Dear Mel,

I thought things were going well with my current roommate, but lately, she has been acting distant, and I feel like something is bothering her. I don’t know if I should confront her or wait until she’s ready to talk.

— R.E.

Contact Melissa Puppo at [email protected].

Dear R.E.,

That does seem a little strange, especially if things were going well all this time. Maybe she’s going through a little rough patch in life and just has a few extra things on her mind.

I think it’s perfectly fine to ask her what’s wrong — you never know; she might just need some time before she opens up and you asking her might give her the push she needs.

Maybe she thinks you’re too busy to be bothered with it, and is waiting for you to approach her so she can unload.

I have dealt with this before, and I know firsthand that while it’s a bit frustrating when you don’t know what’s wrong, the best thing to do is ask.

There’s a chance she might not be willing to explain herself just yet, so let her know you are there for her whenever she is ready. If she does open up to you about what’s bothering her, be a good friend and give her advice. She might not even want advice, in which case, don’t force it — just be there to listen.

This might even turn into a great bonding sesh for roomies. I know my roommate and I love those! Nine times out of ten, it might just be that she is stressing a ton about finals coming up. But if there is something deeper, let her vent and help out your girl. After all, that’s what friends are for!

X.O. — Mel