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Chapter Text

Regina didn't know what she was doing when she picked up her phone and started to dial Janis' number. There was a growing pit in her stomach. It started earlier that night when she hooked up with Aaron and grew bigger and bigger every time she thought about it. Those hookups—the fast in and out—never did anything for her. Sure, it was nice to make out for twenty minutes but the actual doing of sex was never fun.

She felt broken. Girls were sluts, they loved sex, they chased it. Regina had no desire to chase sex or boys or the big heavy feeling of a mans hand on her waist. Frankly, it was gross.

"Hello?" Janis' groggy voice drained the thoughts Regina was drowning in. Shit. Regina had done it, she had actually called Janis. The sound of Janis' sleepy voice over the line made Regina's heart drop, it was like an old memory. The sound was so close but also so far. They'd done this so many times as teens, it used to be a whole routine. Regina's heart clenched and she cleared her throat, "Its Regina." She said promptly, opting for her normal stuck up attitude.

"Regina? Are you fucking pranking me? God, go to sleep, you bitch." On Janis' side of the line there was rustling as she was about to put the receiver down and hang up.

Regina scrambled for something to say. Something inside her wanted to stay on the phone with Janis. "I want to order a pizza…" There was silence on both sides of the line. Regina spoke again, "Is this the pizza shop?"

After a moment, Janis answered,"It's pretty late to be ordering a pizza…" her voice was tentative but the mention of their childhood game seemed to slow her down a little.

Whenever one of them was sad, they'd call the other and 'order a pizza'. It was secret code so that if their parents were listening in on the call, they wouldn’t understand what the two were saying. It was genius, really—especially because Regina's mom always listened to their calls when they were kids.

"Too late?" Regina tried to not sound desperate but the need to talk to Janis leaked through, making her sound real and not like some big plastic Barbie.

"No." A sigh, "What size?" The size of the pizza meant how big the issue was. Regina always had the biggest pizza's, Janis would say she was very dramatic.

"Medium pizza." Regina responded while absentmindedly twirling the phone cord around her finger. How big was her problem, really? What even was her problem? Was it the ache when she heard Janis' voice or the chronic gnawing feeling that something was wrong with her? Was it the deep-seated loneliness she felt no matter who or what she did?

At this point, her problem was her whole life. She was plastic. She hadn't had a real word come out of her mouth in four years. Everything was snarky or bitchy or said in a way to get someone else to do something for her. She was never just Regina, always Regina George—the most perfect plastic of them all.

Janis responded with a low hum, "Toppings?" The issue at hand. Mushrooms was thinking badly about yourself, chicken was feeling nervous about something upcoming, spicy pepper was being mad about something. Both of them had spent years memorizing and adding to their code—two teen girls had a lot of things that could be wrong with them.

"I want pepperoni and pineapple on my pizza." Pepperoni meant heartbreak or boy troubles and pineapple meant loneliness. Regina figured that summed up her problems as well as a secret code made out of pizza toppings could.

Doing this stupid game with Janis was already starting to help Regina's stomach unravel. The feeling of puking on her own actions started to dissipate. Now, in her dark room it was only her, Janis' voice, and the distance between them.

"Extra cheese?" Do you want to talk about it?

"No, thank you. I'd like extra sauce, though." I want to come over.

Regina held the phone so tight her knuckles became white against her pink receiver. The last time she had been to Janis' house was over four years ago, but it was still fresh in her memory: her favorite red couch in the basement, Janis' huge beanbag that sat under her window, the food her mom used to cook for the two. It was homey and warm in her memory. Janis' house felt nothing like Regina's and maybe that's why she missed it.

"Regina," Janis sounded hesitant, "It's been years. I cant just… have you over."

Dread started swirling in her stomach, she couldn't deal with rejection, she just couldn't. Regina needed to see Janis tonight. "Don't be like that. Just for a little bit, Janis." She pushed.

"Its almost one." Regina waited, listening to Janis' breaths, "Fuck, fine. Come over, but be quiet. My parents wont be happy if they see you hanging around."

"I'll see you soon." Regina dropped the line, popping up from her bed. She needed to get dressed, grab her keys, grab a gift—? No, don't grab a gift. That's weird.

After she took a moment to gather her racing thoughts, she quickly jumped up and pulled on some sweat pants, putting a jacket over her tank top. Right before she went out of her bedroom door she checked herself in the mirror to brush out her hair. The sound of her heart pounded in her ears, drowning out any thoughts she was having. Snatching up the keys to her car, she walked out of the door, slamming it behind her because nobody cared if she was sneaking out. Her mom was 'the cool mom' after all.

The car started up, almost certainly waking up half of the neighborhood as she revved the engine, flying down the road. Ten minutes of driving and she was already there. Janis' house sat short and dark, all of the windows hollow with night. Regina already knew what to do. After parking her car on the side of the street, she walked up to the fence and opened the gate. They hadn't made their security any better in eight years, god.

Next to the shed in the back of the yard was a large rusty ladder. Regina pulled that out and propped it against the house, trying to keep the amount of scraping sounds it was making to a minimum. She really didn't want to explain to Janis' parents why she was climbing into her window in the middle of the night after not talking for years. Once she got to the top of the ladder, she tapped on Janis' window with one pink nail, making a sharp dink dink dink noise on the glass.

The window slid open and Regina was suddenly face to face with Janis. They both blinked for a moment like they weren't expecting to see each other. "Are you just going to sit there and stare at me or are you going to actually let me in?" Regina prompted, one perfect eyebrow raised.

Janis backed up, allowing Regina to slide in onto the bean bag below the window. "Bitchy as usual." She commented, taking a seat on the bed.

Regina took a look around the room. "Dark and brooding. Is that really your thing?" She asks, hands settled on her hips as her stance of judgment. Janis answered with a laugh, watching Regina scan the room, picking things apart in her mind. "Its a style." Janis said.

"Yeah, okay." Regina found herself standing in front of Janis' wall of pictures. "This your boyfriend?" She mocked, pointing at a picture of Damian and Janis at a bowling alley. Of course she knew Damian was super gay, she just couldn't let go of her hobby of picking Janis apart.

"Funny." Janis drawled, staring up at the ceiling. She was starting to wonder why she even let Regina come over. Letting a fundamental bitch like her into your life was self harm and she knew it. Still, there she stood, bending to gaze at photos of Janis at the beach.

"This is us." Regina took a photo off of the wall, holding it between her fingers.

Janis stood up, her attention grabbed. In Regina's hand was a photo of two tweens, one with blonde pigtails and the other with big dark unruly curls. They were sharing a smoothie on what looked like a pier of some lake. The two girls were in fact Janis and Regina.

"Yeah, that's us." She snatched the photo from Regina, something protective coming over her. Those memories meant a lot to her, she couldn’t let the new plastic Regina ruin the old one— the one that called her 'bug' and hugged her too hard when they had to say goodnight.

