the demons we're made of

Mercia looked towards the school as she and Piper pulled up, staring at it for a few moments. Admittedly, she wasn't looking forward to the first day back. Nobody ever did, as far as she knew. But, she was looking forward to seeing Roman. After the crappy summer she and Piper had had - mostly Piper, - Mercia just wanted to see their friend, having not really been able to see him during the summer. Their grandfather had been in town and he'd been busy trying to train them. He'd tried before, when they were younger, and, like before, Mercia wasn't good at any of it. Also like before, their grandfather had given up on training Mercia pretty early on and had focused on Piper, training her to be the best warrior for the Order of the Dragon. It worried Mercia, since it put Piper in a dangerous spot, but also because it seemed so wrong, to her, and Mercia wanted to get her sister out, but she wasn’t even sure where to begin. “Ready for the first day?” she asked, looking to Piper as she offered a small smile before she climbed out of the car, her eyes immediately scanning for any sign of Roman, or even his sister, Shelley.

---

While Peter had moved to Hemlock Grove during the summer, he hadn’t done much to acclimate. He’d made friends with Christina, a curious girl who always had questions to ask. Or, at least, he thought he had - up until he’d seen her that morning and tried to talk to her and she completely brushed him off in one of the rudest ways possible. While it bothered Peter, especially when he thought they’d gotten along pretty well over the summer, he brushed it off in return, focusing on going about his day. He knew he’d get tons of shit for being a gypsy; he always did, and the whole town was already aware of him and his mom, anyways. It wasn’t something he was looking forward to, but he tended to face it head-on, rather than letting it bother him. Settling his gaze ahead, he made his way up the steps of the school, but leaned to sit on one of the stone walls, waiting to get the day started, but not too eager to head into the school just yet. As he scanned the faces of the students, though, his eyes landed on a pretty blonde, and, needless to say, his attention stayed on her and he couldn’t bring himself to tear his gaze away.

(I’m just going to combine Roman and Piper for this post.)

Piper didn’t understand why she had to come back to school after the summer finished, she should have been with her grandfather learning as much as she could before her initiation for the Order of the Dragon. But, here she was. Back at Hemlock Grove High School, the best thing about going back to school was the time she could now spend with Mercia. Most of the summer, she had only spent time with her grandfather and she missed her sister greatly. Her voice brought Piper back to reality, she couldn’t help but smile as she climbed out of the car. “I’m not, but are you ready to see Roman again?” She teased knowing the crush Mercia had on the boy, she had given up on trying to convince Mercia to tell Roman about how she felt as she was certain he felt the same. Piper saw the way he looked at Mercia, yet neither of them ever listened to her. “Well, you two finally arrived. How are my favourite twins?” Roman grinned as he walked over to his friends, besides his sister, the twins were the only friends he had and that was something he didn’t care to change. Draping his arms across their shoulders, he stood between them as they started heading towards the main entrance of the high school, he was just glad to have them back as he hardly saw them over the summer.

“You mean, how are the only twins you know? We’re good,” Piper rolled her eyes before she looked around at the miserable expressions on the faces of the other students, until her eyes landed on a boy that she didn’t know. “Who’s that?” She asked as she had never seen him before and her grandfather told her, that if she didn’t know everyone, then how would she know if they were human or not. “Just some gypsy that moved here during the summer,” Roman answered as he followed Piper’s line of sight, “I don’t think we’re meant to call them that.” She replied before she stopped walking and started to head in his direction. “Okay… so how was the summer? I barely saw you, Mercia.” Roman turned his attention onto his favourite blonde, the only person who was able to take his breath away. He hadn’t known what do to over the summer without her there with him, he had missed her so much, yet he still couldn’t tell her that. “Hi, I’m Piper. You’re new here, right?” Piper looked at the handsome guy she was standing in front of, he was scruffy and had a slight bad boy look to him.

Mercia made a face at Piper slightly when her sister hinted at her crush on Roman. “Shh, chances are, he’ll pop in any second -” she started, but she heard Roman’s voice and felt his arm around her shoulder and made a joking face at her sister, raising her brows as if to say ‘I told you so.’ While Mercia had had a big crush on Roman for the longest time, the last thing she wanted was for Roman to ever find out and to ruin their friendship; they’d been as close as possible for most of their lives, the only time she had gone without seeing Roman every day having just been the past summer. Peering up at Roman, she offered a smile, trying not to relish in the feeling of his arm around her, all too aware of how warm and safe and comfortable it felt - especially given the fact their grandfather had been around all summer and that often put Mercia on edge, as she didn’t get along with the man at all. “We’re good,” she agree with Piper, nodding slightly, “And Piper’s right, we’re not supposed to call them that, it’s derogatory. I think the right word would be Romani.” She watched Piper walk off, though, arching a slight brow before her attention went to Roman and she chewed on her lip with having his attention solely on her. “Our grandfather was in town, so things were really busy, I’m sorry. How was your summer, though?”

Peter had been taking in the sights of those around him, the other students eyeing him and clearly whispering and gossiping about him. It wasn’t anything that he wasn’t already used to, of course, but it still annoyed him - he was sure it would annoy anybody. But, it was worse because he was sure that Christina was going to be spreading more rumors about him; she’d already accused him of being a werewolf over the summer, the last thing he needed was for her to spread that rumor at school. As he’d been searching the faces of the other students, though, his gaze fell on a gorgeous blonde and he watched her for a long moment as she was approaching him, swearing he’d never seen somebody so perfect before. Seeing her approach, he scratched at his beard when he heard her talking to him, aware her voice sounded like the most amazing thing he’d ever heard. Clearing his throat, he nodded. “Right. I’m Peter,” he introduced himself as he examined her before he dropped his hand, offering it out to her in greeting. “It’s nice to meet you, Piper. I’m not too sure you really want to be caught talking to me, though. Pretty sure just this conversation will taint your reputation with these people.” He motioned around a bit to the people who were now watching them, focused fully on them, and whispering amongst themselves still.

