Wow, I am back! Life is crazy right now, I'm procrastinating other things for this, thank the stars. Enjoy!
The following Monday Emma'd woken to that annoying twist of butterflies in her stomach. School, just when life was working in her favor, the public school system swept her off her feet and into it's Pin-Sol scented corridors.
"Emma?" A knock on the door pulled her from her half-dream haze. It was David.
"Yeah?" She called groggily.
"You have an hour, then we out." He said, she furrowed her brows at his choice of words.
"Uh, okay." She mumbled, and slowly pushed her heavy body off the bed. She'd made sure to shower the night before, not wanting to go through the burden of blow drying or excess work this morning, and she couldn't be happier. Her blonde locks were intricately weaved into two french braids, she chose to go light on the make-up, since she was not too familiar with the concept to begin with, and decided on a light shimmer eyeshadow with a nice ratio of mascara. Happy with her face, she stripped herself of sleepwear and slipped on a black bra before cladding the fitting navy maxi dress with long sleeves she'd chosen just for this occasion.
After packing all her supplies into the white backpack laying by her dresser, she threw on the gray pair of converse she'd become quite fond of, and slipped out of the room. The smell of coffee and something sweet filled the downstairs area, and she found herself in the kitchen before she was even fully processing this new realm of 'awake in the morning.'
"Good morning, sunshine!" David smiled, sipping his travel mug. "Something to eat?"
Emma grunted. "Yes, please. What is this?" She flicked a hard pastry.
"I have no idea, Mary Margret's idea of a proper breakfast on the go, I'm guessing." He shrugged. "There's also strudel, apple and cherry."
"Oh, yes, please. Where?" Emma asked, now fully awake at the mention of the treat. He pointed to a black box sitting by the stove. Emma fished out a cherry and bit into it. "I really like strudel." She explained, taking another.
"I see, ready to go?" He laughed.
"Yeah, where's Henry?"
"Mary Margret will get him up, they start an hour and a half after you."
"Wow, that is so rude." Emma scoffed jokingly. The pair piled into the truck, it was brisk out, a low fog settled over the residential lawns and the sun was just barely making it's appearance. "Why is it so early?" Emma groaned.
"Time zones, we live in this one, when it's late somewhere it's early here."
"I don't like that answer." Emma hid a smile.
"Me either, but it's all I got." David replied. "Nervous?"
"A little," Emma said sheepishly. "I mean it's going to be weird being around kids my age, what do I even talk about, boys? Drugs? I just don't know."
"Just be yourself, I'm sure there will be someone just as lost as you." He said, pulling into the school once more, only this time the lot was a little more than empty. "Have a good day, call me if you need me." He smiled.
"Ahh!" Emma breathed, she sent him a warm grin as she hopped out of the car. "I will, you too, bye." She waved, he blew her a kiss, she just laughed.
The sun was almost up as she sat on a lone bench under a sizable pine. It was still cold, she'd wished now more than ever she'd brought a sweater or something. Emma pulled out her phone and began flipping through it, trying to look like she had a clue. She came across Regina's number in her contacts, and as she was debating whether texting her was a good idea or not, the bell sounded, and her phone was slipped back into the folds of her pack.
Archery was her first class, it was located in a small room on the East side of the gymnasium. The teacher looked quite extravagent, with his pink and red flannel, black biker jeans, and long gray ponytail, Emma couldn't wait to hear him talk.
"Alright, my name is Dr. Silver, I know you know that, but we got two new kids who don't know that, now they do. Stand up, if you're new." Emma did awkwardly, so did another girl across the room, they made eye contact for a pretty long time before either made notion to wave, which the dark haired girl did first. "Alright, there you go. Lily and Emma." He pointed to them respectively and motioned to sit down.
Throughout the period Emma and Lily made, rather intense eye contact, which was uncofortable on Emma's behalf as she only wanted to look once more without the other party noticing, but she did. Every time. The bell rang, and any other information spat out by the Silver, as they called him, was less than retained.
"Hey," Emma heard a soft voice behind her. "Emma, yeah?" It was Lily, she was prettier up close, with her dark features, clad in a blue halter top, olive jeans, and a black pea coat, she was quite gorgeous.
"Uh, yeah, I, yeah. New." Emma stuttered, using her hands to show she was Emma, and new.
Lily beamed. "I see, what's your next period?" She asked, Emma showed her the school issued itinerary. "Ooh yay! We have everything but fifth and sixth together, now I have a friend."
