A/N: I'm not dead! Happy New Years! I am still trying to find my creative spark and I've gotten it back long enough to write this, I hope you guys enjoy it, I had a ton of fun writing again. Hopefully more to come this year. Have a great 2018!

Xoxo, RM


Late Thursday Night

Since Madi was head cheerleader it meant that of course she was involved in decorating the gym for the welcome back assembly, meaning that Anna-Maria had to help her best friend even though she dreaded every moment of it. From a glaring Brielle to a love-sick puppy eyed once bad boy looking at her she wanted to murder her best friend, but the look on Madi's face after the whole gym was decked out in spirit for their school was worth it all. The whole ASB plus a gloomy Anna-Maria finished the gym a little after midnight, after another long round of saying goodbye, Anna-Maria was in bed by 1:30. She had to be up at 6:30.

Friday

Anna-Maria forced her eyes open as her alarm rang. She groaned instantly and regretted helping her best friend just a little bit.

"Good morning!" Madi practically squealed as she got into the car.

"Morning." Anna-Maria yawned still exhausted by last night's activities.

"You ready for your big game today?" Madi asked looking at her best friend

"I think so, coach has been super hard on me lately." Anna-Maria reluctantly confessed

"She has been." Madi said with a frown, "I'm sure she's only doing that because she knows how good you are." Madi says smiling at her

"If you say so." Anna-Maria sighs, putting the car into drive.


Anna-Maria went about her day as she did normally until free period hit, the welcome back assembly was announced and everyone headed towards the gym. There was endless PowerPoints, videos and cheering. Anna-Maria had a small migraine from all the noise. After being introduced by the Asb Anna-Maria and her teammates stood in front of their classmates promising a successful season for the team, the crowd roared. Madi was awarded a plaque for being an amazing captain and helping out immensely. The day carried on with everyone full of energy and a promise of a wonderful school year from the principal, Miss French.


Anna-Maria had said her goodbyes to Madi, promising to meet up after the game was done and was about to close the truck of her Jeep when a strong scent of Irish springs hit her. She turned around and immediately regretted it.

"Hey Anna." Mason said with a small wave

"Anna-Maria." She stated her voice laced with irritation

"I broke up with Brielle." He stated, running his fingers through his messy locks.

"So I've heard, yet I don't understand why everyone keeps giving me this information." She says with a roll of her eyes, she slings her duffle bag over her shoulder and slams her trunk shut and starts to walk away.

"Wait, Anna-Maria." Mason says catching up with her

"You know this seems oddly familiar doesn't it? Shall we repeat me yelling at you as I slam the locker room door in your face?" she asks with an arched eyebrow and a grin, he chuckles shocked at how fast she retorts him.

"No, hear me out and I'll be out of your hair." He pleads looking into her gorgeous blue eyes, she huffs and looks away from him annoyed.

"1 minute." She states returning her glare towards him.

"I broke up with Brielle because I know that the way she treated people, especially you wasn't right. I just wanted you to know that, I didn't break up with her just so I could try to fully pursue you." He states

"Great, my nemesis's enthrallment has a heart." She states without missing a beat, he chuckles again.

"Would you stop that!" she yells at him

"Stop what?" he asks

"Laughing at me." She says clearly pissed off

"I'm sorry, you're just so-" he pauses. "you leave me without any words to say." She narrows her eyes at him but turns away jogging the rest of the way to the locker room, she needed to get her mind ready for the game, no distractions.


"What?" Anna-Maria asked looking around, finally noticing that all her teammate's eyes were on her.

"You and Mason?" Grace said with a huge grin, Anna-Maria rolled her eyes

"No there isn't anything between Mason and I for fucks sake drop it." Anna-Maria roared, everyone immediately went back to their business.

"Well, jeez Anna, you'd think by now you'd be able to control your temper." Grace huffed, Anna-Maria glared at her.

"Enough with the looks Locksley." Ruby said walking towards the front of the locker room, to the white board.

"It's Mills." Anna-Maria snapped back

"Watch it Mills." Ruby said, she started her plan of action for the girls, the knights from Midas district had only one good player and that was Katherine Midas' daughter Bethany, Bethany was a total bitch and Anna-Maria hated her with her whole being. It only grew when she found out that her own mother hated Bethany's mom.

"Mills that's where you come in- "Ruby explains, "Every time she goes up to hit I want you there blocking, once she gets momentum in those hits it will be nearly impossible to break her pattern, but Mills, your golden arm better be amazing."

"She's got nothing on me." Anna-Maria said rolling her eyes, her teammates couldn't help but snicker because literally Anna-Maria could kill someone if she hit hard enough.


Warm ups breezed by and finally it was game time. Since it was their welcome back assembly earlier today the game was advertised well so the stands in the gym were jam packed. Anna-Maria looked into the roaring crowd and saw her mother and her aunt Tink sitting in the front. No matter what happened, Regina was always there in the front row cheering her on.


Anna-Maria groaned as they rotated, she was now face to face with Bethany, and she was talking so much crap, Anna-Maria was fuming.

