A Bad Influence, Part One
This was a request someone made where Anna Elizabeth makes a new friend, and Emma & Killian think that she is a bad influence. This will take place in the fall following the end of "I Don't Even Know How To Dance", where Anna Elizabeth is a junior.
Note: I'm not sure how many of you have watched "Full House", but this idea reminded me of the storyline when Stephanie becomes friends with Gia and Danny becomes worried. That's where I got the name for Anna Elizabeth's friend. I tried to be as original as possible, but "Full House" may have slipped through.
Anna Elizabeth was sitting in her last period chemistry class.
She was doodling song lyrics in her notebook when she heard, "Hey, blondie, this seat taken?"
The blonde looked up to see a girl with shoulder length dark brown hair and eyes standing before her. She wore worn, light faded jeans with rips in both of the knees with a tight-fitting t-shirt, along with black Converse sneakers.
"No, it isn't," Anna Elizabeth answered.
The girl nodded before she sat down in the desk beside Anna Elizabeth's.
The dark-haired girl then noticed Anna Elizabeth's shirt and commented, "Bon Jovi – you have good taste in music."
"What? Oh, yeah," Anna Elizabeth began. She then continued, "I normally just sleep in it, but I overslept this morning. It was my dad's shirt. I think that Livin' On a Prayer was, like, his favorite song ever. It's one of mine, too."
The girl noticed Anna Elizabeth's use of "was" but didn't press her.
Instead, she commented, "Well, your taste in music is cooler than anyone else I've met. You got a name?"
The blonde nodded before she spoke, "Yeah, it's Anna Elizabeth."
"Cool, I'm Gia," the girl responded.
Anna Elizabeth smiled as she told her, "It's nice to meet you."
Gia returned her smile as she replied, "You, too."
Anna Elizabeth then surmised, "I don't think I've seen you around before. Are you new?"
Gia nodded before she elaborated, "Yeah. We just moved here from Mist Haven."
"Oh, yeah. I know where that is – I like to go shopping at the mall there," Anna Elizabeth told her.
Gia nodded in response before the teacher began the class. Halfway through, she discreetly placed a note on Anna Elizabeth's desk.
The blonde simply looked at for a few moments. They were both supposed to be paying attention to the lesson; she thought about just handing the note back to Gia.
However, Gia seemed like someone that Anna Elizabeth would get along really well with, and someone which whom she could become great friends. Besides, the blonde already knew the information pretty well, so she quietly opened the notebook paper.
She read Who even cares about the Periodic Table?
Anna Elizabeth couldn't help but smile before she wrote back I will admit that science isn't my favorite subject.
Gia read the note and quickly replied It's almost as bad as math.
Anna Elizabeth grinned at the comment as the two girls continued to pass notes for the remainder of the class period.
As soon as the bell rang, Anna Elizabeth and Gia took off for the parking lot.
As they were walking, Gia told the blonde, "You're pretty cool. You wanna hang out today? Maybe you could show me around Storybrooke."
"I'd love to, but I can't. I watch my little brother after school," Anna Elizabeth explained.
Gia nodded before she suggested, "Maybe some other time, then."
"Totally," Anna Elizabeth agreed with a smile as they arrived at her Camaro.
"Sweet. I'll see you tomorrow," Gia told her.
Anna Elizabeth nodded before the dark-haired girl walked off.
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"Hey, kid, can't whoever you're texting wait until we're through with dinner?" Emma told her daughter.
"Oh, sorry, Mom," Anna Elizabeth apologized before she put her cell phone in her pocket.
"It's alright. Just don't do it again, okay?" Emma replied.
Anna Elizabeth nodded in response.
Killian then asked, "What's this lass's name, love? The one who is a new student?"
"Gia. Her family moved here from Mist Haven – that's who I was texting, actually," Anna Elizabeth explained, looking down on that last part.
"You two seem to have hit it off," Killian surmised.
"Yeah we did," Anna Elizabeth told him with a smile.
"Is your new friend nice, Anna Elizabeth?" Liam then asked.
"She sure is – I really like her," Anna Elizabeth answered her brother, as she ruffled his hair.
She then added, "Maybe you can meet her sometime."
Liam smiled brightly in response.
A few minutes later, everyone was finished eating and brought their dishes to the sink.
