The Boys are Back in Town

The Boys are Back in Town: Twenty-Nine

"Wait," I said, stopping him before he could continue. "It really feels like we're making a big deal out of this."

I wasn't trying to delay him or anything, it just felt weird. First, Alek thought he had to lie to me, then he had to talk to Jason to give him permission. It was worrying, especially because this was about something my best friend felt uncomfortable talking to me about.

Jason took a sip of his drink and shrugged, smiling. "Well. I suppose it does seem like that but I don't think it's that crazy."

I sighed. "You need to tell me what your standard for 'crazy' is."

"Okay. He didn't kill anyone, do drugs, cheat, steal, or anything else that's remotely criminal," he said, ticking it off on his fingers.

Well, I guessed as much. "So why won't he talk about it?"

"Short answer," Jason paused, thinking. "I suppose he's ashamed."

I tried to think of what Alek could possibly do that he would be ashamed of and came up short. Out of all his brothers, he was the quiet boy, the one who never raised his voice or acted impulsively. He was grounded, and he knew himself better than anyone I've ever met who was our age.

"Okay," I said. "Go on."

"Well, first you have to know that I really didn't like Alek at first," Jason started. "In fact, I vividly remember begging my shitty dorm master to reassign me. I mean, he had the worst mood swings. Totally killed my vibe."

I bit my lip. I'd seen Alek in one of his moods, and it wasn't great.

"I wasn't exactly a model student but Alek would go to class only because Adrian forced him to, but he would sit in the back and lift his meanest finger whenever he got called out. He didn't do any of the work, too. Teachers hated him."

"That doesn't sound like Alek," I said quietly. "I can't believe it. He used to get his assignments done the day they were given. He was that kind of student."

"He was hurting," Jason said. "Trust me, it's normal. Not a good thing, but totally understandable. Anyway, we were having lunch when Adrian came by to tell him that you were in the hospital. When he bolted, I went after him thinking he was going to do something crazy but he ran into the loo and got violently ill. I had to take him to the infirmary."

I flinched. Everything Jason had already told me didn't shock me as much as hearing how he reacted when I was sick.

"I know it sucks to hear this," Jason said sympathetically. "But to tell you the truth, I stopped hating him after that. I know what it's like to go batshit crazy over a girl."

"That sounds awful," I said, trying - and failing - not to picture him in that state.

"He was really worried about you. I don't think he slept at all the whole time you were sick."

"I don't get it," I admitted, after a period of silence. "Why didn't he tell me? When we were talking again and I asked him how he was doing, he always said he was doing great."

"Really think about it," Jason said. "Any bloke would do their damndest not to tell the girl he loves that he's doing poorly. Alek was the verge of being expelled."

"Expelled?"

"Not doing the work, general bad behavior....you can imagine. If it wasn't for his brothers I'd swear he was trying his hardest to be expelled from day one."

"But... why?"

"You guys had a fight and he didn't want to adjust. That was probably the only time you guys have ever fought in your entire relationship."

"Of course we've had fights before we broke up that first time," I said, feeling slightly defensive. "Stupid kid stuff, petty jealousies, that kind of thing."

"But...?" he prodded gently.

"But that time was the first time I felt that I couldn't talk to him, and he was the only person I wanted to talk to," I said. "He had so much going on and I didn't know."

Jason's smile was sardonic. "Oh, Clair. You guys are perfect for each other, and I kind of hate it."