How Green Becomes Wood

Daizi nodded in agreement, "We should. When he's no longer suspended and maintains not being suspended. I really liked it when we were able to arrange taking him horseback riding. Maybe sometime we can go as a family, now that I'm not pregnant I'm able to ride, too. I just don't know what we'd do with Ivy." She hummed lightly, keeping one hand on Alec's shoulder, "I think I'm going to go check on her. I like listening to her dream."
 
"I think they have baby backpacks. Maybe you or Baba could carry her on that." He touched his hand lightly to hers. "If you need anything, just let me know, okay? I'm going to go see what Xander's up to."
 
"Maybe. I just need her to be safe." Daizi said, gently squeezing Alec's hand for a moment. "Thank you, habibi. I love you so, so much. And I value you." Then she went up to the nursery, where she found Dark rocking in the chair, holding Ivy because he just couldn't quite bring himself to lay her down. Finding them that way, Daizi wormed her way into his lap, both adults being careful not to wake their baby, and spoke a small amount, but really just enjoyed being together, because there would only be so many times when she was small enough for all of them to cram into one chair.
 
Alec found Xander out in his shop with the door standing open just fiddling with scraps of leather and trying to come up with ways to use them. The more uses he got out of each piece, the lower his costs and the more practical it was. They hung out and talked amongst themselves as Alec told Xander what had happened. As expected, he was supremely irritated to hear about the reckless skateboarding, but he calmed a little when Alec assured him it had all been an honest accident that the other kid had apologized for. After a while, they headed inside looking for lunch and a new focus for their energies.
 
When Dark learned about what had happened, much later in the day, he was somewhat more relaxed than Xander, because he knew Toby was just a kid, so he was able to extend a little grace, but he also felt the teen was old enough to keep a damn eye open. And like Alec, he felt uneasy about Daizi going out alone with these new circumstances, but there was no way he would ever, ever, express this to her. That would truly hurt her.

He occasionally looked over at their house during the weekend, but didn't visit. He didn't like making friends or talking to people ever, but showing up at a stranger's home, uninvited, when they were setting up their lives? Absolutely not. His weekend was much better served spending time with his family.

Come Monday, Dark was back in his classroom, somewhat refreshed for a new week, and Daizi settled in for another week at home. She was a little sad about it, only because it was nice having Xander home with her, and at the end of the school day, her time with one of her sons home all day was over half over.

At the start of the day, Sloan was waiting in the office, preparing to give a tour to some new student. It wasn't her favourite student council job, but it beat being in math.
 
Toby's skin practically gleamed from being scrubbed clean, and he walked into the office awkwardly, gripping his backpack in both hands. Automatically, he moved toward the secretary to state his business. "Hi, hello, I mean. I'm Toby - Tobias Sims? I'm a new transfer. I think my files are transferred and... stuff?"

Xander checked his phone again, but Cooger hadn't texted or called. Looked like he was stuck here for a while unless Cooger called later. No homework to do yet. No leatherwork. Looked like he needed to find something else to occupy his time.
 
The secretary looked up from whatever he was typing, "Oh, yes. Hello, it's good to have you here. Just give me a moment." After some fiddling on his computer, he slid back, fetched a piece of paper from the printer tray which he then handed to Toby. "There's your schedule and locker number, and we have, here," he gestured to a curly-haired girl with a green jacket, "a member of student council to show you around and help get you situated."

"Hi," the girl said, standing up and giving a slightly-awkward wave, "I'm Sloan. And I think, this is weird, I'm sorry, but I think I actually live across the street from you."

Back at home, Daizi walked up to Xander, "Hey, habibi. Are you bored?"
 
"No way! Really?" He lit up grinning hugely and held out a hand. "I'm Toby. Great to meet you! Student council, huh? Am I bad news, or am I that special?" He grinned at her lopsidedly, his expression open and friendly, a bit like a golden retriever dog.


"Not yet," Xander admitted, turning toward her. "Why? Do you have something you need done or want me to do?"
 
"Whatever you prefer to be, I guess." Sloan replied pleasantly, "Can I see your schedule? There's no point in showing you an area of the school you won't need to know. At least, not at first. Your classes are the more important part, right?"

"No, nothing I need done. I just wanted to know if you would like to play with us," Daizi invited, disentangling her hair from Ivy's hand, and then doing it a second time before moving her hair to the opposite shoulder.
 
"Sure!" he said cheerfully and willingly handed it over. "Thanks for showing me around. I really appreciate it. I mean, I guess you were probably told to, but you don't act like it. Thanks."

Xander hesitated and then shrugged. "Yeah, alright, sure. What are we doing? Hop scotch? Learning to ride bikes?"
 