It made sense to Roman now as to why he hadn’t seen the twins for the entire summer, although he had never met the twins’ grandfather, he had heard about Mercia’s distaste for the man on a few occasions. Leaving his arm draped over her shoulders, he smiled to himself at how good it felt to have her close to him again. Spending the summer without Mercia had been his own personal hell, it had started off being a crush that he had on the beautiful blonde, but now it was more than just a crush. He did love Mercia, he loved her for than anything and yet he could never bring himself to tell her. He didn’t have many friends, in fact his friends were his sister, his cousin and the twins. “My summer sucked, I’ve never spent a summer without my girls. Shelly’s been excited for days knowing she’ll see you two again,” He grinned down at Mercia, he literally did nothing all summer long because he was miserable. “Is your grandfather still in town?” He asked wanting to know if Mercia would now be in a better mood, she had never told him why she doesn’t like her grandfather and he hasn’t asked, as he thought the question might make her uncomfortable. His fingers brushed her arm as he looked at her, he truly hadn’t seen anyone more gorgeous than Mercia. She was the type of person who didn’t realise how beautiful she was, which in his eyes made her even more prefect than what she already was. He wanted nothing more than to pull her into his arms and kiss her soft lips, however he knew if he did that, she would start to hate him and avoid him, and she wouldn’t want to be his friend anymore. He couldn’t have that, he needed her in his life.

---

Piper looked at him and placed her smaller hand in his to shake, she listened to his deep smooth voice and wanted to laugh at his words. Instead a smile spread across her face as she glanced around them, nearly every student was staring intently at them and whispering. “Who says that I care about what they think?” She looked back at Peter and found that she would much rather keep her attention on him than anyone else, she honestly didn’t care what was whispered about her because once she was apart of the Order of the Dragon, she would have more important things for her to focus on in her life. “I can talk to and hang out with anyone I like,” Suddenly, out of nowhere, she could feel a nervous knot forming in her stomach. “Unless you don’t want to talk to me?” She looked at him, in the back of her mind she could hear her grandfather’s lecture about forgetting about boys and focusing on her studies and her training. This time Piper chose to ignore his voice inside her mind, she wanted to talk to Peter. He was different than anyone in Hemlock Grove, she wanted to know more about him and not because she wanted to make sure he was human. She wanted to know him because she was a teenage girl and wanted to find someone who would love her, a thought that her grandfather would destroy if he ever found out. “Everyone needs a friend, especially to survive high school.” Maybe Roman could get another friend at the same time, of course, Piper knew that Roman wasn’t everyone’s type but he was a good person once you give him time.

Mercia offered an amused look up at Roman, though she let herself relax in his hold, having never really felt as at ease anywhere else as she did when she was near Roman. She was vividly aware of her feelings for Roman and how much he meant to her, of course she was, but it was easier to keep that all to herself than to announce it. She cherished her friendship with Roman and she didn’t want to lose him; beyond that, she was sure it would cause problems with her family, who still wanted her to be like Piper and focus on the Order of the Dragon, but Mercia wasn’t like her sister. She wasn’t strong or steady, she couldn’t focus like her sister could. Still, she focused on Roman and rolled her eyes playfully. “Oh, it couldn’t have been that bad,” she teased lightly, though she grinned, perking up. “Really? Where is she, anyway?” For a moment, she peered around, trying to find the sweet girl, hopeful that nobody was bothering her, because she knew how awful people could be. Hearing Roman’s question, though, her gaze lifted back to him, and she made a face with the mention of it. “He is. I’m not really sure when he’ll leave this time - if he even decides to leave.” She scoffed lowly for a moment, but, feeling Roman’s fingers brush against the skin of her arm, she couldn’t help but to lean more into him, her gaze going ahead as she spotted Piper, but she smiled, not wanting to interrupt her sister with the new kid.

---

Peter tilted his head as he examined Piper for a few long moments, amazed by this girl, surprised that she was willing to risk whatever reputation she may or may not have to talk to him. It left him in awe of her and, for a moment, he idly wondered what exactly made a girl like her exist. “Well, at least the two of us can share in that sentiment,” he decided, arching an amused eyebrow as he examined her, taking her in, memorizing everything about her while he could, just in case she decided he wasn’t worth the trouble. It wouldn’t be the first time, after all; there were always some people who would hang out with Romani for the thrill of it, but then back off once things got too difficult for their liking. “I never said that, no,” he assured her, offering a small grin despite himself, shaking his head. “In fact, you’ve got me curious. The last thing I want now is for you to stop talking to me.” And, that was the truth, he could admit. All he really had in life was his mom, but he could admit that he craved friends, acquaintances, anything that could make him feel less alone. While silently admiring Piper, though, he found himself craving something entirely different with her, something more, something deeper than just friendship, but he knew better than to admit that when they’d only just met. Hearing her words, though, he chuckled a bit. “Does that mean you’re trying to look out for me?” he asked, amusement in his voice, and he didn’t bother trying to hide it, “Must mean I’m special, then.”

“Oh trust me, it was bad.” Roman didn’t just spend his entire summer without the twins, but because he then stayed at home for most of the time, he also had to deal with his mother. Who could be sweet and loving when she wanted something, other times she was this cold and manipulative woman, who didn’t come close to resembling a mother. “I’m sure Shelley is making sure she has all her books for her classes, you know how she is.” His smiled turned fond as he spoke of his sister, he had convinced her to allow him the chance of seeing the twins first. Of course, he couldn’t keep anything from Shelley, so she knew how he felt about Mercia. Watching the blonde as she spoke of her grandfather, he knew there was more to this man that Mercia wasn’t telling him about.

Although, he knew better than to pry with the twins. “Did you want me to get him to leave? I can be pretty convincing at times,” He smiled at her but behind his smile, he was being completely serious. If this man was bothering Mercia, Roman would do whatever it took to get the man to leave town, he didn’t even care if the man was her grandfather. He would do anything and everything to make sure that Mercia was happy and safe. Following Mercia’s gaze, he stopped them both walking as they neared the open doors to the school. “Should I go say something?” He asked his eyes moving back onto Mercia, he was protective over both the twins, for different reasons but he would do the same for them both. Though he could already see by Mercia’s expression that she was going to tell him to leave Piper alone.

---

Piper looked at Peter and listened to his voice, she could feel warmth tickle her cheeks when he told her that she had made him curious and that he wanted to keep talking to her. He wouldn’t be the first guy she would have been with, there had only been a couple of boys who had gotten close to Piper before she pushed them away. Yet here she was, standing in front of Peter who she had only just met, and he was already causing her to flush. This wasn’t allowed, she wasn’t allowed to fall in love, at least not while she was still training. Her grandfather made sure to drill that into her mind every single chance that he could, and Piper let him because it meant he was more focused on her and not Mercia. “I’ll apologise to you now, if you’re curious about me then you’ll be disappointed. There’s nothing exciting about me,” He wouldn’t believe her even if she did tell him about herself, no one would believe that she was training to be apart of a secret community who kill monsters. Hearing his voices, a soft laugh escaped her lips as she looked at him.

