Once Emma got her learner's permit midway through sophomore year it seemed like the days were racing by. She was so focused on getting her father to teach her how to drive that thoughts of Regina began to disappear. Her feelings had not faded, she just found she didn't have enough hours in a day to yearn for her. School, learning to drive, working at Granny's, basketball, at times she felt she was going 100 miles an hour.

Another complication that added to her distractions away from Regina was Neal Gold. Ever since the first day of school Neal dogged her heels. The young man inserted himself into Emma's life and she didn't appreciate it at all. He was constantly sitting with her and Ruby at lunch, he sat next to Emma every chance he got in class. Although Ruby thought it was funny how he constantly tried to get Emma to go on a date with him, Emma was not amused.

Neal would not take no for an answer and Emma could not understand his infatuation with her. She still thought of herself as an ugly duckling, thinking that everyone saw her as some awkward and unattractive little girl. She didn't realize that she was growing up and becoming a woman, she was getting taller and her athletic body was starting to turn heads in the hallways.

When the school year came to an end Emma finally got her license after failing the test twice. Mary Margaret was terrified with the idea of her little girl driving. It was David who had to convince her that their little girl was not so little anymore. After having shared the news with Ruby, Emma felt a nearly irresistible urge to tell Regina. She had no idea why she would though, it wasn't like they were close. Or friends even. Why would she even care?

The question would haunt Emma more and more as time went on. Regina and her family began to celebrate all holidays in New York City and not in Storybrooke. Regina would not come home during breaks from school at all. Emma was effectively cut off from her completely and it hurt and confused her at the same time. Why would she not come home?

Her days began to run together and the years flew by. In the blink of an eye she was a senior and contemplating her future after graduation.

"I still can't believe you're going to be a cop." Ruby said as she lay on Emma's bed staring up at the ceiling. Emma sat at the edge of her bed paging through a magazine and not paying attention to what was on the pages.

"Technically I'll be a deputy." Emma said in a monotone. Her thoughts were elsewhere.

"You're making me go to college all by myself while you get to play cops and robbers with your dad." Ruby pouted.

"There aren't any robbers in Storybrooke Ruby." Emma rolled her eyes.

Ruby sat up and looked at her distracted friend. "Then why do it? It's going to be so boring Emma! Come with me! There'll be college parties! College boys! Well, college girls for you. But it'll be fun!"

Emma kept her head down and her eyes in the magazine that she wasn't reading. "I'm not interested Ruby." Ruby snatched the magazine out of Emma's hands and tossed it to the floor. "Hey! What the hell Ruby?"

"Oh you weren't even reading it!" Ruby waved her hand dismissively. "You're just sticking around here because you keep thinking that Regina will move back one day."

Emma crossed her arms and scowled at her friend. Ruby was telling the truth and they both knew it. Yet Emma still tried to deny her true intentions. "My father is the sheriff, I'm just trying to keep the family tradition going." Emma offered.

"Oh please, Emma this obsession you have with Regina is getting unhealthy." Ruby became serious. "It was okay that you moped all through high school, dreaming that she would come home and want to be with you. You have to get on with your life Emma, it has been three years! Three years and no communication whatsoever. The only kind of news you ever get about her are unreliable reports from her creepy step brother." Ruby reached out and placed her hand on Emma's knee. "It's time to move on Emma."

Emma wanted to yell at her friend. She wanted to scream at her and tell her that Regina would come back one day and Emma would tell her how she felt. But instead tears poured out of her eyes and she broke into heavy sobs. Ruby wrapped her up in a tight hug and Emma broke down.

"I know!" Emma cried. "But I can't Ruby! I know I'm being stupid!" All of her pain poured out. All of the frustration that had been building for years inside her erupted. "She probably forgot all about me! But I can't help it! I just can't Ruby!"

Ruby rubbed circles on Emma's back, attempting to calm her. She felt slightly relieved that her closed off friend was finally opening up. Emma had built walls around her heart and refused to let anyone near it. It wasn't healthy and Ruby had been worried for so long about her best friend. "It's okay Emma. I know it's hard, but once you let go it will get better." Ruby said quietly as Emma's tears wet her shoulder through her shirt.

Emma couldn't answer even if she wanted to. She cried harder than she had ever cried in her life. Minutes passed and she was still weeping heavily. After she was able to pull herself together long enough to assure Ruby that she was okay, her friend left to go home. That night Emma cried herself to sleep, unwilling to let her feelings for Regina go.

"Emma Nolan." Her parents cheered as her name was announced and she walked across the stage. Emma smiled and gave her mother and father a tiny wave as she received her diploma. A true feeling of accomplishment filled her heart, her high school career was over. It felt like a chapter in her life had come to an end and a new one was just starting. She wasn't a child anymore, she was an adult.

Right before she left the stage she nearly stumbled and gasped as she spotted smoky brown eyes watching her. Regina Mills was sitting in the audience watching her graduate. Emma's thoughts swirled like a tornado and her heart thumped in her chest. Regina was here!

She ran to Ruby as she left the stage grabbing her friend by the shoulders.

"Did you see? She's here Ruby! Regina's here!" She whisper shouted with big green eyes open wide in surprise.

"Yeah, I saw her." Ruby was not excited at all and her indifference confused Emma.

"I'm going to tell her Ruby." Emma smiled. "I mean her being here has to mean something right? It's fate that she came back!"

Ruby shook her head. "Emma it's not fate and she's not here for you. Remember?" She looked at Emma with sadness in her eyes.

Emma's eyebrows furrowed. "What? What are you talking about?"

