I'm not super proud of this chapter but I did the best I could so.
Chapter 9: Rumor Has It
She was in the mall.
Right.
Emma Swan was in the mall. How the hell did it happen?
She didn't really know actually.
As long as she remembered, it was a casual Saturday and she didn't have any plan; except spending the entire weekend locked in her room so she wouldn't have to deal with a Blue trying so hard to bond with her.
Now she was getting all cozy with her hot cocoa with cinnamon and her earphones, thinking about this one heck of a good weekend she was going to have.
Because what better way to spend your free time than doing nothing, being lazy?
She was perfectly fine with this plan.
All by herself with her series and music.
What a paradise.
But that was before her phone buzzed, it was Ruby.
Yes she got their numbers, more like they got hers but anyway.
"Hello?" She spoke through the phone, trying to hide her annoyance.
"Emma! How are you doing?"
"Good thanks." She almost groaned.
Why was she calling exactly? Well she was planning to do a shopping session with Mary-Margaret and Elsa and she wanted her to join them.
At first, Emma was thinking about the nicest way to refuse the invitation.
She usually used the 'no sorry' but she was starting to believe that it was a little bit harsh.
Seriously. She was Emma Swan. Did they really think she was the type of girl who would spend her days in a mall? What a joke.
But then she heard Blue yelling from downstairs that it was time to eat; and without thinking, she accepted the invitation quickly.
"See you in 10 minutes." she said before rushing in the stairs, keys in her hands shouting a cold 'I'm out' directed to her foster mother.
So that was because of this desperate act of running away from this house that she was now sitting on this little sofa, surrounded by noise in a crowded place full of dumb people; when the three other girls were picking hundreds of clothes to try on in the fitting rooms.
"Which one do you prefer? This one, or this one?" Ruby appeared out of nowhere, showing her two shirts that were supposedly different.
"The one with a flower or the one with two flowers? What a dilemma." she said in a mocking tone.
"That's true Ruby, the difference isn't that huge, the two are great." Elsa added with a small grin.
"I might take both then." She chuckled. "What about you Emma? Don't you want to buy anything? I guess your dilemma is more like 'what color will my leather jacket be today'"
This made Mary-Margaret and Elsa laugh.
And when it comes to Emma, she was about to roll her eyes. But she didn't have the chance to do so.
Because she was stopped by a small giggle that escaped from her mouth.
It wasn't forced, it was a true giggle and it surprised her.
But no matter how hard she tried to deny it, she had to admit that she liked them.
A little bit.
Mary-Margaret was the definition of innocence, and it was in some way tendering. She was also one of the sweetest person she had ever met.
Ruby was the spicy one, more like crazy to be honest. Sure she liked gossiping and stuffs like that; but her bubbly personality was charming. She attracted people like a magnet.
And Elsa; well she was less talkative than the others but she looked really responsible and mature.
"Hey what is it between Killian and you?" Ruby questioned her with a knowing smile on her face.
She furrowed her eyebrows. What was it between them?
"What the hell are you talking about?"
"Well, it's a small high school we have there, and rumor has it that you two had a not so sweet talk in psychology lesson."
Oh that was the thing she was referring too. She didn't fight well in that round, he got her easily.
But maybe if Mrs. Mills didn't interrupt them, she would have find a way out. Or maybe not.
What was she expecting her to say; something such as 'we're great he's my BFF'?
It wasn't like whatever kind of relationship they had there was entertaining.
"It's impossible to have a nice talky session with someone like him." She said with a shrug.
"It's also impossible to talk to him in general."
Point taken.
She had moved in about a week ago but it was enough for her to see that he didn't have a lot of friends, if not any.
And that he wasn't even trying to make some.
She wasn't trying either, but apparently she had some now. And it wasn't as unpleasant as she thought it would be.
"What now? Because I said he was pathetic and that we spent the lesson arguing I'm being hated by the bitchy crowd?" She stated sarcastically.
Elsa laughed before saying with irony: "Don't mess with their golden boy."
"You two seem to be spending quite some time together." Ruby continued.
She wasn't letting it go. Great.
"Come on. We were fighting. Not being friendly or something."
"Okay I believe you, that's actually great. I mean as I said before, he is trouble."
