"What class does Anastasia have at the moment?" Zelena asked Seraphina as they sat together in Chemistry.
Seraphina only had to think for a couple of seconds. "Math."
"With Miss Blanch– I mean, Mrs. Nolan?" That was going to be a bitch to remember, Zelena thought.
"Yeah," said Seraphina. "Why do you ask?"
"Anastasia was supposed to get back to me about the fundraiser for next week," Zelena explained. "I'd forgotten how slack she was."
Seraphina shrugged, glancing across the classroom to where Glinda sat alone. "At least she's loyal."
Zelena snorted. "I suppose... to an extent."
When the bell went, signaling that class was over, Zelena packed her things into her schoolbag before departing the classroom and making her way across the school until she had arrived at the row of classrooms where Grade 12 Math was taught. She approached the classroom where she knew Mrs. Nolan usually taught, only to find the door closed.
Is she keeping the class behind? Zelena wondered. Or has everyone already gone?
There was only one way to know for sure. Each of the classrooms had narrow windows high up on the walls, large enough to let light in, but someone would need to stand on one of the benches outside to be able to look through a window. So, that's exactly what Zelena decided to do. Letting the schoolbag drop to her feet, Zelena hopped up onto the bench below the windows of the classroom, and peered through. At first, she thought the room was empty. However, that was before Zelena saw Mrs. Nolan at the front of the classroom, behind her desk. No... on her desk. She wasn't alone. There was a man in front of her, and Mrs. Nolan was kissing him passionately.
"What the fuck?" Zelena whispered to herself. When the two had stopped kissing, the man lifted his head and started unbuttoning his shirt. To Zelena's surprise, the man wasn't Mr. Nolan. It was one of the Biology teachers. Zelena quickly jumped off the bench, picked up her bag, and walked away from the classroom as quickly as she could without actually breaking into a jog.
Cora's hands tightened into fists as she looked down at the empty chair in the middle of the warehouse.
"How?" she demanded to know from the sheepish-looking man standing beside her. "How did this happen?"
The man was clutching his red beanie. He had been a former student at Storybrooke High, Cora remembered, although she struggled to remember his name.
"I don't know. She was here a while ago. I don't understand how she could have escaped."
Cora shook her head disapprovingly. "I was told that Bo Peep's services were professional. Had I known that she merely had a bunch of high-school dropouts on her payroll, I never would have agreed to this."
The man crossed his arms. "Hey! I graduated, thank you very much. Don't you remember?"
"I have been a high school principal for 17 years," said Cora. "Do you really think I'd remember someone as pathetic as you?"
"Watch who you call pathetic," the man said in response, pointing a finger at her.
"Or what?" Cora responded, rolling her eyes. "Are you really threatening me? Go on, then. Assault me, if you want."
Looking hesitant, the man slowly lowered his hand and glanced down at the floor. "I'm sorry."
"That's right. You should be," said Cora. "Because you know that if I report just one negative word about you to your employer, you're finished."
"Should I go looking for her?" the man asked, now eager to get back onto Cora's good side. Funny how quickly one's tune can change.
"I don't think so," Cora replied. "You've already failed. Go home, if you even have one. I'll find Regina in my own way."
And then she turned away from him without another word, walking out of the warehouse and back towards her car.
When Zelena found Anastasia, she was surprised to see that the latter's face was all red and swollen, as if from crying.
"Anastasia?" she said. "Why are you sitting alone? What happened?"
Anastasia sniffed. "Will and I broke up. He thinks I've been seeing Red behind his back."
Zelena let out a sigh. "And... have you?"
"What?"
"Have you been seeing him behind Will's back? Be honest."
"What the fuck?" Anastasia rose from her seat. "What's wrong with you?!"
"Plenty," said Zelena, "but that's not why I'm here. I need you to tell me something important."
Anastasia frowned. "What?"
"You remember that teacher we had for Biology last year? What was his name?"
"What, you mean Mr. Whale?"
Mr. Whale, of course. Zelena gave her a smile.
"Thank you, Anastasia. Good luck with your, uhh, relationship bullshit."
When she entered the empty conference room, Zelena grabbed a pen, some paper, and some tape. She ripped a square from the paper, roughly about the size of her palm, and wrote on it:
Mrs. Nolan
If you want the secret you share with Mr. Whale to remain secret, meet me at the toll bridge at 4pm.
Zelena placed a strip of tape across the top of the paper, before walking out of the conference room. By the time she had arrived at Mrs. Nolan's classroom, both Mrs. Nolan and Mr. Whale were nowhere to be seen. Zelena pressed the taped note onto the classroom door, and then went on her merry way.
That afternoon, at exactly 4pm, Zelena stood at the toll bridge. The bridge itself was scarcely used, but Zelena had recently found a quiet peace there. She knew that she could go to the bridge whenever she wanted to be alone with her thoughts. For a while, Zelena wondered if Mrs. Nolan was going to show up. For all Zelena knew, the note had been blown off the door by a gust of wind, with Mrs. Nolan having never laid eyes on it.
