How Green Becomes Wood

"That's kind of them," She said, opening up her bag of chips, "And I hope it is. I mean, it doesn't really fall back on me regardless, because, you know, it's not like I'm going to make her know less information than before, probably, but..." She shrugged, and then looked around at the table, "It's weird when it's just the three of us."
 
"Not really, no." She said slowly, her shoulders slumping slightly, but she didn't realize it, "It's just, how it's been, you know? Not really much to talk about. What about you two?"
 
Alec raised his brow and started to ask Sloan if she was sure there was nothing she wanted to talk about, but then he thought better of it. The school cafeteria wasn't the best place to have an emotional conversation at times.

"Got my new car," Xander said, choosing to move to a happier subject rather than pry into SLoan's private life. "It needs a bit of spit and polish, but it runs great. Didn't bring it to school today. I decided I want to clean it up before I drive it regularly."
 
Sloan didn't notice Alec's look, and instead made herself sit up right and grin, "Really? I thought that car in the driveway might be yours--I got home kinda late last night from practice--but I couldn't figure out if someone was visiting or if Mr. Dark decided it was time to embrace soccer-motherhood. But that's awesome, it's great having your own transportation."
 
Xander heaved. "No, I'm the one with the soccer-mom van. In my defense, it might not look cool, but it's wicked comfy."

Alec nodded. "Even if you do sit on an ice cream stain. Now we can occasionally return our ride favors to you!"
 
"Oh, well that's okay," Sloan laughed lightly, "It makes more sense for you than for him. He's got such a... look, you know? It's the beard and the suits and the tattoos and the grim expression he permanently has---You're just, you know, a normal person, and it's normal for normal people to have a car that works right. Anyway, you can always decorate."
 
Alec nearly choked on his water as he snickered. "Xander's normal?"

Xander scowled at Sloan, though there wasn't any real heat behind the expression. "Damn. Insulted by one of my best friends. Never thought I'd see the day when you'd turn on me, Slo."

"Cut to the quick!" Alec giggled.
 
"Comparatively normal," She replied with a sly little gin, "If I lined up your whole family--Ivy excluded, because she's not old enough to pick out her own clothes yet--you'd look closest to normal. You don't do your punk, safety-pinned and ripped clothes look anymore, so... Really," she hesitated slightly out of concern for stepping over the line, "You're just a ginger in a black t-shirt. At least until you wear your leather jacket, but it's getting too warm for that, and anyway," she shrugged, "I'm just going based on looks. I'm just saying if you got out of the silver minivan at a target, nobody would do a double take. And nobody would do a double-take if they saw Mr. Dark getting out of his car at a cemetery."
 
Xander glanced at Alec.

"Sorry, but she's quite right," Alec said cheerfully.

Xander groaned. "Great. I've been completely domesticated. I've lost all sense of individuality to Minivan Syndrom. It was only a matter of time, I guess."

"Somebody has to be normal, I suppose," Alec said, patting Xander on the shoulder. "I'm sorry it had to be you. I guess you can try finding a new style of your own to out-weird a witch, a funeral directer, and a bag of skittles."
 
"I think the minivan is symptomatic," Sloan teased, "but it's really not that bad. I look normal, too. Nobody would be shocked to see me get out of a minivan. Some people just dress normal. Although I think Mr. Dark dresses more like a vampire than he does like a funeral director, he's got a bit more flair than your standard mortician. He accessorizes, you know? But I suppose you live with him and would probably have a better grasp."
 
"Hmm, yes, vampire does suit him a little better," Alec agreed. "Depending, of course, on your definition of Vampire, but I'm assuming we're talking about the current culturally popular Romanian-style vampire al la Bela Lugosi."

"That's better than the Nosferatu vamp," Xander agreed. He looked down at his arms. "Maybe I could get a bunch of tattoos. No, that's been done. Piercings?"

"Have fun in a metal detector," Alec remarked.

"Hmm, good point."
 
"I think they make piercings out of metals that don't go off in detectors, but the real killer is if you need to have certain procedures. Because then you need to take them out and have them repierced, and that sucks." She took a sip from her water bottle, "Mr. Dark looks like he was turned in the 1800s and slightly updated his style. So I guess that is probably like who you're referring to. Xander, I think you just need a Pinterest board."
 
Xander looked at her blankly. "What's a pin rest board?"

"Pinterest," Alec corrected. "It's a website where you save pictures of things you like. I tried it, but it was too chaotic for me."
 
"It's good for helping you to figure out your aesthetic or to plan ideas for an event or decorating or whatever." Sloan explained, "and it's great for 11 year old girls to plan their future wedding on. But it can be a good tool if you want to figure out how you want to dress."
 
"Yeah... I think I'll pass on that," Xander said slowly, staring at Sloan as if he'd seen a whole new side of her.

Alec giggled. "I'll try digging into Pinterest and help him out," he assured her. "It's not a bad idea."
 
"I never said I planned my wedding on it. It was all my straight friends, I tried but, believe it or not, figuring out my ideal way to marry a man wasn't fun for me." Sloan told him, rolling her eyes, "I just liked looking at clothes. I did my fashion dolls, remember?"
 
"Girlhood is being told basically from birth how special your wedding is," Sloan said, gathering her things and standing up, "I liked going to the zoo a lot as a kid, and my mom told me how I could have my wedding there one day. Plus it's a big party that's all about you with a budget that's probably bigger than what your parents spend on your birthday parties. I don't know when marriage was first mentioned to you two as something special and beautiful to prepare for, but I was a little kid and I was being asked if I'd choose a veil or a tiara."
 
"I don't think that's girlhood, I think that's your mom being a boring beige bitch," Xander said bluntly, standing up as well.

"Xander!" Alec gasped, shocked.

Xander nodded. "You're right. Beige is too exciting for her, but white's not alliterative."

"You shouldn't talk that way about people's parents," Alec scowled.
 
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