a new day

Kole listened attentively as Mason recounted what had happened earlier, trying to piece together what might be going through Maddie's head. "What was said about the Animagus?" he asked, hoping for more insight. He knew how much Maddie valued her ability to transform into an animal, and he wondered if something had been said to shake her confidence in that.

As Mason continued, Kole nodded in understanding, trying to see the situation from all angles. "Was there anything else?" he asked, his nerves getting the best of him. He was anxious for Michelle and Maddie's return, hoping that they would be able to work through this as a group.

Maddie spoke softly, admitting that she hadn't been alright lately. "Mason and I have been at odds regarding the Animagus matter, and then Alex reemerged, which only added fuel to the fire. Although he didn't harm me in any way, his presence coupled with the ongoing arguments has been overwhelming," she explained, her voice trailing off as she reflected on the events of the past 48 hours. "It's all just been too much to handle. All I desire is to move on from this and return to a sense of normalcy," she confessed with sincerity.

Kole couldn't shake off the feeling that Maddie's recent actions, particularly the dew incident, had caused a rift between her and the rest of their group. He could empathize with Mason's frustration and nodded in agreement when he mentioned their ongoing disagreements over the matter even before Alex's sudden appearance. However, Kole also believed that Maddie didn't deserve all the blame and tried to ease Mason's worries. "I don't think Maddie intended to hurt anyone," Kole assured him. "She's not very good at expressing her feelings or needs because she's never had to with Dad and Matt always looking out for her," he added, trying to offer an explanation. "I believe she's just confused and hurt, and understandably worried," Kole stated, scanning the area for their sisters. "What were you talking about right before she said she need space?" he asked.

Maddie let out a deep sigh, feeling the need to explain herself further. "To be fair, Mason didn't exactly approve of my plan to become an Animagus. He was worried that it might not work out as I hoped," she began, wanting to set the record straight. "After he took me back to my common room, I was feeling pretty overwhelmed and couldn't think straight. I told him I got rid of the dew by pouring it down the drain, but that wasn't the complete truth. I actually ended up smashing the vial it was in," she admitted, her voice slightly trembling as she recalled the events.

Taking a deep breath, Maddie continued with her story. "This morning, I decided that I had cried enough yesterday, and I was done with it. I wanted to be happy again, no matter what," she explained. "So, Mason and I went down to the lake and laid next to each other. I was thinking too much, so I wanted to distract myself by telling him that I was giving up on the Animagus idea. However, he didn't seem to understand and was in a broody and grumpy mood," she finished, hoping that her explanation would help clear the air between them.

That was it. That is why Maddie had left. “You didn’t do anything wrong,” Kole smiled at Mason as if a light blub had gone off in his head, “It was the communication, she was frustrated that she couldn’t make you understand what she was trying to say.” he chuckled shaking his head at his sister, “She was trying to tell you how much she loved you. You didn’t like the idea, and she wanted to make you feel better. It didn’t matter what she wanted anymore.” Maddie really could use a lesson or two in how to talk to people and explain herself clearly.

Michelle listened to what Maddie said and just sighed. Oh brother of hers. She just wanted to smack some sense into him now. She took a deep breath. "I see. Well this is easier to be fixed than I thought it would be," she said with a smile on her face, what was bit forced.

She took Maddie's hand and hoped it was okay for them to go back to boys now. "Yes Mason has never been good with words or expressing her emotions. He never had done it before. You are the first girl who makes him feel things he had never felt before. You are the first person besides him who he cares about, except me. That boy used to be very selfish. Only thought about himself. Trust me he has tried to understand you more than anyone else," she said while they were walking. "Oh how is your hand?" She had to ask.