"Don't let her get to you." Grace said to Anna

"She isn't." Anna said through gritted teeth, the other team had decent players but they were nothing compared to their own team, they were a well-oiled machine with Anna-Maria as the attack force, they won the first set easily, but Bethany was damn good too, the second set they had to work for points, they lost to them in the second set but only by a few points. This was now the last set, the score was 24-23.

"You aren't winning this one Locksley." Bethany said grinning

"Leave that out of this." Anna-Maria growled

"What can't take the heat? Anna-Maria Locksley or is it Mills? Hm? I heard your precious mommy was having problems with your daddy, and you being you well I see why he left so soon." Bethany said snickering, the other girls on Bethany's team laughed with her, everyone else couldn't hear because the crowd was loud. Anna-Maria's eyes reflected anger, all she saw was red. She was utterly humiliated, and pissed off that this bitch brought up her deepest insecurities, she was going to get her revenge.

"Grace, fake then a quick." She whispered to her teammate, Grace looked at her with uncertainty but nodded, they waited for the ball to be served by their side, once over the net she hung close to the net, of course, Bethany was trying to hit, she luckily hit it fast enough for Anna-Maria not to block but thank god their libero was so good she popped it straight up to grace who did exactly what Anna-Maria asked, Anna played along then ran behind Grace did her approach felt all the rage and fury leave her body and transfer to the ball, she aimed directly at Bethany. Regina caught sight of the action and gasped, she instantly saw the rage leave Anna-Maria's expression instantly.

"Holy shit." Tink whispered, grabbing Regina's hand

It's always silent after she uses her golden arm to its full potential, the opponent is usually hugging the ball that just knocked them on their ass which in this case happened to Bethany but it bounced off her lap and hit her square in the face she was knocked out on the floor.

"Storybrooke High wins!" An announcer yells through the mic, her school roars for their victory, Anna-Maria can't help but smile, Grace and her teammates shake their head but smile and group hug. The whole school now chanting "Golden Arm Mills" made her smile grow wider.

"Congrats, Anna." Mason said with a huge smile, he went to scoop her into a hug but was stopped by a hand, he frowned and looked up into her eyes curiously, her eyes were full of uncertainty, and fear but it was masked with hatred and anger.

"What do you think you're doing?" she hissed softly

"I-I was going to- "

"Well don't, I told you this Mason." She said sternly, not bothering to glance in his direction again, instead she went to her mother and the three women left. He stood there silently, he sighed, she was a tough one but something inside her was worth it. He just needed to dig a little deeper.


"So dear, do you want to tell us about that last point?" Regina asked, as Tink, and Madi chewed their lasagna silently. Anna-Maria swallowed and looked up from her plate, Anna-Maria had voted against a victory dinner and opted for a quiet and hopefully quick dinner, she should had known.

"Not really, no." she said, averting her gaze from her mother, best friend and aunt, the three people who knew her the most. Regina and Tink shared a look, they had discussed that her talent was amazing yes but the rage behind each hit scared the two women, Regina had cried a couple of times, she hated seeing all that pain in her daughter, the two had talked about the possibility of therapy for her, maybe even anger management.

"Listen dear, I want you to go see a therapist." Regina said, Anna-Maria's eyes snapped up to meet her mother's.

"What?" she said, did she think she was crazy or mentally unstable? She had accepted that her actions weren't the best but to place her in such a position she felt really uncomfortable, if she couldn't share her feelings with the ones she trusted most, she sure as hell wasn't going to tell some stranger.

"We are very worried about you, it isn't healthy to bottle up rage and unleash it against someone, it's dangerous." Regina said, Anna-Maria rolled her eyes

"I'm going to college because of that, she deserved what was coming for her, and who cares if I hold in my emotions, it could be worse." Anna-Maria snaps back

"That's just it, it could be worse, you cant say that Anna." Regina said placing her fork and knife down, this was going to be one of those conversations

"Well, I don't know what you want me to do." Anna-Maria said huffing

"Go see a therapist!" Regina shouted

"I don't need therapy!" she said a little louder, all eyes on her now, she looked at her aunt who looked at her sympathetically, but slowly nodded. Anna-Maria looked to Madi, she searched her best friend's eyes, she agreed with them.

"I don't need to be understood." Anna-Maria shouted as tears gathered in her eyes, she was overly emotional due to everything that had been going on since school started.

"I'm fine, I don't want another person trying to get in my head, I can't take it anymore, would you all just leave me be!" she yelled, wiping her tears and darting to her room. She wedged various things against the door to ensure no one could get in and crawled to her bed and cried herself to sleep.

"I told you she wouldn't like it." Madi said shaking her head, she knew this would be the outcome

"Madison, we wouldn't have known if we didn't try and it doesn't matter, she still needs professional help." Tink said sternly

"I know she doesn't like it, but sometimes I can't reach her and sometimes neither can the two of you, maybe some professional who understands more than we do can help her, I'm willing to try it, despite her reaction to it, she needs to Madison." Regina adds, Madi nods but looks away.


A/N: Like I always say, please review! I love reading them and I will respond to them all! Thanks!

Xoxo