The School Play

Chapter 9

"Do I need to feel sorry for Milah?" Emma looked smiling at Killian. Ruby sat beside her and grinned softly, along with the rest of the group of friends. Killian had just told them about his latest "conquest" and Emma felt comfortable enough to joke to him.

Though, Killian fiercely shook his head and smirked. "No, no, I can be a real gentleman."

Ruby scoffed, which caused the group to burst out in laughter again. "Tell that to the other twenty girls you dated this month," the brunette quipped and Emma laughed as she looked at her people at their table.

She was beyond grateful that they'd allowed her to be part of their group. It felt so natural, so familiar, though she'd never actually had a group of friends like these before.

They were eating lunch between classes and everyone of the group was present but Elsa, who was ill. Emma herself didn't feel perfect either, but that was simply because her nerves were taking over.

A couple of days ago, she'd received an email regarding the auditions of Romeo and Juliet, along with a few scenes that she had to study. The auditions were this afternoon and though Emma had studied the lines well, she still felt nervous.

"Emma, can I talk to you?"

Emma had been too invested in looking in her friends, that she hadn't noticed Ivy walking up to their table. The group of Ivy's friends and Ruby's usually didn't really talk to each other, but Emma had started to form a bridge between the two groups.

She looked up in confusion and excused herself to the rest of the table as she stood up. She followed Ivy to a quieter place of the cafetaria and looked concerned at the brunette.

"Is something wrong?" Emma asked, though it felt unnecessary, given Ivy's expression. The brunette seemed agitated and Emma truly hoped she could help the girl. Ivy had always been kind to her.

Ivy gestured with her head to a table behind Emma, making Emma turn around. She noticed Regina sitting at the table. Her usual friends, apart from Ivy, were around her, but she wasn't talking to them like usual. Instead, she just sat there, staring at her food, looking awfully tired.

"You were at the opening of the bookstore yesterday, right?"

Emma nodded. "Yes, why?"

"Did something happen between you and Regina?" Ivy looked genuinely concerned and Emma glanced once more at Regina, who hadn't moved at all. She looked somber, much like the way she'd looked in the bookstore.

"No.. I don't think so. We barely talked. Why?"

Ivy shrugged and bit her lower lip. She had a frown on her forehead. Emma knew Regina and she hadn't had the best conversation, but it hadn't been worse than their usual talks. At least, that was how she felt, but maybe she had crossed a line.

"She just.. she is very distant, all of the sudden. I figured something happened between the two of you to cause this, considering that she does actually care what you think of her."

Emma looked confused. She figured Regina, or maybe she'd hoped, that Regina cared as little about what Emma thought of her as Emma cared about what Regina thought of her.

"Perhaps you could go talk to her?" Ivy asked.

Emma groaned softly. If there was one thing she wasn't in the mood to do, it was having a little chat with Regina. She doubted Regina wanted to listen to anything she had to say, though she couldn't help but feeling slightly worried about the girl.

Especially after having met Cora and hearing what her own mother had said about Regina's mother, she figured Regina probably had some problems at home that she tried to ignore.