“Well I wasn’t going to call you special,” She smiled at him before shrugging her shoulders lightly, “The kids here aren’t exactly nice to people who they deem as different. The whole town is pretty much the same way, with people that don’t fit their idea of normal. So, maybe I am wanting to look out for you.” Because she knew he would be treated differently, people would make up their own opinions of Peter even if they simply saw him from across the street or heard his name. It was what Piper hated about Hemlock Grove, that everyone could be so judgemental and being narrow-minded about everything and everyone. “We should probably head inside soon, I don’t want to make you late for class on your first day.” All Piper wanted to do was stay where she was and talk to Peter more, she wanted to hear about his life and his family, the places he has travelled and people he has seen. But she also knew there would be consequences if she skipped school.

Mercia offered an amused look as she listened to Roman and she shook her head slightly. “Well, I’m sorry. I should have found some time to sneak out to come hang out with you,” she told him quietly, but it had been impossible. Their grandfather had been as strict as possible over the summer and Mercia was half certain that, if she’d tried to sneak out and gotten caught, he would have put bars on their window for sure just to prevent any further attempts - and that was the last thing she wanted. She liked her privacy and, more than anything, she wanted to make sure that she could find some way to make it up to Roman that she’d been absent from his daily life throughout the summer. “Let’s go find Shelley at the very least, then, just to make sure nobody’s bothering her.” Admittedly, Mercia didn’t like the thought of leaving Shelley alone in the school’s hallways for too long, because she knew how cruel the other students could be - and Shelley was sweet, she didn’t deserve that.

Hearing Roman’s offer, though, Mercia could feel her heart swell and, honestly, she’d like nothing more than for their grandfather to get the hell out of Hemlock Grove, but the last thing she wanted to do was to cause trouble for Roman, so she shook her head. “No, it’s okay,” she assured him quietly, offering a small smile up at him. “I’m sure he’ll leave eventually. Or he’ll just die.” And, she wasn’t cruel, but a part of her couldn’t wait for the man to just be out of their lives. As she felt Roman pull them to a stop, though, she blinked up at him, processing his words, but she looked mildly amused and rolled her eyes. “No, you definitely should not. She deserves to be able to talk and flirt and whatever else she wants to do, Roman,” she told him with amusement before she sighed, “Our grandpa was worse on her, stricted and everything, so just… Let her have this, okay?”

---

Peter examined Piper silently, though he couldn’t help the small grin that formed on his features when he noticed the blush that forced its way onto the girl’s features. Admittedly, he was mildly surprised that she was blushing, and a part of him wondered if he’d had a part to play in causing the blush to rise to her cheeks, but, if so, he wondered what he had done to be capable of influencing such a thing. Still, for a few long moments, he couldn’t help to examine her, take in the sight of her, memorize the rose-colored hue that painted her cheeks, and his heart swelled slightly at the sight, because he never wanted to forget a sight like that. “I highly doubt that,” he told her easily in response, arching a brow as he examined her, “After all, you seem pretty exciting already. You’re different from the rest of the people at this school, which already speaks volumes. I think you’re just selling yourself short.” And, he wondered if there was even more to her than what he was seeing, but he didn’t want to pry.

As she continued to talk, though, he couldn’t help but to grin as he processed everything she was saying, wanting nothing more than to continue listening to her, swearing her voice was the sweetest sound he could ever hear. “Well, if that’s the case, I hope they don’t end up treating you any different, since you’re going against their norm and talking to me,” he mentioned with a small shrug as he watched her, though, more than anything, he hoped that the rest of the students wouldn’t influence her to not talk to him anymore. “Otherwise, it’ll end up being me looking after you.” And, admittedly, he didn’t mind that thought one bit. Still, hearing her suggestion, he offered a small nod. “Yeah, that might be best. I wouldn’t want to make you late or anything. That would make me a terrible influence.” He punctuated his words with a playful grin, though he could admit that he didn’t really want to part from her any time soon.

Roman shook his head lightly, he didn’t want Mercia to apologise for something that was clearly out of her control. “Don’t apologise, you couldn’t do anything about it. There were a few times where I was about to sneak into your room, but then I remembered how that ended last time.” He grinned remembering the last time he did sneak into Mercia’s room, her father had caught him and he had to go a week without seeing the beautiful blonde. From what she spoke of her grandfather, he could only imagine it would be much worse if he knew a boy was sneaking into his granddaughters’ room. Glancing down at her, her words took him by surprise as he’d never heard her speak like that about anyone before. “I should have come over, taken you away from that.” He apologised as he hadn’t fully known how bad her grandfather was, Mercia was the kindest person he knew, so for her to want someone out of her life, Roman knew that person wasn’t going to have the same kind heart that she did. A frown settled on his features as he stared at Piper and the new guy, he wouldn’t do or say anything, but only because Mercia told him not to.

“Alright then,” He mumbled before turning his attention back onto the girl he loved, “Let’s go find Shelley.” He grinned knowing if his sister was alone for too long, some idiots would find it amusing to bully her again. So, with his arm still draped across Mercia’s shoulders, he guided the way into the high school and towards his sister’s locker where he knew she would be. Things got better for Shelley once she was in class, because no one seemed to bother her then, it was just in between classes where she suffered the most. “Hey Shell, look who I found.” He smiled spotting his little sister, Shelley turned at her brother’s voice before a beaming smile formed on her face when she saw Mercia. Bending down Shelley wrapped her arms around the blonde’s body and hugged her tightly, but not too tightly to hurt her friend. Once she pulled back, her bandaged hands lifted her phone and she started typing. “How are you? How was your summer? I missed you, so did Roman.” The voice on the phone sounded as Shelley typed her questions, which caused Roman to chuckle softly. “Slow down, Shell.” He smiled seeing how happy his sister was again having Mercia back.

