~Regina's POV~
Zelena leans against the locker beside me, chewing on her gum dramatically, and mentally driving me crazy. She's lucky I love her because I would have knocked her teeth out seconds ago.
"Your sister had a change of heart over break I see." Zelena motioned down the hall to Emma. She's happily chatting away with Ruby and Lily like she always does.
"I don't see the difference," I shrug and close my locker.
"I don't know, it's almost like she's glowing, you don't think she lost her virginity do you?" I simply choke on the air that I breathe for a quick second. To play off my inner struggle, I scoff at her accusation and proceed on to class.
It's really hard for me to talk about Emma with other people. Well, it's not their fault because they don't know but most times my friends tend to look out for her because she is my little sister, or they bring her up because somehow she's always relevant to the conversation.
As Zelena and I continue to mindlessly chat while waiting for our teacher, I notice tension in the air and not the good kind. Zelena does too and furrows her eyebrows the moment Ivy walks into the room because everyone starts eying her down.
"Heey...V...what's going on?" The red head asks as Ivy sits beside me. I've never seen Ivy look so depressed in my life and I've known her since we were 5.
"Hey Z..." She drags with a heavy sigh. "So I'm guessing you guys didn't hear what happened over break?" Zelena and I shake our heads desperately wanting to help our friend in anyway we can. "Well I went to this party and uhhh...I got really drunk and flashed my boobs...and now everyone's calling me a slut because I apparently made out with like 5 different guys that night."
"Holy shit." I mumble and shake my head in disappointment "Ivy..."
"I know, I know. I'm not supposed to party without you guys but I couldn't help myself." She whimpers and rubs her cheeks furiously to rid herself of facial stress.
"Is there even proof that you did this, maybe the boob flashing, but the kissing?" Zelena questions. I'm glad she did because it probably would have been the next thing that came out of my mouth.
"Yup, pictures of me with like 3 and one of them was–" she chokes.
"One of them was who?" I ask.
"One of them was Frederick, but there's more to the story..."She begins to sob. I quickly get up and Zelena follows behind. We each take a hand and guide Ivy to the nearest bathroom. Once we're inside. The smaller brunette immediately sobs all of her pain out on Zelena's shoulder, breaking our hearts with every tear.
"It's alright Ivy, you can let it all out." Zelena cooed softly and ran her fingers through Ivy's hair gently.
"It's all twisted. They said I just gave myself away but I swear I was drugged I know I was, and I tried to fight them off of me—"
"Wait wait, them? Who is them?" Ivy flinches at the killer glare I must be giving her at the moment but I'm sure she knows that I'm out for blood and it's not hers. She visibly gulps and says,
"Frederick, Philip, Killian, and David...they raped me."
I don't think that's fair. Life isn't fair but that's real low. Something like that happening to Ivy is like devastating for Zelena, Mo, and I. Not to mention, Kat turned the other cheek on us. Since Frederick is her boyfriend she ran right back to him, believing the lies, and blamed Ivy for it all. I had a feeling that her idiotic boyfriend was a little fruity but I wanted to be nice and didn't say a word.
My feet storm angrily in the halls as I approach my locker, seeing a familiar blonde that I have been dying to get my hands on since before winter break started. She flinches a little but hardly as I slam her locker shut and stare down in those icy grey eyes.
"Do you want me slit your throat or would you just make it easier and do it yourself?" I growl lowly. Mal rolls her eyes, that evil smirk spreads across her face, and she presses her nose against mine.
"I knew you had the hots for me." She chuckles softly.
"Enough games! What do you get out of spreading these fucking rumors and lies?" I snap. Mal runs her fingers along the hem of my shirt but I refuse to back down, not now not ever. She doesn't scare me and never will.
"It's like I told your sister before you took her v card." She whispers softly. In that moment my heart slams against my chest and I pull away, "The party brings out the monster, and the liquor reveals the secrets."
