Rhydian strolls into school smiling, a week has passed and every second with Maddy Smith is electrifying. The Vaughn's have seen his distress in eating vegetarian food so they have let him eat at the Smith's more often, even though Rhydian insists their homemade hummus is the best in Stonybridge. Rhydian's plastered smile widen's as he notices Maddy at the back of the class, with Jimi keeping close to her although silence fills the air for once as Maddy has nothing to say. Although as Rhydian moves closer in, he begins to hear parts of the conversation.
"What do you mean you like science, next you will be liking maths Mads!" Jimi shouts sneering scornfully.
"You sat at the same table! I mean, come on,Mads Shannon Kelly and Rhydian Morris?" Liam jeers, all three boys shake their heads in shame, Maddy bites her lip, trying to think of more deception to spread.
"So what? Sometimes I just need Shannon Kelly and Rhydian Morris -I mean come on! Aren't you fed up with being labelled total air-brains? I just need to revise for this test." Maddy growls, her hands twitching under the table, Rhydian sits down in front of Maddy's other more wild pack and laughs lightly, gaining a kick from Maddy in the back of his shin.
"OW!"
"Keep it down Rhydian." Mr Jeffries sighs, and that is Maddy's que to start laughing.
"But you are meant to help us get the test papers, I hate having to ask for help man, exams suck. The test papers are in his bottom drawer Maddy, and if you still have that high -res camera in your dark room -wouldn't take two minuets with your speed." Jimi concocts, although Maddy looks at him doubtfully.
"Yeah but I -"
"Whatever Maddy, why don't you go over to your smart friends, it's where you wanna be." Jimi snaps before him, Liam and Sam jump off the tables and head over to the other side of class. Maddy heaves with relief and slips into the chair beside her.
"I feel like I'm about to explode." Maddy says, stretching.
"Not surprised, with Jimi on your back, cheating in exams and having to do the actual exams -it must be making you feel terrible." Rhydian badgers, a playful grin tugs at his lips.
"Shut up." Maddy utters forlornly, causing Rhydian to smirk even more.
"Well seeing as you and Jimi aren't on speaking terms Mads..."
"Er yeah we are!"
"Could of fooled me."
"Anyone could fool you and you would still think your are Mr right."
"Whatever Maddy. Anyway, as I was saying - what actually happened?"
"What! I'm fine."
"No last night, you never showed up and you weren't with Jimi -it was English revision night." Rhydian questions, Maddy's face goes blank, her head pounding away causing her to feel rather nauseous.
" Oh! Right, look I'm just got a bit hectic at home and I forgot sorry. English paper isn't till tomorrow we could revise in the lunch hour if you like?" Maddy suggests, smiling weakly as Rhydian beams feeling rather excited.
"Thanks, Mads, you're the best."
"Well Rhydian I do try..." Maddy Smith mutters, as the bell rings harshly, her acute wolfblood hearing sense aching in pain.
Break time
"You really don't look good you know." Rhydian reminds, as they flee from Miss Parish's science class with pleasure. Jimi and his cronies had ignored a fatigued Maddy for the whole morning, only giving her painstakingly terrible glares here and there.
"I'm fine Rhydian stop nagging."
"Maddy, Rhydian!" Shannon cries, waving her hands in the air as she beckons them over towards her, by the school entrance. Maddy groggily plods towards Shannon, her senses feeling like they are on fire.
"Shannon, tell me that Maddy looks fine." Rhydian demands, crossing his arms dominantly.
"You don't look fine Mads, do you want me to get the school nurse." Shannon suggests, cringing slightly.
"Leave Shan, I just feel like I am on fire that's all." Maddy whispers.
"Oi leek boy, hows your new recipe of casserole doing -Rhydian a la dente!" Jimi badgers, striding past the group of geeks, Rhydian glowers and kicks the metal post with frustration.
"Push off Jimi!" Rhydian bellows, Maddy shakes her head in disgust, deeply vexed.
"Ooh!" Jim responds in a high pitched girly sort of way, making Rhydian's crease lines ache.
"I hate those people so much sometimes. How am I supposed to chill out when I've got a week of exams, Tom on my back and Jimi is being a right pain." Rhydian wines.
"Tom?" Shannon inquires, looking perplexed.
"Oh yeah. don't worry about that." Rhydian casually replies, brushing it off his mind -although Maddy is still stubborn as ever.
"No you said Tom -what have you said to him?" Maddy orders;her eyes narrow with suspicion and Rhydian licks his lips anxiously.
"He wanted help with the English papers too, because of his dyslexia and all -nothing much. Oh look at the time -can't miss the last maths revision lesson." Rhydian utters, lying through his cold teeth, Maddy shakes her head, and doesn't say a word -watching her best friend scuttle away hastily.
"He's hiding something isn't he?" Shannon asks Maddy.
"I don't know, could be." Maddy says shrugging.
"Oh, thought you would know that's all."
"Why me?"
"Come on Maddy, I'm not stupid."
"Stupid about what?" Maddy murmurs, gulping furiously, as large lumps of saliva slide down her gullet hole, hot dew trickling down her flustered face.
"Well why else would you ditch Jimi and his gang, who else do you have?"
"You, Tom and Rhydian."
"Of course, it's Rhydian."
"What is that supposed to mean Shannon!"
"I thin you know Maddy, I just didn't think that he could make you so - good and the old Maddy again." Shannon dubiously responds before walking off, leaving Maddy to loose herself in her inarticulate thoughts.
Lunchtime
"Six more days and seven hours of this. I don't think I can stand it!" Maddy groans, as Maddy and Rhydian step into the cafeteria, both as energetic and twitchy as cubs on a full moon.
"Do you want to know what helps?" Rhydian mutters, his mind ticking like a clock as it works twice as fast.
