'Maddy?.. Oh, erm sorry.' Shannon entered the darkroom to the sight of the two adolescent wolfbloods enclosed in the others' grasp. They hadn't heard Shannon's approach as they were lost in their own world, and so were slightly startled by her sudden appearance. This caused them both to jump apart and take a dominant stance, in case of attack.
'Shan!'
'Sorry, I thought you'd hear me well before I actually came in,' Shannon defended. Worry spread across her features, she knew that she shouldn't creep up on them. 'Sorry.'
'What do you want, anyway?' Spat Maddy. She looked her friend up and down in disgust as she and Rhydian returned to their normal poses.
Shannon sighed and delicately approached her best friend, 'I wondered if we could talk again? So that I could apologise?' She looked her friend sincerely in the eye; Maddy knew that she meant what she said.
Rhydian sensed Maddy become less tense. 'I'll give you two some space,' he declared. He left after one final meaningful look at Maddy in farewell; neither of them liked to kiss in public, it would draw attention to them, which was the last thing that they needed.
As the door fell shut, Shannon began. 'Look, I'm sorry for what I said. Of course it isn't Rhydian's fault that you got attacked. It was Ceri's! At the end of the day it was her who hurt you, physically at least…'
Maddy was about to full-heartedly forgive her friend, up until that last part…
'And what's that supposed to mean?' Maddy's voice became full of strength as she prepared the need to go on the defence again.
'No, no, I don't mean anything.' Once more, a huff of air escaped Shannon's mouth as she geared up to be truthful with her friend. 'Maddy, I just want you to be sure that you're making the right decision. I mean, after all, it didn't just upset you when Rhydian left Mads, it destroyed you.'
Maddy stayed silent as she heard her friend's concerns.
'I just need to know that you're sure, that's all. Then I'll never question your decision and will be behind you one hundred per cent of the way. I just need to know you've thought about what happened then… and that he won't leave you like that ever again.'
Maddy wished that she could tell Shannon what she wanted to hear, but she couldn't. Yes she'd thought about everything that had happened: how hurt she was, how her friends had to pick up the pieces; she'd thought of hardly anything else! But it was Shannon's last clause that had her. Maddy didn't know the answer as to whether Rhydian would stay or not; the truth was that she still didn't have the guts to ask. For now, Maddy was set on living in the moment and trying not to worry about what tomorrow would bring, but how could she not? As much as she wished it was, nothing was certain.