The Girl Next Door

But Maybe I Need You

"Miss Swan, Miss Mills," the judge coldly calls out with his eyes narrowing pointedly.

Emma swallows the enormous boulder of nerves that has just strategically lodged itself in the back of her throat, effectively cutting off her oxygen supply. She's trembling, every fiber that makes her Emma Swan is involuntarily spasming as she stands on her Bambi like legs. Suddenly, the world falls silent as she watches her lawyer stand beside her and for some reason she's transfixed on the way his fingers button up his blazer.

Green eyes slowly crawl toward the brunette who is paying very close attention to the older gentleman that's about to decide their fate. She holds her breath, terrified of how this one man holds the power of her future in the palm of his hand. And in that split second, she honestly doesn't even want to know the verdict. She inhales sharply, the kind of breath that stings her lungs and prickles through her blood and in that moment, all she can truly think about is how every step along the broken path of her life has lead to this very moment.

And she's mentally transported back to where it all began...with the girl next door...

~~~~~~~~~

The majority of time growing up is curiosity. Curious how life works around the hustle and bustle of a busy, day to day life, that parents drag their children through. Something as simple as, how a stop light changes colors? Or if the country is broke, why don't they just print more money?

But more importantly, who is the person Emma is destined to be in the future? Why are her parents always so tired? Why does she want to spend every waking moment with the girl next door?

Fifteen, a dreadful age, teeter-tottering on the edge of becoming a young adult and still being a child. The age where a person can drive, practically tasting the glorious lick of freedom, but still chained to their parents like they are on an embarrassing short leash. An age where hormones decide to take control over what any teen might say or do. Sometimes a teen wants to fight against those raging hormones, but they've already planted themselves so deep inside, that they are just a ticking time bomb and nobody has a clue as to when they will explode.

The clock ticks into the night, matching each tick of her hormonal time bomb. This uncomfortable, anxious feeling has been clawing at her skin for the past three hours as she stares, frustrated at the ceiling above. She finally rips away the comforter and leaps from her bed in a haste. She doesn't bother changing out of her yoga pants and tank top, instead she simply tosses on a zip-up and slips into her running shoes.

She's always been a good girl, with straight A's, who participates in most school activities. So, her parents trust her wholeheartedly and never question her actions. That's exactly how she knows Mary Margret and David will not be checking on her tonight. They never do.

She presses her sweaty palms flat against the cool glass and pushes the bedroom window up quietly. She slides one foot onto the roof, her heart hammering with adrenaline even though she knows she won't be caught, and then comes the other foot. She carefully shuts the window behind her and begins her journey.

She takes each step with caution, hoping not a sound will be heard into the cool evening air that would inevitably sell her out. She walks to the edge of the roof, toward the backyard and gently steps down onto the roof of the shed below. Emma slowly glides on her bottom to the edge and jumps down to the dewy grass below. She lands perfectly on her feet, just as she always does and tiptoes to the fence.

As slow as she can possibly move, she slides the lock over to the right and cracks the door just enough for her slim frame to squeeze through. She closes the fence behind her and locks it back up before she heads next door.