"I always knew you were obsessed." Regina said with a scoff, "You cant let it go, really?" Regina wasn't sure what was coming out of her mouth. It was her automatic response to anything around her to be scummy even though she was a giant hypocrite. Back at home in her closet she had a picture of them up in all of her baby pictures. It was her favorite memory, going to the fair with Janis when they were thirteen, just old enough to go alone.

Janis' eyes widened and she took a step back, "Are you kidding me? You're the one who begged to come over tonight after straight up ignoring me for four years!"

"I did not beg." Regina snapped, her lip curling into a look of disgust.

"Really? Because I heard 'Oh Janis let me come over because I'm a lonely slut and you’re my last resort'" Janis mocked in a high pitched voice, clutching at her chest, pretending to be Regina.

"You fucking skank." Regina raised a finger at Janis, "I'm not a slut. I'm not lonely or needy for you." She lied straight through her bared teeth.

"Then why are you here?" Janis challenged.

Regina ground her teeth, her chest shaking as her breath got labored. She didn't have an answer. Well, she did have an answer but she didn't have an answer that she liked.

"You're here because you're lonely and you ruined the only good friendship you'd ever have." Janis continued.

Regina lowered her finger, her whole being trembling. Her throat felt tight, like her own nasty words were choking her. Nothing would come out. She couldn't move. The truth had locked her in place, leaving a small vulnerable crack down her chest.

Janis saw it, she saw the thin wobble of Regina's lips and how the fire in her eyes was now just little embers dancing below her lids. "You miss me, really?" Her voice held genuine surprise, "Regina?"

Slowly, Regina swallowed and turned so she didn't have to see Janis. The tightening in her throat loosened as she thought about telling Janis the truth but it immediately closed back up after as she thought about a snarky remark to say back.

"God! You are ruining me!" Regina stomped, her fists tight at her sides. "You ruin me. You ruin everything. You just had to be the one I kissed, didn't you? You just had to be the only one who I've ever…" She stopped herself. The truth couldn't come out. She hadn't even accepted it herself yet.

"The only one you ever what?" Janis pulled Regina's arm, turning her body back toward her. Janis searched her face. Regina's cheeks were rosy, her eyes starting to gloss up as she stared back at Janis.

"You're the reason I cant enjoy sex… or kissing… or boys. You broke me. You stupid dyke!" Regina covered her face with her sleeves quick enough to hide her tears but not quick enough to hide the crack in her voice. There was something broken about the way she said it, like she really believed it was Janis' fault.

"You're broken because you kissed me?" Janis asked incredulously, "Regina… you might just be a lesbian."

"A lesbian?" A hand flew to her chest like she'd been personally attacked, her tears suddenly disappearing, being replaced by quick defense.

"Well you do keep thinking about a kiss… with a girl… and you don't like kissing boys… and" Janis started putting the pieces together for Regina, because apparently she hadn't been able to do that on her own.

Regina's face got red hot and her nose flared, "I…" She couldn't defend herself. Instead of fighting back, she walked past Janis and sat down on the bed, her posture slowly withering. "I don't want to be a lesbian, Janis." She mumbled, head in her hands.

"We don't really get to pick." Janis joined Regina on the bed, looking down at the dark carpet.

Quiet fell over the two. The faint sound of a dog barking a couple houses away was the only thing Janis had to focus on. Her heartbeat spread from her chest to her fingers, the tips pulsing with warmth. Janis glanced at Regina and lifted her hand, taking one of Regina's. She intertwined their fingers, the pulse of her heart meshing with the similar beat of Regina's heart.

"Bug…" Regina's head fell onto Janis' shoulder. The truth was too heavy her to bear by herself. She was the dyke. All this time her problem, the bit inside her that was broken, was just liking girls. "I don't know what to do."

Janis' heart clenched painfully when Regina called her that old nickname. She missed that. She missed that stupid name and the stupid way Regina would say it. Between them, Janis squeezed Regina's hand, "Look at me."

Regina lifted her head, looking like a husk of the plastic doll she came in as. Janis still thought she was so beautiful. It was unfair, all of the stupid feelings Janis was having about Regina were unfair. Regina wasn't supposed to be kind or vulnerable, making Janis begin to have hope in her. She was supposed to be shitty and mean and homophobic, that was something Janis could easily hate. Sniffily soft Regina was too cute to hold anything against.

"Stupid plastic…" Janis leaned in and kissed Regina on the lips, just like that night when they were fourteen and stupidly jealous of each other, "…bitch"

Regina's eyes were as wide as saucers, lips partly open. Janis began to grin, "You're blushing, Regina" Her thumb brushed over Regina's cheek, stopping as the tip hit her lips. The smirk on her lips fell away seeing Regina's face. It was like she was in awe, some sort of flustered, lesbian awe.

When Janis fell silent, Regina leaned in and kissed her back, grabbing her waist with her free hand. To Janis' surprised , Regina kissed with passion, like a lot of passion. Janis found herself with her back to the bed, the warm body of a girl laying over her.

"Regina-" Janis pushed on her shoulders. The view in front of her made her breath hitch. Regina's eyes were half lidded, her lips glistening and soft pink. This was something Janis had dreamed of since sixth grade.

"You don't want this?" Regina asked, huffing softly.

Janis slung her arms around Regina's shoulders, shaking her head, "No… I do want this. You just surprised me."

"Shut up." Regina kissed her again, touching Janis' cheeks with her finger tips. Everywhere she'd stared at for years she could finally touch, her fingers leaving a red hot trail in their wake. Janis felt all of it, all the way down to her collar bone where Regina started to trace the slope of her skin.

Regina came up for air, pulling herself onto Janis' hips, straddling her. She smirked, knowing her power over Janis now. Slowly, painfully she started to pull off her jacket and then teased the edge of her tank top, watching Janis' eyes. Every move she made, Janis followed, ready for her next.

When Regina took off her tank top, Janis' pupils dilated, her heart becoming too loud in her own ears. "You're so fucking pretty." Two hands pressed against Regina’s torso, sliding onto her stomach.

"Not there." Regina snapped, moving Janis' hands to her back. Nobody touched her stomach, they could look at it but they couldn't touch. If anyone felt her stomach they'd feel that it was soft, human, not plastic and skinny and flat like its supposed to be.

The sudden change in Regina made Janis pause, "What's wrong?" She noticed the way Regina fixed her posture, suddenly looking thinner and more perfect.

"I don't like people touching my stomach." She responded firmly, her hands covering her waist.

"You didn't used to care." Janis pulled down Regina by cupping her cheeks.

The touch softened Regina, the muscles in her face relaxing as she tilted into Janis' palm. "I was twelve, Janis."

Janis pulled her into a kiss, "You were cute when you were a kid" She mumbled against Regina's lips. "I remember your pigtails and your bumblebee outfit… it was your favorite." She said, pulling back.

"You were a lady bug." The smallest of smiles came onto Regina's lips, "Bug."

Janis chuckled, absentmindedly running her finger though Regina's hair, "I love that name."She had already forgotten about Regina's stomach.

"You like being called a bug?" Regina asked playfully, "You're such a freak."

