Chapter 12 - Caged
I ran through the forest, with the air on my face, seeing everything, hearing everything. I didn't trip, I didn't stumble, I just ran Chapter 12 - Caged
I ran through the forest, with the air on my face, seeing everything, hearing everything. I didn't trip, I didn't stumble, I just ran until I got to Maddy's house. I knocked on the and she opened it, still in her pyjamas.
"Rhydian?!"
"Why're you in your pyjamas?" She looked at herself and blushed.
"Why are you here so early?"
"We're going to school."
"It's seven thirty."
"Oh, sorry"
"Don't worry," she shook her head and invited me in. She sat down at the kitchen table and finished eating her breakfast. Then she went to her room and closed the door behind her.
"So, Rhydian, how's school?" Emma asked.
"It's good, thanks." I answered cautiously - where was this going?
"I've heard that you and Maddy spend a lot of time together."
"Umm, I guess so."
"And? Are you her boyfriend?"
"What?! No!" If Maddy hadn't told her then I certainly wasn't going to.
"Are you sure?"
"Yes, I am positive. I think I would know if Maddy was my girlfriend."
"What's that supposed to mean?"
"Nothing, nothing, it's just that..." Just then Maddy walked out of her room with her bag over her shoulder saving me from her far too inquisitive mother.
"Come on then Rhydian, let's go."
I gladly stood up and walked out of the door.
When we got to school, we were still early but I had left in a hurry, eager to get Rhydian away from Mam. When we got there we found an abandoned basket ball and started messing around with the old hoop.
"Mam's freaking out about tomorrow." I told Rhydian.
"Well, after the past two full moons can you really blame her?"
I grabbed the ball of him.
"Oi!"
"Not my fault you're slow." I threw the ball at the net but Rhydian jumped up and caught it.
"Not my fault you're a girl."
He threw and missed.
"Look we've got to be there by five."
"That's hours till moonrise."
"Yeah, well, we don't want to take any chances this time."
"Smith goes for the shot," Tom and Shannon walked towards us and Tom started commentating, "but is blocked by Morris. Morris lines up...oh! He misses complete embarrassment for the boy from Wales. I mean, he's had a terrible season...," Rhydian glared at him, "not from Wales."
"Hi," I said to them.
"My dad's cooking tonight," Shannon started, "so I was thinking burgers at Bernie's instead."
"I'm there," Tom said.
"5:30-ish?" Shannon clarified.
"Yeah. Great. We'll be there, won't we, Rhydian?" I stumbled over an excuse and came up with none.
"Where else would we be?" Rhydian asked me sarcastically.
"You do know Bernie's doesn't allow dogs?" I asked Maddy whilst mixing the chemicals together.
"I panicked. The only thing I could think of was, 'sorry, we'll be locked in the cellar, turning into wolves'."
"You should probably work on your excuses."
"I can't just make up lies on the spot."
Shannon walked up to our table with her test tube.
"Why is my experiment a different colour to everyone else's?" She asked.
"Probably, because you're right and everyone else is wrong." Maddy answered her and I laughed.
"Listen, Maddy was just saying how she's not going to make it out tonight." I told Shannon and Maddy glared at me.
"Why?" Shannon asked, hurt.
"Because...I just remembered...I have to stay in and...help Mam with...curtains."
"Curtains?" Shannon asked.
"Yeah. She's really into crafts all of a sudden. I said I'd hold them while she ...sews."
"Well, can't she do it another time?"
"She's got a deadline. Sorry."
"Oh, ok." Shannon was upset.
Whilst this was going on, I was trying my hardest not to laugh at Maddy's excuse. It was the oddest thing I had ever heard.
Shannon turned and walked back to her bench.
"See? You can do it." I told Maddy and I got to Maddy's house. I knocked on the and she opened it, still in her pyjamas.
"Rhydian?!"
"Why're you in your pyjamas?" She looked at herself and blushed.
"Why are you here so early?"
"We're going to school."
"It's seven thirty."
"Oh, sorry"
"Don't worry," she shook her head and invited me in. She sat down at the kitchen table and finished eating her breakfast. Then she went to her room and closed the door behind her.