"Ah!" Was all Emma said. "Sorry, I am bad a words."
"It's okay, I'm sure I can talk enough for the two of us!" Lily laughed, she hooked her arm through Emma's, who was quite enjoying the warmth in the still cold morning. "So where you from?"
"Here, just I was homeschooled before, now I am not." Emma explained. "You?"
"I see, and I'm from this place in Maine, I doubt you'd know it, it's one of those 'best-kept-secret' kind of deals."
"How mysterious." Emma wiggled her brows. "Why'd you move?"
"My mom, she's weird, can't really explain, maybe you'll meet her one day, it'll all be clear then." She laughed. "Do you know where we're going?"
Emma looked around to see they were the last of the straggling students, the late bell rang and they both laughed. "What now?" Emma asked.
"Okay so, room 507, we were, wait where were we? Okay this is a mess, let's just sit, who needs literature." Lily shrugged and they took a secluded bench, hidden by trees.
"I don't think this is allowed." Emma looked around.
"We can just say we got lost, or something, it's our first day what are they going to do?"
"Eh, I don't know, the principal kind of knows my family, I don't want her giving them intel, about my, uh insolence."
"You're funny." Lily laughed, throwing her head back to stare at the sky.
"What? Thanks?" Emma let out.
"What's your zodiac sign?" Lily asked.
"What? I don't know, I never followed." Emma admitted.
"Birthday?"
"October 9."
"Ooh, a Libra, I knew it!" Lily clapped. "I never guess it right, but with you I just knew. I'm a Leo, that's my sun, Aries is my moon, my rising is Cancer."
"What does that mean?" Emma laughed.
"Oh God, I have so much to teach you, okay, what time were you born exactly?"
"I don't even know, I'd have to look at my birth certificate."
"Okay, well, here-" She took out her phone, handing it to Emma. "Put your number in, text me when you find out and then we can nerd out on this, I will convert you if it is the last thing I do." She said in mock-seriousness.
"Wait, here I don't know my number yet, put yours in." Emma handed her the phone, the girl typed in a few swift digits then took an avatar before handing it back.
"There, now you have a lovely picture of yours truly." She put her hand under her chin to show just who she was talking about.
"Thank you. So, tell me more about this zodiac world," Emma said, and the girl took a deep inhale before yammering away until the bell.
The day went by qucikly, with Lily's company for most of it, and then two periods of actual learning at the end, it was all around a pretty good day. The girl's had decided to walk home together, Lily living just behind the elementary school that Emma had found Mary Margret at. They were meeting by the big tree by the football field, the one with the tire swing. Lily was leaning against it, one purple booted foot stuck to the bark for balance. She beamed at Emma as she approached with a dramatic wave.
"Hey, how were your lame classes without me?" Lily called once Emma was a few yards away.
"Probably just as lame as yours without me!" Emma retorted. "Shall we?"
"We shall." Lily said, strutting out a bit as they walked side by side. "So,"
"So," Emma drew out.
"This dumb boy invited us to a party, this weekend, you down?"
"Uh, what, no what?" Emma stuttered, how had Lily managed that? Emma hadn't spoken to a soul the last two classes, aside from teachers.
"Party, yes, weekend, yes." Lily iterated.
"I don't know my," She hesitated. "parents, wouldn't be happy about that, plus I've never been to one."
"What! Well, my stars then you have to go! Everyone needs to go to a stupid high school party at least once." Lily said as if it were the most important thing ever.
"Have you?"
"Yeah, last year but someone spilt a drink on me, so I cried and my mom had to pick me up." She laughed at the memory.
"Oh, charming." Emma chortled, she could see it now.
"But yeah, so you have to go, and I'll be there, so it'll be like hanging out, but with a bunch of other people. And I would love to hang out with you." Lily persuaded.
"Um, I mean, yeah. But what about my.. parents?"
"We'll just say we're staying at each other's place's, then go."
"Sounds too easy."
"That's because it is." Lily smiled, walking backwards. "This is my turn, I'll see you tomorrow?"
"Yeah," Emma smiled. "It was nice to meet you!" She called.
"You, too, Emma!" Lily called back, running out the way of a car. Emma walked opposite with a smile on her face, happy as hell to have met a friend.
Emma didn't have homework that night, so she started to do some extensive research on astrology. She learned all of her sign, and Lily's, finding that the two were compatible in more ways than one. She had been reading up on the other's as well, she had an idea about Regina's sign, and needed to make sure it was correct.
"Regina Mills," Came the stoic answer.
