Chapter 3: The gang
It was still early in the morning when Emma was awoken by a loud banging on the door followed by granny's voice.
"GRAHAM! Stop that banging on my door or I will bang your head against it." Granny yells while opening the door. Graham greets her with a bright smile.
"Good morning granny! I hear that two girls have arrived and I'm here to welcome them." He says hugging and kissing granny on the cheek.
"Alright, they are still upstairs in bed. Go and wake them up." Graham hurries upstairs taking two steps at the same time. He knocks on Ruby's door before opening it and jumping on the bed waking Ruby who screams from shock.
"GRAHAM! You piece of shit, get of my bed!" Ruby says laughing her ass of while Graham is tickling her.
"Are you going to wake up or do I need to tickle you further?" Graham asks laughing.
"Okay, okay I surrender. I'm awake, now get off me." Ruby says turning her body making Graham stumble of the bed.
"Why don't you go and see if Emma's awake? She's in the room next to me." Ruby says getting out of bed and walking to bathroom.
"Alright a new victim." Graham rubs his hands together and opens the door only to be met by an already dressed and awake Emma.
"Ooh you are already awake." Graham says pouting. "I wanted to wake you."
"Sorry better luck next time." Emma says smiling at the handsome boy.
"Well let me at least introduce myself properly. I'm Graham and who are you, lovely creature?" Graham asks giving her his most bright smile.
"This lovely creature is called Emma and I think we are going to get on just fine." Emma says with a grin. Ruby walks out of the bathroom and jumps on Grahams back.
"Alright, I'm ready! Let's go and have some breakfast, I have missed everyone so much." Graham goes downstairs with Ruby still on his back.
"Granny can we use the bug?" Ruby asks. Granny smiles at the trio and tosses Ruby the keys.
"Drive safely." Granny warns them. "And tell Ashly that I will come and check on the diner this afternoon."
"We will see you later."
They wave granny goodbye and position themselves in the car.
"We will go and get Kathryn first and we pick up August second." Graham says getting behind the wheel.
"Are you sure we are all going to fit in this little car?" Emma asks getting in the backseat.
"We will have to squeeze together but It will work." Ruby says sitting next to Emma.
Graham starts the car and pulls out of granny's driveway.
"So Kathryn who is she?" Emma asks Ruby.
"She's the princess of the group. She lives on Mifflin street, it's the street behind us on the other side of the woods. Emma nods it's the street she had gotten lost in last night and where she saw that sad girl.
"But don't underestimate her, we might call her the princess but she can drink like a peasant." Ruby continues. It doesn't take long for them to get the Mifflin street, they pass the big white mansion and they park the car at the house next to the big mansion. So this Kathryn and the sad girl are neighbours Emma thinks. Maybe she can ask Kathryn about the girl.
Graham walks out of the car and is almost at the front door when it's pulled open and a happy looking blonde runs to Graham and jumps on him. When she stops hugging Graham she looks passed him and sees Ruby sitting.
"Yeaaaaaaaaaaaaaah! The gang is getting back together." She yells throwing her fist up in the air.
Graham and Kathryn walked back to the car when Emma sees the door of the white mansion open and the sad girl of last night is standing in the doorframe looking at them. She watches them for a minute before closing the door with a bang and walking in the direction of the town.
Kathryn goes to sit next to Ruby and hugs her before looking at Emma.
"You must be Emma, it's nice to meet you." Kathryn holds out her hand and Emma shakes it. Graham starts the car again and before they know it they are passing the girl who is walking on the sidewalk.
"Who's that?" Emma asks looking at the girl while Kathryn who follows her gaze.
"O that Regina Mills, my neighbour." Kathryn says but doesn't say anything further.
"I have missed you Ruby! How is school in Europe?" Kathryn asks while Emma keeps looking at the retreating form of the girl…..of Regina. She wonder if it would be weird to ask questions about her but Kathryn was to focused on Ruby telling a story that Emma let it go.
They drive further and at the furniture shop they park the car and get out.
"We can walk from here to granny's, we just have to the kidnap August from the shop." Ruby says getting scarves out of the glove compartment and handing them to everyone. They bind the scarves over their faces making sure that people can only see their eyes.
"Let's go!" Ruby says making a gun with her hands and acting like a real life spy entering the shop.
"Hands in the air!" Ruby commands the old man who can't help the way his mouth turns into a smile.
"O no! Bandits what are you doing here." The man jokily asks of Ruby.
"We are here for your son." Graham says keeping his voice low.
"Yes where is he." Kathryn jumps in holding up her scarf with her hand because it's sliding of her face.
"What's the noise out here?" Another voice asks entering the shop before bursting out in laughter when he sees his friends.
"O MY GOD! Really guys? The bandit routine? You are here the kidnap me?" He asks laughing.