Usually Janis would take offense to Regina's words but tonight she spoke in a familiar playful way, a little twinkle in her eyes. "I like being called a bug because you're the one calling me it." She admitted. Every cell in her body screamed to not trust this new somewhat sweet Regina, to not admit she really missed her best friend.

For once, Regina had nothing to say. It was like she was finally seeing Janis. Her eyes traced Janis' face, taking in every aspect of it. Janis felt pretty under Regina's gaze, the way she looks at her makes her face get warmer and her head light.

"You're sorta nice looking…" Regina said it like for the past four years Janis had been an ugly hag. At least, that's how Regina has been treating her.

Janis couldn't help herself, she smiled at Regina's words, "You think so?"

"Don't milk it." Regina rolled her eyes, though no bite was behind her words. Her gaze shifted to Janis' bed stand, face dropping, "It's two a.m., bug."

"Is it really?" Janis titled her head back, "Shit." Sure enough the clock flashed 2:24 at her. Regina starts to sit up, moving off of Janis. As Regina moves, Janis also sits up, fixing her shirt. "Stay the night?" She didn't know if sleeping with Regina was a good idea or not but to her fried, flustered brain that sounded like heaven.

Regina's back faced Janis, her fingers reaching for the clip to her bra, "Of course. You don't expect me to just come over and make out with you, do you? I don't waste gas on that." Her bra fell onto the floor, joining her shirt. Janis looked away, just in case Regina turned around. Yes, Janis did want to see her boobs but she wasn't sure if tonight was the night to see Regina's boobs. Thankfully, Regina walked to Janis' dresser and pulled out a shirt.

"God, do you have anything that doesn't have holes or paint stains on it?" Regina dropped the shirt and dug around for another one. "You dress like you're homeless." She muttered, finally pulling out a black tank top she seemed somewhat neutral about.

Janis laid back on her bed as a sigh left her, "You like how I dress."

"Sure I do." Regina quipped, pulling the top over her head. "I love the stoner chic." Sarcasm dripped from her voice but Janis knew Regina, she noticed all of the looks Regina stole when she thought Janis wasn't looking. When they were younger, Regina also admired Janis' style. Regina would always say Janis looked like she could be in a band.

The bed groaned as Regina laid next to Janis. In response, Janis pulled the blankets over them, turning onto her side to face Regina. All tension that they started with had melted away. Years of nasty comments and revenge pranks were forgotten as they laid together.

"Night, Regina." Janis said in a whisper, her arm fitting around Regina's waist. Surprisingly Regina let it happen, she even laid a hand over Janis' arm, tracing little shapes on her arm with her nails.

"Good night, bug. Don't wake me in the morning, I need my beauty sleep." She promptly closed her eyes.

Janis leaned in, brushing her lips against Regina's soft cheek, a goodnight kiss. Her heart fluttered after she did it. The feeling was so stupid but she couldn't help it. Her little sixth grade self was cheering deep inside of her.

Following Regina, Janis shut her eyes, letting sleep take her away.

Chapter Text

The morning light hit Janis like a big yellow school bus, waking her from one of the most peaceful sleeps she's had in months. She blinked, rolling onto her side to get away from the orange rays that were actively trying to blind her. As she woke, memories of the night before flooded her head. It felt like a dream, something so far away, so impossible. She opened her eyes to look at Regina, who she remembers falling asleep next to. The expanse of purple sheet next to her sat empty, no stream of blonde hair or pale skin glowing in the morning light, nothing Janis had imagined of waking up next to. It had been a dream.

Janis sat up, the blankets falling into her lap in a sad bundle. A sinking feeling started in her chest, creeping up her throat, gripping at her airway. Was it really all fake? Had Regina caring and kissing her all been a figment of her imagination? She couldn't believe it. Her knees drew to her chest and her head fell onto them. Tears threatened her eyes. She tried desperately to blink them away. Crying over a dream is stupid, she told herself.

Despite telling herself she was an idiot, she couldn't stop her own feelings from drowning her, the deep-seated longing for her old best friend ripping at her heart strings. Janis missed her—she missed twelve year old Regina, the girl who was the light of her life for many years. She missed the Regina that looked at her and didn't immediately look disgusted or afraid.

Last night Regina didn't look disgusted, she looked afraid. Dream Regina trusted Janis with that fear, though. She could still feel Regina's head on her shoulder as she told Janis that she didn't know what to do. God, it felt so real. The hot sparks when they kissed, the feeling of fingers on her skin, the way Regina looked down at her with a cheeky smirk, knowing Janis was absolutely down bad for her. Janis wanted to shut her eyes and replay these moments all day, picking out every little detail her brain made to drive her mad.

Janis pulled herself up before she could melt into her bed, turning into one big heart-broken stain. Wallowing all day in her room wasn't an option, although it sounded very tempting to Janis' weary heart. She needed to get ready for school and get gather herself. Life still went on whether or not Regina liked Janis or even cared about Janis.

Soon enough she could go back to her normal numbness to the subject and a stupid dream wouldn’t matter anymore, she'd had dreams like this before and she had learned how to get over them. It's not like anything would be different between her and Regina—unless Regina had suddenly gained the power to read minds, that would be bad. If she's being realistic, Regina does not have the power to read minds and everything is fine. Janis is being dramatic, at least that's what she tells herself.

Janis pushed her thoughts away and got ready, showering, fixing her hair and makeup, and putting on suitable clothes for the day. Dream Regina was right, she definitely did have a 'dark and brooding' vibe. On her way to grab her backpack she noticed the open window, she must've left it open last night. As she was about to shut it, she saw the ladder propped up on the side of the house, the one Regina had used to get in last night.

It hadn't been a dream. Regina fled early in the morning and took all of her things with her— including Janis' black tank top—leaving no trace that she was even there. Janis somehow felt worse. Now she had to face Regina knowing she left leaving nothing, not even a note. Her heart burned in her chest, a sore spot growing. She knew Regina would pretend nothing happened.

When Janis walked into school an hour later the sore spot had grown bigger, it reached her stomach, churning her insides, molding it into a nauseous heap. She wasn't hungry for anything, her appetite was gone, spoiled by the growing sore. The halls of the school were loud with kids talking but she didn't hear it, the inside of her head was scarily quiet. She felt slow, like her body and mind weren't going at the same speed as the rest of the world. Her energy was spent on processing the past twenty four hours.

"Janis!" Cady's bright voice called from behind her, a warm hand landing on her shoulder. Janis looked over, big bright red hair now most of her vision. "Hey Cady, have you seen Damian? I need to talk to him." She says, starting to walk alongside Cady. Yeah, Janis could tell Cady about what happened the night before but Damian had known her and Regina longer, he knew how deep rooted this crush was. She'd wait to tell him first, maybe get his advice on it.

"I think I saw him talking to one of the band kids." Cady shrugged, going on to talk about something not having to do with Damian. Janis nodded along, only partly listening. The issue on her mind was too big to really care about where ever Cady was for spring break and how she felt about it.