"You listen to me because I will only say this one last time Mal." I growl in her face once more, "You don't know what you're talking about but I suggest you keep my name out your mouth and my friends."
"Or else what?" She challenges.
"I will fucking murder you!" I yell, letting my temper get out of hand. Now all eyes are on us and I could care any less than I previously did before. Mal cups her cheeks and purses her lips tempting me to knock her out cold.
"Ohhh is that a threat? You won't hurt someone who's holding all of your secrets." She grins.
"What secrets? I never touched Emma." I snap aloud. Mal leans in to my ear and whispers,
"If that were true, why is she on the verge of tears from me being so close to you?" Then I see it, down the hall where she always is. Anger on her face and tears threatening to spill from her eyes. The moment Emma notices me staring back, she makes a run for it. "You better go save your girl, you don't want to leave her wondering." She whispers again.
I take a mental moment to decide on what I should do. Which is more important? Choking Mal to death or clearing things up with Emma? Quickly I brush past Mal and call out to Emma, hoping to catch her before she does something stupid. She'd just jump to conclusions and try to get me back somehow I just know it. It's in her nature.
"Emma!" I call through the empty halls. Most people are either in class or at lunch. I should be in lunch. Emma and I always meet up and walk there together even before this intimate venture that started.
"Emma!" I whisper into the bathroom.
"Go away!" She sniffles from the very last stall. I heavily sigh and walk over to it, letting my body lean against it so I don't over step any boundaries and make matters worse.
"It's not what you think. I was just helping Ivy." I inform truthfully.
"What does Ivy have do with you letting Mal rub all over you? What the fuck is that?! Is that what you do now?!"
"No! If you'd just shut up!" I snap, immediately regretting it. She has every right to be angry. Even if I wanted to show power and challenge Mal, I should've thought about how it would look. I never should've let Mal touch me out of respect for Emma. You try to save someone's day and you ruin someone else's Mills. Figures.
"I told you how Mal is like the party police right...so...since she told the school that Killian and David were gay, I was right about Killian trying to use you. He ended up using Ivy."
"Really?" Emma sniffles. She then opens the stall to step out and face me. My heart breaks over how hard she was crying over me.
"Really." I conclude. "And it wasn't only him it was David and Fred too but they twisted the story to Mal. She spread it and—did you hear anyone come upstairs when we threw that party?"
"No why?" Emma cringes with furrowed brows.
"Because she knows what we did that night and what we have been doing."
"That's a joke!" Emma laughs and wipes away the remainder of her tears. "You are joking right?"
"I'm not joking! Do you think she knows that I have a–"
"No no, she can't know. She won't say anything right? We have to believe she won't say anything! What are we going to do?!"
"Emma stop! We don't need this stress right now like seriously we don't." My grip on her shoulders tightens, forcing her eyes to stay on mine.
"Exactly! Its adding onto the stress we already have! Its already hard enough to sit at home in front of mom and Dad." The whimpering and the sorrowful pout does not help the situation at all. "So what is this? Is everyone going to get bullied now for not being perfect or just breathing?"
"Emma..."I sigh. My very very secretly sensitive girlfriend scoffs and storms off towards the door. And I just sit there and watch because I honestly have no idea of what to do or say to make it any better. I can never control what comes out of someone's mouth or what they know or even say for that matter.
"Let's go to lunch." Is all she says with a forced grin. Reluctantly I follow, until something red flashes at the corner of my eye. 'Slutty Ivy' written in red lipstick across the mirror. "How did we miss that?"
"I-I don't know." I mutter before reaching for a paper towel. This school has definitely gone to shit and I think it's tome to beat Mal at her very own game.
Emma and I went back to our lockers, grabbed our lunches, and walked to the cafeteria as if nothing ever happened between us just now or ever. As soon as we step in everyone goes silent. I keep walking not really caring but Emma lingers in the door way which allows me to notice it. Everyone is staring at me. Not both of us but me.
