How Green Becomes Wood

She shrugged, "I don't know. A party. They'll probably have, like, pizza and music or whatever. I don't imagine it'll be too much like the movies beyond that... I just know a lot of people have been talking about it and said it'll be fun."
 
Xander was already shaking his head. "Not my thing. Starting with the word 'party' and ending with the word 'crowd.'"

Alec considered the idea for a moment before shaking his head. "Thanks for the invite, but I don't think it really sounds like my thing."

"I'm not one for high school parties, either. Too many teens," Peter laughed. "Thanks, though."
 
"Have you tried asking Becky or Tom?" Alec offered. "They might like to go. Maybe. It might be better than going alone."

"Yeah, you really shouldn't go alone," Peter cautioned. "My parents taught me early on that party goers should always have a buddy system. But maybe there's someone at the party who can be your buddy?"
 
"I'm not really that close to either of them, especially since Emily and I had our... falling out... And also Tom asked me out at your birthday, so I don't want him to feel like I'm, you know, playing with his feelings or anything." She shrugged, "but you all say all the time about how liked and popular I am, so I'm sure there'd be someone."
 
"He did? Well, that's news," Alec remarked with interest. "Well, as long as you stay safe. You're incredibly popular with us, after all, but I hope you have fun."

Xander shrugged. "Dunno why you'd want to go, but if you need an excuse, I can be your call."

Alec gave him a puzzled look. "What do you mean?"

"I've heard some of the others set up like a call or something and pretend like it's a parent telling them to get home. That's just if they don't want to lose face and need out or are bored," Xander told him.
 
"Thank you," Sloan said, "I don't think I'll need one... I don't really care if they think I'm lame for leaving early, you know? If I need to leave early. And I just thought, you know... Why not try it? That and prom kinda seem like the height of the 'high school experience' and I don't care much to be Prom Queen, so I better try my luck there instead."
 
"I'm looking forward to prom," Alec admitted wistfully.

"You would," Xander grumbled. "I'm already planning a way out."

Peter glanced between them, amused. "I hadn't thought that was your scene, Sloan, but I suppose I can understand the desire to try things out."
 
"It may not be my scene, but you don't know if it's your scene or not before you go," Sloan pointed out. "And like... If it's not for me, then at least I know. But you've got to go to prom, Xander, even if it's just to call it lame. I could technically go to Junior Prom this year, but I think Junior Prom is dumb as hell. What are we celebrating, you know? The seniors are graduating. I went to homecoming freshman year, though. I'll probably go again senior year."
 
"Why do I gotta go?" Xander nearly whined. "Why does everyone always gotta be included in everything?"

"Never mind him, he's just annoyed I didn't pack sandwiches," Alec told Sloan.
 
"I dunno. If you go and hate it, you can leave early. If you don't go, you'll never know if you would've liked it. And even if you hate it, you'll have a story to tell." She nodded to Alec, "He's gotta work on campaigning so he can be Prom King when he's a senior."
 
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"I already know I'm going to hate it, so why bother? And if any of you nominate me for Prom King, I'll knock both your blocks off," Xander growled.

"I'm not sure you are actually physically able to, yet," Peter said, amused. "You haven't caught up to me in class yet."

"Class ain't the real world," Xander pointed out.

"I just might do that," Alec whispered to Sloan. "Xander for Porcupine King! If our school mascot was something like a porcupine or a Tasmanian devil, that would be perfect."
 
"Oh no, you have to put on a nice outfit and hang out with your friends in some vaguely decorated ballroom, drink punch, and eat. How will you ever survive?" Sloan replied, rolling her eyes, doubting a future where Xander let Alec go alone, "and I'd like to see you try to knock me down, I'm faster and more agile than you. You'd kick my ass one-on-one, but if you had to catch me first, you'd be done for. But I meant Alec could be Prom King."
 
"Oh! You really think I could be king?" Alec asked, surprised and pleased. "Thank you, I will consider. You know, I'm surprised your mother gave you permission for this party. She must be loosening up!"

Xander glanced at Sloan and seriously doubted she'd even brought it up to her mother yet.
 
"People like you, you're the front man of a band, and you dress well. Why not? You kinda deseated the most popular girl in school, so that's gotta count for something." She said, earnest in her belief of Alec's chance, but when he asked about her mom, she averted her gaze, "Yeah. She must be."
 
Sloan's reaction cemented Xander's suspicion, but he didn't say a word about it.

"Huh," Alec mused, lost in the idea of possibly winning the most popular popularity contest in their lifetime. "That could be really cool." He snapped out of it and shrugged. "Crystal's not really deseated, I don't think. Just swims in a different pond."

"Like a shark," Xander muttered.
 
"Yeah, but the average person here knows she's crazy and the only people who are okay with it are probably crazy too. It doesn't really matter, because you wouldn't be competing against her anyway, but I bet more people will vote for you because of it. You've just got to start putting the work in now. My mom was Prom Queen, she's told me all about it."
 
"There’s junior prom, too. And I don't know, so you said you did. You're almost a junior already, the school year is almost over. Putting in the work is really just making friends with people, I thought you'd enjoy that." She replied, "I don't really care, I don't want to be the evil advisor at your shoulder molding you into my ideal."
 
"I could think of worse ideals to be like," Alec told her. He tapped his chin thoughtfully. "I guess I could try to be junior prom king, but junior prom just seems kind of... silly." He shook his head and smiled. "But if everyone else is having a good time, maybe it's worth it! I'll think about it. If I decide to go for it, operation Super Friendly can start Monday."

"I think you'd make a pretty decent evil advisor," Xander told Sloan. "You wouldn't push too far too fast. Baby steps."

Peter frowned at him. "Is that a compliment?"
 
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