a/n: I am back in England and updates are gunna be hella more frequent, weee!
Happy reading!
Emma xo (ant1ers. tumblr. com)
"Now, the tale of Cleopatra and Antony is one of the most famous love stories in history. She was an Egyptian Pharaoh who travelled over to Rome to…"
A hand shot into the air. I sighed, "Yes Peter?"
I was totally on a roll and this kid blew it. Peter had a terrible habit of asking completely stupid and usually irrelevant questions when it came to my history class. Apparently he was all sugar and kindness in Mary Margaret's classes, but a little bitch in mine.
"What's going on with you and Ms Mills Miss?"
The whole class was suddenly paying attention. Fear dripped down my spine and pooled at the bottom of my stomach like a weight.
"Really, do you think this is relevant? Anyway, Antony fell instantly in love with Cleopatra and offered…"
Another hand went up.
"She was dancing with you last night and I'm pretty sure you guys disappeared outside," another boy asked,
"Yeah, Mills totally told off my boyfriend and I to go inside," a girl complained. I glared in the general direction of that last comment,
"But Antony's council didn't approve of the marriage and tried to break them up…"
"Miss, are you going to answer our questions?"
"No. Now, Antony escaped Rome with Cleopatra in tow so that they could,"
"I'll bet you my canteen money for three days that they're banging," someone whispered loudly.
Ok that's it.
"Dude, seriously?"
I turned on the lights and the entire class groaned. The projection on the whiteboard lightened considerably as I glowered at my class.
"Why does it matter to any of you what Ms Mills and I do in our spare time, okay? It's our private lives so I suggest you all shut up before I give you all detentions,"
"…totally banging,"
I threw my arms up in frustration, "my God you lot. You know what? Because I am that furious with all of you, you guys can research this story by yourselves and write me a three thousand word essay on the pros and cons of this relationship," I snapped.
"What the hell," there was a general uproar as I turned my back and wiped down the board,
"No you guys don't get to just pry into my life and demand explanations for everything," I yelled as I slammed the duster down onto the desk. The bell rang screamed just outside the classroom door and I exhaled in relief,
"I'm expecting those essays in a fortnight. Don't think that I will forget about them if I happen to be in a good mood that day," I growled as they packed up their books, "class dismissed you bunch of nosy parkers,"
I slammed the door loudly and children skittered away like cockroaches in the sunlight.
"Rough day, huh?" I yanked out the key and wrapped my lanyard around my neck,
"Understatement of the year," I half expected it to be another English teacher but was surprised when Kathryn Midas smiled at me.
"Oh, hey Kathryn, sorry I was expecting someone else,"
"That's okay," She tucked her marking closer to her chest as we drifted towards the staffroom, "you seem pretty pissed; is there anything I can help with?" The blonde pushed open the door and I grimaced as I spotted Regina leaning against the table, her back to me.
"Uh unless you know how to stop kids from being nosy little shits than no," I gulped as I fetched a bottle of water from the staff fridge,
"Oh man, yeah don't worry. They do that to all the new staff. Um, I'm going to pop out for a cigarette, did you want to join?" She fished out a small silver box from her red leather handbag. Regina turned and smiled at us like less than twenty four hours ago she did not have her head between my legs, "I was wondering when my two favourite ladies were going to return back from the depths of hell,"
She licked her lips as she stirred a cup of black coffee, her eyes wandering over my last minute ensemble of a loose grey tee shirt, dark washed jeans and black boots.
"And by the sounds of things, you're about to go and quicken your trip to hell; Kathryn you know how much I hate you smoking," Regina pouted but winked at me. What the hell did that mean? This woman was more confusing than a basic Sudoku.
"Yes well, my body my rules Regina. Emma and I will be back soon,"
"Oh?" Regina lifted a pair of perfectly manicured eyebrows at me; death by brows, that's for sure.
"I see not only have you picked up the habit of drinking at school events but now you're smoking. How charming Ms Swan,"
I rolled my eyes as Kathryn and I disappeared out the back door. But not before Regina skipped towards us, her stilettos clicking on the linoleum flooring.
