How Green Becomes Wood

"I understand that," Daizi said gently, "I remember being a teenager. And I think they say your teens are when your brain develops the second most, which is why you need more sleep."

"Is everything okay at school?" Dark asked, also gentle, "or was it just one of those days where even though nothing really bad happened, it still felt long?" Daizi couldn't stare at him, obviously, and Dark made a strong effort to look at Alec, but also look away, because he didn't want it to seem like an interrogation.
 
Alec tensed under their questions. They were fishing. They knew - or strongly suspected - that something was going on, but they wanted him to tell them about it. Why? What good would it do? was it just so they could try to show support? That was very kind of them, but he didn't think he needed it now. Bad things happened, and when they did, you dealt with them yourself. When you were lucky, you had a brother by your side, but what good would the support of his foster parents be in the school lunchroom? Besides, he felt he could guess what they'd say.

"It was just a long day, nothing special," Alec lied with a smile. "It's nothing I can't handle. Besides, highschool doesn't last an eternity. It just feels that way."
 
Dark listened quietly, taking a sip of his tea. Privately, he was trying to think up another question to ask, but for the time being he just was going to wait.

Daizi, meanwhile, leaned up against Alec, pressing her shoulder against his, but not yet putting her arm around him, because she wanted him to be able to decide if he needed it or not. But since she couldn't give him a kind look, she was going to show in her own way her support, "Even if you can handle it on your own doesn't mean you have to," her voice was low and kind. It was actually a tone she used often when speaking to Dark when he was stressed with something.
 
"Oh, I am never alone," Alec assured her. "I have not been alone since we began living with you."

He continued to smile, his facial expressions relaxed despite his unease. If he told them about Crystal and Sloan, and since Dark knew Crystal's reputation, they would tell him to stop speaking with Crystal and to apologize to Sloan. Despite what Sloan may have thought - or what he guessed she thought judging from her looks - he wasn't an idiot. He knew Crystal was not exactly a squeaky-clean girl, but something inside him rebelled at the idea of being told not to see her. Not because of who she was, he just didn't want to be told who he could or couldn't be friends with. What business was it of theirs? It was his choice, his consequences, and who was going to get hurt other than himself? A tiny part of him told him he was being silly, but the new-found rebellious streak was speaking louder.
 
"But that's not really what I said," Daizi replied, not moving away, still using the same caring tone.

"If you want time alone, you can have it, we have a big enough house, and there is nothing wrong with needing it," Dark said quietly, "but Alec, we just want to help you. I can tell you have been bothered by something, and you do not have to carry that all on your own. We love you, Alec. You were not eating again, you can talk to us. That is all."
 
"I'm alright," Alec insisted, pulling away from Daizi just a little. "I'm just working through some things of my own. I know you love me and you are always here for me and all of that, I truly do, but do I need to share everything with you? Aren't there times when a person just needs to figure out his own personal problems?"

Even as he spoke, he wasn't sure why he was pushing them away. They just felt too close. Too hovering. Too invested. They wouldn't be like that for long. He appreciated their concern, but they were going to have a baby soon. They wouldn't have the energy to be there for him to lean on for months, so why should he get used to that now? It was just going to get taken away, just like any other support system. Besides, he was fifteen now! Fifteen! He needed to be more mature and less of an airhead, didn't he? And part of maturity was dealing with his own problems without going to Xander, Peter, Dark, or Daizi for them, and certainly not Sloan. Other people were temporary. They'd leave. He was the only constant in his own life, and he had accepted that.
 
"No, you don't," Daizi admitted, and admitted willingly, "but we're always going to ask. Because we love you, and we want to know what is going on in your life. But you don't need to tell us anything." When he pulled away, she didn't push back up against him, but she also didn't move further way, "and I like talking with you. Sometimes it's nice to talk about more than just the weather."

"And if you ever want to talk but do not want us to give you advice, you can always just say so," Dark added.
 
Alec looked away, feeling suddenly very uncomfortable with how he'd acted. They were just trying to be nice. Trying to do what they felt was best, but here he was being rude. Even if he didn't want or need their advice and help, that was no call to be rude. He did not lean back into Daizi, but he did try to et himself to relax a little.

"I know, and I appreciate it," he admitted to Dark. "I just... am not used to having it offered so readily," he decided to say. He glanced skyward. "It's getting late. I should probably get to bed. Tomorrow is another long day of being a teen in highschool." He moved to stand, giving Darka lopsided smile.
 
"I know," Dark replied, "it is a difficult adjustment to make. It takes time."

"Go to bed, habibi. I love you." Daizi said, and reached over to just lightly squeeze Alec's shoulder. Then she let go, very much giving him the space to get up and go inside. She would not follow nor stop him.

Neither of them knew if tomorrow would be better for him, but both sincerely and visibly hoped it would be.
 
Alec hurried up to his room, feeling strangely guilty, like he was hiding a secret. It wasn't a secret. It just wasn't important enough to warrant being talked about. Dark knew all the basic details, so wasn't that enough? If he wanted to be friends with Crystal and Burnadette, then wh was it hurting? Sloan, maybe, but that was her problem. He wasn't asking her to be friends with them. Besides, he thought she had thicker skin than that. She'd befriended Xander, who was well-known for hurting people, so what if Alec wanted to be friends with Crystal who had a similar track record? Maybe she'd turn out to be a spiky shell with a soft center, too.

Even if Alec didn't really like her. That was still nobody's business.

Xander looked up from his sketchbook and started to say something, but Alec mumbled something vague about bedtime and hurried into his pajamas. Better or worse, tomorrow was another day. He needed his sleep to deal with it. Or, as it turned out, plenty of time to lay facing the wall and staring at the white pattern as the night grew later and later.