Ruby pulls her scarf down and hugs August. "You know I need to make an big entrance!" She says giving him a kiss on the cheek.
"I know you do." August says returning a kiss when his eyes lock on the fourth bandit.
"And who is this bandit?" He asks Emma.
Emma pulls her scarf off and extends her hand. "Emma…Emma Swan." August grins and takes Emma's hand but instead of shaking it he pulls her forward and gives her a hug.
"It's nice to meet you Emma, welcome to Storybrook." He says.
"Dad I'm going to granny's do you need my help this afternoon? " August asks his father, who had gone back to work, carving a little wooden doll.
"No you go and have fun boy." The old man says smiling.
"Goodbye Marco." The other bandits say before leaving the shop.
"You guys are awesome." August says entering granny. The boys go in first and claim the booth at the back of the diner. The three girls join them before Ashley comes over to take their order.
"Welcome back Ruby!" Ashley says smiling. "So what can I get you guys?"
Emma let her eyes roam over the room while Kathryn orders pancakes for everyone. The diner is cosy and old fashioned, and to Emma's surprise she actually likes it. She's looking at the old menu board when her eye catches the brunette hair of the sad girl. She's sitting alone at a small table reading a book and stirring her drink. Emma takes her time to watch the girl noticing how beautiful she actually is. She has short cut hair that bounces of her shoulders, she's biting her lip in concentration while her chocolate brown eyes scan every sentence of the book.
"Emma…..Emma….! Hey Emma!" Ruby gives Emma a gentle push. "What are you looking at." Ruby asks following Emma's gaze.
"Oh the evil queen is here." Ruby says grabbing everyone's attention.
"Evil queen?" Emma asks watching everyone nod.
"Yes we call her the evil queen because she doesn't have heart. I have lived here my whole life and she has never said a nice word to me." August says while Ashley puts their ordered pancakes on the table.
"Kathryn knew her before she became the evil queen." Graham says putting a piece of pancake in his mouth.
"You did." Emma asks curiously. She doesn't know why but the brunette intrigues her.
"Yes I did, I actually use to call her my friend before she called me a bitch and never wanted to see me again." Kathryn says bitter sipping her orange juice.
"Well I'm happy she isn't me friend anymore because I'm sitting with you guys and she's sitting all be herself." Kathryn pours syrup on her pancakes.
Emma looks away from the girl and starts paying attention to her pancakes. She takes a bite and can't help but moan. The pancakes taste delicious Emma pours some syrup on them but before she can take a bite of her pancake a large drip of syrup lands on her white shirt.
"Oh shit!" She says taking a napkin to whip away the sticky mess but only making it worse.
"I think you better clean in of with some water in the toilets." August suggest pointing to the toilets. Emma nods standing up and entering the toilet.
Emma takes a piece of paper wets it and starts rubbing the sticky mess away when someone enters the bathroom. Emma looks up and sees the brunette enter a stall. Emma wonders if she should leave to avoid a confrontation but something inside her tells her to stay and try to get to know the girl a little better.
So Emma waits until the girl leaves the stall looking a bit shocked when she sees Emma is still standing there and looking at her. "Hey." Emma says.
The girl ignores her and goes to stand next to Emma to wash her hands.
"I'm Emma, You're Regina right." The girl looks up at Emma and frowns. Emma sees her mouth open to say something but the girl changes her mind and shuts her mouth. She reaches for the towels, dry's her hands and leaves the toilet.
"Well it was nice to meet you Regina." Emma says before she leaves the toilet as well.
"Wow! Emma you're still alive!" Ruby says when Emma joins the gang again.
"Why wouldn't be alive?" Emma asks.
"We saw the evil queen enter the bathroom after you." Graham says pointing at Regina.
Emma smiles looking at the brunette. "Well I tried to talk to her but she just ignored me."
Kathryn frowns. "What she just ignored you?" Emma nods. Kathryn turns around and watches Regina with a worried look.
"Maybe she has changed. Maybe she isn't a bitch anymore." Kathryn says with a small voice.
"Come on Kathryn don't go there anymore. Last time you took pity on her, she made you cry for two days." August says taking Kathryn's hand in his.
"I know, I just …She was such a nice person when I father was still alive. She really was a good friend and…I sometimes miss that girl." Ruby puts a hand on Kathryn's shoulder and gives it a little squeeze.
"It's okay Kathryn we understand but let's forget about her alright. I'm here to have lots of fun and that crazy bitch isn't going to ruin it." Ruby says making Kathryn smile.
The gang starts discussing what they are going to do for the rest of the summer but Emma can't help but space out of the conversation. Her mind keeps drifting to Regina, she has never felt like this before. Something is making her so curious about her.