"What's the answer to number twelve?"
Eden O'Malley sighed from her spot across from Peter as they studied in his living room. The trailer's dim lighting making her glare loose a bit of it's heat; as all Peter did at her expression was simply smile.
"You'd know the answer if you paid attention in class," Was Eden's reply, but she slid her paper towards him anyways.
"Come on Ed's give me a break," Peter said, scribbling down Eden's answer onto his paper. "You know just like I do how boring Mr. Juler is."
In fact, Eden did know. Since Peter took it upon himself to turn to her every five minutes in that class and roll his eyes at whatever the history teacher was saying. To which Eden would only reply with an eye roll of her own and point towards the front of the class to hint at Peter to listen anyways.
Since meeting Peter, Eden was pleasantly surprised that she and the gypsy shared two classes together, as well as the same lunch period. So, she and Peter were given the choice on whether or not they'd be friends - and they had chosen yes, that they would be. Bonding over the fact that they were social outcasts had a big help in the decision, but it was their love for each other's personalities that kept them together.
"Just because he's boring doesn't mean you don't have to listen," Eden said, grabbing her phone off the table when it vibrated. Frowning at the text from Fern, Eden let out a tiny groan before placing the phone back down onto the table once more.
"Trouble?" Peter asked, taking the beer from the table in front of himself.
"Fern wants to go dress shopping," Eden replied, grabbing the folder from her backpack and placing the history worksheet into it neatly. "She wants to go to a party this weekend."
"And she can't dress shop alone?"
"You've met my sister, you know what's she like," Eden said, referring the time that Fern had gushed over Peter when Eden had brought to male over to her house.
Eden's older sister had made Peter blush bright red with her praise for his shoulder-length hair and icy blue eyes. The youngest O'Malley had to practically drag Peter to her bedroom in order to get him away from her multicolored eyed sister.
"Fern is the best," Was what Peter said, laughing lightly when Eden only groaned in response.
Standing up, Eden made her way towards the trailer's door. Peter stood up as well, moving to escort her out when Lynda opened the trailer door before Eden could. The kind-eyed woman glanced at Eden and then at her son before smiling slightly.
"So this must be Eden?" Was all she asked, and she didn't wait for an answer as she placed her arms tightly around Eden's slim body.
"Yes," Eden said, awkwardly placing her arms around the Rumancek woman. "Eden O'Malley, nice to meet you."
"Oh I know who you are," Lynda said once she pulled away, "Peter talks about you-"
"See you tomorrow," Peter said, cutting off his mother mid-sentence. Eden glanced at her friend, before nodding her head and giving a goodbye to the mother and son.
Eden's combat boots creaked against the long wooden stairwell that led from the road down to Peter's trailer. Despite the stairs looking like they'd break at any moment, Eden made it to her bike without a problem.
The young redhead's bike was an old teal color with white-rimmed wheels. It had a basket on the front of it, where Eden placed her backpack before climbing onto it. She worked her feet down the road, heading towards the main town where she'd meet Fern.
Hemlock Grove's main town looked like a postcard for visiting tourists, however, only the true townies knew of the deceit the town-bred outwards. Eden, having lived in Hemlock for most of her life, knew of this deceit very well and had a theory that it all started with the rulers of the small town - the Godfrey's.
The Godfrey's were the main attraction in Hemlock Grove. The family owning the biggest building in the town called Godfrey Industries. Eden had never been allowed into the building, but she heard enough frightful rumors about the place to be glad she hadn't.
Placing her bike into the bike-rack outside of the clothing department Fern told her to come to, Eden waltzed in through the front door. Instantly, the lady at the front desk frowned upon having another O'Malley in the store but seemed to be too lazy to ask them to leave.
"Eden, come look at this!" Fern shouted, waving her arms as if her voice alone wouldn't be enough for Eden to find her.
"Coming," Eden said, giving the lady at the front desk a sheepish smile when dirt clumps fell onto the hardwood floor from her boots.
Upon further inspection, Eden saw that the dress her sister was holding looked like a handkerchief given how short it was. The piece of cloth was a dark mossy green that reminded Eden of her grandparent's lake during the summer.
