My Roman

Chapter 2

I wake up bright and early at 6:30 and hop straight in the shower. I do my skincare, makeup, and hair and get into an outfit. A black long sleeve crop shirt, a pair of black flared leggings, and my black airforce ones. I braid my auburn hair down my back and add a pop of bubblegum pink lipgloss. I look in the mirror. Pale white skin, almost porcelain, with freckles. Blue-grey eyes and a nose ring. I look like a spy in my all-black outfit. And I kinda like it. I grab my black sunglasses and backpack and head downstairs.

" You nervous, Kid?" Asks Dad as we hop in the car.

" Never," I reply, and it was the truth.

" That's my girl." He says with a slight smile.

I put in my earbuds and relax into the music.

Before I know it we are there. Hemlock Grove High School. For a high school, it always looked very magnificent. A tall brick building with students milling around outside.

"Thanks, Dad, See you tonight." I say.

"That's ok, Have a good day." He says. I turn to walk away.

" And Ally?"

"Yeah.."

"Be good." He says. Being serious.

"I will Dad, don't worry."

I walk through the entrance and down the hallway with a few stares but most of them ignore me. I walk past the lockers to the office. I see an old lady, 70 maybe with grey hair and glasses on a chain.

"Hi, excuse me, I'm Allison Pierce. I'm a new student - my Dad enrolled me."

She looks up at me for a few seconds, with judgy eyes.

"Ah yes, the troubled Californian girl I assume?"

" uhhh yes" I didn't know what to say to that.

"Here's your timetable. Your homeroom is T19. You know I knew your father. Handsome boy, all the girls loved him. Good football player, but always so quiet. I'm sorry about your mother too - how are you coping?"

"Um ok, I guess. Bye."

I had to get out of there, I couldn't stand talking about Mum - especially with strangers. Hemlock Grove was so nosy and gossipy. Everyone knew everything about each other.

I was making my way up the staircase when I first saw them. Standing out by the bleachers. I could see them through the window. 2 Boys. 1 had shaggy longish brown hair with stubble. He was wearing brown leather pants, leather shoes, and a fringed vest with a white shirt underneath. He was handsome in a gypsy chic kind of way. He was holding a satchel and talking intensely to the other boy. Words cant even explain him. He looked familiar but I'd never met him. He was tall, leaning on the fence smoking a cigarette. He was slender, yet toned. He had slick brown hair and was dressed extremely nicely. Black suit with a white shirt and no tie. He had delicate hands and full lips. And those eyes... they shifted up to meet my gaze, as though he could see me through the window. Like he knew I was there, watching.

I duck to avoid his gaze and slip on the linoleum. My bag, books and pens spill over the floor. I fall on my ass and my tailbone immediately starts hurting.

" Are you ok? That was quite a fall." Says a voice from behind me.

I turn around to see a short girl with long brown hair. She looked younger than me and was dressed weird.

" Yeah I'm fine."

" You must be new. I'm Christina." She says matter of factly. I realize her hand is outstretched waiting for a handshake. I take it and shake it gently. Her hand is cold and weak.

"I'm Allison. I'm from California."

" So have you met a famous person?" She asks.

" Uhh no." I reply.

" So who were you staring at?"

"Huh?"

"Well, you were obviously staring at someone when you fell." She walks over to the window and looks out. She giggles to herself.

" I see. They caught your eye then?" She asks.

" Oh no I just slipped." I reply.

"You liar." She says, studying me intensely.

" You're pretty but you should stay away from them. That gypsy one is Peter Rumanick. He's a werewolf." She says.

"What? What are you on about? Are you crazy?" I ask. I was seriously considering if she was mentally insane.

" A werewolf? He transforms into a wolf when the moon is full. How do you not know that?"

"Uhm- uhh" I stutter.

" That other one is Roman Godfrey. He's weird but I don't know what's wrong with him. Yet."

So that was his name. Roman Godfrey. Like Godfrey institute? It was the largest institution in Hemlock Grove. In Pennsylvania even. I wasn't quite sure what they did. Medical stuff maybe? But that couldn't be him. Their family was the richest people in town.

I realized Christina was turning around to leave.

"Hey! Like Godfrey institute?" I asked. I couldn't help myself.

"Obviously." She says.

"Ok. nice meeting you."