---

Piper couldn’t stop the smile that easily spread across her face as she listened to Peter’s smooth voice, this is what she wanted. All she wanted was happening in that moment, outside of the school doors with Peter. She wanted to have a conversation with a cute guy, flirt with him and just act like a normal teenage girl. To feel the butterflies in her stomach and the nerves from having a crush on the new kid at school, to be asked to any school dances or functions. And right in that second, Peter was making her feel like she was a normal girl. Where she had nothing to hide, where she wasn’t leading a secret second life. Where she wasn’t being trained to the bone, broken over and over again, just to make a twisted man proud. “Okay well, I didn’t want to say it out aloud. But I am pretty amazing,” She joked as she looked at him, “Maybe you could let me know if I’m selling myself short or not,” She didn’t want to stop talking to him, she didn’t want to be away from his presence but she also didn’t know if they would share any of the same classes. She hoped that they did.

As she looked at Peter, she took him in while she had the chance. “Trust me, I can definitely handle the people in this town.” She wasn’t sure just how many who speak about her and treat her differently, being a Grant and all. And if that did happen, it honestly wouldn’t be the end of the world for Piper. Once her training was complete and she joined the Order of the Dragon, she would leave the small town of Hemlock Grove for bigger and better things. “If they did though, I might still need someone to look after me.” She wouldn’t mind having Peter watch out for her, even if she knew that she would need to leave him behind eventually. She would need to work by herself for the Order, she could only trust and count on herself. Her grandfather was currently teaching her that, he was convincing her that she couldn’t even trust her parents, or her twin sister. Because if she trusted someone, that would become her weakness and could be used against her. “Who says you aren’t already a terrible influence on me?” She smiled at him before she turned around and started walking towards the main entrance of the school, she could easily ignore the stares that she was now receiving because Peter was beside her, she just hoped he could as well, as she didn’t want to feel bad about the negative attention she was getting from the students. She didn’t want him to put any distance between them, so she would be treated better. “What’s your first class?” She asked looking at him as she stepped into the school hallway.

Mercia couldn’t help the amused expression that crossed her features when she heard Roman’s words and she shook her head slightly. “Well, now that you bring that up, I definitely don’t blame you for not sneaking into my room,” she said with a laugh because she knew her father could be a bit terrifying. And, considering the fact that he hadn’t let Mercia see Roman for a week after that, she definitely didn’t want to face that again - though, she could admit that, considering she went the whole summer without seeing him, getting the chance to see him for a night regardless of the consequences would have been worth it, and it would have made her whole summer much better. She didn’t say any of this, though, and she smiled when she heard his apology. “Don’t worry about it, really. If things get that bad again, I’ll just have to learn to start sneaking out myself.” The first and last time she ever tried, she’d been caught because she hadn’t exactly been the quietest about it. If it came to it, though, she’d try again and try to be quieter this time.

Peering at Piper as they passed, she offered a smile to her sister and the guy she was talking to, at least glad her sister was talking to somebody - and she seemed interested in him. A part of her hoped that maybe this would be the chance to get her sister out of her grandfather’s clutches, that maybe this guy could catch her sister’s interest enough that she’d spend less time with their grandfather. Chewing on her lip with the thought, she followed Roman to find Shelley, and she grinned when they found her, returning the hug happily. “It’s so good to see you, Shell,” she said happily, pulling back so she could listen to the questions Shelley was typing on the phone. Smiling, she shoved Roman slightly. “She’s fine,” she assured before lifted her gaze to Shelley. “I’m good. The summer really sucked, my grandfather sucked all my time up.” She made a face. “I’m sorry I didn’t get to visit. I’ll make sure to make up for it, because I missed you both, too.” She smiled, peering over at Roman for a moment before she shifted her gaze back to Shelley. “What about you? How was your summer? Did you do anything fun?”

---

Peter grinned slightly when he heard Piper’s words, amazed by her in all the best ways. She was enchanting, drawing him in, in ways that he was sure she wasn’t even aware of. And, he could definitely agree - she was pretty amazing. “Yeah, I can see that,” he decided easily, “I’m pretty sure anybody who talks to you could figure that out pretty easily.” He certainly had; he didn’t know what it was about her that had every sense, every atom in his body on overdrive, but he loved it, loved the effect she seemed to have on him, and he was pretty sure she didn’t even realize it. “Oh, you’re definitely selling yourself short, even then.” He winked teasingly, unable to help it, because he really wanted to drive home the point. She was the most amazing being he’d come into contact with in his life, and he found himself wanting to experience more of her, wanting to speak to her more, wanting to hear her voice more, just wanting her to overwhelm all of his senses even more than she already was. It shocked him that somebody could have this much of an impact on him so soon after meeting her, but he loved it.

When she spoke again, he paid attention to everything she had to say, wanting to absorb it all, wanting to take it all in, because she had his full attention, and he wanted her to know that. “I don’t doubt that for a second,” he told her with a smile, because she seemed to have that strength about her, within her, and she was so confident, it was amazing. Smiling as he examined her, he nodded slightly. “I’ll definitely be at your beck and call to help you handle anybody if you ever can’t handle them, though.” And, while they were being light-hearted and joking, he meant it; he was determined to do whatever it took to make sure that she would be safe. At this point, despite only knowing her for a few minutes, he already couldn’t imagine his life without her - and, really, he didn’t want to imagine his life without her in it, and he certainly didn’t want to actually experience such a thing. The thought of going a day without her around already tore him to pieces. Trying to shake the thought from his head, he grinned. “Well, is that a good or bad thing?” He arched a brow and, when she asked about his class, he shifted, pulling his schedule out of his pocket to hand it to her, so she could get a full look at it. “Do we have any classes together?”

Roman couldn’t stop the smile that spread across his face as he listened to the soft voice that he loved more than anything, “Remind me to give you a few pointers on how to actually sneak out and not get caught then,” He looked down at the stunning blonde, he had heard all about the only time that Mercia had attempted to sneak out from Piper. He didn’t need to sneak out of his house anymore, his mother didn’t care about where he went or what he did. She never really cared about anyone but herself, and if Mercia was snuck in her house again then Roman wouldn’t think twice about breaking her out and taking her away from her family. He got along fine with her parents but had yet to meet her grandfather, he sounded like a real piece of work and Roman knew that if anyone treated Mercia badly, he wasn’t going to bite his tongue. He continued to smile as he watched the girl he loved interact with his younger sister, there was literally only a handful of other people who treated Shelley in the way she deserved. And Roman made sure that everyone who did treat his sister like she was a normal human being, was treated in the best way by himself as it was his way of thanking them for not seeing Shelley as a freak like most of the people in the shitty town did.

