I'm On My Way

Chapter 15

 Feet pounding on the dirt. Nearly slipping on the damp leaves. The smell of the forest in her nose, her mind. A smile painted beautifully on her face. One hand flying out as she ran, the other clutching Rhydian's. The weekend had flown by, and it was time for Maddy to go back to school. The smile on her face was wild; natural. The feeling of running again, exactly like it used to be, was pounding through her soul, her wolf, as fast as the blood was pumping through her veins. Her breath created clouds in the air in front of her as they went faster and faster, for longer and longer. Her muscles were starting to ache, but she ignored it. As long as she was running, she wouldn't have to worry about anything. Nothing could stop her. She had to keep putting one foot in front of the other. Rhydian twisted his head towards her, and smiled at her as they sped along, a blur of colour in the greyscale forest. His eyes blazed. Maddy's smile grew in response; she was already grinning, so all she could do was make it expand. And, because it was Rhydian affectionately grinning at her, it wasn't hard to smile. Rhydian's legs were longer than hers, and she could see him pulling ahead slightly. But, just as he stepped ahead, he slowed again, holding himself back so that he could run along side her. It was too silent. This was such a happy moment, and she wanted to make it better. 

 "You ok?" She gasped, just as they jumped simultaneously over a fallen log, carpeted in moss. He nodded. "Shouldn't I be the one asking YOU that?" He asks, raising his eyebrows. 

Maddy frowned. "What do you mean?" They started to slow, and it was only as the trees started to thin, and the village crept close, that Maddy remembered what they were doing. Rhydian nodded ahead. She could see the school, and the stream of laughing, jostling children filing through the gates, and her stomach flipped. Anxiety took over; what if they hated her? What if Dr Whitewood had done her job after all?

Her face fell as fast as water over a cliff as her lips formed an "o". She stood still, and had to stop herself from taking a step back. "Hey" Rhydian squeezed her hand and turned to face her. "It'll be ok." His eyes, a bright blue, and the care in his face made Maddy fall in love all over again, and she almost believed him. His face was so easy to trust. 

She bit her lip. "And if its not, I'll be there." He added. Maddy raised her eyebrows. 

"As well as Shan and Tom." He hastened to add, a slight colour invading his cheeks. Maddy grinned, and laughed quietly. It was so cute how protective he was being. The smile returned to his face as he heard that laugh. "Promise?" She asked, taking a step closer. Standing on her tip toes, she stared up at him, head tilted to the side, waiting for an answer. Both knew that the question she was asking had nothing to do with being there at school. 

He leaned forward and kissed her cheek. "Promise." He confirmed, mouth near to her ear. «I'll always love you» his eyes finished his sentence, answering the buried question. 

Maddy beamed, the smile spreading from her mouth to her deep brown eyes. She threw her arms around him. He held her tightly. "Can we freeze time like this?" She whispered. 

He sighed, smiling against her soft hair. "Does school have to happen today?" He agreed, and she looked up at him. Both smiled.