31. For Real?

I trudged up the steps to where Alec was sitting, the cold metal of the bleachers biting through the fabric of my pants as I sat down next to him.

"Hey man," I ventured, breaking the silence.

Alec grunted a "hey," not bothering to look at me. His eyes fixed on the emptying rink.

Something was off. I could feel the energy of his foul mood radiating from him. "Did I make you mad or something? You know I don't want your position, right?" I added, hoping to lighten his mood or at least get him to talk.

He huffed. "Yeah, I know."

His answer left me more bewildered than reassured. What was his problem then? We shared a room. I didn't want our relationship to be strained, especially not when I was just starting to fit in. "What did I do to upset you then?" I pressed.

Alec turned to look at me, his expression hard to read. "I'm not upset at you," he finally said.

"Then what is it, Alec? You're acting so strange now," I pushed, not ready to drop it. There was something more going on with him,