Shelley shrugged her shoulders as she typed a reply into her phone again, “My summer was good. Mother was… well herself and Roman was moping around the house because he couldn’t see you.” The voice sounded from Shelley’s phone as she smiled at Mercia, knowing that her brother would didn’t want Mercia to know how not seeing her affected him. “Alright, okay. Maybe we should get to class now, right Shell.” Roman looked at his sister as he wanted to take the damn phone away from her, so she couldn’t embarrass him anymore. Shelley knew how he felt about Mercia, he had told her a few years ago when he finally admitted his feelings to himself. But he had made Shelley promise him that what he said would always stay between them, as he was terrified if Mercia knew then he would lose her friendship as she’d want nothing to do with him. Roman didn’t even want to get to class, as he tended to skip the classes that he didn’t share with the twins.

---

Piper could feel her cheeks becoming warm with another blush as she looked at Peter, it was the first time that she had any real interest in a guy. She had tried to date guys, but it was forced on her part and she hated that feeling, so when her grandfather told her that she couldn’t have any distractions in her life, she ruled guys out altogether. Yet, here was Peter who she had only met a few minutes ago and she was already wanting him to stay in her life. Listening to his words, she could hear the honesty in his voice about being there for her if anyone was bothering her. He had absolutely no idea what those words meant to Piper, since her grandfather started training her, he had drilled into her mind that she couldn’t trust anyone and that she couldn’t rely on anyone being there for her. Now there was a guy she barely knew willing to help her and support her, it caused Piper to feel like she was being pulled in two different directions. “I’ll make sure to remember that,” Her voice dropped as she looked at him, she couldn’t drag him into the life she was living. She wouldn’t put him in danger and her life was dangerous, deep down she knew she would eventually have to push everyone away. Including Peter and Mercia.

Shaking her head slight as she smiled at him, “You being a terrible influence on me is definitely a good thing.” Not that Piper thought he was a bad influence on her, Peter was the right kind of influence that she needed in her life. An opinion that she knew wouldn’t be shared among her family, besides Mercia who already seemed to approve of him. Taking his class schedule from his fingers, she scanned over the classes that he had been put into for the year and she smiled as she returned the piece of paper to him. “Seems like it’s your lucky day, you have quite a few classes with me. You also have classes with my sister and our friend, Roman.” Maybe this year wasn’t going to be as Piper first imagined it would, she had woken up with a completely different mindset then she currently had now. She had thought that she would get decent enough grades to keep her parents happy, but her focus was going to be on her training. Now she wanted to spend more time with Peter and learn everything about him.

Mercia grinned slightly, amused with Roman’s words, and she nodded slightly. “I will take any pointers you offer up,” she said easily, her amusement obvious - though, she was being honest, too, because she didn’t want anything to stop her from spending time with Roman. Spending the entire summer without seeing Roman had been its own form of torture; all she’d wanted each day was to see his face, to spend time with him, to enjoy his mischievous playfulness, and she’d been deprived of that for far too long. “And I’ll make sure to try to put them to use.” She couldn’t guarantee she would succeed, after all; her grandfather was so… Keen, it annoyed her; he seemed to know way too much and he seemed to predict what she was going to do so easily.

Her attention was taken by Shelley, though, and she listened to the voice on the phone, offering a smile as she listened. “Oh? You’ll have to tell me all about it some time, I’d love to hear how Roman moped.” She grinned, unable to help it, though the thought made her heart swell happily, because she liked knowing that she seemed to mean so much to the boy who held her heart. Hearing Roman’s words, though, she blinked and pouted. “Oh, but it was just getting to the fun part, Rome!”

---

Peter couldn’t help but enjoy the sight of the bright hue spreading across Piper’s cheeks, and he grinned slightly, unable to stop the pleased and accomplished feeling from rushing through him. For a few moments, he wondered what he’d said exactly that had caused the blush that formed on her cheeks, but he enjoyed every moment of the sight of it. Moreover, though, he hoped to be able to cause such a reaction more and more often, already addicted to the sight of it, and happy and eager with how the sight of it made him feel. “Good, you should,” he decided with a happy smile, watching her for a few moments, not really wanting to take his eyes off of her, almost afraid that she would disappear right before his eyes, and that was the absolute last thing that he ever wanted to happen.

As she spoke again, though, a grin spread across his face, and he didn’t even want to bother to try to fight it off. “Yeah? Well, I’ll make sure to be a terrible influence on you as often as possible, so you can enjoy it.” And that meant he’d get to spend more time with her - which he was happy about, because it meant that he could get to know her better, he could grow closer to her and, hell, he could see the blush on her cheeks more often if he tried. He watched her patiently as she scanned his schedule, and arched a brow with her announcement. “Oh? Well, I’m glad I’ll be sharing classes with you at least - don’t know about your sister and your friend, since I don’t know them, but…” He shrugged, grinning. “Definitely makes me feel lucky that you and I are gonna have classes together.”

“I’ll make sure that you know exactly how to sneak out,” Roman promised as he wasn’t going to let anything or anyone keep Mercia from him again, the summer had been a nightmare that was now forgotten as he had the girl he loved back by his side. Which is where they both belonged, they belonged together. Even if it continued being a friendship, Roman just needed to have her in his life and in whatever form that took would be enough for him. If she couldn’t sneak out or ended up being caught again, he would drive over to her house and take her away for however long she wanted. He had promised her parents once that he would ensure nothing happened to their twins, and Roman always kept his promises. Looking at his younger sister, he suddenly regretted telling her how the feelings he had for Mercia. He didn’t think Shelley would say anything, but he couldn’t be sure as he knew his sister wanted them to be together.

“I will tell you another time,” Shelley’s phone sounded as she sent a rather cheeky smile to her brother, she was getting tired of them not acting on their feelings. “I will see you two later,” Shelley smiled at Mercia before she headed towards her first class of the day. Roman shook his head, “I’m going to break that phone.” He mumbled as he watched his sister disappear around a corner, “And I wasn’t moping around,” He looked back to the beautiful blonde who knew him better than anyone, so she knew the kind of moods that he frequently was in. “So, I don’t suppose that you’d want to skip first class with me?” He asked with a mischievous grin on his face, he normally tried to get Mercia to skip a class with him a few times a week, though she never took him up on the offer.

