How Green Becomes Wood

"It will be okay, I told someone before I came here that I needed someone to watch my class. We do not have to worry about that, students have missed class for less." Dark replied, looping one arm around Alec's shoulders quickly. Then he brushed off his clothes and said, "I do not expect you sincerely have to worry about the football team, Xander. We are in football season, the coach respects my opinion, and owes me one after I managed to get Logan off his team... Owes me two, because by coincidence he ended up on our rival's team. I doubt any of the players are willing to risk their spot on the team over anything you might have done, and by the time the season is over, everyone will have forgotten it and moved onto something else."
 
"Shame. I was looking forward to showing them some of the new moves I've learned," Xander said, not particularly bothered one way or the other. He was not worried about the team, but he wasn't going to go looking for trouble, either.

Alec gave a tiny smile and nodded, inching closer to Xander. "I think I'm ready to go to class now. Thank you. I needed this."
 
"I am very much looking forward to not seeing your face smashed in," Dark replied, trying to bring a little levity. Then he gave his best smile to Alec, although it remained very much in-line with his usual, muted expressions, "You are welcome. I am glad to hear you are ready to go to class now. I can write you a hall pass, so you will not get in trouble. We just have to go to my classroom first so I can get the pad."
 
"I suppose he's got a point," Xander smirked. He seemed relaxed, but he was staying very close to Alec, closer than usual, and he kept glancing at him briefly.

Alec followed Dark down the hall, exhausted, nervous, and raw-nerved. Eventually, his hand strayed over and found Xander's holding it gently. He wanted nothing more than to crawl home and into bed to hide, but Dark was right. He couldn't let this rule his life. He wanted to be a different person, and this was the first step.
 
As Dark led them to his classroom, he took quick glances back at Alec and at Xander. Before they made it to his classroom, he did turn towards them and say, "If you change your mind, just let me know. I will call Cooger, he can take you home. Try to have a nice rest of the day, okay?" He squeezed Alec's shoulder and then went into the classroom, wrote up two hall passes, and came back out to give them to the twins.
 
"See you when you get home," Xander promised as Alec took their passes.

They hurried to their class, handed over the passes, and tried to be as inconspicuous in the back. It didn't really work judging by the amount of stares and snickers they received, but they did their best. It was more or less the same for all their classes as different versions of what had happened got passed around. When lunch finally rolled around, Alec hesitated. He wanted nothing to do with the cafeteria, but if he didn't go... He paced in front of the door three times before finally getting up the courage to walk through them with Xander.
 
For once, Sloan wasn't the last one to lunch, and she was sitting in her seat, seeming very calm, given the circumstances (her little "talk" with Crystal had made its way into the circulating rumors, very much echoing her lasting experiences), and sitting up tall. She gave a slight wave to the twins when she saw them, letting them know immediately they had a welcome and safe place to sit.
 
Alec took a deep breath and walked over to sit across from Sloan. Xander sat next to him, but gave them space. "I'm sorry we got interrupted earlier," Alec said, his voice quiet even in the loud environment of the cafeteria. "I guess it wasn't coming out well anyway. I wanted to tell you... I am not... I'm not good at friendship. I'm very selfish. I know it seems like I'm not because I do things for other people, but I tend to forget that what I do can hurt other people. Big gestures are easy, doing stuff for other people and things like that, but the smaller day-to-day stuff, that's what matters, and that's what I'm really terrible at. I'm sorry. I didn't mean to make it seem like your friendship didn't mean anything, I'm just not good at holding up my side of things. You're my first friend, so..." He gave her a lopsided smile, his eyes uncertain but hopeful. "Will you teach me how to be a friend? A good and proper one?"
 
Sloan listened, leaning forward slightly. She was a bit confused by what he was saying, but it was obviously important, so Sloan nodded. The exact content of what he was getting at eluded her, but the emotion she understood, "I don't know if I'm the best person to do that, but I'll try to. I'm really not mad at you or anything, it was all just... Really shitty."
 
Alec reached out tentatively and touched his fingertips to hers very lightly as he looked her in the eye. "I know that now," he said sincerely, "and I am sorry that I ever did that to you. Can you forgive me? I'll understand if you need some time, but I do hope eventually you'll be able to forgive me."
 