"Zelena?"
Zelena heard her own name and turned around to see Mrs. Nolan approaching her.
"Good afternoon," said Zelena formally, before turning back around to face the lake beneath the bridge where a few swans were now floating atop the water. Swans had always been Zelena's favorite animal, and The Ugly Duckling had often given her a sense of hope when she was a child, living with an alcoholic father, who she never wanted to end up like.
"This is a nice spot," Mrs. Nolan's voice was calm and conversational. Somehow, Zelena was finding it difficult to look at her.
"You got my note, then."
Zelena saw from the corner of her eye that Mrs. Nolan had reached into her jacket and pulled out the note.
"I did," said Mrs. Nolan. "How did you find out?"
"I was looking for Anastasia," said Zelena. "By the time I got to your classroom, she was already gone... but you weren't."
Mrs. Nolan nodded. "And what do you plan on doing with this information? Why did you want to meet me here?"
Zelena forced herself to face Mrs. Nolan, feeling like she owed the teacher that much, at least.
"The exams will be coming up eventually," Zelena replied. "Our final exams, before graduation. That is to say, we only graduate if we successfully answer the questions in said exams. We both know that Math has never been my strong suite, Mrs. Nolan. That's why, this year, you will be showing me the answers to every question, so I can get every answer correct, and leave Storybrooke High with good grades."
Mrs. Nolan didn't look shocked, as Zelena had expected. What is it, then? Disappointment?
"You've always been a smart girl, Zelena," said Mrs. Nolan. "I'd always assumed that, if you put your mind to it, you could pass the Math exams easily. Instead, it seems, you've put your mind to something else. The wrong thing. It's truly a shame to see such a bright mind go down such a dark path."
"Spare me the lecture," Zelena said. "I've given you my terms. Ensure that I pass these exams, or your marriage falls apart, as well as your reputation. I mean, really. Getting it on with Whale in a classroom? At school? During school hours? I'm surprised you didn't expect to get caught sooner or later."
That was the first time she had ever registered anger in Mrs. Nolan's usually kind eyes.
"If you go through with this," Mrs. Nolan muttered, "there's no going back. And if you try to ruin my life, I'll do everything I can to make sure you go down with me."
"That's a risk I'm willing to take," replied Zelena. "However, this is a very easy choice. We could both get what we want. I get to pass the exams with flying colors and move on to a successful future. You get to keep your job, your dignity, your husband, and your little affair. I'll give you some time to think it over, but don't take too long, or..."
Zelena gestured to the note in Mrs. Nolan's hand, before giving her a cruel smile and walking away.
When Chad turned his head in the direction of the knocking, the first thought that popped into his head was Zelena. Getting up from the chair he had been sitting in for the past five hours, Chad turned away from the many computer screens and walked across the dimly-lit room towards the metal sheet that served as a makeshift door. It scraped across the floor as he opened it but, to his disappointment, Zelena wasn't standing outside.
"Hello," said Cora Mills. "You wouldn't happen to be this Hades person, would you? The one Zelena visits?"
Chad frowned. "What do you want? And how did you know where to find me?"
Cora allowed herself a chuckle. "Did you really think nobody knew about you? You leave traces that are easy to follow, Chad Gardener. The only reason I've allowed you to continue your... work here, is because I thought you might become useful one day. And now, that day has come. May I come in?"
Chad glared at the principal for a few seconds, before stepping aside. Cora walked inside and looked around, sniffing at the air.
"I love what you've done with the place," she said, her voice dripping with sarcasm. "I remember when this was a public bathroom."
"Can I help you, Mrs. Mills?" Chad asked, resuming his seat.
"As a matter of fact, you can," replied Cora. "I need you to find my daughter. Her name is Regina, and she's somewhere in Storybrooke. Do you think you can find her?"
"Maybe," said Chad with a shrug, leaning back in his seat. "Why should I? What's in it for me?"
"Oh, nothing," Cora said. "Other than being able to retain your anonymity. I could expose you in a matter of seconds. And I imagine you've made a lot of enemies. In fact, I had dinner with a couple of important members of the city council who were complaining about a certain hacker just last week. They would ensure that whoever is responsible for hacking their files would see a lot of time behind bars."
Chad rose from his seat suddenly. "Are you blackmailing me? Really?"
"Call it whatever you want, but you will do as I say. I expect Regina's current location by this evening."
As Cora turned to leave, Chad's eyes darted to a piece of metal pipe that lay on the floor. Without thinking, he leaned down, grabbed it, then lunged at Cora and struck the pipe across the back of her head. For a second or two, Cora stood still. Then, she collapsed to the floor, and didn't get up.