a new day

Maddison awoke the next morning, her face still swollen from the tears she had shed the day before. She groaned and pulled the covers over her head, hoping to fall back asleep and dream of Mason. But sleep refused to come, and she lay there in the darkness, lost in her thoughts.

After some time, she threw the covers aside and made up her mind to get out of bed. It wasn't like her to wallow in self-pity, and she didn't want to start now. She took a hot shower, letting the water wash away the remnants of yesterday's dread and sorrow. Maddison pushed all her emotions deep down inside her and told herself that it was a new day, that the past was behind her.

Rummaging through her belongings, she found her favorite pair of jeans, the ones that fit her like a second skin, with a hole in the knee and frayed ends from too much wear. She also located her favorite top, a cheerful yellow piece with ruffles at the sleeves.

Once dressed, Maddison put on a brave face and pulled her hair back in a ponytail before bouncing out of the common room. She was determined to face the day with a smile, even if it was just a mask. So that is what she did heading to the Grate Hall for breakfast.

To be honest Mason didn't really sleep much last night. There were so many thoughts in his mind and he was worried about how Maddie was doing. He hated to leave him last night after everything that had happened. He knew that housemate of his was out of control and something had to be done about him.

Anyways he had been tossing and turning for hours as he realised it was morning. He sighed and just got out of bed soon. He did put on some jeans and t-shirt, what looked clean enough for him. Then again he had never been one to care much about any of it. Anyways he then went to bathroom and did brush his teeth, splashed some water on his face to look more alive.

After all that he just went to Great Hall for breakfast. The boy looked around the room. Soon enough he saw Mads. He walked over to the girl and sat down next to her. He kissed her cheek with a smile. "Morning Mads," he said to the girl with a smile.

Madison's face brightened as Mason settled down next to her on the bench. "Good morning, Mase!" she greeted him warmly, determined to maintain a façade of composure in front of their classmates. Although her mind was still reeling from the events of the previous day, she pushed those thoughts aside for now, resolving to address them in therapy later in the summer when she had more time to process. "Did you have a good night's rest?" she inquired, forcing a smile as she idly toyed with her food on the plate.

Mason knew that Maddie wasn't as happy as she pretended to be. He could tell it but he didn't begin to pressure her. The boy knew she wanted to make her classmates think everything was okay. "Not that good but it was alright," he ended up saying. He didn't really want to talk about it. "You?" he asked back. He put on a hand around Maddie for awhile with other items he did use to pick food for himself.

When Mason inquired about her sleep, Madison merely shrugged and offered a curt response, "Okay," not wishing to dwell on the subject. "Have you made any plans for today?" she asked him, tilting her head slightly to one side. "I was thinking of heading down to the lake after I finish here," she added, trying to push thoughts of the library and the potential danger lurking there to the back of her mind. Being outside the castle walls seemed like a safer option to her at the moment.

Mason nodded his head. He knew there was more to that okay but he didn't ask. "No plans yet. going outside seems like good idea too," he said wit a smile. To be honest he didn't mind spending it around Maddie. "I wouldn't mind spending it with you, if you want of course," he added. He hoped she would be okay with it. To be honest he always wanted to be around her.

Madison's smile widened as Mason agreed to accompany her to the lake. "Of course, I want you to come with me, silly," she said, her laughter ringing somewhat forced. "I wouldn't have mentioned it if I didn't want you there," she added, glancing at him fondly. Despite her nerves, she found comfort in his company. Absentmindedly, she speared a piece of food with her fork, but it never quite made it to her mouth before she resumed speaking. "Hey, maybe we should grab some toast on our way and feed it to the squid. I'm sure it would appreciate a little snack," she suggested with a grin, the thought of interacting with the giant sea creature bringing a small spark of joy to her eyes.

Mason smiled. "Good," he said with a smile and noticed Maddie playing there with her food rather than eating it. He just sighed and didn't say anything about it. He didn't begin to force the girl to eat. Hopefully he will eat something at lunch time. "Sure sounds like good idea. We can do that yes," he agreed and did some of the food he had picked up on his plate.

Madison managed a weak smile as she continued to push her food around on her plate, pretending to eat in silence. Mason's hand behind her back provided some comfort, making it easier for her to play the part of the normal, happy-go-lucky Maddie. After a while, she managed to take a few bites of her food, encouraged by watching Mason enjoy his meal next to her. "Are you ready to go?" she asked once his plate was nearly empty, trying not to rush him but feeling uneasy surrounded by so many people in the room.

Mason was glad that Maddie did eat something at least there now but not much. Which did worry him a bit. Anyways he kept her eye on her awhile he did eat his food. He looked soon enough at his empty plate. "Sure let's go," she said with a smile. He placed his fork on his plate, removed his hand and stood up. He ended up offering his hand for Maddie to take it.