Chapter 10 - Sundae at Bernie's

Tom and Shan raced towards Bernie's. In fact, they were in such a rush that Shan nearly trampled two innocent 8 year students on the way. The younger boy yelped as Shan bumped him off the curb. He went down, but not realizing the power of her momentum, Shan kept on, oblivious, with Tom right at her heels.

"Shan! You almost killed someone. Slow it down, yeah?"

It was Monday, about 5 o'clock, nearly dinnertime, and the sky above Stoneybridge was like a grey veil blotting out what little sunshine there was. As if the weather had chosen to match Maddy's mood, Tom and Shan saw her hunched over a table in the corner. She was staring listlessly into a cup of hot chocolate. Even the whipped cream on top was untouched. Uhoh Tom and Shan thought. Maybe things were even worse than they'd feared… Seeing her two best mates enter, though, the wolfblood girl leapt out of her chair, as Shan catapulted into her arms first, and then Tom.

"Mads, are you all right? Jeffries wouldn't tell us a thing," Shan groused.

Tom nodded.

"Yeah. I mean, seriously, with you and Rhydian not back from your 'camping trip' today, and Jeffries all tight-lipped, we knew it couldn't be anything good. So…what happened?"

"Rhydian won't wake up," Maddy said miserably.

"What!?" Shan and Tom exclaimed in unison. Shan's ginger hair flashed in the waning sunlight as she sat down, snagged Maddy's wrist, and pulled the brunette down beside her.

"At first, it all went how it was supposed to…" Maddy began. "We faced my fears, my wolf's fears…and we actually conquered them." Maddy shuddered as Tom reached out to give her shoulder a reassuring rub.

"And then what, Mads?"

"Then…" Maddy's brown eyes deepened into shades like liquid chocolate. "Then Rhydian had fears of his own. He saw an illusion of some kind of horrifying beast—or thing—killing me. And then I had to pull us out of the dreamworld before it got worse, because Rhydian's fears were too strong for him, and I couldn't—I couldn't do enough to help him." Tears sprang to Maddy's eyes, but she brushed them away and forced herself to continue.

"Then he woke up and it seemed like he was okay. We talked while the shaman dressed the wound that Rhydian had caused when he bit me in the dreamworld."

"Rhydian BIT you?" Shan cried. When Shan's eyes nearly popped out of her head, Mads tried to defuse the alarm. "It wasn't anything too awful, Shan. It's fine, it'll look almost normal by the end of the week." Maddy pulled up her sleeve and showed her friends the bandages on her hand, wrist, and arm. Tom and Shan couldn't stop from gaping at it.

"And then what?" Shan said.

Maddy shrugged helplessly. "Then Rhydian said he was tired, and Cedren—the shaman—he left us alone in the tent and we decided to take a nap. When I woke up, though, Rhydian was in a deep sleep. I couldn't get him to wake back up. Rhydian's parents couldn't get him to wake up either. He's still up there with the wild pack, and Cedren's trying to figure out what's wrong with him. He says it's a rare thing but that sometimes…someone comes back from the dreamworld while a part of themselves doesn't really leave, and if THAT happens sometimes they can slip back into the dreamworld without meaning to." Maddy gritted her teeth.

"None of this was supposed to happen!" She was nearly shouting now, and other people in Bernie's cafe—including Jimi and his mates—were starting to glance their way.

Shan gave her best friend another hug. "I'm so sorry, Mads. You know what, though?" Maddy looked up reluctantly into Shan's hopeful face. At least, Shan was hoping her face looked hopeful just now. She was putting on a brave front for Maddy's sake.

"I'm sure they'll find a way to wake him up, Mads. His parents are there too, right? And so is this shaman and his entire pack of wolfbloods. He's in good hands. There's nothing you can do but wait, and we'll help you get through it. Right, Tom?"

Tom nodded readily, but Maddy's face darkened with a frown.

"If it weren't for stupid Jeffries, I would still be up there, by Rhydian's bedside. But no—I just had to come back so that I wouldn't miss any forms or schoolwork."

The athletic black boy had decided he knew the perfect answer to Maddy's grumpy mood. He had already attracted Bernie's attention, and now the slightly overweight café owner hobbled over with an expectant look.

"Lad and ladies. Can I help you?"

"You most certainly can," Tom said. "We need an infusion of sugar. This is an emergency. Can we get an extra-large ice cream sundae with fudge, nuts, whip cream, the whole bit?"

The crafty-eyed Bernie tried to up-sell his customers, just like always. "How about making that an extra-large banana split sundae? You get everything that comes with the sundae, plus two bananas. Just 45 pence extra."