"Is that a dress or a dishrag?" Eden asked, raising an eyebrow at her sister.
"It's a dress," Fern defended, clutching the fabric to her chest. "It's gorgeous. You just have no style."
"If style means wearing a sock around then I'm glad," Was Eden's remark, but Fern just huffed before turning towards the dressing rooms.
Sitting down on one of the soft chairs in the store, Eden heard the bell above the door ring. Instantly, heavy footsteps were heard against the hardwood flooring.
The head of Shelley Godfrey appeared a moment later, and Eden flashed her a bright smile. Shelley gently gave the smile back before another body was stepping into place beside her.
Roman Godrey was dressed like he was going to a dinner party. In a dark blue blazer, white shirt, and matching blue slacks. His shoes were made of a shiny black leather that could pay for Eden's college tuition and then some.
"Eden!"
Jumping at her sister's voice, Eden turned to look at the dressing room as Roman turned to look at where Fern's voice had come from.
Fern was standing in front of the dressing room's curtain, the dress clinging to her curvy frame. Eden sighed, giving her sister a look. "Fern, really?"
"What?" Fern asked, flopping her arms down by her sides. "It looks great on me."
"It looks like you're wearing a sock!" Eden said, exasperated. She unwounded her legs, standing up and pushing her pigtail braids from her shoulders. "You cannot wear that. You look like a street-walker."
"What if that's what I'm going for?"
"Don't let mom hear you say that. She'd have an aneurysm,"
Laughing, Fern grabbed Eden's shoulders. "Ease up little sis. No one like's a prude,"
"I'm not a prude," Eden snapped, shoving her sister's rainbow nailed hands off of her shoulders. "I just don't want to prance around in a cloth."
"Too bad," Fern said, turning towards the dressing room and grabbing a hanger that had a similar dress on it, just this time it was a simple black. "Try it on."
"You're joking," Eden said, and when Fern shoved the dress closer to her, she grabbed the fabric. Moving around her sister, Eden slid into the dressing room before slamming the curtain closed behind her.
Squeezing herself into the dress tight casing, Eden left the dressing room. Fern let out a cheer once she caught Eden standing before her, her contrasting eyes gleaming.
"I feel like a sausage," Eden grumbled, grabbing the bottom hem of the dress and trying to tug it down to her knees.
"You don't look like one," Fern said, before she was stating, "Mr. Money over there can't keep his eyes off you."
Frowning, Eden lifted her eyes to see who her sister was talking about. Until Fern had mentioned it, Eden had forgotten all about Roman's presence in the store. However, like Fern said, once Eden lifted her head, she connected eyes with the heir to the Godfrey Institute.
Green met green for a single moment before Roman was looking away. Eden blushed furiously, turning away from him and back to Fern. "I want to go home. I have homework to do,"
"Fine," Fern said, still dressed in her own tube sock. "Let's change."
The next day, Eden awoke to a sobbing Fern.
Her sister was blubbering into their mother's chest as Constance gently soothed the hair of her eldest daughter, muttering soft words into her ear.
"Mom?" Eden asked, stepping into the living room, dressed for school. "What's wrong?"
Constance looked upwards, her eyes saddened, "Oh Eden, something terrible happened,"
Worry spiked into Eden's chest and she moved instantly towards Fern. Her sister looked up from their mother's chest, her eyes red-rimmed as she spoke. "Brooke- She's-she's dead,"
Ice dumped down Eden's entire body as she recalled the face of her sister's childhood best friend. Instantly, memories of Brooke flooded into Eden's mind.
All the times she had watched Brooke and Fern make mud-pies in the front yard, the time she watched Brooke and Fern braid each other's hair the very first time Brooke was allowed at their house; and lastly, the time Brooke had convinced Fern to join the cheerleading team.
Eden's sister and the brunette had been inseparable ever since the Bluebell's had moved to town - losing Brooke must've felt like losing a limb.
"I'm sorry," Eden croaked, her throat tight. "Fern, I'm so sorry."
Fern just nodded her head, sobbing once more into their mother's chest. Constance gently consoled her daughter, before looking up at Eden. "You don't have to go to school today. I'll allow you to stay home to mourn."