It was Anna Elizabeth's turn to wash dishes, and as soon as she began, her cell phone rang.
She turned to her parents and asked, "Can I answer that?"
After you finish the dishes, love," Killian answered.
Anna Elizabeth nodded before turning her attention back to the sink.
As soon as the last plate was in the cabinet, she immediately grabbed her cell phone and called Gia back while she ran into her room.
Liam then sighed and looked down.
"What's wrong, Liam?" Emma asked.
"I thought we was all supposed to play the Game of Life."
Killian bent down on his son's level and explained, "I'm sure she'll play with us when she gets off the phone."
Liam nodded in response before Killian suggested, "Why don't you go get the game, and I'll help you set it up."
The dark-haired boy nodded before he ran off to his parents' room.
As Killian stood back up, he turned to see Emma wearing a concerned expression.
"You alright, Swan?"
"Yeah. It just isn't like Anna Elizabeth to be on her phone all during dinner – she knows better," Emma lamented.
"She's just excited about her new friend, love. I think you're reading too much into this," Killian assured her.
Emma nodded in response before she closed the distance between them for a kiss.
Just as Killian tilted his head to deepen it, they heard, "Eww!"
Emma and Killian pulled away and chuckled at their eight-year-old. They then moved to the table to set up the game.
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The next afternoon, during chemistry class, Anna Elizabeth's eyes widened at her 68 quiz grade.
Gia looked over at her friend's paper and observed, "Nice job – you did better than I did."
Anna Elizabeth only nodded as the bell rang.
As the blonde was leaving, the teacher, Mr. Jeremy stopped her.
"Anna Elizabeth, I want to talk about your quiz grade."
"I know. I didn't know a lot of the questions," Anna Elizabeth admitted.
"Would it have anything to do with the fact that you and Miss Townsend were passing notes yesterday?" Mr. Jeremy pointed out.
Anna Elizabeth's eyes widened again as she began rubbing her hands together.
She then asked, "You knew about that?"
"Indeed I did. I expect it not to happen again. You barely passed the quiz. I expect a better grade from you on the test next Tuesday," Mr. Jeremy told her.
"Yes sir," Anna Elizabeth responded before she left the classroom.
Gia was leaning up against the wall when the blonde came out in the hall.
"What happened?"
Anna Elizabeth sighed before she told her, "He knew that we had been passing notes, and he expected a better grade on my quiz."
Gia shrugged before she pointed out, "You passed, didn't you?"
"Yeah, but I could have done better," Anna Elizabeth told her, disappointment clear in her voice.
"Hey, chill. You did fine. You're too uptight, Anna Elizabeth," Gia replied.
Of course she would hit on one of the things that Anna Elizabeth was the most self-conscious about.
The blonde then sighed before she said, "I've got to go pick up Liam."
"Your little brother, right?" Gia questioned.
Anna Elizabeth nodded in response.
Gia then told her, "Tomorrow's Saturday. You free to hang out?"
"Uh, I'll have to ask my mom and dad if it's okay," Anna Elizabeth told her.
"Your dad?" Gia questioned.
"Um, yeah," Anna Elizabeth slowly responded.
"It's just that, well, yesterday, you said the shirt was your dad's. I thought that he, you know…" Gia cautiously began.
"Oh! You see, technically, my mom and dad are my aunt and uncle. My parents were killed in a car accident when I was four, and Uncle Killian became my guardian. Like a year after that, he married Emma, and she became my aunt. I eventually started calling them Mom and Dad," Anna Elizabeth explained.
"Oh. I'm sorry about your parents," Gia sincerely told her.
"Thank you – it's alright," Anna Elizabeth replied.
She then told her, "I'll talk to my parents and text you tonight after dinner."
"You really have to ask permission?" Gia asked, surprised.
"Uh, yeah. I'm guessing that you don't," Anna Elizabeth observed.
"My un…um, dad doesn't really care," Gia responded.
"Oh," Anna Elizabeth simply replied.
Gia nodded before both girls headed toward the parking lot.
That afternoon, after Emma got home from work, she called for her teenage daughter.
"What's up, Mom?"
"I ran into Mr. Jeremy at the gas station," Emma told her.
Anna Elizabeth's eyes immediately went to the floor.