Up ahead, over about forty kids heads, Janis spotted Damian. She said a quick goodbye to Cady and pushed through the crowd to get to him. "I need to talk to you." Janis whispered, tugging Damian away from a boy he was actively flirting with.

Damian protested as he was dragged into the girls bathroom, looking longingly over her shoulder at the boy who he was just talking to. Before saying anything, Janis checked under all of the stalls for a specific pair of hot pink heels. She couldn't talk about the problem if the problem was in the room with them. All she saw were sneakers and a couple ugly looking flats, she turned back to Damian, rushing to speak. This had been on her mind all morning, after all. "Have you seen Regina today?", Her first burning question.

After recovering from his confusion, Damian takes a moment to think, "Uhhh, I don’t think so. I saw Karen and Gretchen earlier, though. They both looked really lost." He answers. "Why? Is Regina okay?" he adds, looking only mildly concerned for Regina's health.

"I don't know. Dude, she came over to my house last night and like…" Janis tried to think of how to word it, "She kissed me!! And she was acting all nice and weird!" Damian stares at her, disbelief painted over his whole face. "She kissed you?" He tested, now fully believing Janis.

"Damian I swear I'm not shitting you, she kissed me. We slept in the same bed. I woke up this morning and I thought it was a dream but I saw the ladder outside that she used to get into my window!" She tries to convince Damian, waving her hands around like that would help get the point across.

Finally, he seems to believe Janis, his eyes widening at every word she said. "This is insane, Janis." He says, leaning back against the sink as he takes the information in. "You should find Regina and confront her." He says, looking very passionate about the subject suddenly.

Janis bites her lip, uncertainly filling her. She does want to confront Regina. "You're right. She's playing with my feelings. This is unfair." Janis nodded, "Lets go find her."

Though they searched, the halls were Regina-less. There was no hint of the bitchy blonde anywhere. They made the prediction she was either very good at hiding or she hadn't come to school.

"She's too ashamed to show her face." Cady said. She had joined their search during second period after Damian filled her in.

"Damn brat is hiding." Janis grumbled while walking alongside her two pals. It was the beginning of lunch and they only had one more thing to try before giving up on their search for Regina.

The trio found Karen and Gretchen sitting at the plastics' table. They looked very out of place without their Queen B around to tell them what to do. Janis stopped at the end of the table, getting the plastics' attention. "Where is Regina?" She asked, arms crossed over her chest. Cady and Damian stood behind her, backing her up.

Gretchen's face broke into worry, her words quickly spilling out before she could help herself, "I don't know! I've been calling her all morning." Karen nods along with her. "Yeah, she's been totally silent" the blonde adds.

Janis' arms drop to her sides, "damn it." She turns back to her group, "I'll go over to her house after school and see what's going on."

"Maybe she's sick?" Cady offered.

"I appreciate your optimism, Cady, but Regina is not sick. She's blatantly hiding from me." Janis slumped back down at their table, picking at her cold fries.

The rest of the day was filled with thoughts of Regina, she couldn't get away from it. All she talked about was Regina. She relived the night, talking about it over and over, venting to Damian and Cady about how angry she was with Regina. She was a broken record.

By the time school was out Damian had made an excuse of needing to go to theater practice and Cady left with her 'tutor'—Aaron Samuels. Janis knew the two were sick of her. She was honestly happy they left her. Now she could go straight to Regina's house and break down that damn door, demanding an explanation.

Janis arrived at Regina's house in her beat up Toyota. Her car looked like a speck of grime compared to Regina's huge house—or rather, mansion. With all the confidence she could muster, she walked up to the door. The first thing she had to face was Regina's mother, that was scary in itself. It wasn't that Regina's mom was mean, she just just… a lot.

"Janis!" There she was, Mrs. George brightly smiling at her. "It's been so long since I've seen you, honey. Gosh you haven't grown an inch." She laughed that sort of rich woman laugh that sounded plastic and forced. At least Janis knew where Regina got it.

"Hello, Mrs. George. It's nice to see you." She allows the inevitable hug to happen, "I'm pretty sure I have grown just a couple inches, miss."

"Maybe so," Mrs. George patted her on the back and pulled her in, pulling the front door closed, "so what bring you around, Janis?"

"I'm looking for Regina, is she here?" Janis asks, sliding off her boots into the pile of Regina's heels.

Mrs. George's face changed a little, turning downcast. She nodded, leading Janis to Regina's room. "She hasn't come out today. I'm wondering if something is wrong… maybe she's sick or having some boy troubles?" She looks at Janis for answers.

"I don't know what's going on with her, miss, that's why I'm here. I'll go check in on her, okay?" Janis says, trying to sound kind. She likes Regina's mom, she seems to really care. She talks about Regina like she's still her baby, not some grown nasty bitch. It's sorta sweet.

"Go ahead." Mrs. George waved her to the door, "Good luck, Janis."

With a quick nod, Janis slipped into Regina's room. It felt a little weird just waltzing it but Regina had done the same thing to her room the night before so it only seemed fair.

Inside was dark, only a pink bulbed light on in the corner, casting a pink glow over Regina's already pink things. The curtains were drawn, giving it a lair vibe. Janis padded softly in her socks, stepping as if the floor was covered in egg shells.

Something about the air made Janis think maybe Regina wasn't camping out giggling to herself about how she played with Janis Ian's feelings. There was some sadness drifting around, a heavy feeling. Janis shook it off, moving on.

The covers on the bed moved and a wave of blonde hair shifted on a hot pink pillow. The blonde hair said, "Go away, mom!"

Janis couldn't hold back a smile. Regina sounded like a hormonal teenager. She was eighteen still throwing fits, that was so amusing.

"I'm not your mom, does that mean I get to stay?" Janis answered, making it to the end of Regina's bed. She could make out the shape of Regina's curled up body under the blankets a bit better now. The pink light caught Regina's hair in a way Janis didn't think she could ever wipe from her brain. Regina looked ethereal.

As soon as Regina heard Janis' voice she sat up, blinking wildly at her. Her face was puffy, covered in light pink blotches. She'd been crying. "What the hell are you doing here?" Regina snapped, wiping her face with the edge of her blanket. She was still wearing Janis' tank top. Seeing that made the tender spot in Janis' chest warm, a sort of bittersweet feeling. It gave her hope.

"You ran away before I could wake up." Janis tried to sound accusatory but it was really hard when Regina was staring at her with watery eyes and puffed up cheeks. She looked like an angry puffer fish.

Regina pulled the blanket back over herself like a shield against Janis' words. "Go away." She muttered, hiding her face.

Janis pulled the blanket down by her feet, making it slide off of Regina's face. "You're such a big baby." Janis said exasperatedly, "Talk to me, Regina. Why are you crying?"

"I'm not crying." Regina fights back, wiping away one dribbling tear stubbornly. Her face tries its best to look angry with Janis but like any attempts she's made in the last five minutes, it fails.