"No," Eden said, shaking her head slightly. "I want to go to school."
"Eden-"
"Please mom," Eden said, cutting off her mother. "I have to do something."
Constance battled with herself only for a small moment before she nodding her head. She mouthed an 'I love you' to Eden before she leaned her head down to set her sights to caring for Fern wholeheartedly.
Outside seemed to match the gloominess of the day as Eden began her walk towards the school. She saw no point in riding her bike today since that mode of transportation was only for good days.
Hemlock Grove high school was scarcely populated when Eden arrived. Instantly, Eden looked for Peter, trying to see if he was at school already. She knew that he also walked to school, so when she didn't see him, she sat down on the bench in front of the school to wait.
Though she didn't know Brooke like Fern had known her, she felt second-hand sadness not only for her sister but for the young high schooler's parents. No parent should ever have to outlive their child, it wasn't right.
"Eden," Peter's voice brought the ginger out of her thoughts.
She looked upwards and watched as Peter's face softened. It was when Peter grabbed her face and wiped the tears from her eyes that Eden noticed that she had been crying. She enveloped Peter into a tight hug, her nose being tickled by his brown strands of hair.
Pulling away, Peter asked, "How are you holding up?"
"Better than Fern," Eden said, hiking her backpack higher onto her back. "Brooke was her best friend."
Wincing, Peter shook his head. "It's not right. I feel bad for not feeling anything,"
"You didn't know her," Eden said, placing a hand onto Peter's shoulder. "It's okay."
"Why didn't you stay at home?"
"I couldn't listen to Fern crying," Eden said, beginning to walk towards the school's front doors with Peter beside her. "I've always hated hearing her cry. Even when I was a child."
"It's weird to think about Fern sad," Peter imputed, "She's always such a happy person."
"That's why-"
Peter grunted as someone roughly knocked shoulders with him in the hallway. Eden instantly recognized the boy as Jackson Blake, a junior in her grade.
"I bet he killed her. This piece of gypsy trash," Jackson's friends, Lj and Josh, snickered behind him.
"Go away Jackson," Eden snapped, making the male's eyes land on her.
"Whatcha' going to do, witch? Put a spell on me?"
Eden grinned, "I just might,"
With that, Eden wiggled her fingers at the three boys, while making mocking 'wooing' noises.
"Fucking freak," Jackson said, rolling his eyes as he and his friends continue down the hallway.
"You didn't have to do that," Peter's voice said, as Eden turn back around from the retreating boy's backs.
"Of course I did," Eden said, hooking her arm with Peters. "Us freaks gotta stick together."
"We are kind of freaky aren't we?" Peter said, brushing off the insults and dirty looks thrown his way from their peers like he always did. It was a skill Eden admired about the gypsy, his ability to shrug off what others thought about him.
"Only the people are," Eden replied simply before she was spotting a familiar lean frame down the hallway and stilled.
"What?" Peter asked, noticing her hesitance. "Ed's, what's wrong?"
As the words left Peter's mouth, Eden connected eyes with Roman Godrey for the second time.
The sculpted male gazed at her, eyes burning Eden's entire body as he took in her strange outfit. This time it was made up of a primary-colored striped shirt with various pins sticking to it, some jeans shorts that had patches on them, and some white Converse shoes.
At that moment, Eden wished she had worn something more sophisticated like Roman.
"Eden," Peter said once more, tugging on her arm. "Do you want to go back outside?"
Noting that Peter comprehended her silence as her being close to another emotional breakdown, Eden turned away from Roman and gave the gypsy a smile. "I'm fine. I was just lost in thought actually,"
"Good thoughts or bad thoughts?" Peter asked, raising an eyebrow.
"Bad," Eden said, before grinning. "I was thinking about your grades."
"You suck." Was Peter's reply, though his face was amused.
Eden's laugh was soft as she turned into her first block for the day: history.
THE NEXT PART IS WHERE THE PLOT WILL THICKEN AND BEGIN
HOW ABOUT THAT EDETER/ PEDEN? YES OR NO?