Harper Hale was 10 years old when the Hale house was burnt down. She was taken in by Derek, her older cousin, and they left town for 6 years. Now, she has to navigate Beacon Hills High School, lacrosse, a freshly bitten werewolf, and the Argent Hunt...
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Harper Hale has always assumed herself a loner. She has a cousin, Derek, but no other family to speak of. She has no friends - she moves so often. Aside from a menagerie of items that all fit into two duffle bags, Harper Hale is irrevocably alone in the world.
Her items are also all organized in a specific way. Her beaten converses are always worn on travel days, while her almost nice pair - tattered, but less so - of doc martin loafers are worn on her first days and to make impressions, but also in between when she feels like it. They get tucked beside her favorite books. Her two pairs of sweats get wrapped around the old framed photo of the Hale Family - everyone with their eyes closed, taken three days before the fire was set. Her shirts were folded neatly in the second bag, along with a few items she has collected on her way across the states with her brother. Knickknacks and mementos. Her school things remain separated in her school bag - just as well worn as the rest of her things.
While the Hale family did have significant wealth, now belonging between Derek and Harper, she doesn't own anything solely hers. Her clothing all has stories, be it hers or the ones gained by the first owners - Harper prefers to shop at thrift stores. Her meager belongings are her comfort, and while she slumbers in the front seat - dark shades over her eyes and earbuds in - the bags, her entire life, remain safe in the back seat. Derek was driving, passing short glances at Harper.
His worry for his cousin - his sister - was palpable. While Harper was so young when the fire happened, it has not been easy for either of them. Derek hides his own pain, and regrettably, Harper has picked up his habit. He can tell from here, by the curl of her mouth and the tense line of her jaw, that she wasn't having pleasant dreams. He sighs, looking back at the road. The black car slides past the sign, Welcome to Beacon Hills.
Harper pushes herself up, pushing her sunglasses up her forehead and resting them on the top of her her head. She tugs out her earbuds, sighing.
"Home, sweet, home," she mutters, rolling down her window.
"Yeah," Derek agrees. "You alright, kid?" He asks, looking at her for a second.
"I'm fine, Der," she huffed. She rubbed at her left exposed shoulder, where her triskelion - only a few days old - was airing out. She sits up straighter as they pull into a neighborhood. A two-floor, white, plain, and completely normal house was their destination. Derek rolls the car to a stop. Harper pushes herself out, swinging around to grab her bags. "Just need a shower with good water pressure and decent soap."
"Alright." He watches as she treks up to the house and enters, finding the key above the porch light - like every house they have ever stayed in. Lived in is a too proper term for it. They were guests, stopping by for at most 6 months before Derek decided they needed to skip town. He's paranoid - blaming himself for the fire because he trusted Kate Argent. Anytime someone gets close, it's cut and run.
She showers quickly, and then dresses - they need to sign her up for school. Derek had changed as well, and they get back into the car to head to the school. She listened to music as she braided her hair, ensuring that the back of her neck would remain covered.
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The school was a seemingly normal high school. A few cars were parked out front - teachers preparing for school to begin the next morning. She climbs out, surveying the manicured lawn and pampered trees. She walked in step with Derek, inhaling the stale cold air of the school AC with a frown. If she hadn't already been born a wolf, she doubts she would know the dark secrets of the school. The haunted walls - her ancestry.
She almost wants to run and hide as they enter the office. It is horrendously boring going through all of the paperwork. She leans over to Derek, "I'm gonna go find Coach."
"Sure. Be careful," he urges. She nods and stands, saying a soft goodbye before she goes to find the eccentric coach. The halls smell like teen melodrama and desperation, making her huff. Coach Finstock was in the Home Ed classroom, preparing a lesson when she finally tracks home down.
He's an odd man from what Derek tells her - most certainly in the know of the supernatural, though he seems ambivalent to them. She knocks gently, still managing to spook the older man. "What do you want?" he asks, setting down a pen.
She enters the room properly, frowning, "I'm here to ask about Lacrosse?"
"You play before?"
"yes sir. I'm a legacy player," she shrugs. "Harper Hale."
Coach blinks for a moment, "Hale? your family is back in town?"
"Not many of us left," she returns, shrugging like she's unbothered. She is very bothered. "Just me and my Cousin."
"Right..." he stands and offers her a hand. "Bobby Finstock. Tryouts are tomorrow after school."
"Of course. So you do allow female players?" she asks, scuffing her shoe.
"Uh, sure. Never had one try out but if you can keep up with the boys, I have no issue."
"Alright." Her phone goes off. "Gotta run. See ya, Coach Finstock."
"yeah..." He is absolutely confused. Werewolves coming back could be perfectly normal, but that's not exactly a chance he wants to take. Laura had been living in the husk of the Hale house for a while - that he knew.
Harper casts one last look down the hall before she turns, catching the eyes of a rather beautiful girl. Dark hair, dark eyes, ivory skin.
Even though she is quite attention-catching, the hum in the air catches the rest of her attention - her necklace was doused in wolfsbane, just like the one her father was wearing. The father was also wearing a leather pouch, a protection ward...? Harper smiled softly at the girl again before she leaves the school. Derek was awaiting her, leaning on the hood of the car.
"Derek," she says, voice hard. "Derek, the Argents are in town."
The older beta blinks, "What?"
"The Argents. I just saw two of them. They were wearing wolfsbane necklaces, and the dad had a protection ward."
"Get in. We still gotta find Laura," Derek growls. Harper does, glad she had the forethought to also pack her Converse.
"You think it's a coincidence that they come back and Laura stops contact?"
"No, I don't," Derek grumbles. "But, we can't worry about it right now. We gotta find Laura."
Harper looks at Derek, soft and gentle. He has always been her protector. He took her in when he could have just sent her to a foster. She looks back down, "We'll find her. I promise." He smiles a bit back at her, nodding. Harper hopes to all hell that she isn't a liar.