Janis fought back a sigh, crawling into Regina's bed. She earned herself a whine of protest and Regina trying to kick her in the knee.

"What happened this morning?" Janis asks, pulling Regina up into a sitting position, hoping to have a conversation.

She wanted to come into Regina's room and yell at her. She wanted to be furious. It was so damn hard, though. She wasn't angry. Sure, she was sad and hurt but in no world could she look at Regina's hurting face and yell at her. There was always something that softened in Janis when face to face with Regina, especially when Regina's feelings were on the surface.

Regina shifted around, glaring at Janis . She finally responded, her voice very quiet, "You scared me."

Janis deadpanned, "I was asleep."

Regina hit her on the shoulder, her nose scrunching up with frustration. "The situation scared me." She re-framed her wording. It takes a lot for her to admit it, especially to someone who wasn't herself. Nothing was supposed to scare Regina, especially not love with another human.

Janis hummed thoughtfully, easing on the sass for a moment. She could see how Regina choked on her own words, her brain silently screaming to keep it in. "Sleeping with me?" She asks.

Regina nods, looking down at her own lap. She's quiet for awhile, the gears in her head working hard as her mind raced. "I can't be a lesbian. I can't do that sort of stuff with you. I just… I can't wake up next to you" Regina says, her lips pursed into a thin line.

Janis shifts so that she's sitting against Regina's headboard next to her. Her eyes focus on Regina's ceiling, searching for the answers in the white stretch above them. Regina began to sniffle again, more hot tears streaming down her cheeks. She tries to hide, covering her face with her hands.

Janis pulls Regina into a gentle embrace, cupping the back of Regina's head to her shoulder. She doesn't wipe Regina's tears away, she wants her to be allowed to cry. "You make all these big rules for yourself, Regina. You're never happy because you're living by these impossible standards." Janis rubbed Regina's back, praying she didn't pull away. She could help Regina if she could stop being so god damn stubborn for a moment.

"My life is perfect, I like it that way." Regina responded into Janis' shoulder, "You're changing it. I can't change my life, Janis. It has to stay the same."

"Being with me wont change much, Gina." Janis couldn't wrap her head around Regina's thinking. Her mindset was built around fear and structure upholding that fear. "You've been with many guys, nobody cares."

Regina shook her head, "You're a girl though." She said around a soft sob. The tears bubbled up, streaming out of her eyes like a fountain, soaking Janis' shirt under her.

"It's not that different." Janis responded, resting her cheek on the crown of Regina's head. "You can still have the same friends, the same popularity, everything can stay the same. Guys might pick on you for being with a girl but it's really not that big of a deal. Nobody will be disgusted. Nobody will leave you, except maybe the guys you hook up with." She chuckled, "You don't like guys anyway, so it doesn't matter."

Regina sniffled, listening closely to Janis. Her body relaxed ever so slightly, her weight becoming heavier on Janis' chest as she melted. Regina pulled away so that she could look at Janis. She had a hopeful look on, having a thought that didn't immediately make her brain go up in flames. "What if we didn't tell anyone?" She proposed.

Janis raised her eyebrows at Regina's sudden cooperation, "I can work with that." She broke into a smile, watching Regina's face. "Vulnerable looks good on you, Regina." Slowly, as if not to scare her, she cupped Regina's cheeks.

Regina turned her face, her face turning soft pink, "I can't believe you're seeing me like this…" she groaned. Never once had Regina felt like this with a boy. She could always boss them around, snap at them, kiss them to make them shut up. With Janis she didn't want to boss her around or be mean to her. Well, she did want to be mean to her, but not in the way she did to her boyfriends.

"Oh shush. Stop complaining." Janis pulled Regina's face back to her, leaning down to catch her lips. Kissing Regina gave Janis a rush of adrenaline, like she was doing something wrong, but really it was so right. Regina kissed back, shifting more onto Janis' lap.

When Janis pulled away, Regina lurched forward, trying to follow the warmth. Janis chuckled, "How about I stay over tonight?" She doesn't point out how endearing Regina is, she knows that would make her snap back.

"I guess its only fair." Regina slipped off of Janis and stood up from the bed, "You'll have to wear my clothes, though. You can't sleep in my bed with your outside clothes." She side glances Janis' outfit, judging silently.

Regina moved around the room, opening the curtains and turning on more light than the one bulb that was tasked to brighten the whole room. "Get up." She says, hands on her hips, standing at the end of the bed. As Janis moved off of the bed, Regina started pulling things off of it, putting the blankets back on neatly. "I was a mess all day." She says while tucking in the corners.

"It looks like a nest." Janis hummed, standing off to the side, "Do you always hibernate when your sad?"

"I wasn't hibernating." Regina snapped softly, "Sit down." Maybe she did like bossing Janis around. It was harmless bossing. She could tell Janis liked it.

Janis sat back down on the bed, sprawling out. "I'm sitting." She watched Regina hover in front of her, tapping her foot. Whatever Regina was planning in her brain was loud, Janis could see it all over her face. "You just gonna stare at me?" Janis raised an eyebrow.

"I'm thinking." Regina muttered, bending down, her hands smoothing over Janis' hair. She pulled out the hair tie that held her hair up, taking out the clips with it. "Do you ever brush your hair?" She asks, voice lowered.

"Every morning." Regina looks disbelieving, grabbing her brush from the night stand. "It's sticky, why is it sticky?"

"It's hairspray." Janis tried pushing away Regina's preening but it was no good, "Is this your thing, fussing over me?" She asks, slumping forward so that Regina could comb her hair out. It felt weird having her hair down. At school she never wore it without clips or a half up half down situation. The reason being that long hair felt too girly, not that she wasn't a girl, she just wasn't that type of girl.

Regina hummed softly, "I just wanted to see it down. You look nice." a smile pulled at her lips, the one that meant she knew whatever she was about to say was going to make Janis happy, "Actually, you look pretty cute, bug." It did make Janis happy.

"You're also pretty cute," Janis smirks, "When you're not being a bitch."

"Shut up." Regina tugged softly at Janis' hair, making her laugh.

Chapter Text

For the second night in a row Janis found herself in a bed with Regina. This time Regina was in her own pajamas, sitting up, painting her nails with a baby pink polish. It was nice to just watch her. It was pretty calm when she wasn't talking or being defensive about something.

Janis was dressed in a white tank top and hot pink shorts with rhinestones by Regina, she insisted the shorts were the only clean ones she had at the moment, which not believable at all, but Janis didn't say anything. It was honestly kinda nice to be in Regina's space, in Regina's clothes, listening to Regina's music. It reminded her of when Regina would have her over when they were kids and they'd play dress up in Regina's bedroom-sized closet.

"I draw you sometimes." Janis blurted out. As she said it she was questioning why that thought had come out in the first place. It was probably too early in their relationship to admit the deep yearning she had for Regina. Janis braced, ready for a 'what the hell, freak.' sort of look and a similar set of words.