---

Piper couldn’t help but smile as she looked at Peter and listened to his words, “I had assumed that you be,” She looked at him when he had agreed with be a terrible influence on her, as she looked at him she wondered if she actually wanted to be accepted into the Order of the Dragon. Ever since she was a little girl, she heard grand stories of what the Order of the Dragon did from her grandfather and she remembered wanting to be a hunter. The training she was being put through was gruelling and she had believed that it was worth it, but now Piper wasn’t sure because meeting Peter was making her second guess herself and what kind of life she wanted to have for herself. Shaking her head lightly at his later words, “You’ll really like them. Trust me, you’ll get along well with them.” She knew that Mercia would be fine with having Peter hang around, Roman on the other hand may take a day or two.

Roman only had Shelley, Mercia and herself in his life. But Piper knew he would take to Peter once they got to know each other. “As much of a bad influence you are on me, I’m still not going to let you make us late for class on the first day. Come on,” She smiled as they shared the first couple of classes together, so she’d be able to show him around the school until he got his bearings. Turning around she walked towards the main entrance of the school with Peter beside him, she could feel the eyes of students watching them, but Piper didn’t care. She didn’t care what other people thought or said about Peter, he deserved so much more respect from people which he wouldn’t receive in Hemlock Grove, as most people there didn’t approve of people they deemed less than them. Walking into the busy hallway, she found Peter’s locker which was close to her own. She grabbed the text books that she would need and waited for Peter to do the same.

Mercia grinned with Roman’s words and she nodded slightly. “Good,” she chimed happily, “I’ll be looking forward to it.” As long as it meant she got to spend more time with Roman, she was all for learning how to sneak out. After losing the chance to spend any of the summer with him, she wanted to take advantage of any chance she could get to spend more time with him - and, if she got caught in the process, so be it. The worst her parents could do was ground her, or for her to train more with her grandfather - though she was doubtful of the latter, because her grandfather had no real interest in training her, and she was glad for that, even though she felt bad that Piper was stuck with him.

Hearing Shelley’s phone, she smiled slightly and nodded. “I’m gonna hold you to that, Shell,” she told her, though she waved slightly. “See you later, have fun in class!” She worried, though, as she watched Shelley walk away. She knew how cruel the other students could be and the last thing Shelley deserved was for somebody to bully her. Still, looking up to Roman, she offered an amused look. “You won’t break the phone, it means too much to your sister,” she said easily, though she grinned. “Aw, you didn’t mope for me? You’re breaking my heart here!” She laughed, but blinked, not at all surprised with his question but she was surprised that she was thinking of agreeing. “Okay,” she said eventually, “Just this once and only because we didn’t get to hang out this summer.”

---

Peter couldn’t help but grin with the mention of it. “Then, it appears that you’ve assumed correctly,” he teased lightly, not minding it at all. His gaze ran over her features, and he couldn’t help but enjoy the smile she wore, his heart swelling with the sight of it, and he wanted to always see a smile on her face - he wanted to always be a reason that she was smiling. A part of him was determined because of that. Still, as she spoke further, he smiled slightly and nodded. “I’ll take your word for it,” he decided as he watched her, “Though, if you’re so certain about it, I’m sure you’re right.” And, he hoped she was - because at least if he got along with her sister and her friend, then it meant he could spend more time with her in the long run without intruding on anything.

Still, when Piper spoke again, he couldn’t help but laugh. “Really?” he asked with amusement, arching a brow, “I’m sure we wouldn’t really get in any trouble - it’s only the first day and we could always say you were showing the new kid around.” When she began walking, though, he took a moment to admire her from behind, enjoying the sight of her, and he smirked but he eventually moved to follow after her, wanting to be near her and wanting to spend as much time with her as he could before they inevitably had to deal with classes. And, it gave him the chance to keep trying to talk her into avoiding rushing to get to class. “Come on, it won’t hurt to be a little late. Besides, what kind of bad influence would I be if I didn’t manage to convince you of this, huh?” He grinned teasingly, watching her, just wanting to spend more time with her, as much time as they could get.

Roman watched as his sister left his line of sight and he felt the worry return as he knew kids at the school still bullied her for the way she looked, every time he saw or heard someone bulling his sister he would take care of it of himself. But he wasn’t always there for her and he hated that, because she deserved so much better than this crappy town. “I wouldn’t break her phone but I’m considering it right now,” He grinned as he looked at Mercia and chuckled at her voice, “I’d never break that heart of yours,” He grinned as he wouldn’t dare be the reason that Mercia felt hurt or pain, he wouldn’t dream of causing that and if he did then he wouldn’t be able to live with himself. He was surprised when she agreed to skip class with him, every time he had asked her that exact question, she always refused him. “I don’t care what the reason is, even if it’s because you secretly want to get me alone.” His grin turned into a smirk as his arm wrapped around the blonde’s shoulders, “Where would you like to go to skip class?” He asked as this was her first time skipping a class, he wanted her to joy it as it would hopefully mean she’d skip more with him.

Roman found many places in the school where he liked to go as no one else bothered him, “Or would you like me to surprise you?” He looked at Mercia and couldn’t help but to admire her, the way her blonde hair fell down her back or the way her light eyes always seemed to glisten even if she was outside at night. Roman considered himself extremely lucky to even have someone so beautiful and perfect in his life, to have Mercia as his best friend was enough for him. He didn’t want to ruin their friendship and have her walk out of his life, it hurt him knowing that he’d always just be her friend, but it was enough. He would need to learn how to keep his emotions hidden as he currently didn’t when a boy tried to flirt with her, none of the kids at school or in this town would ever be good enough for her and if Roman couldn’t have her then he would make sure she did fall in love with someone who deserved her and treated her right.

---

Piper never believed that someone could fall in love with other people at first sight, but the way Peter looked with that grin on his face was causing her to second guess everything she believed in. She had never been interested in anyone in Hemlock Grove until now, until Peter moved to the shitty town and she was so thankful that he had. “Oh I’m right about this,” She looked at him as she just knew he would be accepted into her small group of friends, if he could handle Shelley and not mention how she looked then he would be in. As she walked into the school, she smiled when she felt him catch up to her. As she listened to him she knew that if her parents found out she had been late to class, they would be disappointed in her yet her grandfather wouldn’t care. He had told her that if she didn’t finish high school, it wasn’t a big deal because she was destined to be part of the Order of the Dragon and the members didn’t care if she went to school or not.

