The floorboard of Ruby's car was cluttered with old Monster cans and empty cigarette boxes. Emma had to push the trash off to the side to make room for her feet.

"Sorry for the mess," Ruby apologized, starting the car up. "Gran stopped paying for gas, so I'm on strike."

"You haven't seen my car." Emma joked, knowing it was usually a lot cleaner than this, but not knowing what to say. "Hey, nice music." She commented, going through the C.D. binder. "The Beatles, Pink Floyd, The Eagles..." Ruby shrugged.

"That's all Gran's old stuff. I like rock." The brunette turned on the radio and Green Day began blasting from the speakers. Emma entertained herself with the old CD's until they pulled up to Granny's. The parking lot was almost completely full and lots of students were already mingling outside.

"Everyone comes here after school. It's great for business," Ruby grinned. Emma was glad to hear pride in her voice. Ruby waved and greeted a lot of people before finally leading Emma into the actual restaurant. Granny's looked like your typical diner, with lights hanging from the ceiling and tiled floors, but Emma could tell that the place was special. It had a unique, welcoming feeling to it. The forest wallpaper was pretty cool, too. Ruby led Emma into the back of the cafe where Ashley was putting on a red apron.

"Granny's in a rush today," She rolled her eyes before hurrying out. Ruby groaned and began tying on a matching apron. The apron was longer than her shorts.

"Make yourself comfortable, Ems. It won't be long before my break." Emma nodded then made her way to the main part of Granny's. 'Ems,' was officially her first nickname. She smiled to herself, then went up to the counter and ordered a hot chocolate with cinnamon and fries on the side. Ruby winked and had it ready in no time. Finding an empty seat was hard enough, but eventually a couple left, and Emma got a booth all to herself. Not sure of what to do next, she pulled out one of her schoolbooks and thought she should at least get started on her homework. It was important to keep up her grades, after all, if she had any intentions of staying in Storybrooke.

Emma was bored out of her mind by the time Ashley and Ruby got their fifteen-minute break. They made the most of their short time and gossiped on the stairs out back, Ruby having another smoke. Emma was never one to gossip, but it seemed to be the favorite pastime in Storybrooke, and she found it easy, and even kind of fun, to participate. They mostly talked about Regina, to no surprise.

"I hate that smug smirk she has on all the time. It's only because her mom is mayor and her dad is principal. Take that away and she has nothing." Ruby complained over a cigarette.

"Take that away and she still has her huge house, amazing car, expensive wardrobe, and killer shoes." Ashley replied like this was a subject she and Ruby discussed every day. Ruby groaned.

"I'm glad Gold is ruining her. If he weren't the worst thing possible for her, I'd be the one to blab to Mommy-dearest this time." Emma was glad to sit and listen to them talk, but she was getting lost quickly. Ashley must have noticed her confused expression because she specifically turned to face Emma.

"She and Regina had a fling, before Ruby got dumped for Daniel," The perky blonde explained. Ruby stared into the woods, her black shades covering up her real feelings.

"I didn't know she liked girls." Emma admitted, something strange stirring in her heart.

"Liked. One day she's all over me and the next she's calling me a fuck up and hooking up with that dumbass football player. She only used me to get back at her parents, or whatever. Who knows, but I thought that what we had was real... The heartless bitch." Ruby reminisced over her cigarette. "I'm glad we're over. It was two years ago, anyway and you saw how she treated me today."

"Yeah, she's kind of intense. Like your gran." The other girls burst into laughter at Emma's joke and soon Emma joined them, happy to have friends to call her own.

"Then marks the Great Six Months of Peace, for everyone, but Ruby Lucas, and Ruby's wardrobe change. Then-" Ashley began, but was cut off by Granny poking her head out the door.

"Break time is over, girls! And if I catch you smoking again Ruby you'll be grounded for a month!" The "intense" grandmother shouted, then slammed the door behind her. Ruby sniggered as she followed after the old-timer, dropping her cigarette to the ground, and stamping it out. Ashley and Emma shared a knowing glance and laughed.

