Angry Wolf and His Deaf Mate

Nai

I'm so tired as I pull up at school. A sigh escapes me as I walk up to the main building. It takes me a minute to realise that people are watching me, at first I don't understand why until Asher walks around a car and stands in front of me.

I look around the crowd and see them asking each other what is happening? What have I done? and if I'm going to get punched?

I look at Asher's face and he looks worried, not angry. I look around at the crowd again. Asher follows my eyes and I see him shout one word that has everyone scattering.

"Leave!"

Once we are alone he turns back to me.

"Hey," he says rubbing the back of his neck. I nod refusing to speak. He's silent for a long time, he looks like he's trying to think of what to say.

"You didn't answer me back," he says finally. I shrugged. His face changes and I take a step back. I see his fists clench and for a moment I'm worried he's going to hit me.

"I have to get to class," I say, quietly turning around and going the other way around the car.

I try to ignore Asher as he follows me. Science is my first class and as it turns out Asher's too. The only spare seat is next to me.

The more classes he comes to the more I get annoyed. From the teacher's reactions, it would seem as if he never comes to class.

Asher tries to get my attention but I ignore him. I know I'm acting childish but I need to distance myself from him as best as I can.

Last night after he said 'It's not a good idea for me to come.' I felt like I had just been punched in the stomach. He obviously didn't want to introduce his deaf freak of a friend to his family. His suggestion to go for a ride was just so he could take me somewhere no one would see us.

Clay's been the one to speak to me mainly, Asher just stood there looking like he wanted to be elsewhere.

I've had a few people in the past who wanted to be my "secret" friend. It was always like they were ashamed to be seen with me but still wanted to hang. I was tired of being treated like a freak.

Asher must have got the hint because he stopped trying to get my attention.

Thankfully he doesn't show up in any of my other classes for the rest of the day. Not even in the ones I know he should be in. At lunchtime, he didn't come and sit with me like he had yesterday neither did Clay.

I guess I was right.

I will never admit it out loud but that thought pained me. The idea I'm right about him being embarrassed to be seen with me. It makes my heart feel like it's shattering into a billion pieces.

The pain is worse by the time I get home so I decide to take a nap. I wake up an hour or so later to my phone buzzing. I can feel my watch vibrating. There are lots of messages and they are all from Asher. My eyes go wide as I read through them.

'Nai are you ok?'

'Did I do something wrong?'

'Why won't you talk to me?'

'Please, I need you to talk to me,'

'Open the door, Nai!'

'I'm outside!'

'Please open the door,'

I shoot out of bed, race downstairs and pause for a moment to get my breath back before I open the door. Asher is standing on the porch looking like a wounded animal.