Ruby pointed behind Emma. "She's here for him, her stepbrother." Emma followed Ruby's finger and took in the scene behind her. There stood Neal in his cap and gown being congratulated by his father with Cora right by his side. Close by, stood Regina who looked uncomfortable and kept stealing quick glances over at Emma. The blonde graduate was about to smile at Regina when a man next to her that she hadn't noticed before put his arm around her shoulder.

Emma felt like she had been hit by a cannon ball. She watched as the man pulled her close, hugging Regina with one arm and kissing her on top of her head. Emma's mouth dropped open, the man was tall and had brown stubble on his rugged face. He had a bright smile and kind eyes. Emma felt a lump in her throat and quickly grew lightheaded. For a brief moment her eyes met Regina's and the blonde saw something in the brown eyes of the woman she had never seen before. Defeat. Regina turned away quickly and placed a wooden smile on her face as she rejoined the conversations with her family.

Tears burned Emma's eyes. Regina was with someone, she had a boyfriend, Emma had truly missed her chance. She could barely feel Ruby's hand on her shoulder. "Emma, I'm sorry." Ruby's words came from far away and barely registered in Emma's mind.

"You did it kiddo!" Her father pulled her into a big hug.

"We're so proud of you honey!" Mary Margaret joined the group hug that Emma barely felt. Her parents pulled back and noticed Emma's puffy red eyes. "Emma?" Her mother was concerned. "What's the matter?" David looked to Ruby for an explanation. Ruby just pointed to Regina and Emma's parents understood. "Oh Emma baby, I'm sorry." Mary Margaret said, her voice heavy with emotion. Emma broke away from the hug and ran out of the school auditorium.

A certain brunette followed the blonde graduate's escape with sad eyes. Regina's heart went out to Emma and she longed to go after her. She was rooted to her spot by the weight of the arm draped over her shoulder and the watchful gaze of her mother.

She didn't want to go to the party, but Ruby had practically begged her. Emma was not in the mood to celebrate after learning that Regina had a boyfriend now. If that wasn't enough to ruin her feelings for attending the party, it was being thrown by Neal at the mayoral mansion. There was no doubt in Emma's mind that Regina would be there and she didn't know if she could handle seeing her having fun with her new guy.

To try and make her feel better, Ruby decided to dress Emma and loan her one of her dresses. Emma was not used to wearing dresses and she definitely felt uncomfortable wearing the one that Ruby chose for her. It was a tight black dress that went all the way up to the middle of her thighs. It had spaghetti straps and that was it. Emma felt nearly naked wearing it, the dress was so tight that it hugged her hips and she was afraid that it would ride up and display her bare ass for all to see. It pushed her breasts together until they looked like they would spill out over the top. She was petrified thinking about how strong the straps were on her shoulders and what would happen if the thin material were to snap. She wore a pair of black heels that made her feel like she was walking on stilts, the highest shoes that she ever wore had the Nike symbol on the side. Looking in the mirror however, she had to admit that she looked damn good. Her long legs, which she thought were her best feature, were toned and looked stunning in the shoes. She had allowed Ruby to do her makeup and marveled at her friend's handiwork. She had showcased Emma's cheekbones and painted her lips a glossy nude that made her look like a model. Her shiny green eyes sparkled under the thick black lashes that Ruby made her wear and the smoky mascara gave her a sexy look.

"You are going to drop so many jaws tonight Emma." Her redheaded best friend stood behind her admiring her work.

Emma was almost speechless. "I've never looked this good in my whole life." She said softly. Ruby tilted her head with a smile, her friend was always putting herself down about her appearance.

"Emma, stop that. You have a natural beauty girl." Ruby grabbed her in a one armed hug and stood beside her. "See, I have to put on all this makeup and these clothes all the time to get guys to notice me." Emma rolled her eyes at that. "But you don't need any of this stuff, you look hot in jeans and a tank top, you just don't see it. But everyone else does, trust me on that. I see how guys look at you, some of the girls too."

Emma shrugged her shoulders. "So why am I dressed up like this then?"

Ruby gave her a conspiratorial grin. "Because" She turned Emma to face her. "We are going to make Regina so fucking jealous tonight that she is going to dump her loser boyfriend as soon as you walk in the door."

The blonde stifled a giggle and shook her head at her friend. "Yeah right Ruby. In my dreams."

Ruby let her go and went to grab her purse. "Laugh now, but mark my words. This is going to be a night you'll never forget."

Emma smiled in spite of herself and hoped her friend was right.

After pleading to her mother to let her go to the party dressed the way she was, Emma agreed to wear a tiny black cardigan that came up just below her breasts. Ruby whispered to her that they would ditch it in her car before they went into the party. Mary Margaret finally relented and allowed her nearly adult daughter to go and hugged her tight as she warned her against drinking.

They waved goodbye to her mother as the climbed into Ruby's car. Emma counted her blessings that her father was working because she knew that he would never let her leave the house dressed as she was. When they pulled up to the mansion Emma felt her heart beating like a snare drum.

"Before we go in we are gonna lose these." Ruby said as she removed Emma's glasses.

"Hey!" Emma protested. "How am I going to see anything?"

"We aren't going to the library Emma! We're going to a party!" Ruby laughed while she put Emma's glasses on the dashboard. "You look like a million bucks Emma, she doesn't stand a chance."

Emma blushed and tucked a wayward yellow strand behind her ear. She was hoping that her friend was right. With a deep breath she followed Ruby out of the car and up the walk to the front door. Emma could hear the pulsing of the music on the outside and the strength of the beat started to reflect the beat in her chest.