"Tell you later," Ashley whispered as they headed back in. Emma sat back down in her booth, contemplating what she had heard. The after-school rush was over, so the diner was mostly empty, except for a handful of customers and a few people already drinking at the bar. Emma really wanted to know who Gold and Daniel were. She also wished she knew how to feel about Ruby having dated Regina. Wasn't it girl code not to have a crush on your girlfriend's ex? Having friends was new, so Emma was figuring things out as she went. She was also battling feelings of jealousy. Ruby and Regina definitely must have made a hot couple.

It was close to five when a bell signaled the arrival of Regina Mills, who's long legs brought her up to the counter with grace and ease. Emma, who had been playing around with the dart board, stopped her game to watch.

"The usual, Granny." Regina ordered in a tired tone that still managed to hold all of its coldness. Granny nodded and put two cups under the coffee machine.

"How's your mother?" Granny asked, following an obvious routine that happened every day.

"Mother is fine. Busy as usual. I'll tell her you say hello." Regina's lips pressed into a small smile and she leaned against the counter as she waited. Emma got a better view of her legs this way.

"Here you go, Miss Mills." Granny handed over the two cups of coffee and a free cookie wrapped in plastic wrap. Regina placed a shiny black credit card in the elderly woman's hand to pay, then swiftly exited once the transaction was completed. Some force beyond Emma's control had her rushing after the powerful woman.

"Regina, wait!" Emma called out, stopping just outside the diner. Regina stiffened, then slowly turned around. Her stare was clueless and annoyed, like she was trying to place where they had met before. "Emma Swan. We met this morning, remember? I'm the new kid who called you a bitch." Regina's eyes darkened as she remembered.

"Ah, yes. How could I forget." Her short hair blew in the wind, making it even more difficult for Emma to say what she wanted to say. What was that again? Oh, right. She didn't know because she rushed after Regina like a maniac. "And you're speaking to me because…" Regina tilted her head slightly, her words slipping off her tongue like a viper's venom.

"I wanted to apologize." Emma blurted off the top of her head. "I don't know you, so it's not right for me to have called you that. Even though, in all fairness, you were pretty mean to my friend." She laughed awkwardly. "But hey, we all have our thing." Emma was becoming aware of how much like prey she felt under Regina's killer gaze and it made her shift in her Converse.

"My 'thing' is none of your concern. This is a waste of a conversation and my precious time." She haughtily whipped around and began walking to her car. Emma followed after her once again, this time slyly stepping in front of her to cut off her path.

"I'm just asking you not to hate me unless I give you a reason to." She tried one more time.

"If I recall correctly, you called me a bitch." Regina said simply, her eyes murderous.

"Yeah, and you called my friend a deadbeat and me a mutt. So, we're even." Emma smiled, placing her hands in her pockets. Regina leaned in, teeth barred in a threatening smile.

"I don't play to get even, Miss Swan. I play to win. Now, are you going to get in my way?" She asked, lips in a teasing pout and tone of voice going up. Emma gulped, her eyes glancing down to the painted dark lips that were so close she could lean in and kiss the other woman with ease.

"No, I guess not." She finally said, stepping to the side so Regina could reach her car. "And the name is Emma."

"Like I care," Regina snarled, tossing the homemade cookie in the garbage as she passed by.

"That's a waste of a perfectly good cookie!" Emma shouted, feeling completely ignored as Regina didn't pay her a second glance.

Thankfully, right when Regina left the parking lot, Mary Margaret pulled up in her old Jeep Wagoner.

"Emma, sorry, I'm late. Was that-?"

"Yeah," Emma sighed. "I don't know why she hates me so much. I literally just met her." Mary gave her a pitying look.

