Hi, so I've been absent for while…so anyways this chapter is it, then we can get to the good stuff. Like I'm so excited. You'll notice that I missed out a lot of episodes and that's because I really just want Rhydian to leave already so we can get to the magic (for Jimi cause I've been kind of neglecting that…oops) and relationships! (Finally…)

As well as that I wanted to say stay strong any Shawols out there, I feel your pain and so does Jimi…who cares if it's not linear or anything, I'm the author and I shall use my artistic license to make this happen.

RIP Kim Jonghyun, you did good!


Maddy sighs as she drops her bag onto the bench before joining it, looking out at the empty school. Her parents had dropped her off, normally she'd come with Rhydian, but they'd said no to walking to school ever since the running away incident. She'd started to regret it now with how everyone had taken to babying her, with the two boys snickering at her pain whenever it happened.

At least there's no school tomorrow, Maddy thought as she wrapped her scarf tighter around her neck, it was only autumn but the weather in their town was always so bad. The staff planning day meant that she, Rhydian, Tom and Shannon could hang out. Maybe even Jimi but that's only if she could force him out of bed. Rolling her eyes, she chuckled lowly, rubbing her palms together before she caught sight of a flash of red in the corner of her eye.

Turning her head immediately she was met with nothing but stillness and silence but that was expected. She sniffed the air and the only unusual smell was the scent of forest and people lingering but she brushed it off, her mind once again consumed.

Half an hour went by quick and students had already started to trickle into school with their friends, either hanging out outside or going inside in their pursuit of warmth. Some gave Maddy weird looks as she waited for her friends, some leaning into their friends to whisper but Maddy ignored them.

"MADS!"

Too late. Before she could even whip her head around to greet her best friend he had already tackled her into a hug, the whispering increased in fervour before Rhydian sent them a glare and the students dispersed into their own cliques.

"How are you?" He asked, also dumping his stuff on the floor and taking residence in the spot next to her on the bed, "you good?" He sounded nervous and that instantly intrigued her.

"I'm fine. Rhydian, you okay?"

"Yeah why wouldn't I be." Maddy hummed, filing away that Rhydian had taken too long to answer in the back of her mind for another time.

"Where's Jimi?" She asked.

"I don't think he's coming in, he called me yesterday and told me to tell you."

"Oh, he keeps taking random days off, he does know they affect his grades, right?"

"Maybe. Do you want to go inside?"

"Yeah let's." Maddy answers as she shrugs on her bag and walks inside Rhydian following.


"That's it, come with me!" Maddy grabbed Rhydian and dragged him towards a secluded area, Tom and Shannon looking up in confusion as their friend is forcefully taken away.

"What do you want Maddy?" Rhydian asks, when they finally get outside both sitting on the bench they were sitting on that morning.

"What I want Rhydian," Maddy answers her finger coming up and jabbing him in the chest, "is to know why you're acting like this!" Her eyes soften when she sees him recoil at her tone. "You know you can tell me Rhydian, we're friends, more than friends we're family." She pleaded grabbing and holding onto his hands.

"I know it's just, I had a lot on my mind you know and now something else had come up and," he removes his hands, waving them in an aggressive manner as he speaks before dragging them down his face. "I feel like I'm being stretched to thin, you know what I mean?"

"Yes, I know, but Rhydian confiding your problems to people you trust make it better, trust me. So, let's sit down and talk about it, yeah?"

Rhydian nods and they both sit, Maddy holding his hands again, and looking at him expectantly. They sit like that for a while, before Maddy breaks the silence again, "you gonna tell me or are we just gonna sit here all quiet."

Rhydian chuckles at her cheek before clearing his throat, his face going red. "The first it, I don't think it's anything important it's just kind of…" Maddy looks at him in confusion and Rhydian coughs and his face goes more red. "I kind of realised a few days ago that umm I have a…thing, if you can call it that, for ummm…"

Maddy let out a laugh and Rhydian glared at her. Noticing it she laughed harder before holding out a hand, telling Rhydian to wait until she calmed down.

"You have a thing for Jimi, right?"

Rhydian immediately jumped up, glaring at Maddy as she burst out laughing again, his face red and metaphorical steam coming out his ears.

"Sit down you big oaf," Maddy dragged him down again and this time her face had turned serious, any hint of laughter gone. "This might be hard for you to accept but don't worry Rhydian no one, especially not the pack, will think differently of you just because of it so you don't need to worry–"

"Maddy." Rhydian put up his hand smiling as he effectively shut up, "That's not what it's about, I mean I know I like him and I've already accepted it…I was just wondering about how I was going to tell him."

"Oh."

Maddy had gone red, and Rhydian smirked at her embarrassment before she recovered and glared at Rhydian. "Is that what you were worried about, like seriously? Just ask him out, I'm sure that Jimi likes you as well."

"Yeah," Rhydian deadpanned, "as a friend. And that's not all, my mother, Ceri."

"Yes, Rhydian what about Ceri."

"She wants me to go back with her, and I don't know what to do."

Maddy squeezed his hands, "That must be such a hard decision for you. What do you want to do?"

"I really want to go, but I don't want to leave my life here and is it bad that I want to get to know my family, my real family. Is it bad to be selfish like that for once?"

"No Rhydian no it isn't. Don't you dare call yourself selfish for wanting to get to know the people who're meant to love you, who are your biological family. If you want to go, go. We'll all still be here if you ever decide to come back."

Maddy squeezed one more time before letting go and looking up at Rhydian, "but if you are gonna go there's something I want to say."

