A/N: This is the beginning of the third episode, and I'm excited to this episode continue. I've also decided that Sophia's mother will be revealed in the episode Skin Deep, and I have the scene in my head already, it's gonna be great! Until then, read and review!
Following the argument with my father about my father, I found myself spending less time at the library and more time at the café. I'm not sure why I was driven away from the library, just that I had been doing more time studying in the café rather than in the library like I normally did. Not that I had a lot to study, Storybrooke high wasn't the pinnacle of academic excellence after all, but I still had math to study if I was going to stand a chance with the Ivy League kids once I got out of this place. I was in the midst of calculus problems when I heard Miss Blanchard's voice, causing me to look over and see her on what appeared to be a date with Dr. Whale.
In all my years in Storybrooke, I'd only interacted with the doctor a handful of times. In the times I had interacted with him, I'd never been a fan of him. Something about him always rubbed me the wrong way, and not just because of who he used to be either. The idea of Miss Blanchard with Dr. Whale was just amusing, and had me shutting my book just so I could watch this awkward date, one that ended once Miss Blanchard realized Dr. Whale was a creep, more focused on Ruby than her. When she got up to leave, so did I, grabbing my stuff quickly so I could catch up with her.
"That had to be the most awkward date I've ever seen," I said, falling into step next to her as I shoved my book into my bag.
"What would you know about awkward dates?" Miss Blanchard asked as I zipped up my bag and slung it on my shoulder.
"I read a lot, I've read about awkward dates and that was one of them," I said, knowing that I myself had never been on a date. It wasn't that I hadn't been asked, more that I had no interest in dating any of these fairytale boys.
"I see. Oh, and I meant to ask you in class today if you could possibly come with my class to the hospital tomorrow? We're setting up decorations and it would be nice to have another tall person to reach the top of the doors," I grinned, well aware that at 5'7 I was taller than most of her ten year olds, but that was the first time I'd heard it phrased like that.
"Sure, I'll come." I said, before turning my eyes towards the yellow car sitting on the street. "Isn't that Emma?" I asked, noticing her as she flipped the pages of a newspaper. I didn't wait for an answer as I headed towards her car, tapping lightly on the window.
"Hey Emma," I said, ignoring her startled response. "What's the paper for?" I asked as Miss Blanchard came up behind me.
"I'm looking for a place to live," Emma said, folding the paper slightly.
"You decided to stay? That's wonderful!" Miss Blanchard said as Emma gave a nod.
"I have, but I need a place to stay," I opened my mouth to offer up one of my father's many "investment" apartments, when Miss Blanchard beat me to it.
"I have a spare room if you're interested," I closed my mouth, glad to see mother and daughter getting along so well. Once again, it made me wonder about my mother, and whether she and I would get along well.
"I think that sounds like a good idea!" I said, giving my input before backing away from the car. "But with that I must be off, curfew is approaching. It was nice to see you Miss Blanchard, Emma," I said, giving them a wave, and time to work out the details as I headed back to my own home, not at all surprised to find my father there.
"Get your homework done?" He asked as I walked through the door.
"Does it really matter?" I said, setting my bag down. "I'm stuck in this town for the time being, and who knows if I'll ever get out." I stated, going to the freezer to get a popsicle. It might have been chilly outside, but I really loved my popsicles, almost as much as I loved the stuffed unicorn my father gave me as a kid.
"You aren't trapped Pumpkin, you have a life here many would dream about," I turned to look at my father as I peeled the wrapper off the cherry popsicle.
"You mean, the life many would make a deal with you to have?" My father didn't say anything as I threw the wrapper away. "That's what I thought. And really, I thought you'd know that one doesn't always want the life they have, if they did you'd have no job." I reminded him. My father didn't look impressed as he got up from the chair he'd been sitting in.
"Every deal I made was to help you," He said before heading towards his bedroom. I didn't say anything, knowing this was an argument that I would never win, and one we had at least four times a year and it always ended the same way, with one of us leaving just to silence the other. Someday, I was sure the argument would end differently, but for now, it was just going to end the way it always did, with my final muttered words.
"No, they were made to help you."