"Ah Kathryn, a quick word," She grabbed the blonde with a fierce grip and yanked her back into the staffroom. I leaned against a peeling cream handrail and watched the two friends chat quietly. Regina's brown eyes kept flicking to me and I had almost seen more eye rolls from Henry than what Kathryn was doing. Suddenly Regina pulled Kathryn into a hug and let her go towards me. I was baffled at the two. Regina treated Kathryn like another staff member yet Mary Margaret had said they were best friends. Maybe they were on friendlier terms outside of school hours.
"Okay, good to go?" Kathryn breathed, her cheeks slightly flushed.
"Ready as I'll ever be,"
It wasn't always that I smoked. I did do it a lot when I was younger but gradually weaned myself off them as I got older and stopped completely when I fell pregnant with Henry. It was rare now that I'd do it; only when I was with other smokers or I was completely blind drunk.
It kind of felt good to have the little stick of death in between my teeth again, but I don't think I'd ever admit that too proudly just yet. Kathryn lit hers and took a deep drag, handing me the tiny yellow lighter.
"Just what you need after a lesson of Maths with juniors," She leaned her head back and exhaled into the clear blue sky.
"I'll second that," the lighter felt awkward in my hands and it took me several goes before I could even get a decent flame, "holy hell, that's the stuff,"
"Anyway, what were your kids asking about?" Kathryn picked at the rust on the fence we leaned against. I shrugged. How was I supposed to tell Regina's best friend that they were asking about Regina and mine's personal life?
"Just about Regina,"
"Oh" Kathryn's eyebrows furrowed, "is that all? Is that what got you so worked up?"
"Not necessarily," I took another drag and studied the dry leaves that brushed past as the wind blew. I didn't know how to exactly word it.
"I just… I don't know how to say it,"
"Nah you don't have to tell me if you don't want to. I'm just trying to help,"
"I know you and Regina are close so I don't really want to say anything too bad, you know?"
"Eh, I respect and tolerate the woman," Kathryn smirked, "that's probably about it,"
"Didn't you two work in maths together?"
"Yeah we did. But bloody Regina got a promotion and a pay raise, and to be honest, I've been kind of jealous," Kathryn shrugged the idea off like it didn't bother her at all but I could see the flash annoyance in her eyes, "but I don't hate her,"
"I'd hate her," I smiled as I flicked the ash off,
"Of course you'd hate her newbie but she's actually a pretty decent person,"
"You don't say," I chuckled,
"What's that supposed to mean?" She turned her entire body towards me, curious. I chewed my lip anxiously,
"I just mean, I know about that game she plays with…you know, the blonde staff," I eyed the maths teacher's blonde hair, but Kathryn just laughed.
"Oh boy, Regina's playing that game with you?"
"Yah,"
"You're in deep, my friend," she tapped her cigarette, "has she done…anything?"
I guess Kathryn was hinting towards whatever the hell happened last night at the School Disco.
"Oh yeah,"
"Oh no," Kathryn kneaded the skin of her forehead, "oh no, no,"
"Yeah, that's the general reaction I have been getting from people," I frowned as she sighed,
"Regina plays it with all the staff, not just the blondes, except she does try a little harder with us,"
"Did you crack?"
"Hell no," Kathryn scoffed, "I am one hundred percent straight,"
"Right,"
"Anyway, it's a weird power slash ego thing she does. She toys with us but never ever makes an actual move,"
"So that fact she made the first move and has practically been groping me since I turned up at this joint is a bad thing?"
Kathryn's eyes widened, "holy shit, really? That's a bloody miracle…but also, kind of bad,"
"What does it mean though?" I ground the stub of my cigarette in the dirt and sniffed. Kathryn followed suit,
"It means she's genuinely interested in you and not just…toying".
"How is that bad?"
Kathryn glanced at me as we headed back into the school grounds, "wait, so you'd be fine with getting into a relationship with Regina?"
"Hell yeah, I mean, of course. The woman's a babe,"
"But she's mental,"
"Nothing I can't handle Kathryn,"
"Fine," Kathryn pushed open the staffroom door to a now empty room, "don't say I didn't warn you though".
a/n: DID ANY OF YOU SEE MY LITTLE SNEAKY INCLUSION OF QUEENS AS KINGS? no? cleopatra and antony? yes? excellent ;)