Chapter 1
And here I am. At my fifth high school I've been to in the last three years. I walked through the doors and took in the scenery. I'm greeted by clusters of teenagers lining both sides of the hallway. All of them talking and joking with their friends. Just one loud, muddled noise. Eyes looking back at me wondering who the new girl is. The cement and plaster walls covered in posters of the school teams and events that I won't go to. Nothing's changed. It's been this way my whole life. Going to each new school wondering how long I'm gonna be here before my parents will want to pick up and move again. Perks of being a military brat. My parents and I have been hopping all over the world my whole life.
I look up to see a tall, brown haired boy sitting on the metal railing of the staircase above, his eyes looking back at me intently. Smoke seeping out of his mouth. His eyes wanting something. My legs move me down the hall through the waves of the students. I start ascending up the staircase. Curiosity taking the best of me. My eyes never leaving his. I reached the top and his eyes looked straight back at me.
"Sorry, I don't have anything to sell." he chuckled, taking a drag of his cigarette.
"Good. I wasn't interested." I move towards him a little more. His eyes never moved off of me. "I'm new here but I'm pretty sure you're not allowed to be smoking in the school like that." I smirk.
He pulls the pack out of his pocket and pulls a cig out. He puts it in between his lips and lit the end, only to hand it to me. "I wont tell if you dont."
I reach out and grab it from his hands, "Thank you. I wouldn't even know who to tell in the first place. I'm supposed to be looking for the office right now to get my schedule and papers. I put the cigarette to my lips and took a deep inhale till it fills my lungs. What am I doing here?
"So you're a lost puppy dog." he laughs. I flip him off in response. "What's your name?" He says. His eyes look me up and down. I move my eyes away.
I exhale, "Annie. Annie Bledsoe. What's yours?"
"Roman Godfrey." His eyes finally move off of me. He inhales the smoke and exhales it through his nose. Something about him is so different from everyone else. There's something about him. I can't tell what it is.
"That sounds like the name of a king or something." I chuckle. I look down to try to shield my face. I'm so confused by him. He doesn't have the same aura as a human. It's different.
"You could say that. " He looks back at me. A smile on his face.
"Oh, somebody's cocky. So tell me what the deal is with this place?" I put the cigarette back to my lips.
"The deal?" His eyes feel like they are looking at my soul. Something luring me in.
"Yeah, what is with this place? It's actually depressing. Even the name is depressing. Hemlock Grove. Sounds like the place people come to die." I inhale more smoke. Holding it in my lungs. It warms my whole body. It makes me feel a little less uneasy.
"People don't come here to die." He looks away shaking his head. A smile still on his face.
"Oh yeah. When I got here I drove by 3 hospitals and 2 nursing homes, at least. Don't get me started on the fucking cemeteries. Its morbid." I lean up against the railing and look down. There's a guy looking up here. His eyes open wider. "Who is that guy?" I look at Roman.
"He's a gypsy. Just moved here a few days ago." He looked away from him without a care in the world. "I think he's weird. A girl just died yesterday. Everyone thinks he killed her."
"Why, because he's a gypsy?" I laugh. Of course people just assume it's the fucking gypsy guy. I look down to the hallway again but now he's gone. I scan around to the other students but he isn't there.
"Maybe. I just don't like the look of him. I don't like the way he looks at me. Seems like a freak" Roman talks like it disgusts to even acknowledge him.
'My mom was a gypsy. Everyone treated her the same way. Then she met my dad and she settled down. He's not a gypsy but we're always going from place to place. So I guess it's like the same thing. It makes her feel at home." feeling his eyes on me I look up at him. I walk over to him and lean up against the staircase.
"That explains why you look like a Stevie Nicks wannabe." he chuckles and I push him. "Hey, I'm just saying. Blonde curly hair. A short black dress with a shawl. And fucking heeled boots. All you're missing is the crystals and a tambourine and you could be her."
"Well I'll take that as a compliment. I think if I wanted to look like anybody it would be her." I put out the cigarette on the staircase rod and throw it into the trash can.
" It is a compliment." He puts his out as well. "I'll show you where the office is."
"How chivalrous. Now I can't miss first period looking for it." We start walking and I try to comprehend everything. Something is really off about this town. How did I just run into a werewolf. In the last 5 towns I was in I never saw a werewolf. And what the hell is up with Roman. All I know is I stand corrected. Hearing the story about that girl dying. People come to this town to get killed.
"Where did you move from?" He said.
I look even at him and he's looking right into my eyes. " I moved here from North Carolina."
"How was the move?" His voice sounding curious.
" It was kind of hard. We were there for a year that time. I've never stayed anywhere for that long. I got attached to it a little bit. I'm not gonna do that again." I look straight ahead. Why does he care to even ask.
"Attached?" His eyes still on me.
" I don't know. The people, the house, the neighborhood. I didn't really want to leave this time."
" Like a boyfriend?" He chuckled.
"Not necessarily." I looked back at him.
His eyes moved off of me. " Not necessarily. You're gonna have to explain that one a little more. The office is right there."
"Well I guess then that this talk will have to end." I looked into his eyes. "Bye Roman."
He backs away from me a little bit, " I guess so. We're gonna have to finish this conversation another time. Bye Annie." He turns and walks off. His eyes never turning back to look at me.
That was weird.