Separate Worlds

Chapter 3

The following morning I wake up with my temples pulsing with pain. My arm is numb and my bandage is soaked with blood. I quietly crept my way into the bathroom trying to make no noise so my mom didn't see my arm...not that she would care.
For the first time in forever I put effort into what I was wearing. I looked at myself in the mirror and was actually on the verge of being happy with what I was seeing. "Morning mom" I say pleasantly as I enter the kitchen to start my routine, the same routine I've had to do since I was six. Breakfast,books, go. "Morning Gina" she says, barely glancing at me. "Where were you last night mom?" I ask curiously as I was as,eep before she was even home. "Out" she said sharply. I decide not to carry on with that topic..." I met friends" I say trying  to influence a conversation. She raises her eyebrow as if in disbelief that I could actually make a friend. "Okay well I should be off then, bye" I say as I walk out.
"REGINA" Emma says as she bounces over and wraps her arms around me. "How are you?"  I breath in her sweet scent "Hey Em, I'm good" I say with a smile. "Walk with me?" She asks as she takes hold of my hand before I have a chance to answer.
"So Ruby's grandma is going out of town for the weekend and she's having a party and I was wondering if you would like to go to it...with me..." My eyes widen at her words. Was I hearing things? Or did Emma really just ask me out..."uhh what like as your date?" I ask not knowing what else to say. Emma smiles "yeah...I'm gay Regina, I've known for a long time and my parents know but I haven't told anyone in school...but I met you and my heart skipped a beat...well a few thousand actually. I don't know your preferences but I know you feel something too" she looks at the ground and then smiles up at me..."my preference...is you" I say, I lift my hand up to her face and run my thumb along her perfectly chiseled jaw line. "Of course I'll go with you" she smiles a huge and beautiful smile "it's a date" she whispers and then giggles cutely.
I walk into Mr Booths Science class and take my seat next to Killian "hey Regi" he says with a smile. I bring my book out of my bag "Killian, hi" I still feel awkward about the previous day, even more so that I was dating the girl he liked. "So are you going to Ruby's party?" I nod "I wouldn't miss it" I say with a smile. He begins tapping his fingers on the work bench which agitates me ever so slightly but I don't say anything. "So I'm thinking of asking Emma to go to the party with me" I bury my head in the book and try so hard not to make him curious of anything. "Oh yeah?" He nods enthusiastically "yeah, I think she likes me, I'm not sure though..." I bite the inside of my lip so hard that I drew blood. I didn't really know what to say to him.
Break couldn't come quick enough I approached Emma and the rest of the girls who were sitting alongside the football pitch. "Hey" I say as I approach them and look out onto the grass to see the team emerging from the sides. "Hi beautiful" Emma replies with a smile. Ruby and Belle don't say anything, they obviously think she's being friendly. A couple of feet away from us is a group of cheerleaders. They begin squealing like children when the captain of the football team waves at them...Robin. "Ugh can they not" Emma says possibly a bit too loudly.  A blonde, a brunette and a girl with a reddish-brown hair walk over. "Do you have a problem Virgin Mary?" The blonde says. "Well I do now, I don't know what it is but it's got a big mouth and it's staring straight back at me" Emma replies. She shakes her head at Emma. "That's rich coming from you, you're barely human! Never had a boyfriend, that must mean you are a big fat lesbian, you're disgusting." Emma gulps slightly and I can automatically see pain in her eyes..."hey even if she was a lesbian which is okay by the way you're living in the 21st century dear, well isn't that one hundred times better than being a slutty whore who only cares about there reputation?" I spoke without even thinking, I heard those harsh words leave my mouth and I felt like a snake with a venomous bite but honestly I didn't care they deserved it. "What did you just say new girl? How dare you speak to me like that" I shake my head. "Im not afraid of you, you're nothing but a cold hearted bitch! How dare you judge anyone due to there sexuality!" She turned to the other two girls..."do it" she said. At that moment the red haired girl took a step back and shook her head "no Ashley" but the brunette lunged forward and grabbed me, she pulled my arm and attempted to get me down on the ground. I screamed in pain as her grasp got tighter on the open wounds only a thin layer below her hand. "Marian get off of her" the red head yelled as she grabbed her, Emma got her off of me and shoved her hard before wrapping her arm around me "Regina are you okay? What's wrong with your arm..."  Wearing a white sweater wasn't the best of ideas, blood started seeping through the material. Ashley...the bitchy blonde scoffed "oh look here we have ourself a little worthless emo...maybe next time you'll do us all a favour and end it all instead" Emma shook her head "okay that's it" she yelled before diving forward and slapping Ashley hard. "Stay away from her" she said before taking a step back and putting her arm around me.