"It's more fun for both of us if I pretend it's a favour," Sloan smirked, taking his schedule and looking over it, "Oh, you've got Mr. Dark for history. He's also our neighbor. Alright, c'mon," She said, heading out of the office, "I'll take you to your locker first, no point in carrying anything you're not sure to need, right? Where are you from, anyway?"

Daizi chuckled, and after being certain he was with her, headed upstairs to the nursery, "Push-ups, I think, probably. And reaching. You know, body-weight exercises. I figured you could show her good form. Or taunt her by keeping toys at the absolute end of her reach."
 
"New Jersey originally, but we spent some time in New York. Just came from there, actually," he told her, following right behind her. He was not a particularly tall person. Well, it depended on who you asked. He was either just barely considered tall or still within the parameters of what could be considered average. Either way, he seemed taller because of the loose-jointed way he walked, which made him seem as though he took up more room than he really did. He didn't seem to notice or care, happily following Sloan like a monkey on a lead.

"I am very good at taunting," Xander mused, following her.
 
"Oh, cool. I've never been to New York or New Jersey. I've wanted to, though. Maybe some day. So, what brings you here?" Sloan asked while reading the locker numbers, "Alright, here you are. It's kind of in an inconvenient space given where all your classes are, but it's only for a few months, right? And you're a sophomore? I'm trying to barrel through all the normal small talk."

"Perfect," Daizi said, laying Ivy down onto the mat, "It's nice she enjoys it now. I don't remember if you ever sat with us when she was brand new, when her neck was still so floppy, but she was not a fan of this, but now," she lay down across from Ivy and motioned for Xander to do the same, "She can lift her head so she likes it better. Don't you baby?"
 
"Some places in New York or Jersey are pretty cool, but not really where I was from," Toby said, frowning slightly as he tried to remember all of her questions and answer them in order. "My mom finally landed her dream job and saved up enough money to move us to what she calls the end of the fresh start or something and open her own business. I don't mind the extra travel time for lockers. I don't use them much, anyway. Uh... Oh, no, I'm a junior." He shrugged. "I got held back a year. Um... I think that was all the small talk? Oh, hey, when's lunch?"

Xander awkwardly lowered himself onto his stomach, feeling as though he was also being put through some tummy time exercises. "Alright, you. Time to get buff, Mouse! Let's go! Give me twenty push-ups!" He frowned at Ivy, trying to pretend to be dramatic and serious but also trying not to scare her.
 
"I feel like everybody is from the not cool part of wherever they're from." Sloan said, walking from Toby's locker to his first class and providing him with some information about that teacher before saying, "I think the only cool parts of places exist in movies and memories. You know, after we've had time to forget their faults." Then she looked at his schedule again to tell him when his lunch period was.

Ivy, more from excitement than from being told, did push herself up, grinning at her brother. With one hand she reached out to him and them flopped back down on her face. Unbothered, she then raised her head again and turned her attention towards her mother, or more specifically, the toy she had in her hand. They played like this for a little while until Daizi's phone rang out saying Ruby. Ruby. Ruby. Sitting up and swearing, Daizi said, to Xander, "Hey, can you watch her for a moment? This is my friend, she's going through a divorce, if she's calling it's probably important."
 
"Mmm, maybe, but it's kind of hard to forget knife fights in their grade school playground," Toby said casually, looking around the hall happily. "But that's school for you!"

Xander stared at Daizi like she'd grown another head. "Okay," he said reluctantly. "I guess so." He looked at Ivy. "Just you and me, kid. Let's see you do all kinds of tricks. One more sit up!"
 
Sloan nodded in agreement, but privately could not help but thinking oh. my god. can i meet just one person at this school who hasn't experienced horrific shit. It was a somewhat guilty thought, but her life was so normal and tame she felt stupid and sheltered by comparison.

"Thank you," Daizi said quickly, hurrying to her feet, "bye, baby! Play nice with your brother!" With that, she left the room. Ivy cooed, unbothered by her mother's departure, and instead just looked at Xander, gurgling while slowly sticking her tongue out of her mouth.
 
"This place is really cool!" Toby grinned. "What's your favorite subject here?"

Xander couldn't help snorting in amusement. He stuck his tongue out at her in return and wiggled it.
 
"I like English, I think. But like... There's not one subject here that's great and one that's terrible, it's all, you know, dependent on what teacher you've got. Like, Mr. Dark is a great teacher, but your chem teacher, Mrs. Monroe, she's a really harsh grader." She shrugged, flipping her ponytail over her shoulder, "But I guess that's everywhere, too."

Ivy grinned, then stuck out her tongue again, briefly pushing up before dropping back down again.
 
"Oh, thank you for telling me," Tody said, nodding soberly. He got distracted, watching her ponytail. Swishy! "Where to next?"

"That was one push up. You got nineteen more," Xander told her. He folded his arms under himself and flattened himself on the floor to be at her level. "Come on!"
 
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