Kat stands up and approaches me causing Zelena to stand up in defense. "How could you keep something like from me?" Kat questions.
"Kat fuck off it's not that serious." Zelena budges. Honestly I'm confused.
"What are you talking about?" I guess she's still my friend because despite everybody probably knowing this secret, she leans in and whispers it anyways. As she tells me what the whole school knows, Mal is the first person my eyes land on before everything goes red yet again.
"Regina!" Zelena warns. She's always one to know my signs. First I nibble on my bottom lip, then I blankly stare at my target, the vein on my forehead pops like an anime character, and then...I just snap.
I ignore Zelena. I ignore everyone around me as my mind takes over, racing my body across the lunch room and towards Mal who faces me with nothing but confidence. I face her, I don't hit her. I wish I can fucking hit her, I can can't I.
"Just because someone knows secrets, doesn't mean they have to keep them." She whispers only for my ears, eliciting a sharp breath to leave my lips.
"Kudos to you hun. You've been here for a month and have the whole school wrapped around your finger. The torment has to start with someone right?"
That hit a nerve. Mal visibly, for once, shows fear. Maybe fear from hardships at her old school or just fear of life kicking her right back in her ass. I give a small chuckle and smile, knowing my life is definitely going to change, probably in a bad way, but I refuse to let it rest in the hands of some random ass bully.
"I mean really this is like some damn movie?Some stupid fantasy you're deciding to play out. I pay attention Mal, I know how teenagers work, but do you?" I leave Mal to think about that before picking up my lunch bag again.
"Regina are you okay?" Mo questions.
"Emma let's go." I demand, ignore anyone and anything. She's honestly all that matters. I even push past Kat, just because she's sitting with Mal in the first place, as I head to the door.
"Where are we going?" Emma questions.
"Home."
"Regina wait, you can't just—"
"Zelena I'm fine really. I just can't be here right now." I shrug and glance at Mal again. "I'll end up killing her before she takes another breath. Come on Em."
"I'm so lost..." Emma trails after long silence. She playful bumps into me earning a small smile on my face that I can't fight no matter how hard I try. I'm glad I decided to leave. The cold air makes me feel numb and watching the cars drive by makes a perfect distraction.
"Well, I guess it's safe to say that the whole school knows that I have a dick or at least they'll be questioning it." I shrug. Emma groans and slows down her pace just a little, holding the straps of her book bag tight in her hands.
"What's the point of her doing any of it? Why does everybody want to be an it girl."
"Because they're idiots and they aren't like us." I joke. Emma laughs and steps a little closer beside me. She may not ever know it but it's very comforting. "Lesson number 1 Em. High school is always divided into two parts: predators and prey or peasants and nobles take it how you will. But none of that defines who has power."
"What do you mean by that?" She questions innocently.
"I mean that...okay, say you're Ivy right? And the whole school is bullying you, twisting your truths into lies." I begin to explain. I look over to a red tinted face to check and see if she's following me.
"Okay.."She urges on and looks me dead in my eyes.
"She's not doing anything about it because she thinks that she can't, but she can. There's always an open opportunity for her to step up, just as I did. So then who has the power? The bully or the victim?"
"The victim..."she trails in question with an adorable face that I can't help but laugh at. I shake my head and say,
"Nope. They both do.. the bully will always have power because they're always bigger or have a darker heart in a sense. Victims may not know it, but if they just took half of the power that bullies have, they can turn it into something so much more. The ones that find the courage always does."
"So I take it that tomorrow will be lesson number two?" Emma teases, but to her surprise I nod my head.
"Yup. You start high school next year and I promised to prepare you so..."
"As my sister or as my girlfriend?" She questions with an innocent smile
"Both." I answer truthfully with a lifted brow.
Maybe I'm doing it because I love her more or maybe I'm doing it because I have this urge to protect her like a big sister would. Even though I mostly hate her as a sister. The answer will always be both.
