"A dream is a wish your heart makes, when your-" My hand stopped that song from going any farther as it slammed down onto my alarm clock. "Whoever wrote that awful song deserves to be put in jail for eternity," I muttered into my pillow, debating sleeping just a little longer, but I knew I couldn't, not if I wanted to see the first part of my plan set into action. I'd already dropped the book off, and now the consequence of that was beginning. I knew Henry had a bus ticket for today, and I was going to see him off.

I threw the blankets off of me, not surprised to find the house silent. My father always left early for work, his cane signaling his departure early in the morning. He was probably going to collect on debts from the poor townspeople, debts that had led to the very clothes I was changing into, and the very food that was downstairs. Did that make me feel bad? Sometimes, but there wasn't much I could do. As my father liked to say, a deal was a deal, and sometimes deals aren't anything close to fair.

I swept my blonde hair into a low ponytail, one that would be hidden by my black jacket's hood later. Under the black jacket was my school uniform, a dark blue cardigan top with the words Storybrook High emblazoned on the patch that sat just above my heart. A white short sleeved button up was below that and a black skirt finished the outfit. My black flats were my own, the only extra sense of flair I could give the outfit. Not that I really wanted to give it any flair at all, I hated the outfit and what the outfit represented, my imprisonment in this town. After my current senior year, I would be expected to attend Storybrook College to get a degree in whatever my little heart desired, and then I would be forced to live the rest of my days in this dreadful town. Except that none of that was what I wanted, I wanted out. On my wall was a brochure for Stanford, the college I dreamed of attending. My father had on multiple occasions told me that there was no way I was going to attend Stanford, but I held fast to my dream, and was going to keep holding onto it until I either got there or died, there was no other option.

I headed down the stairs, grabbing my black backpack from its spot on the floor near the stairs, the place it sat mostly because that was where I dropped it every night after school was over. I rarely had homework, so there was never any point in me bringing it upstairs. On top of my backpack was an apple, left no doubt by my father. I just set the apple on the coffee table nearby like always, my constant sign to my father that his gesture was still useless. He did his best to try and get into my life, but to me it was pointless, he wasn't getting into my life until he defied the Queen and got me out of this town. But doing that would mean losing the power he held, and no one wanted that.

The school day passed like it usually did, quietly, at least as quietly as it could. Since the beginning of the year, Jack (who in fairytale world was that stupid kid who jumped over a candlestick and climbed up a beanstalk like an idiot) had been looking to get a date with me. Apparently, being good looking and defeating the school bully in a battle of wits, meant that you were supposed to have whatever girl you wanted. Except that the girl he wanted was me, and I had no interest in dating a fairy tale character, let alone one that was clearly stupider than mud.

As the school let out I threw my hood up, watching as the middle school across the school got out as well. Henry was in my line of sight, his brown hair my guide until someone got in my way.

"Go away, Jack," I snapped, trying to side-step him only to have him match my movement.

"Not until you agree to go to dinner with me tonight," Jack said with a pleased look on his dumb face. Actually, he had a rather handsome face, but like I said he's an idiot.

"Oh I have plans," I said trying to duck past him again, and this time succeeding though he fell into step next to me.

"With who?" Jack demanded, and I knew as I neared the bus stop that I'd need to get rid of him.

"You of course," I lied, actually I'd be avoiding him like the plague tonight but by doing this I knew I could buy myself some time away from him to watch Henry get on the bus safely. "Why don't you pick me up tonight at six?" I suggested, watching as Jack's face went from confused to happy. It really was much to easy to lie and deceive him. I almost felt bad… Almost.

"Okay, I'll see you then. Look sexy, we're going to have some fun," Jack said with a wink, and the almost became a quick never about feeling bad.

"Okay," I said, faking a smile and waiting until he was gone before quickening my pace. I watched from across the street as Henry got on the bus, my hood carefully concealing my face. I didn't need the Mayor knowing I had watched her son get on the bus, nor did I need her knowing that I had paid the bus driver to take the kid for sure wherever he wanted to go. I wasn't 100% sure where he was going, just that wherever he was going was going to be a saving grace to me and my dream of getting out of this town.

When six rolled around I was hanging out at the town library, tucked back in my favorite corner reading about astronomy. Since I was a child I had been devouring the books the library had to offer, and already had gone through the sections on dinosaurs, world wars, other countries, authors, presidents, and the human body. I still had a number of sections to go in the small library, which was why today astronomy wasn't that strange. The library didn't have many books on the topic, but the few it did have were good. I was in the middle of one when I heard the door of the library open and my father's voice call out.

"Sophia," He said causing me to let out a small sigh before shutting my book and peering my head around the corner of the shelf I had been sitting against. My father was alone and looked amused.

"Yes," I said, figuring if he was just checking to see where I was then I could go back to reading. His eyes looked towards me, taking me in before he rested both hands on his cane.

"The mayor's son, have you seen him around?" I kept my face calm, knowing that in this town, I was the only person he couldn't read.

"Henry? No. Why? Was I supposed to baby sit him tonight?" I asked, knowing that when he was younger I would at times babysit him for the Mayor when she had something to do that she couldn't bring him to. I would of set my plan in motion earlier with that, except that I knew Henry wouldn't understand until he was older, meaning ten, and at age eight his mother stopped needing me since he was clearly independent enough to stay home alone without burning down the house. So, since then I'd been more an in case of emergency sitter, which meant I watched him rarely.

"No, just curious," My father said before turning, only to pause. "By the way, the young man waiting for you outside our house," I just snorted.

"He'll leave," I said returning to my spot, glad that Henry was on his way and hadn't gotten stopped by the curse, or worse caught by his mother. Now I just had to cross my fingers that he would bring his mother back, that he would keep this ball rolling for me.