Regina Mills: 34 years old. Teaches English and creative writing. She is very strict with her students and demands focus and order in her classes. She wants her students to excel. Regina has walls build around her heart, to protect herself from heartbreak and pain, which causes her to miss out on the things that doesn't cause pain, but has the potential to, like love and friendships. She has one friend, Kathryn, who's also a teacher. Regina's father died when she was young, and her mother is a cold-hearted woman. Regina knows that her mother only wants what's best for her, but her own idea of what's best isn't the same as her mother's. They don't have much contact anymore. Despite all, Regina has a big heart and feels things deeply. She wants to help her students the best she can. Emma Swan: 17 years old. About to start her senior year in high school. She was adopted by Mary Margaret Blanchard and David Nolan when she was 14. They started fostering her when she was 13. Before that, Emma was always bouncing from bad foster homes to group homes. Like Regina, Emma has wall around her heart because of her very turbulent childhood. She doesn't trust easily and has a hard time letting people in - parents as well as friends. She has two best friends - Belle and Ruby - who was very welcoming when Emma first came to Storybrooke. They introduced her to their friends, making sure she never felt alone. Emma is starting her senior year, and has to do her best to get good grades. You don't have to have watched Once Upon a Time to understand this book I do not own any characters.