The Girl Next Door

Part Four

"Guess who's home, loser!"

Regina faintly hears the dreadful sound of her sister's voice far off in the distance, but the loud crashing noise of her door slamming brutally against the wall, is what jolts her awake...along with Emma.

They both jump up in bed as they fumble frantically at the sheets to cover up their naked bottoms and luckily, they never remove their tank tops. Her infuriating older sister glares at them in confusion as one reddish eyebrow slowly creeps its way up her skeptical forehead. Regina can only assume her face is painted a deep shade of red, judging by the immense heat that's burning from her cheeks. She's far too nervous and mortified to even attempt a quick glimpse at her friend beside her.

"Zelena," she stammers as her vocal cords attempt to fully wake up. "What are you doing home from college?"

"It's spring break, what do you expect?" Zelena scoffs as she strolls effortlessly across the room and plops down in her desk chair. Regina's panicked eyes follow her sister's every move carefully, silently begging her to leave. "Emma...still sneaking over in the middle of the night, I see?" A very distinct and loud gulp erupts from the blonde next to her while the thin sheet slides further up her body from Emma's clenched fist. "You two still rolling around between the sheets?"

"Zelena!" Regina defensively shouts as Emma shamefully screams, "No!"

Her wicked sister cackles, tossing back her fiery red ringlets dramatically. Her long, red curls bounce while she openly mocks them, and all Regina can do is groan in frustration at her sister's childish ways.

"I don't care what you two do. It's not like we all haven't done it before. Just make sure mother doesn't catch you." Zelena theatrically holds her thumb up to her throat and drags her nail painfully slowly across her flesh. "Off with her head!" She taunts, causing both girls to jump by her shrill voice alone. "Any who...dad sent me up here, he has a surprise downstairs for you."

Brown eyes double in size while a rather large lump swells in the back of her throat at the mention of her father. "Daddy...he's up?" She stutters out, desperately trying to hold back the tears that just sprang to life. The warm liquid burns as she fights them back, ultimately blurring her focus upon her sister.

"He is...he needs to rest, so let's quit with the chit chat and go see what he wants," her sister smiles brightly, granting her the confidence she needs to push forward.

She's absolutely ecstatic and in a haste, she swings her legs from the bed, but all too quickly, she is reminded of how very naked her bottom half is.

"Uh, Zelena...can you give Emma..."

"Say no more." Zelena stands from her seat and strolls out of her room with every bit of confidence she has always possessed. "Good to see you, kid." She flashes Emma a manic smile before she punches the poor girl's arm and dashes out the door.

The blonde groans beside her, mindlessly rubbing the area Zelena inflicted pain upon while Regina quickly tosses the sheets from her bare legs and scrambles around her room for her leggings and a zip-up. She's far too busy to pay any attention to her friend, but the rustling around indicates that she too is dressing herself.

"What do you think the surprise is?" Emma timidly questions and by the break in her voice, it's very evident that her nerves won that round. She knows Emma is terrified to talk about her father and frankly, she doesn't blame her.

"I-uh...truthfully don't know." She shrugs her shoulders, glancing quickly in the mirror and wincing when she discovers the state her hair is in. A complete and utter mess, just as it always seems to be when she wakes up beside the girl next door. "Would you like to come downstairs?"