"So, Rhydian, how's school?" Emma asked.
"It's good, thanks." I answered cautiously - where was this going?
"I've heard that you and Maddy spend a lot of time together."
"Umm, I guess so."
"And? Are you her boyfriend?"
"What?! No!" If Maddy hadn't told her then I certainly wasn't going to.
"Are you sure?"
"Yes, I am positive. I think I would know if Maddy was my girlfriend."
"What's that supposed to mean?"
"Nothing, nothing, it's just that..." Just then Maddy walked out of her room with her bag over her shoulder saving me from her far too inquisitive mother.
"Come on then Rhydian, let's go."
I gladly stood up and walked out of the door.
When we got to school, we were still early but I had left in a hurry, eager to get Rhydian away from Mam. When we got there we found an abandoned basket ball and started messing around with the old hoop.
"Mam's freaking out about tomorrow." I told Rhydian.
"Well, after the past two full moons can you really blame her?"
I grabbed the ball of him.
"Oi!"
"Not my fault you're slow." I threw the ball at the net but Rhydian jumped up and caught it.
"Not my fault you're a girl."
He threw and missed.
"Look we've got to be there by five."
"That's hours till moonrise."
"Yeah, well, we don't want to take any chances this time."
"Smith goes for the shot," Tom and Shannon walked towards us and Tom started commentating, "but is blocked by Morris. Morris lines up...oh! He misses complete embarrassment for the boy from Wales. I mean, he's had a terrible season...," Rhydian glared at him, "not from Wales."
"Hi," I said to them.
"My dad's cooking tonight," Shannon started, "so I was thinking burgers at Bernie's instead."
"I'm there," Tom said.
"5:30-ish?" Shannon clarified.
"Yeah. Great. We'll be there, won't we, Rhydian?" I stumbled over an excuse and came up with none.
"Where else would we be?" Rhydian asked me sarcastically.
"You do know Bernie's doesn't allow dogs?" I asked Maddy whilst mixing the chemicals together.
"I panicked. The only thing I could think of was, 'sorry, we'll be locked in the cellar, turning into wolves'."
"You should probably work on your excuses."
"I can't just make up lies on the spot."
Shannon walked up to our table with her test tube.
"Why is my experiment a different colour to everyone else's?" She asked.
"Probably, because you're right and everyone else is wrong." Maddy answered her and I laughed.
"Listen, Maddy was just saying how she's not going to make it out tonight." I told Shannon and Maddy glared at me.
"Why?" Shannon asked, hurt.
"Because...I just remembered...I have to stay in and...help Mam with...curtains."
"Curtains?" Shannon asked.
"Yeah. She's really into crafts all of a sudden. I said I'd hold them while she ...sews."
"Well, can't she do it another time?"
"She's got a deadline. Sorry."
"Oh, ok." Shannon was upset.
Whilst this was going on, I was trying my hardest not to laugh at Maddy's excuse. It was the oddest thing I had ever heard.
Shannon turned and walked back to her bench.
"See? You can do it." I told Maddy and laughed.
When we got home I saw Mam nervously looking at the clock. I looked up and saw that it was quarter to five.
"Finally." Mam sighed.
"We're early?" I asked her.
"Just."
"We came straight from school. It just seemed to take longer." Rhydian said.
"Yeah, I know. Too much to see, too much to smell." Dad walked into the living rooms Dad started tidying.
I got two cans of cola out of the cupboard and chucked one to Rhydian. Mam reached out and caught it mid-flight.
"Wash your hands first." She scolded. I put mine down and did as she said.
We told Maddy's parents that I was supposed to be meeting Tom and Shannon at Bernie's around about now. We came up with a plan and then I called Tom.
"Rhydian?" He said in a stupid voice.
"Listen, mate. I've got a bit of a, err, vomiting situation with my, err, substitute parents. They're throwing up everywhere."
"Oh." Tom sounded disgusted.
"Yeah, and I'm on bucket duty so I'm not going to be able to make it out."
"Ok, well..." Tom started but was interrupted by Maddy pretending to be sick.
"Oh, there she blows. Right, I've got to go." I ended the call and the Smiths clapped to my performance. I gave a little bow.
A/N: Thank you!