She drew her hand back slightly, not because she was uncomfortable with touch or because she didn't forgive him, just because it took her by surprise. She flipped her hair over her shoulder just by moving her shoulders and neck and with a half-chuckle said, "Yeah, dude, I forgive you. I'm pretty sure--" she was about to say I'm pretty sure you learned your lesson but thought it'd be taken the wrong way, and it didn't seem right to make light of assault, "I'm sorry about Crystal. You didn't deserve that... I mean I knew she'd probably hurt you eventually but... You know, if Xander didn't get there first, I'd have pulled her to the ground by the hair to get her off you."
 
Alec gave her a sheepish smile. "Thank you. And thank you for offering to defend me, but I am glad that you didn't get into trouble because of me."

"What about me?" Xander demanded. "You aren't sorry to get me into trouble?"

"You're always in trouble, usually of your own making," Alec pointed out.

Xander considered that a moment and then shrugged. "Fair point."
 
"Oh trust me, it wouldn't be just for you," Sloan joked, very glad all of the problems seemed to be behind them. It wasn't an ending she felt great about, considering how it went, but... Even if it wasn't the greatest ending, it wasn't the worst, either.

She took a sip of her water and then asked, "So we're okay, then?"
 
"I'm okay if you're okay," Xander answered first, glancing at Alec. "Are you okay?"

"I'm okay if he's okay. Are you okay?" Alec asked with a slight smile.

"I'm okay if she's okay," Xander said, nodding toward Sloan. "Are you okay?"

Peter walked over then with only a smoothie in hand. "My first ever time being late thanks to a dental appointment, and the school is abuzz with talk. What did I miss?"
 
"We're all okay, and I'm ending this loop," Sloan said, waving her hands with a laugh. When Peter showed up, she scoffed, "Wow, you didn't bring enough to share with the class? Brutal. And you just missed some crazy bullshit, but that's high school. But we're cool here." It was more Alec's buisness than hers, it seemed more like his job to share.
 
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"I would share, but this is literally all I'm allowed to eat for the next twenty-four hours," Peter said, giving the purple cup a shake. He took a sip and winced. "Tastes like blueberries, grass, and cleaning solution."

"Ew," Alec and Xander chorused in perfect harmony.

"How would a smoothie taste like cleaning solution?" Xander demanded.

Peter shrugged. "That's probably from my teeth. Anyway, I'm glad to see you three getting along like old times. Anyone have any plans for after school?"
 
"Dang what did they do to your teeth?" Sloan asked, making a face. She hated the dentist, and hated the orthodontist more. The day her braces were removed was the best day of her life, "and nah, I've got no plans. Gymnastics is on Saturdays. I mean, I really wish I could go more often, but it's just not feasible, especially because I don't really want to make a career out of it or anything, so I gotta focus mostly on my studies."
 
"I'd really rather not talk about it. I am not fond of orthodontia," Peter said, looking a little queasy.

"I have a lot of homework to catch up on," Alec told them. "I have been thinking of trying to take official dance classes, but I am not sure."

"I've got a project I'm trying to finish," Xander replied, thinking of a long, leather belt he was currently in the process of decorating with a tiny gear wheel patter.
 
"I feel you there," Sloan nodded, settling back in, "they should've dropped you back after lunch though, so you didn't need to see all of us eating. And what kind of dance did you want to take, Alec? Actually, oh, speaking of that--Well, not speaking of that, but you taking dance lessons made me think about how you can't drive so you'd need a ride to dance which made me think of how Mr. Dark drives you to school--"

She paused, closing her eyes to try to let her mouth catch up with her brain, "Okay, so, basically, I had been thinking about how when Mr. Dark is on paternity leave, he won't be able to drive you to school, probably, so I wanted to offer that, like, instead of making you two leave the house at 6am to catch a bus, I could just drive you. I mean, I know you both refuse to let me drive you home because you like the bus, but, I mean, I live right across the street."
 
The twins and Peter waited patiently as Sloan worked her way through her thought process, Peter chewing on the straw more than sucking on it. Alec nibbled lightly on his sandwich, hungry but not wanting to take a whole bite for when Sloan got to her question.

"That's really nice of you," Alec smiled. "Thank you. You know... I think we will accept that offer."

Xander nodded. "Yeah, thanks. I'd really rather not get a bus that early."

"And it's one more thing off of their plate to worry about," Alec added, thinking of Dark and Daizi.
 
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