How Green Becomes Wood

"If you think about it, all of us have been deciding not to have kids since we hit puberty. We're talking about the future anyway, I'm way more pressed about the fact it's the second half of my junior year." She looked at Xander, "In a few months I'll be a senior, and I'm not ready for that responsibility. And what will you two do when I've graduated?"
 
"What do you mean, what will we do?" Xander demanded with a half laugh. "What, you think we need babysat or something?"

"We'll miss you, but we'll be fine," Alec told her. "You'll be fine, too. You'll be ready when the time comes, and you'll be awesome. In your own time."
 
"I'll be off in college!" She cried out, failing to surpress a laugh, "I won't be across the street anymore! Your very first friend in high school, besides each other, gone! Missing from the halls!"
 
"This is true," Alec groaned. He slumped down in his seat. "We will be parted, nevermore to see each other again! The fragile flower of our friendship shall wither and crumble away to dust! Oh, woe is us!"

Xander groaned and thumped his head back against the headrest. "Are we there yet?"
 
"Nearly, calm down," She chuckled, pulling into the student parking lot. "And you can't pretend like you won't miss me. You've gotta come to one of my competitions before I go to college. That's how you'll repay me for driving you, come see my competitions. I'm really good on the uneven bars."
 
"Buy me dinner after, how about that?" She asked, grinning as she stepped out of her car, "I'll let you know when my next one is." After slinging her bag over her shoulder, Sloan looked up at the school, "You know, I was so excited for winter break to be over, and now I wish I was literally anywhere else."
 
"Why?" Alec asked, scrambling out of the car. He stood for a moment and took a deep breath of the cold air. "The future is a burden we needn't choose to carry every day. Each day dawns as a promise for potential adventure!" He pranced away happily, forgetting his bag.

Xander grabbed both their bags and stood next to Sloan. "He is going to be unbearable when he gets into the drama club."
 
Sloan made a face, standing beside Xander and staring in the direction Alec had trotted off in, "He went stir crazy over winterbreak, didn't he?" She shook her head, trudging through the poorly shoveled parking lot and heading towards the building, "I guess I'm not surprised he landed on drama. I hope it's not weird for him, though, because Emily and I--are not... friends, anymore."
 
"We know," Xander said matter of factly. He glanced at Sloan. "Don't worry. You still got us to drive you nuts. Second best thing, right?" His voice was softer, very nearly gentle by Xander standards.

Alec had reached the door and stood by it, waving for Xander and Sloan to catch up.
 
She looked at him and smiled slightly, adjusting her bag on her shoulder, "Yeah... And since you've gotta sister now, somebody's gotta teach you how to treat girls." She noted the tone in his voice and tried not to think too hard about it. But she was doing okay. It happened long enough ago that she wasn't too broken up over it anymore, although it still stung.

When she went up to Alec again she said, "You did a great impression of Mr. Major back there."
 
"Oh, come on! I know how to treat girls," Xander scoffed, smirking at her as they walked. "You never give them personal space and you constantly make remarks about how they look, right?"

Alec stared at Xander quizzically. "What on earth were you two talking about?"

"The fact that the band is back together and she should come to one of our sessions," Xander said.

Alec brightened and moved out of the way so Sloan could walk with them. "Will you? We're sounding really good now! And Mr. Jackson at the Mr. Pizza joint said he might let us play on Saturdays! He won't pay us, but we can keep any tips, and if we play at least one song he likes, free pizza. It's basically for the experience. We need to get signatures from our parents first, but I lost mine."
 
"Oh, sure, I'd love to go! It sounds fun. And you need a friendly face in the audience, right? Since your other friend is in the band," She nudged Alec with her shoulder, "I'll try to convince some of my other friends to go along, give you a good crowd." She squinted at them while she headed to her locker, "Since you two are twins, can't one permission slip count for both of you? It's not like Mr. Dark and Daizi," Daizi didn't think it necessary to add any prefixes to her name, "would agree to let Xander perform but not you."
 
"That would be so great!" Alec cheered then sobered sheepishly as Sloan continued.

"One permission slip would be perfect," Xander drawled, "and we were only given the one slip. The one slip that Mr. Colendar Brain here lost. So, we gotta go get a new one from Mr. Pizza himself."

Alec shrugged, spreading one hand out helplessly. "What can I say? The wind is unpredictable in the winter time."
 
"Why would you let him carry it!?" Sloan asked, looking at Xander, "You know how he is! What were you expecting to happen!" She looked again at Alec, "I'm sorry, I don't want to offend you, I love you and mean nothing by it, but you've got to admit you are not good at keeping track of things!"
 
"That's alright, I get it," Alec agreed with a resigned sigh.

"It wasn't my idea. Mr. Pizza gave it to him, and I was going to get it from him once we were away so it wouldn't look weird," Xander defended himself. "Next thing I know, it's off like a paper plane."
 
"Alec," She slung her arm around his shoulders, "You are the most disorganized person I've ever met. You need a personal secretary or something." She widened her eyes and pointed at him, "I bet you could train Ivy to be that for you. Just take her with you and have her file your papers, never lose anything again! It's about time you learn that little siblings can be useful."
 
Alec laughed at that. "As if Mum would ever let that happen," he chuckled. "She'd teach Ivy to be independent and strong."

"But kind and nurturing, too, which is exactly what you need," Xander smirked then ducked when Alec pretended to swing at him. "Come on. Let's not get called in on day one."
 
She laughed again, shutting her locker, "Yeah, you're probably right. I think Ivy will probably end up like Wednesday Addams. I'll see you at lunch, say hi to Peter for me if you see him first!"
 
"Will do! See you later!" Alec called with a happy wave.

Xander sighed and rolled his shoulders as they joined the steadily growing flow of people. It was nice not to have to be on constant edge and awaiting the bullies to pick them out, but he still really did not like the crowd. "Well, here we are again. Back to forced learning, structured cell changes, routine lunches... how is this not prison? And why did I miss this?"

"I could imitate a crying baby to remind you," Alec smirked.

Xander rolled his eyes. "Nevermind."
 
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