand.

She shook her head in distress, "I haven't drank in so long."

"You'll be fine. Tonight is your night! Drink as much as you want." I drank my own shot to make a point, closing my eyes. God, it was definitely vodka.

After I recovered I patted her on the back with pride as she took my advice and quickly threw back the shot.

Ruby leaned over with a giggle, "That's it M&M, you got this!"

Mary Margaret made a face but ordered three more from the bartender.

She laughed at our stares of bewilderment, "Let's do this right."

Before I knew it, Ruby was leading us down the steps into the huge crowd on the dance floor. In my heavily buzzed state I took a moment to appreciate the red light amplifying the burgundy streaks in her hair. I felt the vibrations of the heavy bass go through me and enjoyed the pleasant feeling in my chest. Ruby turned around once we were down in the middle of the crowd and began to dance with me, or rather, against me. After a while we couldn't stop laughing when we noticed Mary Margaret dancing like she was having the time of her life. I couldn't remember having a better time myself as I danced among both strangers and friends.

After a good hour of dancing I excused myself and made my way up the stairs to get another drink. I felt as if I had sweated my makeup off and angrily wiped my forehead, looking for a reflective surface to check my appearance in. Seeing a mirror nearby, I walked past a sign that stated 'VIP' in bold black letters. Curious, I backtracked and examined the heavy golden door, ignoring the equally heavy security guard beside it.

"Miss?"

"Uh, yeah?'

"Can I ask your name?"

Couldn't hurt to try.

"Emma Swan."

He took his sweet time looking through the list, and just when I thought he was going to tell me to get lost he unclipped the red rope from the post and pushed open the door with a grunt.

"Enjoy."

I walked into a beautiful lounge area that was surprisingly quiet. You could still hear the thudding of the music through the walls, but it was dulled and soaked into the sleepy atmosphere. Lights faded through the rainbow much slower than they did on the dance floor, and I could here people's soft conversations. It was much darker in this room, however, even with the soft lights, so I gave up on trying to check my makeup. I had learned the hard way to avoid club bathrooms unless in dire need.

I spotted another glass bar in the corner and made my way over. There were only a few people sitting down, but I inexplicably decided to take a seat next to a woman in red sipping a martini. Trying not to seem too interested, I attempted to get a look at her face through my peripheral, but she turned away from me. We sat in silence until the bartender made his way over to us.

"Name please?"

I thought it was strange he asked for my name, but my eyes fell on a list beside him. "My friend paid for all our expenses already."

"Emma Swan. Surprise me with your best."

He flashed me a smile, "Comin' right up."

I felt the woman's gaze on me as I ordered, and turned to meet it. Oh. My. God. Her eyes were a darkness I couldn't quite define in the dimly lit room, but I was instantly hit with a feeling akin to euphoria.

I could tell she was easily the most beautiful woman I'd seen all night. Her off-shoulder dress accentuated her figure beautifully, and her short dark hair was perfectly coiffured. But that's not at all what I was paying attention to. My heart felt as if it was going to tear out of my chest, as if I needed her to breathe. This was new to me.

We were sitting closer now, I don't know how we got that way. I felt myself leaning in slightly to examine her flawless face, and watched, mesmerized, as she stared back with the beginnings of a smile. I ignored the little voice in the back of my head telling me I was most likely coming off as strange. I was too enamored, too enchanted to be aware of myself. I wasn't aware that my hand had traveled up to stroke her cheek. I wasn't aware that our foreheads were now touching. The only thing I was aware of was that what I felt was a deep rooted feeling of something so beyond simple attraction, so complex, so strong; something I had never felt before. I kissed her then, gave her all I had, even if neither of us had yet to exchange a single word.

"Emma!"

I groaned, slapping away the hand that was shaking my shoulder. It persisted and I felt my frustration building as I attempted to fade back into sleep.

"Emma! You're going to be late!"

I buried my head back into the fluffy pillow, pulling the comforter tighter around my body.

"Okay, whatever. But don't come crying to me to get your job back when Granny fires you. You know how strict she is, Em."

I quickly identified the voice as Ruby and sat up, confused. She would never be up this early after a night like last night.

"Huh?"

I opened my eyes to see her brushing her long brown and red hair and putting it into a ponytail. She caught my gaze through the mirror and smiled.

"Come on, sleepy beauty. You have five minutes. Mary made some toast downstairs."

She finished quickly and smoothed a hand down her uniform.

"See ya!"

Just as she began to leave the room my curiosity got the better of me.

"Wait!"

"Yeah?"

I slowly got up, unsure of myself, "What day is it?"

"The fifth, why?"

I shook my head, "No its not. It's the sixth, Mary's birthday was last night. We went out? Remember?"

She placed her hands on her hips, "I don't know what you were doing last night, but I know for a fact I was on the night shift."

"What?"

She whistled, "Damn, are you okay? Did you find my...?"

I waited for her to finish her sentence, but she didn't.

"Never mind. We're gonna be late."

I watched her trot downstairs and stepped into the bathroom, taking a look at myself. I looked different somehow. Like, better? Happier. My face looked less tired than usual, my eyes were a little brighter, and my hair wasn't as wild. As I brushed it, I thought about last night. Or whatever it was. It felt real, like I was just there 5 minutes ago. Everything had been detailed and beautiful and perfect, and I was so...in love. I don't know how I knew I was in love. Honestly, I don't even know what love is. Not anymore. Not since Neal.

But I've never had a dream that real. I've never had a love that real. Ever.

Hey guys! I hope you liked this first chapter. I haven't been on in a while so I'm a bit rusty. But there are a lot of great things coming your way. Please review and let me know your thoughts. :)