"Emma Swan," The girl replied equally as professional.
"Oh, Emma, what number are you calling from, are you okay?"
"It's my own, they got me a phone for school, and things, I'm actually supposed to be grounded but they must have forgotten. But, yes I am okay."
"That's good, how is school?" Regina's toned warmed.
"Good, fun, I made an interesting friend, she's new too."
"Hm, I'm glad, and you like her?"
"Yes, she wasn't awkward and didn't ask hard questions, I like her a lot. Do you follow zodiac?" Emma asked.
"Yes and no, I find it amusing but my sign is nothing like me."
"You're a cancer right?"
"I am, how did you know?" Regina laughed.
"I felt it in my soul, Regina. In. My. Soul." Emma said dramatically.
"Is that right? Or are you stalking me?"
"Guess I'll only ever know. Ouch, but our signs aren't compatible, according to this web page." Emma hissed.
"What is your sign?" Regina asked. "Wait, it's Libra isn't it?"
"Yes, but you read my file." Emma scoffed.
"True, but maybe I felt it in my soul as well." The woman purred. "Well that is an air sign, cancer is a water, air and water make rain. Rain is my most favorite weather."
"Me, too." Emma smiled.
"Yes." Regina said. "So, I take you got in trouble for our afternoon together?"
"Ugh, yes, don't remind me, they were yelling and it was gross." Emma wiped her face.
"They just care about you." Regina sighed.
"I wish they wouldn't I don't like this all."
"This all?"
"All this.. warmth, it makes me uncomfortable, something is weird, I can smell it."
"And what does it smell like?" Regina asked.
"Old macaroni and concrete." She replied quickly.
"Interesting." Regina hummed. "Should we schedule an appointment? I'd love to know more."
"We should, I would quite like to talk to you, in reality."
"Is this not reality?"
"Who knows, technology and all, you could be a ninety year old man in Slovakia for all I know."
"Touche," Regina nodded, smiling while Emma was blissfully unaware. "Wednesday at seven?" She asked.
"Sounds good, I will run it by the parental units."
"Okay, I will see you then." Regina chuckled.
"Okay, bye." Emma grinned and hung up the phone. She could smell something amazing wafting in, and she'd be damned if she wasn't there to devour it in five seconds.
Emma skid into the kitchen where Mary Margret was pulling out a batch of something out of the oven.
"Oh Emma just in time! I haven't even seen you all day, were you here?"
"Yeah, I was holed up in my room on this astrology binge." Emma giggled. "My friend told me about it and I love it."
"Ooh! I love it, I'm a gemini, you're libra of course, it radiates off of you." Snow laughed. "David is an aquarius, Henry is a pisces, James is a scorpio. Oh I just love this stuff!"
"Nice! Yeah, it's fun." Emma laughed, taking her seat.
"So this friend, what's her name?"
"Lily, she's in like all of my classes, she's great." Emma was unaware of her slight blush, her mother however, was not.
"Oh," Her brows raised. "Well, I'd love to meet her, where does she live?"
"Actually, just behind your school, in those townhouses, you know?" Emma asked pointedly.
"I do, ooh, idea!" Mary clapped. "Bring her by after school tomorrow, I'll take you girls' for ice cream or a movie or whatever you like to do."
"That sounds awesome, I'll ask her." Emma grinned, soon as Henry rushed into the room, reading some kind of book.
"Hey," He grumbled. "Dad isn't coming, he's held up."
"Oh, well I will save his plate then." Mary Margret sighed, setting aside one for her husband before serving her present family, truffle fries and spaghetti tacos, then of course a more than healthy serving of side salad. The trio talked about their days and ate contently, all heading off to bed after the mess was cleared.
"So, my mom wants to take us out after school," Emma said as they sat down for lunch, each with a cup noodles cooking under it's film.
"Like kill us?" Lily giggled. "I'm good."
"No, like out for ice cream or whatever we want." Emma replied, peeling off her film once more, she liked it when the noodles we good but not soft.
"Oh, ha, duh." She flipped her hair. "Yeah let's do it, then she can meet my Madre,"
"Yeah, about that." Emma drew out the answer.
"No," Lily pointed. "No. You are coming, I already have my outfit picked out, and I am going to help you with yours, you are going. We are going. Yay!"
"I-" Emma began.
"So, ice cream?" Lily clapped, Emma smiled into her soup and nodded.
After school the pair went straight to the school, Mary Margret was still teaching when they got there so they sat in the little library, where the librarian let them read to a class that was visiting for library day. It was fun, the kids loved how animated they were telling the story and would laugh at just about anything.