"You draw me?" Regina repeated back, a suspicious eyebrow raised into the gold of her hair. It wasn't the worst reaction she could have. It was probably the nicest genuine reaction Regina could've given. Still, Janis avoided Regina's eyes. Instead, her gaze lingered on her backpack where—stuffed with all of her notebooks and randomly thrown in art supplies—was her sketchbook.

Out of a pinch of bravery, she pulled herself off of the bed and grabbed her bag. She tried to keep up a confident attitude, like she wasn't already guessing the worst reaction Regina could have to her sketches. It worked because Regina scooted next to her, hands splayed out on her legs to let her nails dry. She looked rather interested, which Janis took as a good sign. Maybe she was feeding Regina's ego instead of her thoughts about how odd Janis was.

"Here." Janis pulled out the sketchbook, setting it down on the bed. Before Regina got grabby hands and snatched it up, Janis took it and flipped through the pages. She didn't need Regina seeing everything she was drawing. Some things stayed between Janis and her pencil. Once her favorite drawing was found, one that had very minimal mistakes in it, she flipped the book around and showed Regina.

The drawing was of Regina on a very specific day. It was the first day of senior year, a day that meant a lot to everyone at school because Regina George had showed up without her spinal brace after the freak accident of her getting hit by a bus. All summer people wondered how she'd come back—if she'd have to wear some permanent sort of splint on her back or maybe she'd be disfigured, a hunchback for the rest of her life—no, she came back in a beautiful new tank top and the shortest skirt she could find, something to make a statement. The students obviously loved it, she'd come back from being hit better than she was before. Janis especially liked it, that day her feelings for Regina resurfaced hard. She was so beautiful, it was hard not to stare. So, she ended up drawing Regina that day to get the image out of her mind and onto paper.

Regina took the sketchbook, looking at it closer, "That's first day of senior year." She blinked, taking in every detail. The drawing was beautiful, she was beautiful. Every flaw she dwelled on or spent hours picking at in the mirror was drawn but in a way that made her flow all together, making every scuff and scrape look intentional and beautiful. "Yeah, just a few months ago." Janis wasn't looking at the drawing with Regina, she was staring at Regina's face. Her expression made Janis' chest warm, her heart pounding. It brought a smile to her lips to watch Regina look over herself with awe, seeing herself as beautiful.

"This is how you see me?" Regina tried not to show the disbelief in her voice, but despite her effort it came out, leaving her insecurities right out in the open for Janis to see. Without any hesitation, Janis nodded. The look that spread across her face spoke truth, she wouldn't portray a version of Regina that wasn't real. "Sure as shit is. I think you're gorgeous. Everyone thinks you're gorgeous, I'm not exactly special." Janis shrugged it off.

A rosy tint coated Regina's cheeks, the same color of her newly painted nails. "I think it's special… to me." Her words came in a whisper like she was scared to hear them, like of she whispered them maybe they wouldn't make it to Janis' ears and she'd be able to take it back. Janis did hear her, every word. She took in the little tremble of a smile on Regina's lips. The feeling of warmth in her chest burned like Regina had just put her heart in an oven. It was a scary feeling, but it felt safe with Regina—especially Janis' Regina.

"Yeah?" Janis pulled the sketchbook away and leaned in, searching Regina's eyes. "I'm special to you?" She couldn't help a grin as she gently teased Regina. Before any sassy remark could escape Regina's lips, Janis pressed her own against them, kissing her thoughts away. Regina, without hesitation, moved her hands to the back of Janis' head, her fingers tangling in the strands of dark hair.

Janis pushed her down onto the line of pillows propped against the headboard. Regina gasped softly but continued to kiss Janis, her lips dancing against Janis, conveying all emotion she couldn't express out loud. Regina was passionate about her love for Janis, though she didn't show it. She felt it. Everything about being with Janis made sense inside her head, it was a soothing balm to her worrisome thoughts. No boy every made her feel as safe as Janis did. She was always preforming with boys, she had to act pretty to be pretty and she had to act sexy to be sexy. With Janis, Regina could be screaming and crying and Janis could still have that look in her eye, the look you have when you've seen a snowy mountain side or a vast flower field—something extraordinary and beautiful.

The kiss broke when Regina pulled away, flustered by how much was happening inside of her head. "Bug," her hand slid onto Janis' cheek, "You look at me like I am the only thing in the world, you always do, even when I'm a bitch to you and everyone else." She said, her tone hinting to a question.

"You want to know why?" Janis knows Regina well enough to see the question behind her vague statement. After getting a short nod from Regina, Janis thinks for a moment. "You know how there a million stars in the sky and all of them shine at different brightnesses? Well, when its daytime or rather, when the sun is out, you can't see any of those stars, right? Because the sun is too bright, you can only focus on it. That's you, you're the sun. Every time you walk into a room, everyone disappears and its just you."

Regina pushed Janis' face away, "You're so stupidly romantic." she complained, hoping Janis wouldn't hear her pounding heart or see the way her face lit up in flames. Janis laughed, pushing back against her, "I'm just being honest."

"Whatever." Regina crossed her arms over her chest, pulling her knees up so that Janis had to get off of her. It worked, Janis laid splayed out beside Regina, looking amused. "You're so dramatic, Regina."

"Yeah, yeah." In a change of heart, Regina rolled onto her side and pulled Janis against her, "Be quiet."

"Okay." Janis relaxed into her touch, whispering her words. There was only so much Regina could take, and it seemed like Janis had just touched her limit. It was a new perk that Regina didn't scream and yell at her whenever she hit that limit. Now she just got bossy, getting control of the situation back.

Wednesday was weird. Janis had to go to school and pretend she wasn't dating the girl of her dreams. Actually, she had to pretend she hated the girl of her dreams, not that that was very hard, she's been very good at hating Regina for years. The whole secret relationship thing is hard. Janis contemplates telling Damian and Cady about it, after all she had been talking to them about her little run in with Regina the day before. They'll have lots of questions, she just knows it.

When Janis arrives in the halls of the school, there's an odd hubbub, like everyone is talking about one specific thing. Something was spreading, a rumor or some inside news on a junior relationship that everyone cared about for some reason.

In their usual hang out spot, Janis found Damian and Cady talking quietly. Damian had a sort of 'prying information' look on his face. "Hey you guys." Janis put a hand on each of their shoulders, joining the group, "What's all the whispering about?" There's a small worry built inside her that somehow the information about Regina and Janis had already gotten out, and that's why all the students were spreading word like wildfire.

Damian began before Cady could even think to open her mouth, " Cady here made out with Aaron Samuels at a party last night!" he exclaimed. Cady waved her hands, looking embarrassed, trying to stop Damian from speaking.

"A party? You're not the party type, though, aren't you Cady?" Janis wasn't very surprised about the making out bit, Cady had sustained a crush on Aaron for multiple years and it showed no signs of leaving. It did surprise her that Cady would choose to make out with someone who already had a girlfriend. Everyone knew Aaron was doing a sort of on and off thing with Regina all of senior year so far. Janis can't really judge much—otherwise she'd be a giant hypocrite—she was also kissing someone with a partner, it just happened to be Regina.

