Title: "Romeo was Stupid"
Author: darkswanqueenredbeautysw
Chapter: 1/?
"Okay, guy's. When I call your name, just come up and take a book and a card, okay?" Emma explained to her students, setting the box that contained copies of Romeo and Juliet on her desk. "Once you get your book, just write down your name and book number on the index card and pass it up to the front row." She instructed, then began to read down her list. "Alex." The blonde boy stood, grabbing a book and an index card from the box and then sitting back in his seat towards the back of the classroom. "Paige." The young girl seemed to be entranced in a conversation with Ava and her brother, Nicholas, and didn't hear her teacher call her name. "Paige!" Emma called out again, louder this time, snapping the girl to attention. Giving her teacher a sheepish smile, Paige rose from her seat and took a book and a card.
"Sorry…" She mumbled, shrugging and sitting down.
"Pay attention, Ms. Hatter." Emma warned with a smile towards one of her favorite students. "Grace." She continued, not looking up as the student approached her.
"I'm really excited for this. I love Romeo and Juliet." Grace gushed, flipping through the book with a fond smile on her face. Emma looked at her, grateful that at least one of her students enjoyed Shakespeare. "So romantic." Grace added, flashing a smile at Emma before turning on her heel and sitting at her seat.
"Sure, if you leave out all the murder and stupidity." Emma nodded, looking back down at her gradebook. "Henry." This time the blonde teacher looked up, watching as the usually quiet boy made his way up the isle and picked up one of the old, worn out copies of the book. "Excited?" Emma asked, a small smirk playing on her lips, knowing full well that Henry wasn't the biggest fan of Shakespeare.
"Definitely." He replied sarcastically, making his way back to his seat. Emma continued to read down the list, until finally she reached the Zimmer twins, and everybody had gotten their books. Suddenly, the bell rang, and all of the students began to gather their things and head out of the classroom.
"Remember, act one read by Friday!" Emma called out to them, hoping to catch the kids who had rushed out before she could explain the homework further. Emma sat down in her chair, relieved that the day was over. She always needed a break after her chatty grade nine honors class.
"Ms. Swan?" A voice called out softly, and Emma looked up to find Henry standing in front of her.
"What's up, kid?" She looked at him expectantly, giving him a gentle smile. In his hand he still held his copy of Romeo and Juliet.
"I think I have a teacher's copy." He explained, holding his book out to her in invitation. Emma took it from him and flipped open the book. On the inside front cover, in neat, black script, was the name Regina Mills. "There's notes everywhere." Henry added, sounding slightly amused at getting his mother's old copy of the book. Emma began to flip through the pages, and Henry's statement proved to be true as her eyes caught the neat and organized scribblings of her colleague.
"I didn't see anything." Emma winked at him, holding the book out for him to take back, but the boy shook his head in resistance.
"No way. She'd know it the moment she saw it, you know her." He argued. "She definitely wouldn't want to be the one aiding me in not trying my hardest, either." He shrugged. Emma stared at him for a moment, before reaching into the box next to her desk and handing the boy a new copy of the book.
"Now don't tell me that's Ms. French's." Emma joked, placing Regina's copy of the book next to her bag as a reminder to return it to her later. Henry shook his head with a smile, before thanking her and rushing out of the classroom as not to miss his bus.
Curious, Emma once again picked up Regina's copy of the book and flipped it open. The sight of Regina's name made Emma's stomach a little nervous, and she smiled to herself, sticking the book in her purse.
She gathered her things and left her classroom, beginning to make her way to the English office when she heard a voice call out her name. "Emma!" She turned around quickly to find Ruby Carmine, holding a cardboard coffee tray with three coffee's inside. "You better love me." The Italian teacher teased, taking one of the coffee's from the tray and handing it to Emma, who took it gratefully.
"How can I love you when I know that you don't love me nearly as much as you love the person you got that third coffee for?" Emma teased back, raising the coffee to her lips and taking a sip from it, sighing in satisfaction afterwards. Ruby rolled her eyes. "I thought Belle didn't like coffee?"
"She doesn't, it's tea." Ruby clarified. "Besides, it's not like that."
"Did she ask you to get her some?" The blonde inquired, giving a small smile.
"No…" The other replied, casting her eyes down.
"Uh huh." Emma nodded, turning around and continuing her way to her office, Ruby following her. "Why don't you just ask her to go for coffee with you next time?"
The brunette was about to answer, but Emma had already opened the door to the English center, and Ruby could see Belle French sitting at her desk, crouched over her students essays with a concentrated look on her face. Emma lightly shoved the Italian teacher, who sent a glare her way before taking a step forward and placing the cup of tea down beside the young woman. Before Belle could look up and see who it had been, Ruby turned on her heel and ran out of the room.
Belle looked up from her work, confused. "Ruby." Emma shrugged, setting her bag down on her desk and sitting down. Belle looked at the cup of tea and a light blush settled on her cheeks. After a moment, she pushed her chair away from her desk and left the room, and Emma could hear her heels clicking down the hallway and Belle's melodic voice calling 'Ms. Carmine!' down the hallway.
"Young love. Cute." Emma heard beside her, and lifted her head to see the face of Regina Mills submerged in a copy of Night, by Elie Weisel. The brunette didn't even bother to look up from her book, but still a small smile lingered on her lips as her eyes ran over the pages. Such a book didn't elicit joy from people, at least not normal people, so Emma only assumed that Regina was smiling because of the little exchange between Ruby and Belle. Her heart skipped a beat at the motion.
Emma watched as the grade twelve AP teacher scribbled notes into her book, a small knot in her brow as she concentrated. She thought about the copy of Romeo and Juliet in her bag, wondering if she should return it or not. The blonde opened her mouth to inform Regina, but closed it after another moment. Maybe she'd keep it just for the night.
