Persephone wanted to change. She didn't want to be the same person that ended up hurting all those people. But it started little. The first thing she did was enroll in more than just violin classes and musical composition classes. She enrolled in a history class too.
She was on the campus for a week before she saw Bonnie. She was walking to class with Matt. They were holding hands and looking so happy. Persephone didn't know whether to avoid them or not. Then Matt saw her and their eyes connected. "What?" Persephone heard Bonnie say with her enhanced hearing. Matt gestured over to Persephone. She heard Bonnie's heart rate increase as she walked over. She also heard the sigh release from her mouth.
"You're back," Bonnie said. Persephone nodded but couldn't look her in the eyes. "That mean Kol is around?" She nodded again. "Are you sure he is good for you? I mean, look at how you act when he isn't there. When he keeps dying and returning and dying again." Persephone looked up with a glare.
"I love Kol."
"I'm not saying you don't. But Persephone, you've loved him since you were thirteen. And it's brought you nothing but heartache."
"I'm so sorry I couldn't have a mundane relationship like you and Matt. I can't be normal. I have never been normal. You think some random human is going to understand that?" Persephone asked.
"Maybe. Maybe not."
"I don't have time for this. I've got a Bio Anthro lab to get to," Persephone said.
"Since when do music majors need that?"
"They don't. I just- I'm late. Can we-"
"Dinner tonight? We can go to Maisies Diner like we did the first semester."
"Third wheeling again. Should be fun," she said and wanted to say more but kept her mouth shut.
"I guess you could invite Kol."
"Oh I can, can I?"
"This isn't easy for me either." Persephone didn't reply to her. She just walked away, speed walking so she could get there faster.
The room was set up with lab tables though they wouldn't actually do any experiences. She looked to the teacher who had just begun talking. "Your lab partners are listed here," the woman gestured to the wall where lists had been posted. Persephone looked over at it then went to her assigned table.
She went and sat down then took out her notebook. Someone sat down next to her. It was a male and she could tell by the pine scent. But it wasn't overwhelming like cologne. It was as if he'd actually spent a lot of time in nature. "You must be Persephone," he said and she looked up at him. He was dark haired, blue eyed, tall and muscular wearing a Henley.
"I must be. I'm sorry I didn't read your name."
"Leto. I'm Leto." She nodded as he sat down, "So, you any good at this stuff?" She shrugged.
"I'm okay. I'm good at school just in general."
"Me too. I graduated when I was fifteen." She looked over at him in surprise.
"Me too," she said. The teacher started going over their instructions so they had to stop talking. When the class was over, Leto stopped her.
"Can I get your number?" she looked confused, "So we can get together to do the lab report."
"Oh. Right. Umm, okay," she rarely used her phone anyway but had no problem giving him the number.
"See you around, Persephone." She didn't reply, just went about her day.
Kol was watching television when Persephone got back to the house. "How was the first day of lab?" he asked her as he snacked on popcorn.
"Fine. We didn't really learn anything. You sure you don't want to enroll?"
"What could they have to teach me?"
"An abundance of things. The pursuit of knowledge is life long. Even in someone who lives forever. What do you plan on doing every day?"
"Well I have forever to figure that out. Kind of the point of being a vampire, right?" Persephone had to stop herself from rolling her eyes.
"I saw Bonnie today. She invited us to grab dinner tonight."
"Us or you?"
"Us. So I'll get dressed around five and we'll leave right after."
"So I don't have a choice?"
"Of course you do," she said, then headed to her room but then walked back, "Aren't the first parts of a relationship supposed to be the honeymoon phase where everyone is happy? Why does it feel like this?" Kol looked up at her for the first time since she walked in. Really looked at her.
"I don't know. But I mean we're not like other couples. They don't have five years of baggage together." She nodded and chewed on her lip but didn't say anything else.
Persephone got to the diner later that night alone. Kol wasn't ready when she was and she didn't feel like getting into an argument. He didn't give up on her when a lot of people had. She had to give him credit for that. Bonnie and Matt were already sitting in a booth when she arrived with a plate of fries in front of them. "I'm not late, right?" she asked and they both looked up.
"No. You know we like something to eat while we decide," Bonnie said then craned her neck to look behind Persephone, "No Kol?"
"He was busy."
"Doing what? Is he enrolled?" Bonnie asked.
"Umm, no. Not yet, at least. He's just trying to figure out what he wants to do." Bonnie nodded.
"So when did you get back?"
"Two weeks ago? I was in Yellowstone where I'd been staying and Kol was following me. He helped me when some witches tried to trap me."
"And you just decided to return?" Persephone raised her shoulders in a shrug.
"School is all I know. Thought it would be a good place to start. Plus Nik rented the house for me for another year and a half so there's that. Where are you both living?"
"We got an apartment off campus with Beverly, that girl from my Spanish class in the first year."
"Oh. I didn't know you were still friends," Persephone hadn't made friends with anybody the first time she'd been at Whitmore. Things were still fresh from Kol's death and surviving was hard enough.
"Persephone?" a voice asked and Persephone looked over to see her lab partner.