"She hates everyone. It's part of her curse. I'm going to run in and say hi to Ruby, be right back." Mary's time inside Granny's was longer than a quick hi, but Emma was just fine waiting outside. Ten minutes later, Mary came out apologizing, saying the time had gotten away from her. Emma had to tell her it was okay over and over again before she let it go.

Besides Johanna's amazing dinner, not much happened for the rest of the day. That night, Emma was curled up on Mary's bed getting to know her better. They actually had a lot in common. They both loved animals, police shows, and doing their own versions of food challenges, like trying to stuff a dozen large marshmallows in their mouths.

"You seem a little taken with Regina." Mary pointed out in her sweet way, finally getting to the good stuff. They were both laying on their backs and staring at the glow-in-the-dark stars on the ceiling.

"I just want to know what her deal is. People who are hurtful like that usually have something they're hiding. Something deep and painful."

"That's romantic." Mary said in a hushed voice. "Regina hasn't always been this way. Sure, she's always been untouchable, but… Well, you know her smiles are fake, right?" Mary suddenly rolled onto her stomach, looking at Emma like she was sharing her biggest conspiracy theory. "She used to smile, actually smile, all the time. Then as we grew up, she became more distant and began talking only to Melanie and her little posse. The Regina as we know her was slowly being born through Prada, diamonds, and her little flings all throughout the school. She was on top of the world, even if she was a, you know... b-i-t-c-h." Emma chuckled at Mary's refusal to say bad words. "Then something happened, and it ruined everything. It's been a little over a year now, but she hasn't been the same since."

"Ruby mentioned something like that. What happened?" Emma sat up to grab another fistful of popcorn and shovel it into her mouth. "Did she have a bad breakup or something, so Gold is her rebound?"

"Not exactly...No one really talks about it, but I guess someone has to tell you." Mary sat up too, a very serious expression on her face as she faced Emma. "First, you have to know that Regina's mom is the mayor."

"Yeah and that explains so much already," Emma smirked.

"The mayor is a very strict woman. I heard she's been pushing Regina to marry right after she graduates. To someone rich or something."

"Sick."

"I know. Anyway, you can imagine what it must be like for Regina to date anyone, which is why she's always had to sneak around. Two years ago, at the start of the tenth grade, she messed around with Ruby a bit before falling madly in love with this guy on the football team, Daniel. We were all so shocked because Regina became a different person. She was kind again, happy… and I actually saw her eat food at lunch. Regina planned to run away with Daniel to get married, but Cora found out. I heard she was really angry at first but invited Daniel over for dinner to see if they could talk it out. This was right before the school let out for the summer. Something happened at that dinner and Daniel died in Regina's arms." Emma's mouth hung open at the story's horrible ending.

"No way. That's crazy."

"When junior year started, Regina was angry at the world and took it out on everyone. She still does. And this summer she started seeing Richard Gold." Mary grabbed another handful of popcorn. Emma reached for more, but her fingers scraped the bottom of the bowl.

"Ruby says he's bad news." Emma commented, glad to be able to contribute to the conversation.

"He is. He can give you practically anything you want: cheat sheets, study pills, drugs, but he charges you a heavy price. I don't know why Regina hangs out with him."

"You seem to really care for her," Emma noted oddly. Mary nodded, something close to guilt on her delicate features.

"We were best friends when we were little. We grew up together in ways that everyone else didn't because Johanna babysat her." Emma noticed a fondness in Mary's voice. She really was a sweet person. "She must be so terribly lonely right now…" Her voice trailed off.

"Do you two ever talk anymore?" Emma asked, downing the rest of the soda on the nightstand. Clearly, they weren't still friends.

"Oh, no. She blames me for destroying her happiness." Mary laughed awkwardly, then began cleaning up the stray popcorn on the bed.

"What did you do?"

"I...I'm the reason her mother found out about Daniel."

A/N: I have to say, I'm obsessed with Emma having friends for the first time. It's so cute! 3 Thanks for reading!