Persephone the Phony (Goddess Girls) Read Online Free PDF Page B

of hurt and anger streamed down her face. With friends like hers, who needed enemies?
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    In the Underworld
    AFTER A WHILE SOMEONE KNOCKED LIGHTLY on Persephone's door. "Can I come in?"
    It was Aphrodite. "Go away!" Persephone yelled.
    "Please," Aphrodite called through the door. "We need to talk."
    "I don't want to. Not now, not ever!"
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    "It's not like you think," Aphrodite protested. "We were worried about you. And your mom practically mad e us tell her. We didn't mean to get you in trouble."
    "Right," Persephone said sarcastically. "Well, thanks for nothing!"
    There was a pause, and she could hear whispers. Athena and Artemis must be outside her door too. At last Aphrodite spoke again. "You're not yourself right now," she said. "We'll talk to you at school tomorrow after you've calmed down, okay?"
    Persephone didn't answer. Moments later she heard her friends leave. Aphrodite had it all wrong, she thought. This angry self was her real self. The Persephone her friends thought they knew, the one who went along to get along, was the phony Persephone.
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    From now on that Persephone was gone forever!
    Demeter made yambrosia for dinner that night. Although the school's yambrosia was good, her mom's was heavenl y. Persephone knew it was an attempt to patch things up between them, but she stubbornly ate her bowlful in silence and stared down at the tabletop to avoid looking at her mom. The only sound during the meal was the clicking of spoons against their ceramic bowls.
    Later, as they were doing the washing up before bedtime, Demeter set down her dishcloth and sighed. "I'm sorry. I know I shouldn't have scolded you in front of your friends this afternoon."
    Persephone grunted but didn't reply.
    "You're my only daughter," her mom continued. "I don't know what I'd do if I lost you."
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    Breaking her silence at long last, Persephone muttered, "I'm not something you can misplace. I'm not a turquoise ring or an emerald bracelet."
    Her mom frowned. "Don't get smart with me. You know what I mean." In a calmer voice she said, "It's late. We'll talk more tomorrow." Taking a step toward Persephone, she added, "Good night." As her mom bent to kiss her, Persephone turned her cheek away. "See you in the morning," Demeter said softly. Then she headed down the hall to her room.
    Persephone knew she'd hurt her, but she shoved away her feelings of guilt. If she forgave her mom now, she'd simply fall back into her old pattern of letting others tell her how to behave, and that was something she was determined no t to do.
    Returning to her room, she paced back and forth
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    on the mosaic floor tiles beside her bed, thinking about what had happened and what she should do next. She just couldn' t continue to be the goddessgirl her friends and her mom thought she was. And then, like a bolt of lightning from Zeus, an idea struck her. She would run away!
    And she knew exactly where she'd go.
    Once she was sure Demeter was asleep, Persephone packed a few chitons and other things she'd need into a woven bag and sneaked out of the house. Hesitating on the doorstep, she looked back for one long moment. It wasn't too late to return to her room. She could still change her mind. Feeling her resolve waver, she steeled her spine. Then she clutched her bag tightly and hurried away.
    Since Hades was her only rea l friend, she'd decided
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    to ask him if she could stay at his place. Turning herself into a dove, she grabbed her bag in her beak and dropped down to the River Styx. About a half mile past the spot where Mr. Cyclops's sandals had been found, she spied some shades--human souls--boarding Charon's boat for the trip to the Underworld.
    Changing herself into an old woman, a favorite disguise of her mom's, Persephone joined the throng at the river's edge. Her body was solid compared to that of the wispy shades, but she hoped no one would notice. She waited until it was her turn, then approached Charon. "I'd like passage to the Underworld, please," she