Mary Margret came in as they were helping the woman stack the returned books back into the shelves.
"Ready?" She chirped.
"Oh, Miss Blanchard your daughters are just lovely." The older woman complimented.
"Thank you Miss Pine, I'm glad the girls' could help you." She smiled.
"Anytime they want to come back, they are welcome in my library!"
"You didn't correct her." Emma said once they were in the car. "About us being your daughters."
Mary Margret sighed. "She's old, and I really wanted to get out of there." Mary spun around to great Lily. "Hello, sorry I'm Mary Margret, Emma's-" She looked to Emma who mouthed the word 'mom.' "Mom, nice to meet you."
"Lily, nice to meet you,too. I really like your car, hella vintage."
"Thank you, I got it when I was sixteen." She laughed.
"Wow, nice, I would have totally trashed a car in like two years."
"Not the attitude I want to hear, do you drive?"
"No, I just turned sixteen in August, and never got my permit. I want to though, we just didn't have the time."
"I see, Emma should be learning how to drive, huh Emma? I don't need to chaffuer you around when you could be driving me around. Oh, you could take Henry to school, think of the possibilities, let's get you permitted."
"What no I don't want to drive your car, what if I wreck it?"
"No way you'd be driving my car, the truck, you can have that."
"Oh okay." Emma nodded, looking back to Lily who gave her a thumbs up.
"You know, you remind me of Snow White." Lily said, leaning forward.
"Oh my God!" Snow exclaimed, then went on to tell the tales of all the past halloween costumes and stories.
"I am seriously going to explode," Emma groaned as Lily tried to shove a gummy worm in her mouth.
"Come on, open up, you know you want it!" The brunette cooed, Emma grimaced and turned her face away, only then did her friend give up and pop the culprit into her own mouth. "Hey, Mrs. Nolan, will you take a picture of us?" She asked, handing the woman in question her phone. Snow nodded and stood to shoot a few snapshots. The girl's smiled bright and pressed their faces together, making a few silly faces for good measure.
"Perfect!" Mary Margret said, sitting back down after handing the device back to Lily.
"Emma, what's your Instagram?" She asked.
"What's that?" Emma asked confused.
"What." Lily deadpanned. "No, this will not do, phone please." She held out her hand, Emma placed her phone within and watched as she downloaded an app, waiting as it loaded. "Instagram is the best social media out there because, well because it is. Okay, E-mail?"
"EmSwanSong ." Emma replied, she'd made it last night after needing it to research further into the internet.
"Okay, type in a user name and password." Lily handed her phone back. Emma used her name, but it was taken, so she added two letters after each, and found it to be available. "Yay, now you need to post."
"I haven't taken any pictures." Emma laughed. "Send me the one we just took, I'll post that." Emma recieved it a minute later, and then put it onto the account. "What now?"
"Nothing, I followed you though." Lily replied, just as Emma got a little orange bubble in the corner of her screen, she clicked on it as another came up, indicating the liking of her photo. Emma grinned as she followed Lily.
"You girl's ready?" Snow asked.
"Yeah, let's go." Emma replied, Lily helping her up as she was still true to her word of exploding.
"So, I know you live in the homes behind my school, but I might need a bit of direction." Snow chuckled, Lily just nodded and began to give her exact directions to her house. They arrived after a few short minutes, and minimal getting lost in the maze of streets.
"Hey, would you mind meeting my mom?" Lily asked.
"No, not at all, should I come to the door?"
"If you don't mind?" She smiled, Emma and Snow got out of the car and followed the girl to the red door of a white, Victorian style townhouse. Lily knocked three times, and waiting for an answer, loud music could be heard from inside, but it stopped after about thirty seconds of loud blows.
"What?" An angry blonde woman with roused hair and smeared makeup answered the door. "Oh, my Lily, hello?" She cooed, and pulled the girl in for a hug. "You must be Emma, and Emma's sister?" She winked.
Mary Margret laughed uncomfortably. "Mary Margret Nolan, nice to... meet you." She held out her hand, the woman shook it harshly.
"I'm Mallory, but call me Mal, or whatever, but Mal is good." She grinned. "And Emma," She sang. "I've heard such lovely things." She gave her an impish grin.
"Hi," Emma let out. "it's good to meet you, too."
"So polite!" She snapped. "Why aren't you this polite?" She playfully pushed Lily.
"I am, Ma, just not to you." She laughed.
