Disclaimer: I don't own Wolfblood. It belongs to the BBC. It would be nice if I did :)
Maddy ran up to her room and flung herself on her bed, burying her face in a pillow. Tom couldn't be right. If Rhydian had really loved her, he wouldn't have left. She heard Shannon knock on her door. "Maddy?" Maddy sniffed a little, but didn't answer. "Maddy, are you alright?" Shannon opened the door tentatively and when she saw Maddy lying face down on the bed she came in, pulled her up and put her arms round her. "Don't worry Maddy, it'll be alright. You've still got me and Tom."
"Where is Tom?" Maddy asked.
"He went home" Shannon said. "I told him I was going to comfort you, and he said he had to help his mum with tea. I think he felt a bit awkward."
"Oh right. Didn't want to get involved with the girly stuff then?" Maddy sniffed. Shannon laughed.
"I'm sure that's what he thought! Look, it's not the end of the world Maddy."
"WHAT DO YOU KNOW ABOUT IT?" Maddy shouted at her, tears beginning to prick at her eyes. Shannon stumbled back.
"I'm sorry Maddy. I was just trying to comfort you."
"No Shan. I'm sorry, it's just he left without saying anything to me!" Maddy said, tears finally spilling over and running down her cheeks. She wiped them away. Shannon came and sat down next to Maddy on the bed, putting her arm around her again.
"I'll get you a hot chocolate."
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Maddy trudged into school with her head down, wanting to avoid eye contact with everybody. She walked into class and sat down, the seat next to her painfully empty. She felt her eyes beginning to moisten and she rapidly blinked back the tears. She couldn't cry in class, she just couldn't. Shannon and Tom sitting behind her exchanged worried and looks and Tom was about to speak to her when Mr Jeffries walked in with a "Settle down everybody!" He went through the register and when he got to "Rhydian Morris!" he was met with silence. Mr Jeffries looked up and saw that Rhydian's seat was empty. He sighed and turned to Maddy. "Maddy, where is Rhydian?" Maddy looked up and opened her mouth to speak, but nothing came out. She cleared her throat and tried again.
"I don't know sir." It came out all hoarse and quiet, and Maddy winced. You could really tell she was trying not to cry.
"You don't know?" Mr Jeffries repeated incredulously, seeming not to notice Maddy's tone. Maddy shook her head. "Well I shall be contacting his foster parents to find out where he is." Mr Jeffries informed her. Maddy didn't respond. "Not a lot gets past me in this school, Madeline Smith. Remember that."
The class, as one, rolled their eyes.
Maddy moped about all day, avoiding Shannon and Tom's attempts to cheer her up. At lunch she ran off into the woods, losing herself in a world of memories. Rhydian and her had been growing close, hadn't they? They'd helped each other out of tough situations. He'd even been with her for her first transformation; He'd held her hand as they stood there on that rock, gazing up at the full moon.
Then he'd just left. Walked off to a new life with his new-found mum and brother who hadn't ever been there for him! Abandoned him and left him to the human world when he was two! Forced him to reveal his secret (and hers, she reminded herself) to Tom and Shannon! Yet he still chose them over her!
Maddy was woken from her reverie by her watch beeping. It was time to go back to school. She groaned and kicked up a pile of leaves, her resentment at Rhydian still flowing through her system. She made sure her schoolbag was done up securely, and then ran off back towards school, making it to the playground just as the bell went.
She sulked around for the rest of the day, even refusing to go to Bernie's after school with Shannon and Tom. Instead she went straight home and lay on her bed, staring up at the ceiling. She remembered the time when Rhydian had given her that thistle root and kept her secret from Shannon and Tom. Tom had said he was jealous, and when she asked him, he hadn't denied it. Maddy's bottom lip trembled as the tears that had been threatening all day finally spilled over, and she rolled over and cried herself to sleep into her pillow.
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Over the next few weeks Maddy became secluded and stressed, her inner wolf always on the brink of taking over, but now instead of Rhydian to keep her out of harm's way, she had Shannon and Tom. They were always there to push her out of sight, or create a distraction, but it wasn't the same because as much as Maddy loved and appreciated their help, they couldn't properly understand her. Not like Rhydian. She still missed him, and as the moon became fuller, she realised that this was the first transformation she wasn't looking forward to, as well as her first one without Rhydian.
Full moon day dawned and Maddy woke up with a start. "Rhydian?" She looked around and remembered that he'd gone from her life, it was just a dream. She lay back on her bed and wiped the tears off her face before getting up to get ready for school as normal.
She bounded down the stairs, full of energy from the moon already. She stopped and sniffed. She could smell bacon. She ran into the kitchen where, true to her senses, her mother was cooking bacon on the stove. She smiled at her as Maddy came into the kitchen. "Morning Maddy. How are you feeling?"
"I miss Rhydian." Maddy said. Then she gasped and put her hands over her mouth. She hadn't meant to say that.
Her mother smiled and nodded, understanding. "That's alright Maddy. At the full moon, your senses are always stronger. Your human self misses a friend, and your wolf self yearns for a mate. Together, you were bound to feel like this at the full moon. Here." She gave Maddy a plate of bacon. "Eat that up and then get off to school. And don't get caught running unnaturally fast!" She called after her as Maddy walked off with her plate of bacon.
The meat was delicious. Maddy wolfed it down and then grabbed her bag and ran out the door. She ran through the woods at top wolf speed, but slowed down when she got to school. She met Tom and Shannon outside the darkroom as usual. "It's the full moon tonight Maddy." Shannon said. "How are you feeling?"
"I miss Rhydian." Maddy gasped and put her hands over her mouth again. She could have kicked herself. She'd said it. Again. Tom smirked.
"Is that it? What, it's the full moon and no, your eyes aren't turning yellow and you're not growing claws, you miss Rhydian?"
"No, that's not it!" Maddy growled angrily "I feel really energetic as well, it's just at the full moon my senses are always stronger, and I've never transformed without Rhydian before, so I'm a little nervous as to how I'm going to cope." Shannon narrowed her eyes.
"Okay. We believe you. For now." Maddy rolled her eyes and they all laughed as the bell went and they walked into form.
That night, Maddy spent her transformation curled up in the corner of the den, often howling for Rhydian. Oh how she missed him. It was almost a physical pain now, and he hadn't even been gone a month. When she woke up in the morning her mum came over, sat next to her and put an arm around her. "I'm so sorry Maddy." Maddy sniffed.
"You don't know what it's like mam. I want him back so badly."
"Oh Maddy" her mother said. "You can move on from this you know. It may take a while, as you've lost someone so close to you, but things will work out in the end, you'll see."
"No they won't." Maddy replied huffily
"One important thing to remember Maddy is that life's not always perfect."
A/N: Don't worry, Rhydian will be in the next chapter! I am working on it now, and it should be up soon. Please review, it really makes my day, and it helps me to write faster! If I have made any mistakes, please let me know! Thanks :)