60

I woke up late the next morning since it was Saturday and I didn't have to work until the afternoon. I had off next weekend. It was Alaric's birthday and he had planned a skiing trip with his friends in Colorado. He had insisted I go with him. I hadn't wanted to, as I was trying to save my money for a car, but he had been relentless. He had ended up paying for my part of the trip, a fact I'm sure Brock would simply relish in if he found out.

I showered and dressed and slowly wandered down the stairs. As I approached the bottom, I could hear Alaric and Brock talking. Curiously, I slowed my pace and stopped on the bottom step.

"Are you still coming to Colorado? “Alaric asked in his British accent and my heart fluttered at his voice. How I had grown to love his slower speech and accented voice. I wanted to rush into his arms and tell him how horrible Brock had been but I held back. Maybe Brock hadn't said anything.

"Yeah, of course mate," Brock replied. "I just came through early for a