How Green Becomes Wood

"Okay. I mean, I'll ask if my grandparents are okay with it. It could be fun." He scratched his arm, and after taking some awkward moments to consider what he was going to say, mentioned "My mom is getting me at the end of the month."
 
Xander glanced at him. "The end of this month? Oh." He looked away, watching Alec. His first reaction was to say that it sucked, but he bit back the words. That's not what Milo wanted to hear. What did Milo want to hear that Xander wouldn't be lying to say? Finally, he settled on, "Guess you aren't finishing out the end of the school year here, then?"
 
"I wouldn't really know about that," Xander admitted. He shifted, pushing his hands into his pockets. After a moment, he hesitantly asked, "Is there anything you want to do? Before then? Could... do like a visit to... the zoo or botanical gardens for pictures and stuff. Our mum works at the museum. Could probably get you in to see like behind-the-scenes stuff." He didn't look at Milo as he talked, trying to ignore the knot in his stomach. He'd deal with that later. For now, he had to not be a downer for Milo.
 
"And I hope you never have to learn," Milo responded, sounding a little colder, although not intentionally. His initial reaction was to try to say he didn't need anything, but he looked at Xander's face and thought, maybe, it wasn't just abut him, and it wasn't the right thing to just shut it down,"I don't know what I'd want to do. I guess the zoo is cool. I haven't been to the zoo in a long time... What kind of museum does your mom work at?"
 
Xander told Milo about the museum and a little bit about Daizi's job, getting a couple of words wrong but getting the big picture right. He described a couple of the displays he liked, his words clunky and uncertain. Describing things was not his strong suit.

"Anyway, she's been working from home since the Mini came along, but she'd arrange it so we could check it out," he finished. "She loves her job and loves sharing about it."
 
Milo smiled a small, earnest smile, like some small child inside of him took a second to sneak out, "That does sound pretty cool. I didn't know your mom did that sort of thing. She'd be okay with something like that? Like, she wouldn't feel used?"
 
Milo liked the museum? Xander wouldn't have guessed that, but he filed it away carefully. Maybe he'd have the chance to use that information again someday. He chuckled and shook his head. "Are you kidding? She'd be so excited to share her museum that she'd forget her American accent for a bit. I guarantee you, she'll be delighted. I'd even go so far as to bet she'd try to figure out a way to give you a personal tour."
 
"What do you mean, 'forget her American accent?'" Milo asked, confused. He knew, having met them, that Xander's foster parents weren't Americans, but he didn't understand his comment. Neither of them really sounded American? He tried to shake off this confusion, and said, "She doesn't have to do that. I wouldn't want to take up too much of her time. I mean, it'd be cool to see some of the behind-the-scenes stuff, but a personal tour... It's weird enough to like...I don't know... not just visit... like a normal person... or go... somewhere as like... a eulogy."
 
"Never mind," Xander said to Milo's accent comment. "Yeah, I guess I see what you mean. If you're interested, though, I'll talk to her and see what can be arranged without making you feel like a celeb. Sound cool?"
 
Xander buried any reaction he had to that statement. He didn't know how to react. He wanted to be angry and sad on Milo's behalf. Why couldn't he at least finish out the school year? Not all schools would even take a transfer this late! The year was nearly over, anyway. His so-called mum could go set things up and send for Milo during summer break. Xander knew that he was being a little unfair and judgmental, but he couldn't help it. Milo was his first friend that he'd ever tried to make, or made the effort for, and here he was getting snatched away into what sounded like a situation possibly worse than what Xander and Alec had lived through. It wasn't fair! Sure, his mum might have changed, but he'd believe that when he saw it.

"I'll talk to her and let you know," Xander said, referring to the museum visit. "And if you need a ride to the meet, just let me know."
 
"It might be easier for my grandparents if I had a ride, if they're okay with me going," Milo murmured, but then he furrowed his eyebrows and shook his head, "But then I'd be putting your parents out of their way. I don't want to bother anyone." He scratched his arm, trying to think about how, if he was allowed to go, and he was pretty certain he would be, how to get there and back while inconveniencing absolutely nobody. But that was silly, and he knew he was overthinking. But it was easier to overthink that than it was to overthink the end of the month.
 
Xander reached out as if to touch Milo, but his hand hovered a few inches above his arm. "Hey, Stitch, if it was a bother, I wouldn't have brought it up," he stated. "It's okay." He dropped his hand back to his side. "If my folks think it's a bother, they will just say so, but I don't think it will be. After all, we haven't even figured out when we're going, which means they have plenty of advance notice to plan for it."
 
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Despite his near constant overwhelming anxiety, Xander's words did calm him slightly, and he shoved his hands in his pockets and stared down at the pavement. "If you're sure..." He murmured, "Why'd you call me Stitch?"
 
"'Cause it fits," Xander said simply. Even if he was going to elaborate, he didn't get the chance as Alec hurried over to him.

"Hey! So, Peter commented how he wasn't sure he liked 'Best Fake Friend,' so we might have to find a new song," Alec babbled on high speed. "He didn't say as much, of course, and he said he'd be fine preforming it, but what if he really doesn't like it? I know with our varied tastes it's hard to find songs we all like, but if our drummer isn't happy, then the band won't do as well. Maybe we should pick another song. Is it too late to pick another song? It might be too late to pick another song. I should ask Sloan. No, I don't think I should. She's busy enough as it is and already exasperated with how long it took this one."

As Alec continued to jabber, Xander glanced at Milo. "At least when you overthink things, you do it more slowly," he commented dryly.
 
"How?" Milo had just asked, but then he turned when Alec came up, not even trying to interrupt him. When Alec finally stopped speaking, he asked, "Why does the song need to be perfect? You play together every week anyway, it is not your only chance to get it right."
 
Alec hesitated, his face pinching into a frown as if he hadn't thought about that question like that. "Because this'll be in front of the whole school?" he asked more than said. "Anyway, Peter's so accommodating! He really is! Maybe we should be making more of an effort to do things he likes. Maybe we should try harder to learn some of the jazzy stuff. Maybe- Mph!"

Xander caught Alec's face between his hands, mushing his cheeks so his lips stuck out like a fish. "The song is fine," he told Alec, looking right at him. "Like Milo said, it don't have to be perfect, but if you're this concerned, then we can go talk to Peter, okay? But this is the last time I'm even considering changing, got it?"

"O-thay," Alec agreed through squished cheeks. "Gah ith."
 
Xander let go of Alec's face, and Alec shrugged. "I don't know. I like the applause, I suppose, and they are future buyers of our future albums," he replied with a grin.

"Uh-huh, like that's happening," Xander said dryly.

Alec waved a hand. "Never mind. It's just me. Did I interrupt you two? Talking about anything interesting? Or should I invite myself off?"
 
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