The School Play

Chapter 25

Emma washed her hands and looked in the mirror. She adjusted her collar and tucked some loose strands of her pony tail behind her ear. There were several girls with her in the school bathroom, all gossiping about different things. Girls like that were always present in the bathroom during lunch break, but Emma didn't understand the appeal.

She looked at her nails. They used to be neat and pretty, but she'd started biting her nails ever since she'd seen her dad two weeks ago. She hadn't seen him after that, though, but she still caught herself trembling at the most random times.

Ruby had noticed it too. In fact, all of her friends had noticed her starting to get more tense, but she'd refused to say anything about it.

She noticed her fingers starting to move again, out of her control. Her hands started trembling, and tears sprung in her eyes. She wanted to scream, and had to remind herself that she was in school, in the bathroom, with other girls behind her.

Emma focused on her nails and swallowed thickly. Mary Margaret had made an appointment with the psychiatrist in town, because she'd seen the way Emma behaved lately, and she was worried.

"Go away, you can gossip somewhere else." Emma barely heard the voice, but she did notice the girls behind her leaving immediately. She was left alone in the bathroom, and it was strangely calming.

"Emma." The girl turned around and saw Regina looking concerned at her. "I'm here for you, okay?" She spread her arms. "Want a hug?"

Emma walked to her friend, but didn't cry. She just let Regina embrace her. They hadn't spoken a lot these past two weeks, except during their rehearsals, but they'd mostly been focusing on the play. Emma felt embarrassed and vulnerable every time she was near Regina, and she didn't like that.

"Fucking hell," Emma muttered. "I don't know why I just can't act normal, for fucking fuck's sake," she cursed. Though she usually wasn't a fan of swearing, she didn't care at this moment. She wanted to find a way to let it all out, but it felt impossible.

Regina let go of her, and smiled faintly. "Someday, it will get better. It may take a long time, but someday you won't live in fear."

"You must think I'm overreacting. It happened over eight years ago," Emma said, and tensed her shoulders.

"Of course I don't think that. You had a horrible experience when you were a child, of course that's going to leave scars."

Emma sighed and wiped an escaped tear away. "Seems like we've made it a habit to cry in bathrooms," she said, and chuckled softly, as did Regina. She inhaled deeply. "When I was fourteen, I actually was doing okay. I felt great, and my therapy really helped."

"What happened?" Regina asked, her hands were still holding Emma's arms, and it was surprisingly soothing.

"Lily," she said. "That was my ex. She was very toxic, and I didn't realize until I'd broken up with her," Emma continued. She actually had no idea why she was telling Regina this, but it felt good to let it out with someone who wasn't her mother. "My mom actually convinced me to dump her. I was feeling myself again, before I got in the relationship, but.. I wasn't strong. She walked all over me, constantly." Emma showed a scar on her arm and her expression saddened. "I did it myself, but because of her. She left actual scars."

"Toxic relationships are the worst," Regina said, sympathetically. "Not that I've been in one, but I always hear the worst stuff about it. I'm sorry you had to go through that."

Emma shrugged. "The funny thing is.. I can't change it. Yet the memories still haunt me."

Regina's expression saddened, and Emma pursed her lips together. She hadn't properly spoken to Regina in two weeks, but now that she did, she immediately told all her personal issues and problems. She hoped the girl didn't mind.