One
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IT WAS YET ANOTHER MORNING in Storybrooke. Naomi Wright sighed as she looked back at her reflection, her dark hair hanging carelessly in her face. Her black tank top was covered by a red flannel shirt, matching perfectly with the dark blue jeans.
No matter what she did, her hair would always find a way to be messy. Even if she'd just brushed it, it would develop a random tangle or just become messy in general. Her hair was probably her fatal flaw.
The teen hastily brushed her hair and left the house. No streets were busy, quite common for the small town. Granny's was only a short walk away.
"Hey Ru," she said as she put in her apron, getting ready for the first shift. Ruby glanced up and hastily hid her phone in her pocket. Naomi giggled amusingly.
"You're dead if she finds out you've been texting," the teen said. Ruby glared back and flicked her friend with water.
"She won't find out," Ruby said, her tone low and shallow so no one would overhear as Archie Hopper walked in. Naomi took the man's order and shrugged, smirking.
The two teens stood around for the next twenty minutes with nothing to do, no one to serve. Naomi started looking around nervously when, after fifteen minutes, Henry Mills still hadn't shown up. He always stopped by for breakfast before school.
"Hey Ru, have you seen Henry?" Naomi asked, frowning and her friend sighed.
"Nope. Don't worry about it," she replied, looking back to her phone which was hidden under the table. But Naomi was worrying about it.
"NAOMI WRIGHT!" An all too familiar voice entered the diner. The mayor of Storybrooke herself, Regina Mills, slammed the door shut and looked the teen dead in the eyes.
"Regina!" Naomi came out from behind the counter. "I assuming this is about Henry?"
"Yes, thank you. Clearly you're the brains of this staff," Regina agreed harshly , nodding slightly towards Ruby. The teen could only smirk and agree.
"Were the hell is my son?" Regina asked Naomi, as if she was supposed to know. She just sighed and shook her head.
"I don't know. He didn't come by at all today for breakfast, I'm wondering if he went to school with a friend?" Naomi suggested, but knew it was a long shot. The kid's didn't necessarily have "friends".
The mayor paced across the dinner impatiently. "Come on, Naomi. Be smarter than that. He's been kidnapped, or...or something! I'll call Graham, and I want you," she stabbed a finger at the teen's chest, "to be waiting at the house for when he does show up."
With those orders, Regina started to leave the diner and pull out her phone. "And double pay for three months," she added to Naomi, as if the teen required any more motivation to help look for the kid.
"Of course, yeah," as the mayor called Sheriff Graham, Naomi tried calling Henry, while practically running to the mayor's house.
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The teen paced impatiently across the main hall, waiting for Henry that night. Graham leaned casually against the door frame to the dining room, and Regina hung up a phone call from, yet another, Maine state official.
"Unbelievable," Naomi muttered, not loud enough for Henry's mother to hear.
Just then, Regina glanced out the frosted glass in the door and gasped, rushing forward to upon the door. Naomi stopped pacing and watched as the woman opened the door, revealing Henry Mills standing a few meters away from the door with a blonde woman Naomi did not know.
"Henry! Are you alright?" Regina rushed forward and hugged her son. Naomi stepped out, close behind the woman. Once she'd let go, the teen took her turn to hug the boy.
"Oh my god, Henry! Why the hell did you do that? Where did you go?" She pampered him with questions, a glad smile forming in her face. Henry just grinned back mischievously.
"Who are you?" Regina demanded, turning to the blonde. Naomi glanced from Regina to Blondie, Regina to Blondie.
"I'm Emma Swan. I'm Henry's... mother," the woman named Emma told Regina. The teen looked down to Henry, who was avoiding her eyes.
"Naomi, take Henry inside," Regina told the teen. She did so, Graham smiling faintly as the two headed up to Henry's bedroom.
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"Um, Graham, could I have a few minutes to talk with Henry alone?" Naomi asked the sheriff once they'd reached Henry's room.
Graham nodded. "Yes, of course. I'll be just outside then." The sheriff left, closing the door behind him.
"You idiot!" She exclaimed, probably louder than necessary. "Do you have any idea how worried I've been? And your mother-" but Henry cut her off.
"You might've been worried for me. But not her," the boy said, almost spitting out Regina's name. Naomi stood there, silent.
"What are you talking about, Hen. If you'd seen her-" but she was, once again, interrupted.
"She's worried for her image, not me," Henry said quietly, sitting on his bed. Naomi sat next to him, sighing.
"Come on, you know that's not true," she said gently. Henry shook his head, but didn't reply. After a few seconds, the kid spoke up quietly.
"I'm sorry I didn't tell you," he apologized. Naomi grinned and gave him a side hug.
"Yeah, what is this? Are you hiding things from me? And who's that Emma Swan? Is she really your birth mother?" She asked, only half teasing. Henry looked up with a mischievous grin.
"I'll tell you everything tomorrow," he told the girl, laying back in bed. Naomi sighed and smirked, getting up. She made her way to the door.
"See ya tomorrow, kiddo," with that, she turned out the light and meet Graham outside, waiting in the hall.
Graham gave the teen a small smile. "Thank you, Naomi. I understand you're his babysitter?" He thanked her. Naomi smiled and nodded.
"More like part time nanny, what with the hours Regina's had me watching him these past few weeks," she replied, leaning casually against the banister.
A concerned look crossed the sheriff's face. "Yes, and your parents?" He asked, frowning.
Naomi sighed, looking down at the ground. "Mary Margaret Blanchard is my legal guardian. I'm living with her for the time being. At least until I go off to college," the teen explained.
Graham nodded, though still having questions. "Pardon my asking, it's really none of my business, but how old are you, Naomi?"
The girl smiled, understanding. "17," she answered.
"Ah," he nodded, making his way down the stairs. Naomi followed. "See, if you have the time, I'd like to meet up for lunch or something. Just to get to know a bit more," he explained as the two approached Regina and Emma Swan.
"Yeah, sure," the teen agreed, turning to Henry's mom.
"How is Henry?" Regina asked Graham, and he glanced towards the teenager.
"The kid's perfectly fine, just a bit tired is all," she reported, hiding her proud grin. The mayor nodded.
"Yes. Thank you, Naomi. I expect you should be getting back home. Your got a busy day tomorrow," Regina said to her. Naomi nodded and waved goodbye to the other two, heading out the door.
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"So Henry's safe?" Mary Margaret asked the moment Naomi stepped into the apartment.
"Yeah, and I'm fine too, thanks for asking," she replied sarcastically, tossing her keys on the couch. Her guardian sighed and poured her a glass of water.
"Sorry. I've just been really worried," Mary Margaret apologized, sitting across from the teenager at the counter. "Do you have any idea why he may have done it?"
Naomi scoffed. "The kid's got an imagination. He even got some woman Emma Swan, his "mother", to drive him back home. I think he was looking for her," she explained, ignoring her water. The woman sighed.
"I'll ask him about it tomorrow," she said, glancing around. Naomi nodded, agreeing to do the same.
"I'm walking him to school, I'll ask him then," the teen said, taking a small drink. Mary Margaret nodded.
"See you in the morning, I'm going to bed," Mary Margaret said, yawning and waving goodnight to the teenager. Naomi waved back and headed up to her own room, turning it the lights.
Is this a good first chapter? I don't know. I don't know anything.
Last edited May 5, 2019