At first, Emma wasn't sure if she should follow her mother's advice or not. Why bother trying? Why embarrass herself? Why make it hurt more when she was rejected? But some part of her needed to know just how much Regina cared, if she even cared at all. In a desperate attempt to win the girl over, she scribbled a note and slipped it into the girl's locker during her lunch period. It simply said, "Please."

Emma watched for change and waited for contact, but it didn't come. Instead, they stayed on opposite sides of the classroom, and Regina continued to suck on her boyfriend's face every day in the hallway, showing utter disregard for Emma's aching heart.

In the next note, Emma relied once more on song lyrics to express her feelings, using the song "James Dean & Audrey Hepburn" by another one of her favorite bands, Sleeping With Sirens.

'Stay for tonight

If you want to

I can show you

What my dreams are made of,

as I'm dreaming of your face

I've been away for a long time

Such a long time

And I miss you there

I can't imagine being anywhere else

I can't imagine being anywhere else but here'

But again, her attempt was fruitless, causing no change in Regina or the girl's behavior. After some encouragement from her mother, she made a new resolution to put new lyrics in Regina's locker every morning.

'It's 4:03 and I can't sleep

Without you next to me I

Toss and turn like the sea'

-Shinedown, "If You Only Knew"

'Well you're the closest thing I have

To bring up in a conversation

About a love that didn't last

But I could never call you mine

'Cause I could never call myself yours

And if we were really meant to be

Well then we just defied destiny

It's not that our love died

Just never really bloomed

Well I can't let go

No, I can't let go of you

You're holding me back without even trying to.

I can't let go

I can't move on from the past

Without lifting a finger you're holding me back.'

-Landon Pigg, "Can't Let Go"

After a few more desperate notes, Emma finally gave up. A few days later, when she opened her locker, she found a note in elegant handwriting waiting for her on top of a pile of her books.

'Something in the way she moves

Attracts me like no other lover

Something in the way she woos me

I don't want to leave her now

You know I believe and how

Somewhere in her smile she knows

That I don't need no other lover

Something in her style that shows me

Don't want to leave her now

You know I believe and how'

-The Beatles, "Something"

At the end, there were just three more words.

'I left him.'

Emma's stomach turned when she saw a shadow appear beside her.

"Emma," the brunette said softly, putting a hand on Emma's shoulder.

Emma turned around slowly, but as soon as she did, Regina wrapped her arms around her and embraced her in a hug. When Emma pulled away, Regina found her lips and kissed her softly.

"I'm not scared anymore," Regina whispered in her ear, then kissed her again.

"Is this really happening?" Emma breathed against her lips.

"Yes."

So Emma pulled her close and didn't let go, resting her cheek against Regina's.

"So what changed your mind?" Emma asked.

"You did."