Chapter Text
“Regina, don’t… don’t you DARE..” Emma took careful steps back to further herself from the oncoming attack.
Regina continued to step closer to Emma with a sly smirk in place.
She lifted her hand in the air.
“Regina, stop… you will so regret this if you --”
*SPLASH!*
Emma felt the huge water balloon hit her forehead, breaking on impact and soaking her completely. All she could do was stand there with her eyes closed and mouth open in total disbelief that her best friend just threw that.
Regina was laughing. Way too hard. By the time Emma opened her eyes, her friend was nearly toppled over; her eyes brimming with tears.
They called that ‘craughing’ … laughing to the point it caused them to cry. Craughing was not uncommon for their friendship. But Emma wasn’t too pleased when it was at her expense.
She looked up slowly with a smirk of her own and reached for another water balloon; hoping to find the biggest in the bunch. She stepped toward Regina this time. Just as Regina had finally caught her breath, Emma pounced. Regina shrieked and darted to her left, just missing Emma’s grasp. She ran as fast as she could around the backyard to the front porch, Emma hot on her tail with the balloon in her grip.
“Regina Mills if you dare come into this house soaking wet and covered in grass, young lady!”
Cora spat from the kitchen as soon as Regina was about to run inside through the foyer. Regina’s eyes went wide with worry of almost ruining her mother’s ivory handwoven rug.
“Sorry, mother. I-I wasn’t thinking.” she lifted her head with worry in her eyes.
Emma watched the scene from afar. After almost colliding with Regina when she halted at the front door...then seeing Mrs. Mill’s stern glance at them both; she retreated back a few steps.
“It’s fine, Regina. Please just be more mindful of the lovely home I have created for us all…” Cora accentuated her statement with a sickening sweet smile and a wave of her hands to signify their home space. “... And my goodness, may I remind you of the pristine conditions you were raised? I did not raise my daughter to play in the mud with pigs ..” she finished off, raising an eyebrow and looking behind Regina purposefully.
Regina turned on the spot, wondering what her mother was referring to. What she saw disheartened her completely. A very despondent Emma, finally dropping the water balloon on the grass, creating an immense splash.
Before she knew it, Emma turned and began running.
“Emma no! Wait!”
Regina began to follow her but before she came to the end of her driveway, she spun on her heels. “How could you say that, mother?! She is my best friend!” she sobbed with confusion in her eyes.
“Oh, my darling… you won’t understand this at your age, but you deserve so much better. Love is weakness, Regina.”
Regina shook her head vehemently with disbelief at her mother’s cold statement. “You’re wrong mother. And I’ll prove it to you.” Just as Cora was about to reply, Regina turned to finish her sprint and find her best friend.
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“Emma!”
In all seriousness she shouldn’t have been shocked that Regina knew exactly where she would be. It was their spot after all. Emma just kept staring forward at the swans on the bay as Regina approached the bench from behind.
“Emma, please… can we talk?” Regina stated as she descended onto the bench next to her best friend (or she still hoped was her best friend).
“What’s there to talk about Gina?” Emma glanced over to her with watery eyes “She’s right anyway. I’m a loser. An orphan. A total geek in school. I play the clarinet and am in the chess club for goodness sakes. Even my birth parents didn’t want me. I’ll never be loved and it’s just the way it is. Your mom? She’s right.”
“Emma?! I -”
“No just admit it Regina. And you? You’re perfect and well mannered and so kind and caring. You’re the most popular girl in school. The cheerleading captain. You have perfect grades. You are the most talented in your drama class and you know it. Jesus, you even volunteer on weekends at the children’s hospital?!
Mrs. Mills is right. Why are you even friends with me??”
As she finished, Emma let out a sob of despair, exhaustion and hopelessness.
“Emma! Stop that RIGHT NOW!” Regina practically screamed. The brunette couldn’t believe what she was seeing and hearing. Emma had never broken down like this. They had been best friends for six years. And Emma had not once even cried in front of her.
Upon seeing her best friend crumble in front of her for the first time; Regina lunged at Emma, wrapping her tightly in her arms. After allowing some time to pass for Emma to let all of her tears out, Regina pulled back to look at her.
Wiping her friend’s tears away with her hands, Regina decided to let Emma know just how special she really was.
“Emma I want you to listen to everything I’m about to say.. Okay?”
Upon receiving a nod from her best friend, she continued.
“You are my best friend. My BEST friend. I have known you for six years, Emma. You have taught me how to braid hair. How to skip stones. How to play Monopoly. How to sneak into a movie theater without anyone knowing...”
At Emma’s shocked face, she replied quickly.
“Okay maybe that one wasn’t the best example..” she winked. Emma laughed. Actually laughed. So Regina kept going.
“Emma, you showed me how to have fun and laugh at the silly things. I can’t begin to tell you just how important that has been to me. To be raised in the home I was - I .. do you think I’d ever laugh? I laugh because of you. I’m so sorry about what Mother said.. She is just absolutely heartless sometimes, I swear.
And do you honestly think stupid things like popularity and clubs at school influence my decision to be your friend? I would give up cheerleading and join the chess club tomorrow if it meant you never said those horrible things about yourself ever again..”
Emma let out a small laugh.. “Please don’t join the chess club, Gina…”
Regina laughed back.. “Hey! I resent that! I’d be the best player in there!”
Emma’s laugh turned into a reassuring smile. “I know, Gina. You totally would be. You’re amazing at everything.. I wasn’t lying when I said that before...”
Regina grinned at her best friend’s compliment, wishing she thought the same things of herself. “Emma… promise me something..”
The blonde glanced back from the swans to look at her best friend again. “Anything, Gina.”
“Promise me that if you ever feel that way about yourself again, you will come talk to me right away. I’m your best friend, Emma.. if you can’t talk to me then who can you talk to? I’m here for you. Forever and always.”
“Forever and Always. I promise..” Emma stated, hugging her best friend tightly again.
The girls stayed that way until the sun set on the Storybrooke shore.