How Green Becomes Wood

Admittedly, Dark did wish that if Xander wasn't going to give Alec a ride, he would have expressed this in advance... or at all... because suddenly Xander was leaving the house, and Dark realized he had to give Alec a ride. After hurrying to put on going out clothes, he knocked lightly on the door, "Alec? It is a school day."
 
"What are you going to do tomorrow?" Dark asked, still keeping one hand on the door knob but not going inside yet. He probably would have accepted it as a mental health day no questions asked, had he not skipped school the day before, but it was tricky to balance Alec's fragile emotional state against the fact he had made some pretty serious mistakes the day before. He was hurting, and had been struggling with this stuff for awhile, clearly, but at the same time--- he wasn't quite a victim, and Dark didn't want to coddle him.
 
"I'll ask Sloan if she'll give me a ride," Alec replied. "She's said she would in the past. That way, you don't have to drive all the way there for one. I'll go tomorrow."
 
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Dark scowled for a few moments outside the door, taking time to think through his response. Finally, he said in a flat tone, "Fine. I will let you stay home today, but you, myself, and Daizi are going to talk about what happened yesterday before the day is over. Eat breakfast."
 
"Okay," Alec agreed tiredly, but he didn't move. He didn't come out of his room until closer to lunch time than breakfast. He shuffled down, not having brushed his hair and wearing sweats and a loose shirt without even any pattern or bright colors to be seen. As told, he headed for the kitchen to figure out the least objectionable food.
 
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Life did not stop for anybody else. Daizi still needed to work, so she was in her office. Ivy still needed to be occupied. The house still needed to be cleaned. When Alec came downstairs, Dark was wearing Ivy on his back and meticulously dusting the doorframes and archways and telling Ivy how she was being such a big help, because he had presented her with a clean cloth, so she felt like she was doing it too. Although he gave a nod to Alec, he didn't try to begin a conversation.
 
Alec watched them and spared a moment to think how lucky Ivy was. She had no idea what lay in store for her in the future, poor thing. He sighed and turned away. After a measly breakfast of toast and butter, he went back up to his room where he spent a few minutes attempting homework before crawling back into bed. He'd deal with life later.
 
At least he ate something. Dark thought with a heavy sigh. It wasn't enough, and he better get out of this soon before he ended up hospitalized again, because bread and butter wasn't enough to sustain someone, and if they couldn't get him to eat, he'd end up losing weight again, and Alec's health couldn't take that---Forcing himself to take a deep breath, Dark reminded himself it hadn't even been twenty four hours. It would be okay. Although eventually he would start force feeding the kid because he wasn't allowed to go on a hunger strike anytime he was upset.

He forced another deep breath and went back to dusting.

After Ivy went down for her first nap, he spoke briefly with Daizi and then knocked on Alec's door, "We need to talk, Albuma."
 
Alec heaved a sigh, but he'd been expecting and dreading this. He pulled himself out of bed and made sure there was nothing on the floor that would trip his mother before going to open the door. "I don't think I deserve that name," he mumbled. "Do you want to talk in here or in the living room?"
 
"You are still a little owl." Dark replied easily, because although he was unhappy with how his son had behaved, he hadn't lost affection for him, "We will talk in the living room. Come on, Daizi is already down there waiting."
 
Alec took a deep breath and straightened his spine. "Okay," he agreed. He followed Dark like one walking to the gallows, certain that what little was left of his formally happy life was about to crumble down around his ears. He deserved it. It was all his fault. But just because he was prepared to take responsibility didn't mean he was happy about it. Resigned was as positive as he could get.
 
Daizi was already sitting in the living room, right on the middle of the couch so it wouldn't look like she and Dark were ganging up on Alec. Seeing this, Dark sat in the chair, and neither of them were particularly thrilled about this, either. It wasn't a fun conversation to have, but it was a necessary one. After Alec sat down, it took a bit of time for either of them to figure out what to say.

Eventually, Dark spoke first, "We are both disappointed in how you chose to handle things yesterday. We understand that... it felt like you did not have any choice but to leave, and maybe it was true in the moment, but, what I keep thinking about is... What about the day before? If this is a problem that had been building, we could have dealt with it before it became explosive, and this could have been circumvented. I know it is difficult to have those conversation, to bring it up to either of us, or to someone else you trust, and even to recognize it in the first place, but it is necessary to learn how to do so, so you do not end up in a situation where the only thing you can do to handle it is to leave class. Do you understand?"
 
"Yes, sir," Alec said automatically, staring at the floor as he awaited his punishment. He understood, but he was not certain how he could have changed things leading up to what had happened. He knew there likely was a way, probably multiple ways, but with how tangled his brain was, he just didn't see how it could have changed. Milo had said what he said, triggering Alec to say what he said, and there was not a lot he could do to change that. Except possibly talk to Milo sooner about how he felt, but that felt impossible by itself.
 
Daizi took a breath. "Because you skipped school after how many times we have told you it's not acceptable, we're going to ground you for the week. From today, until next Thursday, you are not allowed to go to your lessons. We're going to speak to Tristan to see if he can do his work alone, if he can't you'll still be allowed to go to work, otherwise that's included. Beginning next Friday, you're allowed to do everything you usually do again."

"Daizi mentioned you told her nothing you say comes out the way you intend it too," Dark added, "so we are also looking into a good workbook on communication, okay? That is not a punishment, understand, we just want to help provide you with whatever tools you need so you do not end up in a situation like this again. I understand feeling this way, we both do, and we understand making mistakes, but we want to make sure we do not repeat them."
 
Alec looked at his hands as they balled up into fists in his lap. "All lessons," he repeated quietly. He bit his lip. That meant he would be unable to perform with the other Cyr wheel students in a couple of weeks. There was no way he could manage to be practiced and ready in time, especially not with a group. That was a painful punishment, indeed. And what parents grounded their kid from going to work? Parents who knew the owner and knew the punished one actually enjoyed their work, he supposed.

"I don't want a workbook," he said at last. "I've never had this problem before. I've never had trouble communicating until he came along. I was the one who had to do all the communicating for years because all Xander knew how to do was antagonize and fight. I don't want... It wasn't a problem." He closed his eyes and whispered, "I wish I'd never tried to be his friend."
 
"All lessons." Dark repeated, "You only have two lessons next week, and you are already injured."

Daizi shifted on the couch, "Alec... we can't control how other people react to us. We can only control our own actions. Were you feeling this way at the end of the last school year? Or when you had him over this summer?"
 
Alec worked on breathing, trying to center his raging emotions. After a minute of thought, he said, "Maybe a little. Not like this. It was different back then because everyone thought his mum was going to take him out of school and leave with him, so... you know. We were prepared to lose him. Then he didn't go, and things just... spiraled."
 
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