"Fine, fine," Tom said. "Just make it quick, yeah?"

Bernie's beard sported a little smirk, something they didn't see too often. "What's the rush, if I may be so bold as to ask?"

Maddy glared at Tom in a wordless message which hissed Keep your mouth shut! But of course Maddy's mate didn't let it stop him.

"Maddy's boyfriend is sick and we're trying to cheer her up." Tom nearly cried out as Maddy kneed him under the table—hard.

Bernie frowned sympathetically. "I'm sorry to hear about Rhydian. It's nothing serious, I hope?" When Maddy shrugged and mumbled something about the flu, he left it at that. "Well, let's get your mind off of it, shall we? I'll get you three fixed up in just a few winks. Sit tight. One extra-large banana split sundae coming right up!"

After Bernie had left, Maddy renewed glaring at Tom, but Shan patted her hand and coaxed the girl's attention her way instead. Then, as if the strain of keeping up her disgruntled front had finally sucked too much energy out of her, Maddy sagged. Her features softened into the Maddy they knew and loved and cared about. Maddy reached out and took the hands of both of her best friends, giving them each a gentle, heartfelt squeeze.

"Listen, guys. Thank you. For putting up with me even when I act like a spoiled brat. Sometimes…sometimes I don't know what I would do without you."

"I know what you'd do without us," Tom said with a wink. "You'd be wolfing out a LOT more often, for one."

"Tom!" Shan scolded. But the boy's grin soon had company with Maddy's and Shan's smiles too. The three friends waited quietly as Bernie bustled about behind the counter. They tried to ignore the curious looks from Jimi's table. Usually ignoring him was the best course of action, but this time it wasn't enough. Jimi came sidling over. Sam and Liam batted questioning looks back and forth, but stayed firmly at their table on the other side of the café.

"Hey. I couldn't help overhearing…something about things not going how they were 'supposed to,' and I'm pretty sure it's connected to why Rhydian wasn't in forms today, and you brooding through every hour like you were only half-there." He looked at Maddy curiously, with that calculating expression that was just 100% Jimi.

"Why do you care?" Maddy said with a mixture of suspicion and disdain.

Jimi shrugged. "Well, to be honest, I was wondering if you and Rhydian had…broken up."

Maddy now looked totally confused. She threw a glance Shan's way, but the ginger-haired girl looked just as bewildered as she did.

"Um…no, Jimi. Rhydian is still my boyfriend. Any other questions?"

Jimi tried to hide the look of disappointment on his face. He almost succeeded.

"Oh. Yeah, whatever. I was just wondering." He turned and ambled back to his table as if nothing had happened, but Shan and Tom were gaping.

"Did that really just happen?" Tom's tone was filled with so much awe. "Is it just me, or has Jimi started to fancy you? Mads?"

Maddy Smith groaned and raised her eyes towards the ceiling. "This is the last thing I need to deal with right now. Dear God."

Shan covered her mouth to stifle an uncontrollable fit of giggles. "Tom's right. Oh my God. He's so right. Jimi apparently has taken a shine to you lately, Mads. Wow. Just…wow. I can't even…" Then she burst into laughter and Maddy wanted to throttle her right then and there. Just then Bernie came over with a heaping plate filled with ice cream goodness, bananas, and toppings galore, plus three dessert spoons—all of which probably saved Shan from Maddy tearing out her throat. Maddy dug into the dessert with the fervor of a wild animal, and Tom wasn't far behind.

Shan sighed, but she thought inwardly - Ah, the drama of life as a wolfblood. Poor Maddy. I could write a book. Well, if we can keep Mads distracted until Rhydian gets better, I'll call that mission accomplished. Just then, as Maddy shoveled the eighth spoonful of ice cream into her mouth, her mobile buzzed in her pocket. She drew out the phone. Swiped.

"Hello?" The spoon fell from her fingers with a clatter. She put the phone down slowly. Maddy's cute, placid face had changed completely.

"What?" Tom said.

"Maddy?" Shan prodded. "What is it?"

Maddy's face brightened with a worried but hopeful smile, like the sun peeking over the horizon on a day that was supposed to be just snow and darkness.

"That was Ceri. Rhydian's…awake."

A/N - Hey wolfblood fans,

Rhydian is awake…but is he the same person or the same wolfblood he once was before he entered the wolfblood dreamworld? In the next chapter we'll find out about that and more. If you want, please let me know what you think will happen to Rhydian in the comments.