Emma rolled her eyes and huffed: "why would you all assume that? He isn't that bad boy-ish is he?"
Okay maybe a little.
"He is but this isn't the matter, there are rumors flying and-"
"Ruby." Mary-Margaret scolded.
Okay what the heck was happening here?
"What? This isn't a secret everybody knows about it."
"Emma, those are just rumors, you are old enough to choose who you want to hang out with." the girl with the pixie cut said, giving her a reassuring smile.
"Right, but what are you guys talking about? And for your information, I don't have the intention to befriend him." She spat, more aggressively than she expected.
"Some crazy stuffs, nothing really important." Elsa shrugged, but apparently it was important since they won't tell her.
It didn't matter, she didn't care about him anyway.
She had never been the curious type right? Why would it change now? She didn't want, nor need to know.
Lie.
"Seriously, what is it all about?" She grumbled, definitely annoyed that her curiosity took over her.
The three girls exchanged concerned look to one another but seeing Emma wasn't going to give up, Ruby volunteered to tell the tale.
"Well there are plenty of rumors about him, because of his mysteriousness and all... Like the fact that he's a spy from God knows which government" she chuckled.
Wow. People could be really stupid to invent things like those.
One of the main reason she hated people in general.
Actually, there was an infinity of reasons why she hated people.
"We also hear things like 'he's living a secret life'"
Oh no really.
Come on Ruby.
She wasn't trying this with her was she?
"They also like saying he is a sorcerer, practicing dark magic or something. They say he's a vampire too" she laughed, trying to play it cool but Emma wasn't duped.
She knew exactly what she was doing. Trying to cloud the issue.
Did she really think she was that gullible to buy it?
She knew that Ruby was giving her all those informations that didn't matter because there was a bigger one and she clearly didn't want to tell her what it was.
But she needed to know.
Damn you curiosity.
"Rumor has it that he got facial plastic surgery because he was supposedly ugly before and-"
"Stop it Ruby." Emma cut her off, dryly.
"This 'I'm gonna tell her tons of useless stupid stuffs and keep the only important one for me' thing. Not working. Like just tell me, or shut up."
The girl with red highlights looked down, pouting like a child would do after getting caught eating candies without the permission.
"Okay fine Emma, I'll tell you the main rumors." Mary-Margaret sighed heavily after a few seconds of silence.
"We heard things about how he punched a middle-school teacher, and once got into a really violent fight and the guy he was fighting with ended up in a hospital."
Here she was getting somewhere finally.
"They say he doesn't only smoke cigarettes too, and they say..." She paused, trying to force a smile.
Please just spill it.
The suspense thingy is lame. And unbearable.
"They say he killed."
What the actual fuck.
At first Mary-Margaret wanted to let out a laugh to make it look like a silly thing but instead, her voice turned into a whisper; giving an ounce of drama to the scene. She perfectly knew it wasn't true, she was sure of it.
Well she wanted to believe this at least, but even if she didn't want to admit it; she was doubting.
A tiny little bit.
Because nobody confirmed it, nor denied it.
"Bullshits." Emma spat.
"I know!" Elsa said, trying to seem relaxed when she was so tensed.
"I can't believe people can be fucking bastards like this. What do they win uh? Entertainment? Is that really worth it?" The blonde with the leather jacket raised her voice, features of anger growing on her face.
"Right. A guy who smokes, wears black and doesn't talk much; the perfect target. And then there are those girls who would exaggerate everything because a dangerous and mysterious boy is something they find freaking hot don't they?"
"They think they can use a name, an identity and do what the fuck they want with it. It's not a problem if it hurts the person's feelings, as long as it doesn't touch them. As long as they're having fun. Human beings are disgusting."
Yes, she was defending him. Because it was unfair. And Emma Swan despised unfairness.
Hell she couldn't stand it.
Mostly because she knew what it was all too well.
She had been a victim of it her entire life, and it was one of the hardest thing to get used to.
Actually, you never get used to it.
Unfairness is unfair; deal with it.
"Thanks for this afternoon, I gotta go." She said, leaving the girls without even giving them a glance.
I think I will upload on Fridays instead of Thursdays from now. I don't know actually. But the next chapter is coming soon!