"Oh. Hi, Leto," she said to him. Bonnie looked over at the guy curiously. Leto just stood like he was waiting to be introduced but Persephone never moved to do so.
"Hi, I'm Leto, I'm Persephone's lab partner for Biological Anthropology." Bonnie reached out her hand and they shook them.
"I'm Bonnie, Persephone's older sister. This is my boyfriend, Matt." Matt shook Leto's hand too, "Are you here with friends?"
"Actually I just transferred this semester. So no friends."
"Who transfers in college, mid-semester?" Persephone asked suspiciously.
"Well actually I was supposed to transfer at the start of the year. I went to Columbia but my mother got sick and lives near here. I came home to take care of her but she died as the semester was starting. So the school let me take off the semester while I got her affairs in order."
"Oh. I'm sorry. that must have sucked," Persephone said softly. They were still staring at Leto who was standing. Matt cleared his throat.
"Would you like to join us?" Persephone glared at him.
"I wouldn't want to intrude."
"No, you can save Persephone from third wheeling," Bonnie said as the Leto guy moved into her side of the booth. The new group settled into silence.
"I have a boyfriend," Persephone said to Leto. He looked shocked and confused.
"Okay?" he asked and she nodded.
"Just wanted to say that."
"Okay."
They soon ordered their food and topics of conversation became more mundane. "So you never told me why you a violin prodigy is taking biological anthropology," Bonnie said as she ate her veggie omelette.
"I'm exploring new interests. Grams was an anthro professor. I loved when she talked to us about digs and artifcats. I love playing the violin. But it's pretty much the only interest I've had since I was four."
"Are you good?" Leto asked and Persephone didn't want to answer.
"She's amazing. She got an offer for a children's orchestra when she was young. Persephone was a soloist for Vivaldi Four Seasons when she was thirteen."
"Amazing," Leto said. Persephone shrugged.
"So why are you in biological anthropology, Leto?" Matt asked.
"Well I'm actually a writer but historical fiction. I want to study ancient myths. I'm really obsessed with the emergence of similar pagan rituals in different cultures with no contact with each other." Persephone's ears perked up at that.
"Rituals like what?"
"Well the myths I mainly want to study are the different beliefs of Selene. The moon. It was actually my mother's name." he said and everyone nodded while looking at him, "There are these cleansing and healing rituals that take place on certain moon phases."
"What got you interested in that?" Persephone asked him before even realizing the question came out of her mouth.
"Towards the end, when the doctors said there was nothing to do, my mom didn't want to give up. We searched for more herbal remedies and it helped for a while but it just wasn't enough. Though in ancient times they had disease and they fought them." Persephone looked over at him with new interest.
"That's true," Persephone said. She actually enjoyed having Leto there. Alone she'd likely have to be judged by Matt and Bonnie and they'd only dredge up the past. But they couldn't do it with a human in the group.
When dinner was over, Leto offered to pay and they accepted. He said it was to meet new friends. They all stood and walked out together. "Want us to walk you back to your place?" Bonnie asked Persephone. She shook her head.
"No. Nothing in the dark scares me." she said and her eyes glowed with a wink.
"Well I'm quite the damsel," Leto said and Persephone laughed.
"Where do you live?" He told her his address and it was a home a couple streets over from her place, "I guess I can escort you because we're heading the same way. But only because if we are attacked, I think I can run faster than you." Leto laughed.
"You're probably right. It was nice meeting you, Bonnie and Matt."
"You too, Leto," Bonnie looked at Persephone, not Leto, when she said goodbye. Persephone rolled her eyes, "Call me when you get home?"
"No tomorrow. When there's less ears," she replied. Bonnie nodded. Persephone said goodbye to Matt then the group separated.
They walked home in a comfortable silence for a while. "So you mentioned you graduated when you were fifteen. How long ago was that?" Leto asked her curiously.
"Three years now. I'm eighteen as of October, remember? What about you?"
"Seventeen until next month," he said, then more silence, "Where was the boyfriend tonight?"
"At home. It's been a hard year. My- uh," she didn't know how to explain it to a human, "My boyfriend has been sick most of our relationship. He goes through times when he's really healthy but he inevitably gets sick again. I always take it harder than I mean to," she explained, "I didn't do the fall semester because I was hurting. And depressed. And angry."
"Understandable."
"Yeah but she thinks I should just let it go. Let him go. Find someone easier."
"But you can't."
"I don't want to," she said. They walked in silence until she got to his street. "Being smart, everything was always so easy for me. So when it came to him, I used to not mind that it was harder."
"Used to?" he asked. More silence but he stopped walking and she did too.
"Huh?" she asked him and he just shook his head. He took his thumb and gestured to the house behind him.
"This is my place." She nodded.
"Nice house."
"Thanks I grew up here. So library on Wednesday for the lab?"
"Sure. Have a good night. And umm, I'm sorry about your mom. It sucks to lose the person who raised you."
"I sense a story there."
"Maybe another time. I have been told I need more friends."
"Well you can count me now."
"I do. Umm, yeah. So goodnight," she repeated then laughed and smiled awkwardly, "I'm gonna go." She cursed at herself as she was walking down the street.