Sleeping Beauty: A Malec Fairytale #2

The Silent Treatment (3)

Monday morning, Alec got to school for an early run with the football team. He and Jace arrived with about as much enthusiasm as a pineapple and as much tension as a stretched out rubber band. Jace had been giving Alec the cold shoulder since he refuses to actually tell him where he goes when he's not at home. Alec had bipased him when he got home last Friday from Magnus's. Alec was tempted to not go home at all, since his parents were away for a business trip, but he didn't want to have to explain it to Jace and Isabelle.

As they got out of the car, Jace slammed the door harder than usual and made Alec jump.

"Are you done?" Alec asked, fed up with the awful silence between the two. If their parents were home they would have made Jace talk to him but the ass took this opportunity to prolong the silent treatment while they were gone. Jace crossed his arms.

"No."

"Come on, Jace. What do you want me to do? Beg you to talk to me?"

"I want you to tell me the truth? Where do you go? Who are you with?"

"Why do you care so much!" Alec shouted, frustrated.

"Because!"

"Because is not an answer!"

"Because," Jace started, "because you always tell me everything! You never keep secrets from me and it feels awful to not know where you're spending all your time. I almost never see you anymore and I don't even know why!" Alec felt as if he got punched in the face.

"I..."

"Where do you go, Alec?" Alec closed his eyes. He didn't want to tell him-- no he really did want to tell him. Alec wanted more than anything to talk to him. To say, "Hey, I think I'm in love!" He wanted to ask him for advice and tell him about the places Magnus takes him. About all their trips to museums and plays. About the time they spend just in each other's company, but he can't. If he does and Jace finds him disgusting or different, Alec can't lose his best friend.

"I can't tell you," Alec said, softly lowering his head.

"Than don't talk to me until you can." Jace took his bag out of the trunk and slammed it shut before walking away from Alec. Alec just wanted to punch something, really really hard. He calmed himself down a bit and then took his bag out of the car and left. On his way into the school, Magnus texted him.

Morning, darling! Good luck on your running thingys! 10 extra laps pls ;). Alec smiled softly down at his phone for a few seconds before tossing into his gym bag and heading into the change room. He walked to the opposite side of the room avoiding Jace, and they both got some odd looks from people. Jordan went up to Jace and said something to him. Jace just flatly replied and walked to the bathroom stalls ignoring Jordan's attempt to stop him. The football player looked to Alec through the other people walking around, before crossing to room to him.

"What wrong with you two?" he asked.

"He's mad at me. It's a long story. It's just best if you leave him alone for a while. He'll calm down in a few hours... hopefully." Jordan nodded and patted his back before leaving the change room.

For the entire morning workout, Jace ignored him and he ignored Jace. Alec found it really hard to be mad at him. He understood why he was mad but he couldn't tell him. He would just have to wait for him to calm down.

Because Jace in two years younger than Alec, they luckily don't have any classes together. Alec didn't think he could bare to be in the same room with him without either punching him or having an emotional and mental breakdown.

Midway through the day he just needed to talk to someone. Alec made his way through the crowded "lunch rush". The hallways were always the busiest during lunch and he tried to weave through the people efficiently. Alec made his way to the gym for the second time that day and peeked through the glass door. Looking around he spotted Isabelle stretching with Clary, Jace's girlfriend, who she had practically dragged to the cheer auditions. They were laughing and talking about something when he walked in. Some girls around them looked at Alec and in the the group he noticed the girl who had given him her number. She waved at him and he nodded to her before move towards Izzy.

"Alec? What are you doing here?" his sister asked.

"Hi Alec!" Clary smiled at him. Alec may not have liked her when Jace had first introduced her to him, but over the last year they started to become friends.

"Hi Clary. Iz can I talk to you?" She looked at him carefully, before getting up cautiously.

"Okay. Clary tell Mrs. Penhallow I got my period and I'll be back a soon as I can." A look of worry passed Clary's face but she nodded.

~***~

Alec and Izzy were standing outside in the school parking lot near next to his car. It was almost mid way through lunch and the lot was empty.

"Are you going to tell me what was so important that you needed to talk to me right away?" He didn't answer her. She touched his shoulder. "Hey? Is this about Jace?" He shrugged. It wasn't really about Jace. It was more about himself. He was incapable of telling the truth. He didn't want to ruin when he and Magnus had by telling people. He wanted reassurance but to get that, he would have to tell people.

"Aw, Alec he's just being a dick. You can't let him bother you like this."

"He won't back off. He won't talk to me. He's been ignoring me."

"Alec. Why don't you just answer his question? He'll back off."

"No. Why can't he be like you? You don't interrogate me every five seconds."

"If you don't think I'm worried then you're a lot dumb then most people think. Of course I'm worried about you, you idiot. Jace just is more... vocal about his worry. I don't bug you because whatever you're doing or whoever you're seeing doesn't seem to be bad for you. If you were doing drugs I would know, but you seem healthy. You go to class, you're still on the honour roll. You seem fine to me, but just more secretive. Jace doesn't know how to deal with that, Alec. You've always told him everything and this is freaking him out.

"Don't tell him, or do, but just know his bullshit attitude is because he wants to protect you and he can't. So just, cut him so slack and don't worry, I'll be yelling at him after school. He's being a fucking prick."

"Thanks, Iz."

"If you're good, I'm going to go to practice." She waited a second for an objection and then walked away when he didn't stop her.