The next morning, Xander was up first and putting together breakfast, grumbling and growling his way through the preparation. Lunches were sandwiches tossed unceremoniously into a sack, and he waited to head out, dressed in a battered old white shirt and torn black jeans.

Alec came down late and rubbing his eyes. He didn't even complain when he saw Xander had taken over his job to prepare lunch. He was dressed in a white shirt, blue jeans, and a black jacket, shockingly conservative for him.
 
After Alec left, Dark inhaled and sat beside Daizi. She slumped against him, and he kissed the top of her head, but they didn't say much. They weren't even upset, not really. Alec needed time to deal with his thoughts without them, that was okay. But they worried about him. Eventually they went inside to go to be, since they both had work in the morning, but they were trying to figure out if there was a better way to handle it.

In the morning, Dark was the second one down. Daizi, who hadn't been sleeping well, was awake but was still lying in bed, feeling too tired and heavy to get out just yet. But still she came down before Alec had, which surprised her. She was sitting in her usual seat, holding her head in one hand, eating her breakfast when he came downstairs, "Good morning," she mumbled.
 
"Good morning," Alec greeted Daizi politely. He glanced at Xander. "Why do you look like you're about to go dumpster diving?"

"Why do you look like an undercover cop?" Xander shot back.

Alec frowned but didn't respond. Instead, he asked Daizi, "Do you have a headache?"
 
"No, I'm just tired. I couldn't sleep at all last night," She groaned, "I'm sure you both look wonderful. Appearances don't matter anyway."

Dark gently rubbed Daizi's back while she ate her breakfast, "You should take a nap at work, if you can."

"If I can," She scoffed, "it's not my decision."
 
Of course the blind lady would say that, but Alec kept the thought to himself and got a little breakfast. Not as much as usual, but he forced himself to eat something. It seemed everyone but Dark was in a mood today. Or maybe Dark was cranky, too, but hid it better.

"If we don't get a move on, we'll be late to work and school," Xander pointed out.

"Perhaps you'd like to drive us there?" Alec asked with a tight smile.
 
"Is it really that time?" Daizi asked, forcing herself to stand. This baby better be real cute, she thought, bringing her plate to the sink. It could be dealt with later.

"It probably is not the best idea to have him drive on a main road for the first time if we're all at risk of running late," Dark pointed out, ushering them Daizi to the car. After she was out of earshot he said, "I think you both do look nice, you do not have to worry."
 
"I wasn't," Xander said, but his grumpiness eased into a faint look of satisfaction.

"Thank you," Alec said with a little nod.

The twins crawled into the back seat and sat on opposite sides, staring out their respective windows as if they'd never taken this particular drive before. It was better than talking.
 
In the car, Daizi rested her head against the window and closed her eyes, knowing perfectly well that she didn't have enough time to take any real nap and that it'd just make it worse.

"You look hungover," Dark commented, breaking the silence.

"I wish I was hungover," Daizi replied, a lilt in her voice suggesting she wasn't upset by this comment, "because then I'd know it'd be better tomorrow. Instead, I know I have three more months of not being able to sleep, followed by many more months of not being able to sleep. At least then neither of us will be sleeping."

"Darling, I have chronic insomia."

"Oh, yeah," Daizi laughed, "I forgot."

Not too long after that conversation, Daizi had been dropped off at the train station, and Dark was pulling into the school parking lot, "Here we are," he said, "another day of teenage purgatory. Try to have a good day, alright?"
 
Xander slid out, leaving the door open for Alec. "No promises, but I guess I can give it a shot. Maybe freak out a few of the younger students or something."

"Charming as ever," Alec said dryly, following Xander out. "Thanks, and have a good day, yourself!"

They both headed into the school, aiming for the gym. Alec remembered he hadn't finished his homework yet, but the gym was far too distracting to do any king of real work. He'd try to finish it before class, but otherwise, he might just have to take a loss on them. Oh well. There were worse things than failing a couple of homework assignments.
 
"Thank you," Dark said, and took an extra second to gather his mental fortitude for the day before going inside and slinking off to the teacher's lounge.

Sloan was at school that day earlier than usual, because it was the birthday of one of the many people at the school who weren't quite friends but weren't quite acquaintances, and she had a reputation for being one of the best locker-decorators she school had ever known (in her humble opinion), so she did her duty.

After it was finished, she dumped the supplies in her locker, and then took herself to the gym. This time, she genuinely didn't see either twin, and it hadn't even occurred to her to look for them. She looked tired, but not at all in the way Daizi had earlier. After entering, Sloan sat down on the nearest bleachers and seemed to just be staring into the middle distance. She was listening to music, but her hair covered her earbuds, so it wasn't immediately obvious.
 
Alec looked up and spotted Sloan. He hesitated a moment but then smiled and waved. "Sloan!" he called out to her. "Hi!"

She didn't respond. She looked a bit knackered, to be honest. Maybe she was just zoned out?

"Sloan!" Alec called again with another little wave. Still no answer. He glanced at Xander, but Xander was hunched over his math homework and growling about the stupidity of formulas. Alec's hand slowly lowered, and he slumped down in his seat. It looked to him like Sloan had decided to give him the cold shoulder. Why? because he was doing something she disapproved of? It was the only explanation he could think of, and he hated it. He crossed his arms, frowning at nothing while waiting until time to go to class. Dictating what he could do by threatening the withdrawal of friendship was just... just... manipulative! And far beneath anything he would have ever dreamed Sloan was capable of.

Peter arrived a few minutes before the bell and went to the gym. When he got there, he found two grumpy red-headed twins and a spaced-out girl listening to music. He gave a little shrug, figuring they needed some time to sort themselves out, and wandered off to hang out with another group who were in a much better mood until the bell rang for class.
 
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