"Tell us. I'll do anything."
"What are we doing?" Maddy adds, as Rhydian takes Maddy's hands, and leads her out of the school.
"Maddy, if you want to relax you need to run - it makes you tired and you can focus better, also I want to beat you at something for once!" Rhydian exclaims and he turns around and darts towards the moors -Maddy's favourite spot out there. They doge past eldritch trees and entwined bushes gleefully, Maddy well ahead as she uses her wolfblood powers to accelerate faster, further through the scattered forest.
(Meanwhile)
"Like Kara -what are you doing?" Kay stammers, starstruck as Kara struts over to Shannon and Tom who are busy studying for the maths test. Tom and Shannon's head shoot up, astonished as Kara perches on the table, taking out her notes and stuff.
"Hey Tom and Shannon." Kara chirps, grinning like she has just won the lottery (which she hasn't by the way).
"Look Kara we are trying to revise right now sorry." Shannon mutters, feeling uncomfortable.
"I know -I thought we could all revise in one big group."
"Me and Shan only work in pairs, sorry." Tom bluntly replies, not sorry at all, Kara squints at the sudden reality of not being smart or popular.
"But I need you two to help me get straight A's."
"We don't get used, so push off!" Tom yells and Kara stands angrily and rushes off to the two k's muttering 'looser's' somewhere along the lines.
(Meanwhile)
"Better?" Rhydian pants, as the plummet to the soft ground, the wind blowing in their pink faces. Maddy breathes in Rhydian's musky scent, smelling the peaceful stench on human, that makes her spine shiver.
"Yeah better -I still beat you though." Maddy teases, feeling a lot happier and calmer -who wouldn't?
"I don't know how you do it."
"I don't know how YOU do it -keeping up with me!" Maddy cries.
"I know I've got a mum and dad and stuff, which is more than you've got, but - Sorry. Maddy apologizes after a long pause, Rhydian shrugs, turning his obstinate head over to Maddy who is feeling guilty.
"It's fine your not as patronizing as the social workers."
"What I meant was, it's just really good having someone my age to- be who I am, I mean sometimes Jimi doesn't want to do stuff that I like, and the same goes for him." Maddy explains.
"Yeah -you don't really like being popular do you Maddy?"
"No, I've always hated it -trying to be better than everyone else, when deep down I know I am just a freak, a nerd whatever it is. Because I've always hated it, keeping it a secret from my friends. Sometimes I wonder, is it possible to stay friends with them? I mean, how well do they really know us? They don't care, but I do - I get what it is like to be on both worlds -and now I don't know what is good or bad anymore." Maddy confesses, as her eyes melts into his cerulean eyes.
"You just have to follow your hear Maddy, sometimes it's best to be happy deep down and not oat the top of the status bar you know?"
"Yeah. I know."
"Mads, do you think I am popular in anyway?" Rhydian inquires, scrutinizing Maddy's face for any sign of shamefulness.
"No."
"So why are you still here and being my best friend then?"
"Well you are kind, funny, you listen and understand, you get us and don't judge us and I have to sit next to you normally." Maddy flatters, her heat was captivated a long time ago. A long long long long time ago indeed!
"Thanks Mads."
"Rhydian there's something I need to tell you." Maddy announces -well a couple of things, but this thing is most important.
"What is it Maddy? You can trust me, and whatever it is -I'm here for you." Rhydian whispers, moving in as close as you can get -which in this matter is extremely close!
"I love you." Maddy says. They both stop with shock, Maddy wasn't meant to tell Rhydian that thought -she was meant to say that she was a wolfblood. But her heart was thinking of other things to say out loud."Oops, oh no - We've got a maths exam in ten minutes!" Maddy hurriedly replies, fear of breaking her friendship looms in her mind as she scampers off back to Bradlington high but at the same time relief- her pent up emotions are released and it feels good for Maddy she feels calm and along with her Mam's homemade stress relieving drops Maddy Smith feels -calm. Although she is leaving a stunned Rhydian alone.
"Maddy, wait up! Mads!" Rhydian yells. But alas it is too late.
It took 15 mins for Rhydian to sprint as fast as he could back to school. 5 mins late for his exam.
Nice of you to show your face, Rhydian." Miss Paris remarks, Rhydian walks down and glances at Maddy who has her eyes closed -most likely avoiding him or composing herself.
"Now, settle down, have exactly one hour, starting may open your papers."
The exam was a breeze for most people, Maddy felt serine throughout the whole exam and finished all her questions in no time. As usual Shannon flew through the exams and ran the exams too. Maddy walked the exams and Tom ended up panting through the exams -but they all managed to get through the hour. Each row was dismissed one by one as the exam finished and Rhydian's exhausted row was the first one to depart the fusty hall. Maddy's was last.
Eventually Maddy bustled her way through the nattering crowd and was out of there, breathing in the fresh air. People began to leave for home, as the teachers let the students off -feeling quite a lot of sympathy for the students.
"I'm not giving up you know!" Rhydian shouts, as Maddy begins to walk closer to the road. She abruptly halts to see Rhydian, frowning but the love in his eyes doesn't shatter his heart.
"I know, but firstly I need to tell you something, not here." Maddy declares, Rhydian's nods his head in comprehension and they drift into the woods, the silent water fall splashing onto their faces as they stand beside a blemished tree. The tension mounting on them.
"I'm not who you think I am Rhydian."
"What?"
"Just let me finish, I am not who you think I am because I am not human. I am a wolfblood -where we are like werewolves but born not bitten and we are not monsters, I am part of a secret race and I have had to keep the wolf side hidden from everyone -including you..." Maddy announces, Rhydian's distorted face goes pale and he stumbles back, gathering his thoughts...