"Is it the wrong time to say that I've been throwing up?" That question threw me off and forced my legs to still. Even if I tried, it's like they're glued. Emma stops walking and looks to everywhere but me. "Like alot. Every morning as soon as I wake up..."
"Did you cheat on me?" I question coldly. Emma finally looks at me with horror on her face. I don't care, I can't help how I fucking feel. First Mal and now this. There's no way that I could have done that to her.
"What?! No! How could I have done that?!" She defends.
"Well there's no way that I did it!" I snap.
"Obviously you did Regina okay? I may be new to all of this but I know that I didn't fucking do it myself!" Something about Emma's tone shatters all my dark thoughts. The pain on her face tells me that she's not pranking me or telling any lies or even losing her mind.
"But mom said–"
"Well mom lied! Everybody lies, even our parents. I thought you would've known that already." She mumbles and continues to walk towards home.
"I just didn't think she would lie about something like that." I mumble and follow behind. Emma audibly huffs and says,
"Maybe she didn't want you having any bright ideas or something. Or she probably just wanted to scare you out of having sex which technically worked."
"Well its great that mothers would stoop so low to lower their child's self esteem."
"Woah, I don't think mom would ever do that to you Gina."
"Are we talking about the same Cora? Because the mom I know puts everyone else above me nowadays to the point where I can scream fuck her right in her face without batting an eye." Emma rolls her eyes at me and pulls her house keys out of her pocket before stepping onto the porch.
"We can sit here and fight about mom and dad or we can figure out what the hell we're going to do." She unlocks the door and drops her book bag to the floor heading right to the kitchen just as a pregnant woman would. Well...pregnant 15 year old...that's worse right?
I sigh and kick off my shoes before padding off to the kitchen and dragging my book bag behind. Emma is already slipping caramel apple pop tarts into the toaster.
"Those are mine." I remind as I sit at the island and pull out my homework.
"Okay well I'm really craving apples." She reminds.
"Well eat a damn apple." I suggest with hint of sass. Emma rolls her eyes and leans against the counter.
"I meant sugary apples and it's too late now anyways I already put them in." I roll my eyes and proceed to read over this stupid math homework before my mind says otherwise. After her pop tarts are done, she sits beside me and digs in. "You're welcome."
"You didn't buy them." She mumbles with a full mouth.
"They're still mine. R-E-G-I-N-A apostrophe S. Mine." Emma looks at me with an unamused grin and says,
"That's not how you spell 'mine'. Are you sure you in the right grade?" She jokes.
"You are ridiculous." I mumble and focus on my homework once again.
"Seriously, we're fucked for being here. You do realize we just skipped school right?"
"And you think mom and dad will have a heart attack?" I ask.
"Yes." She says as if it's obvious.
"But do you actually care?" I drag.
"I care how they'll retaliate to said heart attacks, yes. I need my phone." She whimpers. "And my laptop."
"For what? Porn?" Emma goes red. Like super red and it's hilarious.
"Eeewww! No, I do not watch porn asshole." She gags.
"Alright, remind me to check your history logs. Anyways, there's more better things to do." I taunt without showing any eye contact. I'd rather finish my homework and it'll just get on Emma's nerves too. It works both in my favor.
"Things like what?" She questions and leans a little closer in attempts to grab my attention.
"Like.." I trail in thought and suck my teeth. "Hide and seek in the dark or cards. Cards are fun." Emma laughs and pulls away to focus on her pop tart once again.
"Cards are fun." She chuckles in agreement.
"We could play would you rather or twenty questions maybe–"
"What the hell are you two doing home right now?" Emma and I tense out of fear. My hand starts to mindlessly tap my pen away as Emma turns to face me.
"Um, we needed to come back." Emma answers truthfully.
"Come back for what?" I can hear the sternness in mom's voice. She rounds the island begins to put groceries away after setting her keys on the counter.
"Why did you lie to me?" I ask. My mom whips around and looks at me highly confused.