As she looked at Peter, she knew she would rather spend time with him then go sit in a stuffy classroom all day, “Okay… we can be late to class.” She agreed as she wanted to know more about him, find things out about his family and life. Whatever she could learn about him, she wanted to because it wasn’t often that someone moved to Hemlock Grove and captured Piper’s attention as quickly as what Peter had. Putting her books into her locker, she closed the door and glanced over to him, “I’m all yours then.” She knew the students around them were rushing through the hallways so they could reach their own classes on time, yet Piper didn’t move her attention away from the guy standing with her.

Mercia blinked as she registered Roman’s words, though she couldn’t help but smile, because she believed him. She knew they were just friends - no matter how much she loved him, - but she’d always trusted him with her heart. He was the only guy she could ever see herself giving her heart to. “Well, I’ll trust you with that,” she teased lightly, leaving it at that, because she didn’t want to attract too much attention to the topic, not wanting to make a big deal of it, and certainly not wanting Roman to figure out that she was serious with her words, worried about what it would mean if he ever came to learn how much he meant to her, how much she loved him. “Oh, come on, I didn’t get to spend the entire summer with you, I just wanna hang out with my best friend.” She grinned but looked ahead, thinking.

After a moment or so, she hummed and shrugged slightly. “Surprise me, I guess,” she decided, peering up at him once more, just taking him in, swearing he was the most amazing sight, especially after an entire summer of not seeing him at all. The fact that she got to spend time with him now meant more to her than she could verbally express, though she found herself wondering if she’d ever be able to tell him how she felt, if she’d ever be brave enough. She forced the thought away, not wanting to think too far into it. “Well, lead the way.”

---

Peter couldn’t help the way his grin broadened as he listened to her, amusement filling him, though he could also feel adoration for this girl already forming within him. Normally, he’d fight it, ignore it, pretend he wasn’t so easily affected by somebody, but something about this girl made him want to give in, to accept the feeling, to let it envelop him, and he didn’t want to fight it. “Yeah?” he asked, arching an amused brow, his grin softening to a fond smile as he watched her for a few long moments, really just taking her in, admiring her, memorizing every detail about her that he could. He was used to moving around and forgetting those he met, but he didn’t want to forget her - more than that, though, he didn’t want to leave her at all. He wanted to stay there, in this crappy town, because something about Piper made it worth it. “How are you so sure you’re right about it?”

He couldn’t help but be curious, after all. Still, when she spoke, he smiled and nodded, following her, peering around a bit, but he didn’t find anything of any real interest to him besides Piper. Something about her attracted his attention in a way he couldn’t explain, in a way he couldn’t fight, and he peered over, watching her for a few moments. “Well, then, how exactly should we put our tardiness to good use?” He figured, if they were already agreeing to be late, they could at least enjoy themselves. And, he could admit, when she said she was all his, he could feel everything in him yearn for her, wanting it to be true in more ways than one. “Is that a promise?” he asked jokingly, grinning.

Roman tried to hide his smile when Mercia commented that she would put her trust in him to not break her heart, that was a promise he could easily make because if he did break her heart then it meant he was hurting her and that was something he would never ever do. If he did end up hurting Mercia then he wouldn’t be able to live with himself, so was this perfect person with a pure heart and Roman knew one day she would leave this horrid town behind and go on to do amazing things for the world. Mercia had always been too big for Hemlock Grove, she was destined to do great things. He did chuckle when Mercia told him that he could surprise her, so with his arm still securely wrapped over her shoulders he started walking down the hallway before taking a corner and leading the beautiful blonde through an exit door. “Let’s both remember that even though this was my idea, you did agree to it.” He smiled as he let Mercia step through the door before he followed, he was going to make a day out of it because Mercia has never once agreed to skip school with him before.

And he wanted her to always remember this day, so once the door was had closed behind them Roman rested his hand on Mercia’s back right in between her shoulder blades. Guiding her across the green lawn and towards where he had parked his car, he wasn’t going to keep them on school grounds, normally when he skipped class on his own then he would because Shelley and the twins would still be there. But he knew that Piper was there if Shelley needed someone, so he didn’t need to be there and Mercia certainly needed to get away from the school so she wouldn’t be tempted to head to class. Once they were close enough, Roman unlocked his car and held the passenger door open for Mercia. “After you,” He grinned at the girl he secretly adored as he watched her, hoping she was still comfortable with the idea of skipping school for the whole day. If she ever wanted to come back then he would bring her back without a second thought, though he hoped she didn’t because he wanted to spend the day with her, just to two of them.

---

Piper knew that if Peter constantly moved from place to place then there wouldn’t be a chance for him to make friends, and if he did then he knew he would leave again and leave those friends behind. So, Piper knew deep down that she shouldn’t be so quick to befriend him and then let him meet the others, especially Roman who didn’t have any other male friends. She didn’t want to be the reason that Roman hurt after losing a friend, yet Piper didn’t listen to what her mind was telling her. Her heart wanted to know more about Peter, wanted to spend more time with him and be in his company. “We don’t have many friends, we’re a pretty small group who everyone tends to stay away from.” She wanted to be honest with him, having Shelley as a friend could at times put a target on their backs, not that any of the cared. But the students also seemed to enjoy whispering about them and staring at them, it was something that never affected Piper as she honestly didn’t care about them. She wasn’t going to waste her time on anyone she didn’t care about.

“Yeah, it’s a promise.” She looked at him as she could feel heat racing to her cheeks, causing her to turn away from Peter. “Follow me then,” She glanced back at him as she started to lead the way through the school, there had been a few times when she had skipped class with Roman so she knew the place where she could take Peter and they wouldn’t be disturbed. Taking him through the hallways and past the gym, they eventually headed through a door which lead onto the sports field. “No one ever checks out here,” She told Peter while she guided him over to the bleachers, so they could find somewhere in the shade to sit.

Mercia couldn’t help but laugh when she heard Roman’s words, and she grinned at him. “Yeah, I’ll make sure to remember that,” she promised with amusement, smiling as she watched him. Being around him, being near him, always put her at ease, and she definitely needed that after going the whole summer without getting to see him, and without getting to spend any time with him at all. “Let’s just hope you end up making it worth it in the end.” She grinned playfully but looked ahead as they walked, but she still relaxed against Roman, glad to be there with him, and while she was certain this was a bad idea, at least it was a bad idea she was going through with him.