Janis hadn't even thought of the fact Regina was cheating on Aaron the past couple days. She was too wrapped up in Regina admitting she was a raging lesbian and that she liked Janis back. It didn't really matter though, did it? It's not like Regina in any way shape or form liked Aaron and wanted to keep him as a boyfriend. She liked Janis.

"No I'm not—Aaron just got done helping me with math homework—" Damian and Janis both rolled their eyes, they knew Cady's tutoring with Aaron was a big hoax, "—and he said there was this party at his friend's house. I couldn't say no to a party, you know? Especially a party with Aaron!" As Cady told the story, she had to catch her breath, "Anyway, I drank just a little bit but he drank a lot and he pulled me aside and said I was pretty—then! HE was the one to kiss me. I didn't 'make out with Aaron Samuels', Aaron Samuels made out with me!" While she explained her face slowly turned more and more into a reddish shade, cheeks matching her hair.

Janis looked amused, crossing her arms. "You wanted to kiss him though, right?" She knew that Cady's dream was to kiss Aaron, she couldn't pretend she wasn't a part of all of this.

Cady waved her words away, "It was nice… and of course I'm interested in him. I just want to get my story straight. I didn't prey on Aaron, this was a mutual thing." Damian chuckles at Cady's words, "Well everyone still thinks you're trying to steal Aaron from Regina."

"Regina doesn't even like Aaron!" Cady sighed, "She runs through men like it's her damn job. Maybe if I 'took' him she'd get a break." She shrugged, glancing at the clock that hung over one of the classroom doorways. "Speaking of… I have homeroom. Bye guys." Her locker swung open and she grabbed all of her textbooks, shoving them into her bag, before walking off.

Damian walks with Janis to his own locker, also getting ready for class. "I'll see you at lunch." He says, getting ready to depart from Janis too. Just as she was saying bye, there was the recognizable sound of heels behind her.

Regina passed next to her, not speaking a word, but making very direct eye contact with Janis before slipping into the girls bathroom. Janis guessed that the look was a 'come with me' look, especially because Regina's little goons weren't with her at the moment. She wanted a private chat.

Janis headed into the bathroom just a couple seconds after Regina walked in, wanting there to be enough time between her and Regina walking in so that it didn't look like she was following her in.

Chapter Text

Nobody was in the bathroom when Janis walked in, nobody but Regina who leaned up against the sink, watching her with a unreadable expression. Janis approaches, assessing the situation. Regina didn't look angry, nor did she look extremely happy to see Janis.

"Heard the news?" Janis decided to say the first word, standing right in front of Regina. There was no doubt the story of the night before with Cady and Aaron had spread to Regina by now. Girls would snitch on anything if it meant getting on Regina's good side, or even having her talk to them.

Regina crossed her arms, nodding. "Course I have." She purses her lips, "The Cady girl is your friend, isn't she?" After getting an affirmative nod from Janis, she went on. "Well… It really doesn't matter, does it? I'll just break up with him because he cheated." Something about the way Regina spoke told Janis she was a little pissed, or maybe it was just the way her brows furrowed a bit and how her lips were thinner than they usually were, like she was holding something in.

"Yeah, it doesn't matter." Janis agreed, "It's actually probably pretty good that it happened because if you just broke up with him for no reason people would be suspicious." She pointed out.

A second passed of Regina looking like she was about to snap at Janis, but she didn't. Instead, she took a step forward, her arms folding around Janis as she sighed. "He's still an ass for cheating on me… even if I don't like him." Regina said, head planted on Janis' shoulder, "He better not cheat on your friend."

Janis let her arms come around Regina's waist, accepting the embrace. "If he hurts her, he's dead." She said firmly, nodding against the side of Regina's head.

"You're a good friend." Regina pulls away just enough to look her in the face, a bit calmer now, like Janis' touch slowed her mind down just enough to think straight. "I'll break up with him today. I'll make a scene. You should watch."

Janis grinned, "I will, don't worry. I've waited for this moment for over four years." It's true, Janis has always dreamed of Regina picking her over anyone else. Just once. Finally, it was happening, though Regina wasn't outright saying that she chose Janis to Aaron, it was the action of breaking up with him that counted.

Without hesitation, she leaned in to give Regina a kiss, suddenly overwhelmed by a loving feeling. "I like when you yell at people who aren't me. You're a great actor." She mumbles.

Regina giggles against Janis' lips, "Weirdo." Never did she mean her words in a biting way anymore, she meant it in an endearing way. She liked that Janis liked her for her, even if that was being a brat. "You're so sappy." She rolls her eyes, breaking the kiss, "I never imagined you were going to be so… compliment-y."

"I hid my feelings for you pretty damn well, right?" Regina nodded, looking Janis in the eyes.

"Now you're bad at hiding it." She left another peck on Janis' lips, "Try not to stare at me all day."

Janis hums, "I'll try." there's a big smile on her lips, so obviously adoring of Regina.

Before she gets to the point of not being able to pull away, Regina lets go fully and walks to the bathroom door. "Come back here after lunch." Her last words to Janis before slipping out.

In the place where Regina stood in front of Janis, she was now face to face with the mirror above the sink, reflecting her image back to her. God, she looked like an idiot. Pink covered her cheeks and there was a lasting look of happiness over her lips. All of this from a simple conversation with Regina. She was so over. There was no coming back after allowing her feelings to surface. She was in love with Regina, and she had to deal with that, even if there was still a biting feeling that Regina might screw her over.

Instead of thinking too deeply on how she was feeling, Janis walked up to he sink and splashed her face with water, hoping to wash away the blush Regina had given her before heading to class.

Something was in the air in the cafeteria. Everyone felt it but only Janis knew what it meant. The feeling was heightened when Regina and her loud voice entered the room, one hand dragging Aaron long by his elbow.

Regina's face was flushed and there was a fire behind her eyes as she turned to face Aaron, finally letting him go. Aaron already looked guilty, backing up a couple steps away from Regina as to not get yanked anymore. The whole cafeteria stopped their chatting to watch the two.

Damian had already paused his and Janis' conversation to watch, giving Janis a chance to observe. She had been waiting for this all day, a performance. Regina was on her stage, ready to play her part. Every word that came from Regina's mouth could be heard from all the way across the room. She wanted people to hear this.

"The second I'm not with you suddenly you decide to go and kiss other girls?" Regina crossed her arms over her chest, her voice squeaky and accusatory. Ever since she was a little girl she'd been good at acting, especially at acting angry. She knew how to make her cheeks flush, her nose flare, how to have that little pitch in her voice that showed emotion, even if it was fake.

Despite Aaron trying to make up excuses and defending himself, Regina's anger grew. She towered over him, though she was shorter, she knew how to make herself big, intimating to anyone who had to sit under her gaze. "You know what?" She spat at him, nose wrinkling.

"We are over." Each word came out punctual and firm. After her final hitting line, she turned around and briskly walked out of the room, her flicking with arrogance. Her scene was over.