"You don't get to interrogate me Regina, you two are in so much trouble when Leo get's home." She says with the stern glare that always seemed to run fear through my body. I'd shake and gulp, trying to will my heart of all painful movements. Not anymore. Not ever.
"Emma didn't want to I made her come back to keep me company." I answer truthfully.
"Why? Your sister doesn't need to be caught up in your drama Regina leave her out of it next time." My very pregnant sister!
"Mom we only had three classes left it's fine, really. And I'm not just going to leave her alone." Emma quickly defends.
"Emma, you and I both know that Regina has very unpredictable temper that you don't need to be dragged along with. Why are you eating her poptarts?" Because you fucking lied to me asshole!
"Mama it's fine." I growl. She's just finding reasons to nag now.
"Now what is this about me lying to you? When did I lie to you Regina?" Emma looks to me with worry in my eyes pleading me to drop it all together.
"You thought...no, I don't know what the hell you thought but I came home..because I found out that I got someone pregnant." Mom audibly gulps and stares at me with utter disbelief.
"Regina! I told you time and time again–"
"No! You don't get to pin this on me! You lied! You always lie! You lied to Dad and you lie just to fucking ruin my life!" I totally just fucked up big time. No matter how much I wish I could take it back its not going to make Emma feel any less better. She takes in a deep breath beside me and sadly stands up, leaving the pop tarts behind as she runs up to her room.
"What the hell is that? What is going on in this house?!" Mom snaps.
"Really mom? Really, just forget it." I sigh and begin to put my things away.
"No! I'm not going to forget it. How dare you say I lied to your father and all of a sudden your life is ruined because you made a stupid decision?" My mom snaps.
"It's the fact that you're a selfish bitch! You never once asked me how I felt all of the guys you tried to make it work with after dad. I came to you because I thought Leo changed that part of you and told you that I wanted the surgery because you lied. You lied because you can't accept who I am and you never will!" My mom gulps down. The tears fill her eyes and she takes a step forward.
Z
"No no, Regina that is not true. You know that I love you." She begins to sob.
"Okay, but that has nothing to do with you making me feel shitty about myself. Dressing like a girl isn't enough? Wearing makeup and bras and keeping the boobs. I could've just turned into your son mom. I always kept it a secret because I thought it was best for me because that's what you said. But I realize the same people who will judge me for it also accompanies you." And with that, I grab my stuff and leave her alone.
"Regina wait!" Ignore her and linger in front of my door, wondering what Emma is doing. She most likely has the door locked so I just go to mine, finding her sitting there on my bed.
"You said you wanted a baby." She mindlessly says. To save me from more pain I close the door and put my homework on my desk.
"I do." Is all I say as sit and open my folder.
"You do realize that we can't have it now right?" I sigh and finally turn to face her .
"Emma we never talked about keeping it, you just turned 15 you shouldn't even be–" I pause and forget it. I'm really just done with life right now while she has a whole damn life sitting inside her. This couldn't have been an any less worse time for it to happen. All teenagers go through stuff at whatever age. It feels like life is just hitting them all at once and they can't handle it. I thought I could.
"I had to do it, I had to say those things to her."
"Why?" She asks more calmly than I expected. That once supportive look on Emma's face suddenly comes back. It makes me feel so at peace for some reason. And open.
"Because I can't keep bottling things up. It only makes me angrier. I can't hit her because she's my mom when I really want to. I hit you when I shouldn't, but that's how we are. That's how I let out my anger."
"Mom loves you Gina. What parent doesn't do shitty things?" She shrugs.
"My dad. I mean my birth father." I inform.
"Yea from what you see right? Three years ago you would've said that about mom right?"
"Yes.."I sigh. Emma gives me a small smile.
"Not everybody is perfect babe. Even if you think you are you're not. We all do things. I've done things. So, now you just have to let it go."
"That's easy for you to say." Emma stands up and gives me a peck to my lips before wrapping my arms around me.
"I never said it would be. But you have me either way."
