The next day, Emma felt like she was literally floating on a Regina cloud. Through every presentation, conversation, and debate, all she could think about was that hand, her hidden kindness, and that damn wink. Emma didn't see Regina that morning, yet still her heart was bursting anyway. Merida and Elsa had given up on trying to pry the reason for Emma's ecstatic mood out of her. Instead, they resorted to sleeping during the speeches, gossiping about their enemies, and making all the presenters look like idiots by asking complicated questions.
"Excuse me, sir, does being a leader also involve a fortified representation of the cognition to act responsibly in a time of great affliction and discomfited scathing?" Elsa had raised her hand and asked with an innocent composure.
"Um... well, I do believe so. I don't really know-" the chosen speaker was messing with his tie.
"So you're suggesting we ameliorate our psyche to better this attribute?" Merida piped up, folding her hands over her lap.
"Uh... I think..." the man was turning a slight shade of red.
Emma remembered the snickers whispering throughout the room, and she had felt intensely sorry for the guy. He wasn't even getting paid to deal with this crap!
"So although the function of mere naivety is monumental, a utilization of a consequential persuasion is considered indispensable, isn't it?" Elsa asked sweetly.
The man had sort of looked around at the other adults for some assistance.
"Yes or no, sir?" Elsa pretended to become impatient.
"Y-yes," the man stammered, unsure if that was actually true or not.
"Okay then, thank you, mister." Elsa said.
Merida had held out her open palm next to her, and Elsa high-fived it. Emma knew they had practiced that charade with a thesaurus during last night's "quiet time" for at least an hour. She had decided not to join in and instead bask in the warmth of her lusting.
Currently, they were all sitting outside in the damp grass, waiting for a counselor and watching young freshman girls make a show out of not wanting to sit on the ground. "It's gonna get my butt all wet!" they shouted, and the freshman guys offered to carry them for absolutely no reason at all except to maybe get a chance at touching their asses.
This time, Emma joined in the conversation happening between Merida and Elsa, and put in a few of her own thoughts.
"See that chick over there, Emma?" Elsa pointed over to a tall, pale, blonde girl sitting by a tree with some other people.
"Yeah, I see her." Emma said, squinting.
"Don't go around her. She's trouble. Always flirting, always putting the blame on someone else, always making new enemies. You'll see a guy beside her every day. Most likely, a different guy." Elsa warned.
"Some of the younger freshman here will go outside her room door, and start rumors about what sounds she makes when she supposedly gets laid in there." Merida added, laughing.
"What's her name?" Emma asked.
Merida and Elsa exchanged glances, then said in unison, "Tinker Bell." They burst out laughing and looked over at the girl again.
"Seriously? That's her name?" Emma said incredulously.
"No, not really," Elsa said, looking away, "but her actual name is pretty close, as I recall. No one remembers it anymore. Everyone just calls her Tink now."
"Wow." Emma said.
"Who else, Merida?" Elsa asked the redhead.
"Well, there's always Robin." Merida shrugged.
"Oh yeah, Robin Hood," Elsa said, turning back to Emma, "he's a junior, and he's been crushing on that bitch we encountered yesterday at the mess hall."
"Regina?" Emma asked. She had forgotten that Merida and Elsa still hated her.
"Yeah, her. Anyway, Robin has gone here every year that we have, and every time, he asks Regina out, or buys her something, and she always refuses." Elsa said.
"He's made quite a show about it," Merida said, trying to pick him out in the crowd, "One time, he wrote her a song and sang it in front of the entire group. Regina nearly killed him that day."
"Yeah, I remember that!" Elsa said, "And then another time, one of his friends... John, I think, dared him to go up to Regina and kiss her. She literally broke his nose and called him a dick when he did."
"Now that was funny," Merida said.
"I didn't know she could do that!" Emma laughed.
"Nobody did. Speaking of Regina Mills, that's another one you shouldn't really hang around." Elsa said.
"Why not?" Emma asked, worried.
"Didn't you see enough of her yesterday? That should say plenty. I'm surprised I even let her sit at our table. I completely forgot." Merida shook her head.
"She's rich, she spoiled, and she has a lot of blackmail going around here." Elsa said.
"She doesn't seem that bad," Emma made a half-hearted attempt to save Regina.
"But she is. She loves to tell her dad about everything people "do to her". She'll complain to him, and then it's living hell for you, sister. Just don't get on her bad side, okay?" Merida said.
"I'll try." Emma said, turning away from the conversation.
I'm probably on her bad side already. I'm a freaking Swan.
…...
Emma was bored. Really bored. Bored enough to sit on the edge of the tub in the bathroom and read the labels on her shampoo bottle.
Don't write a song for Regina. Don't kiss her. I'm learning from you, Robin. Thanks for your mistakes.
She checked her phone for the time. 5:28. The next "activity" didn't start until 6:15.
What to do.. what to do...
All Emma really wanted to do was be with Regina. So she set down the bottle, fixed her hair in the mirror, and set off to make the trek down the hallway.
After standing in front of the door for nearly six minutes, Emma was about to head back.
God, this is stupid. Why would she even want to talk to you? She probably winks at everybody! Maybe I should wink at her. Maybe it's a fetish! I gotta wink!
With renewed courage, Emma knocked on the door marked 119 in the middle.
The door swung open to reveal Regina, hair done up in a ponytail, eyebrows raised and ready to humiliate whoever was standing there.
"Uh... so... I am, well, I am... I'm-" Emma stuttered, suddenly realizing she had nothing to say to this beauty.
"Yes?" Regina asked sweetly, leaning on the door frame.
She's playing with you! Remember the wink, Emma. Two can play at this game.
"I was just wondering... if all the keys here are universal. I got locked out of my room." Emma said, more smoothly than she expected.
"Oh." Regina looked slightly disappointed, but she quickly masked it with a dazzling smile, "I don't think so, but let me check." She walked into her room and took her key off her desk.
Emma peeked in and said, "You don't have any roommates?"
"I have connections with people in this place." Regina said, bringing back her key.
Emma nodded and held out her hand, but Regina pulled it back, "I need proof that you just won't take it and run, Emma."
"Oh, um, well you could take mine until I return yours." Emma suggested.
"Deal." Regina handed over her key and waited for Emma's.
Emma pulled her key out of her pocket and handed it over.
"So... locked out of your room, huh?" Regina smirked, knowing she'd won, and pretended to inspect the key.
Oh, shit! You're such an idiot, Swan! You handed her the freaking key!
"So why did you really come to see me, Emma?" Regina asked.
The wink totally forgotten, Emma looked down and nervously rubbed the back of her neck, trying to think of another excuse.
"You can trust me, you know." Regina took a step closer.
When the intoxicating smell of Regina's perfume (which smelled like apples and sex, Emma thought) hit Emma's nose, she took an instinctive step back, "I gotta go," she said, hurriedly heading back to her room.
There were three things embarrassing about this move: one, she was a complete wreck, just because of the mere proximity to the woman. Two, it took all her self control to walk away, and Regina could probably see that. Three, she left her key in Regina's hands.
Emma turned around in time to see Regina walk back in her room.
And Emma couldn't leave this time.