Alec clearly wanted to talk to Xander, but he bit his tongue and kept to his own side of the room. Xander appreciated the quiet as he settled down for the evening, mulling over what he and Dark had talked about. He still wasn't sure how to handle things, but their talk had been the push that convinced him that "ignore it and shove it aside" was not actually "handling" it. He had to do something. He sat fiddling with a small piece of scrap leather he'd meant to throw away as it was too small for him to do anything with that he knew of. Perhaps... perhaps dealing with oneself as like learning a new skill or hobby. You couldn't learn how to do it right until you messed up a few times, but unlike learning a new hobby, you couldn't sweep yourself into the trash or donate whatever items you'd bought for it and forget about it. Trying to abandon dealing with yourself was like leaving a giant mess all over the floor of a room. You could ignore it only for so long before you stepped on something painful. He sat down on the bed with a sigh and grudgingly pulled out the journal. He'd said he was going to do this right when he first started. Time to keep his promise to himself.
The next morning went smoothly, although Xander did not realize that underneath his leather jacket, sparkles decorated the back of the black tank top he'd put on. If he never took off the jacket, no one would know. Alec had packed their lunches, as usual, and they headed off with Dark. Xander didn't say anything, slumping in the front seat like usual and staring out the window. When they got to school, Alec assured Xander he'd see him in a minute and split off by himself. Xander went to their usual spot on the benches, confused but willing to wait.
Alec went looking for Milo.