"…what?" The look of confusion in his eyes made her nervous but Maddy was determined to see thus through.

"It has no relation to what we're talking about, but I really want to get it off my chest. When you first came, and I got to know you I had this like major crush on you but as I got to know you more, I kind of realised that your family to me, a sibling that I never had, and I want to thank you for that."

Rhydian was immediately assaulted by an armful of Maddy as she started sobbing, the conversation finally registering and the fear of losing her best friend making itself known.

"If you're gonna react like this Maddy I don't really think I want to leave."

Lifting her face, she glared at him, wiping away the tears and leaning away, "You better not just stay because of that," her face softened, "I guess that means your leaving then?"

"I think I am, I think I want to be selfish for once. Now call your parents to come pick us up, that teacher has been looking at us weirdly."

Maddy let out a laugh and she nodded, "okay cool I will, you weirdo."


"Now what's this about?" Emma asks as she loads the two teenagers into the car.

"Rhydian's gonna go on a family vacation with his mom and brother." Maddy nonchalantly answers texting on her phone.

"With Ceri and her son? Who're you texting?"

"Yeah with them and I'm texting Jimi can we pick him up."

Emma looked between the two teens confused at what was going on. Before shrugging and starting the car.

When they arrived at Jimi's the boy was already outside, wearing black with red puffy eyes. They all looked at him weirdly as he entered, Maddy leaning on him for comfort.

"What happened?" Rhydian asked confused, Jimi looked up and tears welled in his eyes before he looked down and started sobbing quietly.

"The idol Kim Jonghyun died recently. SHINee's his favourite group and Jonghyun is the lead singer."

Rhydian mouthed a quiet oh and sent concerned glances to the other boy before deciding to not comment, he felt guilty as he knew that he might be the reason for the other boys tears later on.


"So," Jimi started as they all sat in the living room of the Smith household. He had stopped crying two minutes ago and was now calmly sipping a cola though sometimes his eyes became glossy with unshed tears. "What's going on?"

Maddy and Rhydian shifted uncomfortably causing his eyes to be drawn to them. "Is there something you guys want to tell me?"

"Well," Rhydian started before deciding to be blunt and get it over and done with, "I'm leaving. I'm uhh leaving with Ceri."

Jimi appeared taken back with the news but he just nodded and continued sipping. "When?"

They all looked at Ceri and the young boy, "We're leaving today, Rhydian's offer was to decide by this date. I'm happy you chose us." Ceri smiled warmly at the young boy.

"Yes, but you do know, Rhydian," Emma started, "that we'll always be here if you ever want to come back and me and Dan would like talk to Ceri in the kitchen please, if you don't mind." She sent a tight smile at the other women who returned it before both stood and left Dan following behind them confused.

"What do you think they're gonna talk about?" Maddy asked finally breaking the silence.

"Probably what's going to happen after, the cover story they're going to use and stuff like that." Jimi answered putting down the empty can. "You're lucky Morris," at this he pointed a threatening finger at Rhydian though everyone could see the humour behind it, "that I've already used up all my tears for the day, honestly." He huffed. Maddy, Rhydian and the little boy burst into laughter and Jimi glared dagger at them though he couldn't for some reason shut them up.


They stood, Maddy and Jimi, quite a way away from the car that Emma and Dan were in, watching Ceri and her son start the trek. Rhydian stood with them before he sighed and started moving forward but not before turning to his friends, his family.

"Guess this is goodbye, right?" He looked awkward as he rolled his shoulders back avoiding eye contact with the two.

"Yeah I guess it is." Jimi snorted causing the other two to smile.

"Bye Rhydian." Maddy leaned in for a hug, before they both parted and Rhydian held his arms out for Jimi. The boy glared at him before leaning in and reciprocating the hug.

"Bye idiot." He said fondly before breaking the hug and smiling at the other. Rhydian's face showed confliction and Jimi was confused to why the other hadn't let go of him after.

Rhydian glanced at Maddy who sent him thumbs up before looking back at a confused Jimi and thinking fuck it. He leaned forward and locked lips with the other boy for a kiss. If it could be called that, it was barely just a chaste touch before he pulled away grinned at the other and ran off towards Ceri and his brother, waving a goodbye and blowing another kiss to Jimi and Maddy.

"What the fuck." Jimi throughout all of this was still frozen from the kiss, his hand touching his lips as he stayed in a state of confusion, "what was that?"

"That dumbass," Maddy said as she grabbed his hand and dragged him back to the car, "was Rhydian telling you he liked you."

"What as he left me?" Jimi snorted.

Maddy stopped for a second, looked at him before nodding and replying, "yes. Now shut up and let's go get the stuff for the sleepover idiot."

Jimi grinned at her before nodding and entering the car, casting a longing look back to the three figures disappearing behind the tree line.

"Goodbye." He whispered.


Wow, only took eight chapters to get here, I was expecting more to be honest. Now that that's done, we can move on to the fun stuff. Also they kissed, even though Rhydian left him after they kissed and yes I know I missed a lot from the episodes but this is a fanfiction!

See you when I finally sort out the plot for the next arc and update.

And again RIP Kim Jonghyun, I hope you're in a better place. WE ALL LOVE YOU. Did ya'll hear about the pearl aqua (green) moon? I'm not sure if it's real or not but it brought me a lot of closure, thinking it was a sign from him to us, telling us that he's happy and in a better place. Heaven better appreciate our angel and his voice!

JINKI