Boy Next Door (ii.)

The boy continued touching his face. He moved his head from right to left. He laughed and facepalmed himself, what did he expect one move to the side and he could hear bones popping, snapping, and cracking?

Of course not.

He stared at himself one more time and slide down, he changed his position and now his back leaned on the door. He placed his ear on the door to hear someone walking near the door and nothing.

He wished someone would come and call him saying that they had gotten the dates wrong and the full moon had not shown up and that it was in a week or two or so.

But he heard nothing, no one was coming and there was no bone-breaking from him. He really wanted someone to knock on his transformation room and inform him that all was going to be okay and that he was going to be okay.

"If only Cassie was here." He thought and laughed at himself with disbelief, how could he wish for someone who was out there roaming freely with her wolf?

"Cassie. What am I supposed to do?" He asked himself again.

Three years ago, the morning after the full moon, he had stayed in the transformation room and told himself that maybe there had been a mistake and the moon goddess was going to show him a miracle and he would have transformed even if the sun was up.

And nothing had happened.

At first, he had stayed calm as kept hoping and then when he had checked his watch and found that it was almost noon he had begun crying and that is when he had heard a knock on the door, at first he had thought he was imagining things and then he had heard it again.

***

The knock was weak because it belonged to a thirteen years old who was none other than Cassie Harrington.

The boy had opened the door, just a small space that could fit only his head, and after seeing it was just a small girl he had asked, "Hi, can I help you?"

Cassie had looked at how the boy's eyes were red and had concluded that perhaps it was because the transformation had been painful. She had asked the boy with her tiny voice to allow her in. The boy had allowed her, not because she was the alpha's daughter but because he could see the concern in Cassie's eyes.

Cassie had walked in and stood there and waited for the boy to say something and when the boy hadn't said anything, Cassie had walked to the corner of the transformation room and slid down to the floor.

"My parents say…" Cassie had begun at the same time the boy had said, "I am…" They stopped and waited for another one to continue and when either continued, Cassie had said politely to the boy, "go ahead."

The boy smiled and continued, "sure, uh-um, I am called Asher Fay."

Cassie stayed silent as if waiting for the boy to continue, she raised her small eyebrows and when the boy looked down Cassie stood up and walked to him and replied, "I know that." Asher had looked at Cassie surprised, they had never spoken to one another, ever! And he was surprised that the girl knew his name.

"Why did you tell me your name? I know you." Cassie said and looked around the transformation room, seeing the clothes there folded as if they had not been used, she turned to Asher.

Asher smiled and walked back to the door. He slide down and sat on the floor again.

Cassie followed him and sat down too she had asked, "what happened?"

Asher stared at the girl surprised, that was not the question he was expecting from the girl, he expected questions like, why are you alone? Why are your clothes on the floor?

"I didn't transform." He had found himself answering her he didn't know if it was from the eyes the girl was giving him. He felt relieved after saying it.

"Oh," Cassie had answered, and for the second time Asher was surprised, that was not the answer he was expecting from her, he thought the girl was going to laugh at him as she pointe and left the room to go and tell others.

But that was not Cassie Harrington, the alpha's daughter was polite and respectful to everyone.

"It is going to be okay." Cassie continued when she saw the boy looking at her, she was used to seeing her mother comforting other people so soothing words came to her easily, and they were not empty words as she meant everything in them.

"Asher. Is it Asher with A or U?" Cassie had asked and let out a sweet giggle.

Yeap, at least that was something Asher could joke on, and not how he didn't transform, he had told Cassie, "unfortunately, it is with an A."

Cassie had looked at him and said, "but you are a boy, and you are called, Asher Fay. Those are two names which belong to females." and instead of Asher explaining to her anything, he had nodded at Cassie.

Cassie had then informed him of her name and they had spoken for quite sometimes and then Cassie asked, "why aren't you out celebrating? You know it is okay to celebrate others even if you have nothing of yourself to celebrate?"

"Uh?" Asher had asked, he wasn't getting what Cassie was saying. Cassie had explained, "what I mean is, it is not about celebrating with others but rather celebrating them. And now since you didn't transform I am sure you the next year, and it is okay to worry. But don't sulk that much Ash, it will be okay."

"Ash?"

"Come on, from all that, that is the only thing you got?" Cassie had asked and gave Asher an encouraging smile.

They had stood up ready to go to the celebration and that was when Cassie had asked, "why are you all alone?"

The ways her eyes had bulged as she realized what she had asked had made Asher laugh and he had reassured her that it was okay. Cassie had apologized over and over saying she didn't mean to be intrusive.

He had reassured her that it was okay and they had left the room and gone to celebrate with the others.

**

Sitting there on the floor Asher Fay felt like screaming, what was he going to do. Who was he going to talk to and told them that he didn't transform, again!

He was all alone, but why?