When Roman moved his arm to rest his hand between her shoulder blades, though, she was surprised with the slight shudder that ran through her. It wasn’t the first time she’d felt it - she often felt it when Roman touched her or made any contact with her at all, no matter how innocent it was. Lifting her gaze when they got to the car, she watched him for a few long moments, just admiring him, and she smiled and nodded. “Thanks, Roman,” she told him quietly, nudging him playfully before she climbed into the car and buckled up, relaxing in the seat, just looking forward to spending the day with him.

---

Peter watched Piper as he listened to her, taking in every word she spoke, and he nodded slightly. “Guess that means I must be special if you’re wanting to include me so soon,” he teased lightly, grinning slightly as he watched her, admiring her easily. He’d traveled more in his life than he was sure he could explain, far more than many other people ever would have, and yet he’d never seen anyone or anything as gorgeous as Piper; it made him want to commit every detail about her to memory, because he couldn’t imagine forgetting her, he couldn’t imagine not having her in his life in general. It made him not want to leave, it made him want to stay right there, with her, no matter what.

Hearing her speak further, though, he grinned broadly. “Good, I’ll hold you to that promise.” He winked unabashedly, having no problem with not hiding that he was attracted to her. He wasn’t sure if she’d realize it or not, though. Or she could just think it was simple playfulness and he was fine with that, too. Still, he nodded and followed her, watching her as they walked, though he looked ahead as they got outside. “Oh? I’m surprised nobody checks here.” Grinning playfully, his gaze went back to her as they walked to the bleachers. “Seems like it’d be the first place someone would check. How long do you think we can hang out here until we get caught? Or until you feel like actually heading to class?”

Roman knew that Mercia wouldn’t forget that she agreed to skipping school with him, what he did worry about was the school calling her parents and telling them. He knew the school wouldn’t bother calling his mom, he doubted she even cared that he skipped class and school. “Oh trust me, today will be worth it.” He looked at the stunning blonde as she climbed into his car, he shut the door behind her before moving around his car and climbing into the driver’s seat. Starting the engine, he pulled his car out of the student parking lot and began driving through the streets which they had both grown up on. Normally, his car would speed through the streets of Hemlock Grove as he never paid attention to what the speed limit was. However, when he had people who he cared about in the car with him, then he took things easy and drove to the speed limit. Because if anything ever happened to Mercia, it would destroy Roman completely and he couldn’t and didn’t want to imagine a life without Mercia.

It didn’t take them long before Roman pulled his car off onto a windy small dirt road, which would take them to the lake which was surrounded by the dense forest. However, at the end of the dirt road there was a clearing which he had found with the twins when they had been kids. “Remember this place?” He asked the girl he deeply loved as he glanced over at her, they hadn’t gone to the lake for a few years, simply because life got in the way.

---

Piper smiled as she looked at Peter, “Yeah. I think you must be pretty special,” Piper had never been someone who trusted a people easily, she wasn’t like her sister in that sense as she was more guarded than Mercia. Especially after her Grandfather begun to train her, her guarded nature only became worse. But it was different with Peter, she didn’t have any feeling of distrust towards Peter. In fact, the second her eyes landed on him, all she wanted to do was talk to him and spend time with him. When Peter winked at her, she could feel a blush warm her cheeks but she didn’t look away or try to hide it from Peter. Because she liked having Peter’s attention, she wanted to have his attention and have him like her.

“The teachers don’t really care about the students here, they just do their job and that’s it. Even if they do check out here, they won’t say anything.” Piper explained as she found shade and sat down on the grass, all the teachers would do is check that they weren’t in class and that’s all. “They will call your mom though, would you get into trouble with her?” She asked as she didn’t want to risk him getting into trouble and then she might not be able to see him, “Because we can go back to class, if you want. I’d be happy to stay out here with you all day,” She knew her Grandfather would find out, she knew what would happen at his hands but Piper didn’t care. She would deal with it as she wanted to spend time with Peter, just the two of them.

Mercia offered an amused look over at Roman. “I’m gonna hold you to that,” she chimed playfully, grinning at him. She let herself relax in her seat, just enjoying herself while she could, especially since she hadn’t gotten to spend any time with her best friend in far too long. And, she’d missed him, she really had - which wasn’t too surprising, because she loved him so much, but it wasn’t like Roman knew that, and she wasn’t sure when or if she would ever tell him. The last thing she ever wanted was to ruin their friendship; Roman meant too much to her. He was her solace in all the chaos, her lighthouse in the storm, and she couldn’t thank him enough for that.

Still, as she heard his question, she took note of where they were, and she blinked slowly with surprise. “Oh, wow,” she said, taking in the scenery before she grinned slightly. “Of course I remember this place. It’s been forever since we’ve been here, though - I’m surprised you even remember how to get here.” She offered a teasing look to her friend, amused, unable to help but to pick on him a bit. It’d been forever since they’d been here, after all. But, she was looking forward to it, wanting to enjoy it while she could.

---

Peter was mildly surprised to hear her words and he grinned to himself. He was sure she was meaning it jokingly, or even playfully, but still, just hearing the words from her filled him with a sense of pride and happiness that he wasn’t familiar with. A part of him was certain that it was an effect that only Piper could ever cause, because she just seemed to be that amazing, that perfect, and he couldn’t help but watch her, admiring her for a long moment. “Well, I’m glad to hear it,” he told her, his grin broadening as he lifted his shoulders in a shrug, “I think you’re definitely more special than I am, though.” And, really, he meant it, with everything in him - she seemed ethereal almost, and he wanted to bask in how happy she made him already.

Hearing her talk about the teachers, though, he nodded slightly. “Can’t say I’m too surprised. Most teachers are usually just in it for the paycheck.” He was sure there were some teachers that wanted to make an attempt at being good teachers, teachers who gave a damn about their students, but he hadn’t run into all that many of them in his life. “No, my mom won’t care. She’s more into the whole being a free spirit thing.” He grinned, sitting by her. “Believes her sweet son can do no wrong.” He laughed with the thought of it and shook his head. “So I’m perfectly happy staying right here.” His gaze fell on her and he smiled as he watched her. “With you.”