"Bravo." Janis mumbled to herself as Regina disappeared into the hall, Gretchen and Karen scurrying after her like her own little minions. To Janis there was nothing hotter than a confident angry woman who ruled more than just herself. Regina had an empire in the school. Maybe that's why Janis liked her so much.

"Wow, that was something." Damian's words paired with his grimace pulled Janis back into the group, taking her attention away from the fading click of Regina's heels. She nodded automatically, agreeing with what Damian said, though she has only half heard him. "Pretty crazy. It was going to happen anyway." Janis shrugged.

Cady stood up before the conversation went any further, her eyes locked on Aaron, who stood awkwardly in the middle of the room, still processing the situation. "I think I should go check on him." She excused herself quickly, taking her tray with her.

Janis and Damian sat watching her go up to Aaron. "It's like the first day she came here. She still has no social understanding." Janis laughed softly. The back of Aaron's head was shaking, something was being rejected. "Poor girl."

"I don't even know why she likes him. I guess he's like the least jock-jock you can get but still…" Damian raises an eyebrow. Aaron is storming off, leaving Cady to now be the one awkwardly standing in the middle of the room. "Yeah." Janis agrees, "I really don't get it. I don't get liking any man."

"Hey!" Damian looks offended, a hand on his chest.

"Romantically." She clarifies with an eye roll. "For friends… I guess they are okay." A tiny smile peaks out of her expression, warming her face.

Suddenly Janis remembers Regina saying they should meet after lunch. Not caring how weird she looks, she gets up quickly, gathering her things and sliding them into her bag. "I gotta go." She left without an apology, waving goodbye to Damian just as Cady was heading back their way.

Luckily the halls were empty because it was still lunch time. Not that Janis looked suspicious, she just didn't want to weave through three hundred crowded kids at the moment. She also didn't have to worry about anyone using the bathroom while her and Regina talked. Nobody would be using the furthest restroom from the cafeteria.

The door swung open with a creak, Janis' boots hitting tile. Regina was in the same place as before, just now she was bending over the sink, putting on another layer of mascara. "Good job out there." Janis said, approaching her. Once the silence was broken, Regina turned to face her, a little smile quirked on her lips.

"Oh yeah?" She met Janis halfway, slipping her mascara back into her bag. There was a new, lighter air about her. "He's so pathetic. He was trying to twist the story and deny it, all this bullshit." A sigh left her lips and she shook her head, "So stupid."

"I'm kind of worried for Cady. You think he'll be weird like this with her?" Janis' hands slipped over Regina's hips, pulling her closer. She couldn't help herself. Regina was like a delicious dessert, she couldn't help but get a little taste when people weren't looking.

Something in Regina's eyes changed a little, something Janis didn't recognize. Regina shrugged Janis' words off, "I don't know. Not my problem." Her focus was unsteady for a moment, eyes avoiding Janis'. "Anyway, we should go somewhere after school, bug."

Janis was thrown off by the sudden topic switch but she didn't want to push whatever Regina had going on, so she answered. "Aren't you scared to be seen out with me?" There was a teasing note to her tone. It would be nice to go out with Regina, maybe a date? The thought alone made Janis' stomach do a little back-flip.

"Oh shush. We could go somewhere where nobody would see us… like a movie or a park." She slaps Janis' shoulder gently before thinking about places they could go.

"What about getting ice cream?" Janis offers.

Immediately Regina shook her head, a hard no. "Not ice cream, too sugary."

"You're still on this?" Janis tried not to frown. She didn't want Regina to feel uncomfortable because of her emotions. Still, the thought of Regina carrying the same eating disorder she'd had since she was thirteen made Janis sad. It showed that this Regina really was Janis' old best friend.

Right as Regina was about to ignore her and change the topic again, the bell for sixth period rang. She slipped out of Janis' grip, not before leaving a soft kiss on her lips. "Movies. We're going to the Movies. Pick me up at five, okay?" Janis nods, a little thrown over by Regina's commanding tone. Regina could honestly get Janis to do whatever the hell she wanted if she just used that tone. Janis was very weak to anything having to do with her hot girlfriend.

"Okay, bye." Janis managed to slip out before the door swung shut behind Regina. She really had a way of making an exit.

The next two periods passed quickly and suddenly the end of day bell was ringing and all of the students started zipping up their bags like clockwork. Usually at the end of the day Janis would go home and draw in her bed, occasionally she'd read or watch a movie with Damian but these days she was more of a personal time person.

Today she had to go to the movies with her secret girlfriend. Not too bad. What would a date with Regina even be like? She found herself thinking about it again as she got ready in her room, fixing her hair and makeup, putting on nicer clothes. A date with Regina sounded awful to Janis a year ago. She only really thought of Regina as arrogant and incapable of love. Now she saw Regina had a soft spot, it was just buried under years of being a brat.

Maybe sitting next to Regina for two hours in uncomfortable seats will be nice. Maybe Janis could get them into a scary movie so that Regina will hold her hand… if she got lucky Regina might get really scared and hold onto her whole arm.

"Fuck, what the hell am I even thinking." Janis muttered to herself, looking back at her unamused expression in the mirror. They'd only had this 'thing' going on for three days and she was already thinking stupid cliché romance thoughts. Ew.

Outside of Regina's manor Janis' car sat waiting for her, one hand pressed flat on the horn. She'd already been waiting for Regina for at least ten minutes and there was no way she was going to go up to the door just to have another conversation with her mother.

Finally, the door opened and Regina came out, still putting on one heel. "God turn that off!" She yelled at Janis.

Just because Regina looked like she was about to hit Janis with her purse, she let off of the horn, leaning back in her seat. "Took you long enough." Janis commented as Regina slid into the seat next to her, making a quick disgusted look at the inside of the car. It was not dirty inside, it was just too poor for her liking.

As Janis got a good look at Regina, she noticed how nice she looked. Obviously, all that time inside was perfecting her looks, doing a slab of makeup, curling the ends of her hair, repainting her already perfect nails. Janis knew because her words seemed to make Regina pout, but not in an attention seeking way, just a little sad.

"You look really nice, Regina." Janis added, leaning over the armrest to kiss Regina's cheek lightly. Regina perked up a little, "I know." She flicked her hair over her shoulder, basking in Janis' compliment. That damn brat. She was right back to her bitchy self, still love-able.

Janis began driving, taking her eyes off of Regina. There was a giddy feeling in her chest whenever she was with Regina. It was a similar feeling to being high, relaxed and happy. Regina was her drug, she always had been, even when they hated each other.

"You know, the girls wanted to go to the mall with me today." Regina said, suddenly very interested in how her nails looked, "But I chose to go out with you."

Janis chuckled, "Wow, I feel special." She answered sarcastic. Truthfully, she did feel special. Regina was letting her back into her life, that was big.

"You are." Though Janis wasn't looking at her, she could hear the smile in Regina's voice. She always had that knowing smile, the one that said 'I know you're happy and I know it's because of me'. It was Janis' favorite.