Baby Bennett

Chapter 17

Leto became a good friend to Persephone as the semester went on. Sometimes he would come along to the diner and help be the buffer as she tried to grow more comfortable with Bonnie again. One day it was just Bonnie and she wouldn't take no for an answer for walking Persephone home. They dropped off Leto then headed down the street. "So Leto," Bonnie said and Persephone rolled her eyes.

"It is not like that. He's a friend. So stop with the looks," Persephone said, "I'm with Kol. I'm meant to be with Kol. We're soulmates."

"Persephone-"

"This is why I don't talk about him. This is why we need a fourth person at the table every conversation we have!" She sped up her walking.

"I'm just asking why you won't consider anyone else." Persephone stopped and glared at Matt.

"You've been with Matt for years. Why don't you consider anyone else?"

"Because everything we've gone through we've done together. Can you really say the same?" Bonnie sighed and finally said what she really wanted to say, "Look I know it's really awkward. I just don't know how to deal now. I know that you are completely to blame for your own decisions but I'm upset that I didn't see you hurting as badly as you were. And that you didn't talk to me." Persephone bit her lip.

"I couldn't talk to anyone. I- you were finally living for more than just me. I didn't want to take that from you. But I needed you. I needed someone."

"I know. And that should've been me. But I can't change it."

"Neither can I. So what do we do now? We just pretend we were never close? You hate me that much?" She couldn't help but cry. Bonnie came closer and wrapped her arms around her sister.

"I don't hate you. I could never hate you. But I'm mad at you and I'm mad at myself. I'm not saying we'll never be close again. I'm saying we both need time. I say weekly meetups at the diner."

"Weekly?"

"Of course. I've spent so long not seeing you. Worried about where you were. If you were alive. I need to see. I need to know."

"Okay. Once a week."

Persephone liked Leto. And sometimes she was bothered by how much she liked him. Everything she discovered about him, he just became a better person. A month into their lab partnership, they were at the library when he got a call. "Sorry, I have to take this," he said to her. He walked away but Persephone could still hear. "I have to go," someone on the other side of the line said.

"But I paid until nine as usual."

"I'm sorry, Leto."

"It's fine. Tell her I'll be right there," he said then hung up and cursed. He came back to the table with a gentle smile, "I have a family emergency. I have to cancel."

"Oh, that's okay.I didn't know you had more family. Just your mom."

"Umm, no, actually. I have a little sister. Jade. She's only eight. My mother had her later in life."

"Oh and you-. Why didn't you tell me?" He shrugged, "You have realized by now that Bonnie is more of my mother than my sister, right?"

"But you're like-"

"Four years apart. But our mother left when we were young and we didn't know it but our father wasn't actually my father."

"I would love to hear more about this but the girl I pay to babysit Jade will leave if I don't get there in time."

"We can study at your place if you want? Is she rambunctious?"

"She's lively. But I think she'll enjoy you. You know, she actually wanted to play an instrument but my mother never got around to it then she got sick."

"Well I can bring a violin and at least play her something."

"You sure?"

"Yeah. I can do that. Why don't I meet you at your house?" Leto nodded and finished grabbing his things before racing off at almost a sprint.

Persephone got home and Kol was watching TV. He did that a lot. "Don't you have anything better to do?" she asked him.

"I thought you were studying at the library then headed to the diner?"

"Yeah but I was with a friend who had a family emergency. So I'm going to go over to their house and study," she said, "I'm gonna grab my violin too." Kol looked up at that.

"Really?"

"Yeah. Kol, you can't just stay in the house. I mean you can but why do you want to? You can take even one class. Hell, you can compel yourself into better classes. Higher level classes. Grams studied witchcraft academically. I'm headed for the same. And I think you would like it. Just think about it. I'll be back later tonight," she leaned down to kiss him chastely then walked away.

The day ended up being longer than anyone thought. Persephone loved meeting Jade. She was a little copy of Leto but more lively than him. After they finished their report, they headed to the diner for dinner with Matt and Bonnie. Jade was the center of attention. Then she begged to go to the park afterwards. It was a pretty safe campus so it was a nice walk. Persephone took out her violin towards the end of the walk and began to play Vivaldi Spring, her favorite. A crowd gathered to listen to Persephone. One song moved into the next and she played for almost twenty minutes before finally ending. Everyone clapped and she bowed before walking over to Leto and Jade. "You were amazing!" Jade said to her and hugged her tightly around her waist.

"Thank you." she told Jade and looked at Leto.

"She's right. You are a very talented musician." She nodded to him.

"Still as perfect as the first time I heard it," Persephone heard from behind her. She turned to see Kol.

"Kol, hey, what are you doing here?" she asked him as he walked up and wrapped his arm around her .

"Family emergency actually. My family," he said then looked at Leto and Jade.

"I'm sorry to hear that. I'm Leto," Leto said, then held out his hand.

"Kol."

"The boyfriend."

"She's mentioned me?" he asked in dramatic surprise.

"Of course," Persephone said with a roll of her eyes, "Leto is my friend and lab partner in my bio anthro class. And this is his little sister, Jade."

"Nice to meet you both," Kol said, sounding at best, indifferent.

"You too. But we should probably get home. I hope everything with your family is okay," he said then grabbed Jade's hand and walked off. The crowd had dissipated as well.