As she looked back up, she pointed out, "At least I passed the quiz."
"That isn't the point, Anna Elizabeth. What concerns me that you and Gia were passing notes in class instead of paying attention," Emma told her.
"I know, Mom. I'm sorry," Anna Elizabeth said.
"Your education is important, kid. You should try your best in each class, even if you don't like it," Emma reminded her.
"I know," Anna Elizabeth repeated, with a sense of remorse.
Emma nodded before she gently told her daughter, "Just don't let it happen again."
"I won't," Anna Elizabeth assured her.
Emma nodded once again before she moved to start dinner.
The teenager then began to walk back toward Liam's room when she stopped.
She turned back around and asked, "Can Gia and I go to the talent show at the school tomorrow?"
Emma paused at her daughter's question. She thought over her words before she spoke, "I'm not sure that's the best idea, Anna Elizabeth."
"Why not?" Anna Elizabeth question, with a look of confusion.
"I'm just not sure that Gia is the type of person that you need to be hanging out with," Emma responded.
Anna Elizabeth crossed her arms as she pointed out, "That isn't fair, Mom. You don't even know her."
"I know she's the type of girl who passes notes in class instead of paying attention. Mr. Jeremy also told me that she doesn't care about any of her classes, and has gotten in trouble in other ways in them. She sounds like a troublemaker," Emma refuted.
"You and Dad are the ones who taught me not to judge someone without knowing the whole story," Anna Elizabeth defended.
Emma ran a hand through her blonde locks before she sighed. She then told her, "You have a point. Your dad and I will meet her before you two go to the talent show."
Anna Elizabeth nodded in response before returning to play with her brother.
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The next day, there was a knock at the door, and Anna Elizabeth quickly answered it.
"Hey, Gia!"
"Hey, Anna Elizabeth," the dark-haired girl as she was ushered in the house.
Liam then ran up to her and announced, "I'm Liam! Anna Elizabeth's brother."
"Your sister has told me about you," Gia responded.
"She told me that you were nice. You seem like it," Liam told her.
"Well, I'm glad that you think so," Gia responded, making both Emma and Killian raise a brow.
Liam smiled at her before he observed, "Gia, I can see your belly button."
"It's cool to wear shirts like this," Gia simply told him.
The dark-haired boy then turned his attention to his sister and asked, "Anna Elizabeth, if it's cool, why don't you show your belly button?"
Killian then intervened, "Lad, why don't you go play on the swing set, and Mommy and I will be there shortly."
Liam nodded before he said goodbye to Anna Elizabeth and Gia. He then sprinted to the backyard.
"He's just chalk full of comments, isn't he?" Gia surmised.
"He is only eight. Children tend to tell you exactly what they think and point things out," Emma explained.
Gia only shrugged her shoulders and continued smacking on her gum in response.
Anna Elizabeth then pointed out, "The talent show starts really soon, Mom and Dad."
Neither Killian or Emma thought that this was a good idea, but they had already told their teenager that she could go. They also felt that they should at least give Gia the benefit of the doubt.
Killian then asked, "Gia, what time do your parents want you to be home?"
"Whenever I get there," Gia responded matter of factory.
Emma then took a deep breath before she stated, "That may be, but we expect you, Anna Elizabeth, to be home before dinner."
"Okay, Mom," Anna Elizabeth responded. She and Gia then turned and headed out the door.
Emma then turned to her husband and said, "I have a bad feeling about Gia in my gut, Killian."
"We have to trust Anna Elizabeth, love," Killian tried to reassure her, but it sounded like he was trying to convince himself more than her.
"Anna Elizabeth has such a big heart. She always has. It really is a wonderful thing, but this time, it's clouding her judgment," Emma lamented.
"I wish I could tell you that it's going to be easy for her to come to her senses, but we both know that it isn't," Killian told her.
"I know. I can see that she believes that Gia is a good friend and person. She thinks that we're misjudging Gia, and Anna Elizabeth is convinced that she's right. It won't be easy to get her to see otherwise," Emma pointed out.
"As much as it pains me to say this, love, she's going to have to figure it out on her own. There's also a chance that we're misjudging Gia, love. But if we're not, perhaps Anna Elizabeth will be a good influence on her," Killian told her.