"I see, well, would you two like to come in? I have tea screaming, it's my personal brew, it's ravishing."
"We would love to but, I only have my sitter until six." Snow said in a haste. "Lovely to meet you," She said again.
"You as well, Miss Snow, do tell David I said hello." She said in a sly tone.
"How do you?" She began but the door was slammed shut. "That is one strange woman." She shook her head.
"But, you like Lily?" Emma asked hopeful.
"Yes, yes, she's lovely." Mary Margret said, but was silent the rest of the way home. Emma sensed tension and spent the rest of the day in her room, doing the homework she would have been assigned yesterday, had she gone to English Comp class.
Emma whirled into Regina's office the next day, happier to be there than words could describe, she had been having a good week, but Regina made her feel less forced to live day to day with this mask she'd become so adept as holding up. Emma knocked twice and when she recieved a 'come in' she did just that.
"Hello!" She sang.
"Emma Swan, like the bird, how are you?" She grinned.
"Regina Mills, like the.. mill, I am good, how are you?" She asked.
Regina laughed breathlessly. "I am well, please sit." She folded her hands and rested her chin on them. "Music?" She asked.
"Of course, surprise me." She whooshed. Regina grinned and pressed play without breaking eye contact with Emma.
"The Black Keys," She purred. "So, let's talk existentialism, my dear. School?"
"I like it, school's good so far, work load is minimal, and I have like two friends." Emma nodded.
"Tell me about them."
"Well, this guy named Hook is really funny, I think he's, you know, gay, because he wears eye liner and always talks about this guy named Will."
"Probably a prospect, but you enjoy him?"
"Yeah, he's super funny, we have sixth period together and we're the only people ever in the library, even the librarian leaves to have lunch."
"I see, and this other friend?" Regina asked.
"Oh, Lily, she's the best, we hit it off immediately, and have like four classes together. She gets me, and she doesn't even ask me personal questions."
"Wow, sounds like she's pretty wonderful."
"Yeah," Emma blushed. "except, she got invited to this party, and she wants me to go, and I don't know if I should."
"Why?"
"I don't know really." Emma pulled a strand of hair behind her ear. "Thinking about it makes my stomach twist."
"Then you shouldn't go, Emma." Regina let out, sounding a bit more protective than she would have like. "If you, don't feel right about it, it's a sign it's not a good thing to do."
"I know, I know, but I really want to fit in."
"Emma, no."
"What?" Emma looked up.
"If you are going to do something stupid just to fit in, you will not, and if you do it won't be real, it'll be the you they want you to be and not the you that you are, is that what you want?"
"No." Emma grumbled.
"Exactly, so do what you think is right, but only becasue it's what you think you should do, not based off of what other people expect you to do." Regina let out, Emma wasn't looking at her, but she stared the girl down until she did, and gave her a warm smile.
"I really like this song." Emma let out. It was Me and Mr Jones by Amy Winehouse.
"Me, too." Regina said, they then went on to talk about nothings and birds for the remainder of the hour.
Regina growled as she locked up her office, it was around 11:00 and she was getting sick of these late nights. The night nipped at her, it was cold enough to the point she could see her breath as she exhaled. She unlocked her car and fell in, less gracefully than she would have liked, just as she did her phone rang.
"Ugh!" She let out, unknown number. "What?" She barked.
"Woah, I'm sorry, were you sleeping?" Regina recognized the voice as the girl she'd been contacting, the one with no name.
"No, dear, I just got off of work, why must you call me at such ridiculous hours?" She asked, still feeling a bit agitated.
"I don't know I'm sorry." The girl replied. "I just, I don't know. I'm sorry."
"It's fine, but I'm going to ask that you tell me your name, maybe then I could understand being dialed at the Devil's hour."
"It's A." She said. "That's the name you should you."
"That's your name?" Regina asked, this girl was very intriguing to her, she always appreciated a good mystery.
"It's the most prominent letter in my name, is it good enough?" A asked.
"It'll do, now what did you want, A?"
"I think we should meet again," She said.
"Is that right?"
"Yes. I'm ready now." A replied.
"Well, okay Miss A, how is your friday looking?"
"Uselessly free." Regina could hear the smile in her tone.
"Let's change that. I'll get back to you tomorrow." Regina replied.
"Goodbye." She said.
Regina shook her head, never had this happened to her before, a client being so unwilling to share personal information, she couldn't help but wonder just what this A was trying to hide?
I hope this was satisfactory, we're going to pick up in the next chapter. Let me know what you think!
