How Green Becomes Wood

"Oh, that's cool. I like the museum a lot. My mom and I always go on her birthday." She looked around the hallway, now trying really hard not to look at Xander, "Yeah. I thought so. So I guess we gotta say goodbye and everything. And like, you're mean but you're also nice."
 
Xander snorted softly. "You're blunt but also nice." He held out his fist to her. "Chin up, kid. I bet you'll find another friend who's way better than me eventually. I know I'm pretty awesome, though, so you'll have to settle for second best. I hope that's alright."
 
"I know that you're the one who made that cake. 'Cause I asked my mom and she didn't and my grandmas don't bake, and it wasn't one anyone would've bought." She fist bumped him, "Do you think it'll be okay when I go home? That they won't just ignore me all the time?"
 
Xander took a deep breath and blew it out slowly. "I'll be honest, kid, I don't know. I wanna say they'll wake up, but things don't look good. Babies take a lot of attention as it is, and there's two of them, so..." He shrugged. "Maybe in a couple of months. But I'll tell you something that won't ever change." He leaned closer. "Friends, family, anyone at all, don't matter who they are, if you feel like you gotta fight to keep their attention, then they aren't worth the effort. 'Cause you're awesome, and if someone can't see that, that's on them. Not you. Don't know how much that helps, but it's something to keep in mind, right? Focus on the people that do care, like your mom. Those are the ones that matter."
 
Alice was quiet for a little while, playing with the ends of her hair. Then she looked at him, and with a tired sigh said, "I can't wait until I'm all grown, and then I'll never need to listen to what anyone else tells me to do ever, ever again."
 
Xander couldn't help a short laugh at that. "There's always someone you gotta answer to, Wonderland. But it does get easier, and you do get to mostly choose who you listen to. Don't worry about it, though. You just focus on being the kind of person other people know they can trust to be there for them, and you find people you can trust to do the same for you. The rest of life will sort itself out. Guaranteed."
 
"You make it sound easy. It doesn't feel easy." She commented, letting herself feel really gloomy and helpless for a moment. Then she frowned, furrowing her brows and said, "I hate being ten. But, you know. You know? I don't stay ten. Nobody does, unless they die. And I can't control what anyone else does, but I can control me, right? So! So---" She clenched her hands into fists, and then released, "I just wish it was different."
 
Xander smiled slightly. "I've heard people say nothing good is ever easy, and for the most part, they're right. And you're right. The only one you can control is you. But it's okay to let yourself feel bad sometimes. It's okay." He reached out, hesitated, then lightly ruffled her hair. "You'll be okay, Wonderland. Someday."
 
When he ruffled her hair, she looked up at him, a bit confused, and then smiled at him, "I'm really glad you were mean to me so we met. But promise you won't be mean to people just because you want them to like you, 'cause it won't always work, okay? 'Cause I don't want you to think it's the best way to make friends. I'm smart enough to know that normally if someone is mean to you, you shouldn't wait around to see if they're nice some day."
 
"Well, yeah, I know. But, you don't know who is worth being nice to until you get to know them, right? And if you are mean to them before you know, then you might be missing out on a lotta really fun people. You know," She rocked on her heels, "People like me who are your own age."
 
"Maybe they always did and you just assumed they didn't," Alice suggested, "Because I bet the whole world didn't all wake up at once deciding they were wrong and you don't actually suck rotten eggs. That'd be a lotta people who all change their minds at once."
 
"How many people do you think I know?" Xander asked in amusement. "Don't worry, kid. I'll be fine. I promise to try to be nicer, and even if no one else ever does like me, I've got my brother and two other friends. I'm good."
 
"Good. Cause my mom says the most important thing a person can be is kind. She's got a big bumper sticker on the back of her car saying 'Practice radical empathy,' and I don't really know what that means, but she says it's important. My dad says anyone who has bumper stickers like that are just virtue signaling, and I don't know what that means either." She tried to think up what the two statements meant, but when she realized she still didn't totally get it, she said, pulling a card out of her hoody pocket, "Oh! I almost forgot! I made this for Ivy. It's a Get Well Soon card. So you all can go home too."
 
Daizi looked up, surprised because she hadn't been expecting someone, "Oh. I suppose so, who is it?" She reached down and touched Dark's head: it was a rare moment where he actually managed to fall asleep, and currently had his head in Daizi's lap, "Should I wake him?"
 
"No, it's okay. Let him sleep." Xander turned back to Alice and nodded toward the room. "Come on in." He stepped in first and said, "This is Wond- Alice. I mean, Alice. She's from next door. She says she has a card for the mini. Alice, this is my foster mother, and my foster father is sleeping. You've met Alec."

Alec gave Alice a little wave of greeting.
 
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