"I'm not holding my breath," Emma replied.
Killian then pulled her in for a hug and planted a kiss on her forehead.
As they pulled away, he told her, "Come on, love, let's go play with Liam."
Emma nodded before they walked hand-in-hand toward the backyard.
When Anna Elizabeth and Gia got in the Camaro, the dark-haired girl surmised, "Now I know why you're so uptight."
"Come on, my parents aren't that bad," Anna Elizabeth defended.
"The curfew, seriously?" Gia pointed out.
"They're just trying to protect me," Anna Elizabeth told her.
"Is that why they obviously don't trust you to be around me?" Gia questioned.
Anna Elizabeth opened her mouth to refute, but she promptly closed it. She really couldn't argue with Gia.
She sighed before she said, "Let's just go to the talent show."
The blonde then backed out of the garage and pulled onto the street. She then began heading toward the school.
Halfway through the show, Gia nudged Anna Elizabeth.
The blonde turned toward friend, and Gia asked, "Who are those cute guys?" as she motioned toward the top row of the bleachers.
"Oh, that's Abigail's older brother, and his friends, I guess. She's a senior," Anna Elizabeth explained.
"So, he's, like, in college?" Gia asked.
"Uh, yeah," Anna Elizabeth replied.
The blonde then knew where her friend's head was at. "Are you going to go talk to them?" she asked.
"Obviously," Gia replied.
"I doubt that they'll talk to you. You're still in high school," Anna Elizabeth pointed out.
"They don't have to know that," Gia told her.
"You're going to lie to them?" Anna Elizabeth questioned.
"It's not really lying per say. I'll just be having a conversation with them. Last time I checked, telling someone your age isn't a requirement," Gia told her.
She then got up and made her way up the bleachers, leaving Anna Elizabeth to ponder her words.
Her thoughts were interrupted when she noticed that someone had sat down beside her. The blonde turned to be face to face with Nathan.
Anna Elizabeth wrapped her arms around him in a hug.
She then apologized, "I know I haven't talked to you much in the last few days."
"It's cool, Princess. It isn't a big deal," Nathan reassured her.
"You sure?"
Nathan nodded in response.
He then told her, "So, I see that you're here with your new friend." He tried to hide the disdain in his voice, but it still came through.
Anna Elizabeth furrowed her brows as she asked, "Do you have a problem with Gia?"
"Why would you think that?" Nathan questioned innocently.
Anna Elizabeth rolled her eyes before she pointed out, "I'm not stupid, Nathan."
Nathan took a deep breath before he admitted, "Fine. You have to hear what people say about her, Anna Elizabeth."
"Since when do you listen to rumors? She's only been at school for, like, two days," Anna Elizabeth pointed out.
"And she already has a reputation, Anna Elizabeth. And not a good one," Nathan refuted.
Anna Elizabeth scoffed before she told him, "You don't know her."
"And you do after two days?" Nathan told her.
"We were practically best friends after knowing each other less than a week. You were already calling me "Princess"," Anna Elizabeth argued.
Nathan sighed before he told her, "Come on, Anna Elizabeth. You know I'm right."
"You think you're right," Anna Elizabeth replied with crossed arms.
"I'm just looking out for you – I don't want you to get mixed up with her," Nathan resigned.
Anna Elizabeth was still frustrated and refuted, "I can take care of myself. Loosen up, will you?"
Nathan frustratedly huffed, "Suit yourself, then." He then got up and stalked off.
At that point, Anna Elizabeth no longer cared about the talent show. So, she got up and made her way to the car.
By the time she got outside, tears were pouring from her blue eyes. She got in her car and leaned her head against the steering wheel.
That had been her and Nathan's first fight, and now she didn't know where they stood. Her parents were questioning her judgment, and everyone was convinced that Gia was a bad influence.
The only thing that Anna Elizabeth knew for sure was that she and Gia were already good friends. She wasn't going to lose that friendship based on other people's opinions.
Anna Elizabeth knew that she was right, and she didn't care whether or not everyone came to see her side. Her own point of view was all that mattered.
A/N: Hi, everyone! This is part one of this story. As per usual, I have a lot of ideas for this one, and one part just won't do. Unfortunately, y'all will have to wait until this weekend to see what happens next. Until next time :)