I was trying so hard to fight back tears. The bell for class had rang and Emma and I had just entered the bathroom, "Em it's okay, you should go to class I'll be okay" she shook her head "i am not leaving you Regina. It's my moms class so it's okay we can be late" I nod my head as I pull up my sleep revealing myself and letting myself be vulnerable In front of an other for the first time. Once I was finished I looked down at my wrist which had now stopped bleeding. Emma placed her hand under my arm and lifted it up. "It's disgusting, I know, I hate myself for it" I thought at that moment I had ruined everything, she wouldn't think of me the same anymore but instead she began softly running her thumb over the top, barely touching the skin but intently staring at them, then she leaned forward and kissed my arm. "They're battle scars, it just shows how strong you are...we all have our stories, a past, a present and a future...and you'll have a future where you will look back and not hate yourself for this...you're beautiful Regina" a tear escaped from my eye without me noticing, Emma took her hand and wiped it away. "It's okay, I'm here" she says as she wraps her arms around me. We part and I stare into her eyes... "Thank you for sticking up for me, I really appreciate it"  I smile " it's no problem. She smiles back and we stand, smiling and staring in unison. I slowly lean forward and kiss her ever so slightly. My lips felt right on hers, they fitted perfectly like a jigsaw... "I'm sorry" I say, she shakes her head "no need to apologise"
I look at my sweater which is stained with blood and I sigh "great" I whisper. I hear Emma moving around behind me and I turn to see her standing in her tshirt and holding her sweater in her hand "take it, you need it more than me" I honestly don't know what I done to find someone like her..."thank you" I say as I put it on "it looks good on you, keep it" I bite my lip and smile at her.
"Miss Swan,  Miss Mills can you explain why you're late? 20 minutes late might I add" Miss Blanchard asked. "Yeah...later" Emma said. "Both of you outside" she said sternly. We retraced our steps back out the door. "Okay what's going on?" She asked in a kinder tone..."wow mom think we need to get you to the doctors because you're slightly bipolar!" She shakes her head at her daughter "Em you're my daughter and you both came into my class late and looking emotional, so I'm not talking to you both as a teacher I'm speaking to you as a mother and you as a friend Regina" I smiled at how kind hearted and warm this woman was. "Now spill what happened" Emma sighs "Ashley and Marian happened, they called me Virgin Mary and then I said a comment back obviously because I'm not going to let them walk all over me! And then they called me out for being gay and said I'm disgusting and not human so Regina stood up for me and Marian attacked her." Her eyes quickly darted to me, "oh my god sweetie are you okay! You aren't hurt are you?" I shook my head "no I'm okay but it was a bit of a shock." She pressed her hands to her head "those little bitches!" She said angrily " I swear if I wasn't a person of authority I would hit them myself, how dare they tell you you aren't human! You are who you are!" Emma places a hand on her shoulder "Mom it's okay, they aren't worth it, Regina was amazing though, she's like my knight and shining armour" she said as she smiled over at me. Miss Blanchard looked from Emma to me..."wait a minute, you's like each other!" She squealed. Emma giggled, "shhh mom!  But yes, I really really like Regina...a lot" the over excited woman looked over at me "and I really like your daughter" Miss Blanchard smiled and then embraced us both in a tight hug. "Im so happy for you guys! And Regina honey, outside class please calls me Mary Margaret!" I nod "thank you" I say in slight shock. "Okay when we go back in don't smile and act like you's have been given into trouble" we laugh at her and then walk back in the class, straight faced like none of the previous conversation had happened.
We continue reading the novel when I hear a phone buzzing. Emma grabs her phone out of her pocket "sorry" she says as she looks up to her mom who is staring over. Emma stays looking at her phone.  "What's up?" I ask curiously, "Killian...he's asked me to go to Ruby's party with him...as his date" I smirk up at her "I told him I have a date" I place my hand on hers and smile. "Looks like Saturday is the day I jump out the closet" she jokes. I giggle at her "oh god, I'm crazy about you" I say, she grins, a beautiful grin that turns into a full smile "I'm crazy about you too Regina."