How Green Becomes Wood

Milo allowed himself to be pulled back, but as he did mumbled, "It's really not worth it." He stuffed his hands in his pockets and looked down at the ground, wondering if he should ready his camera to get photographic evidence of who started the fight. With how much this happened, it seemed almost worthwhile to switch to digital.
 
Xander heard Milo, but he didn't back down. He glared directly at the footballers, who seemed to be trying to get their heads around his insult.

"Hey, I've been with more girls than you'll ever talk to in your entire life!" the footballer spat.

"Then I congratulate you on your STDs and impending child support payments," Xander said without missing a beat. "What does that have to do with you blocking the hallway?"

"Ooo, snarky little twerp, isn't he?" the footballer laughed. "You might have bullied the other guys into leaving, but not me! So you better pray I don't catch you mouthing off again!"

What other guys? Xander had no idea what he was talking about, so he just glared without a word.

"Move!" the footballer ordered. When Xander didn't, he said, "What are you going to do if I make you move? Run crying to mommy? Oh, wait, you don't got one, do you? No dad, either. One ran out and one's dead as roadkill."
 
Milo tried pointlessly to tug on the back of Xander's shirt to try and call him off. It wasn't worth it. This is why he didn't engage, it just escalated things and made them worse. It's like Xander never heard someone say, 'they just want to get a reaction out of you.'

But, at the footballer's last comment, Milo raised his head and squinted confused at the player, about to say his dad's not dead, because he interpreted the statement as the footballer saying Xander had two dads, one who died, and one who ran out. But then he understood, and having his own experience with a dead parent, he found himself saying, "Your act is really derivative. It was a tired trope in the 90s, it's definitely overplayed now. It's not even intimidating, it's really just sad."
 
Xander glanced at Milo in surprise. Had he really just said that? He was quite impressed. He knew Milo didn't want him to fight, and he didn't particularly want to fight, either, but he wasn't going to back down when a dude marched up to him and deliberately challenged him. He just wanted the other guy to walk away.

Before anyone else could make a move, the big, new kid, who stood well over six feet tall and looked to be just as big around with both muscle and padding, leaned forward a little and scowled at the footballer. "Hey, man, that's not cool. That's over the line."

The footballer blinked. First the mousy kid was mouthing off, and now one of his own guys was chiding him? What was happening? "What are you talking about, lunkhead. It's true."

The big dude shook his head, taking a step toward him. "We don't talk about dead parents like that. That's way over the line. Talking about deadbeats is bad enough, but don't you ever talk about the dead ones."

The leader looked to his fellows, but they stood back uncertainly, now highly confused. He was losing power. He had to regain control. So, he shoved the big guy - or tried to - and shouted, "Don't you ever!" And that was as far as he got when the other guy shoved him back. Seconds later, the entire group had dogpiled on top of each other, but there was no clear indication as to who was fighting who.

"Well. That's a first," Xander admitted in amasement.

"I think now is when we slip away quietly and let them get into trouble without us?" Alec suggested. "Milo, would you lead the way?"
 
"Um, yeah. Just," Unable to resist, Milo snapped a quick picture of the dog pile and then started scurrying away, "Aren't you glad you aren't at the bottom of that pile?" He asked Xander, "Better to just be out of the equation, right?"
 
Xander followed after Milo with Alec right behind him. "Yeah, but it's not like it's my fault someone walked up to my with a chalkboard and handed me a piece of chalk," he stated.

"What does that even mean?" Alec asked over the sound of bodies crashing into the locker.

"I was going off his thing about equations," Xander said weakly. "Anyway, that was pretty cool."
 
"Yeah, except they're expecting you to incriminate yourself on the chalkboard," Milo replied, hands in his pockets and head down, "They want you to get worked up and insult them back, that's why they do it. That's the only reason why they do it. It's funny to them. So like. Do you want to be their jester?" He shrugged his shoulders and rubbed the back of his neck, "What was? That one of their own took issue with it?"
 
"If they want to come to me, fine, I'm not throwing the first punch, but I'm not turning my back to them, either," Xander said firmly. "They don't own the hall. And, no, I meant you were cool. The thing you said."

"Yeah!" Alec agreed. "What was it you said? 'Derivative tired trope from the 90s that's overdone and really just sad?'"

"'Your act is really derivative, a tired trope in the 90s, and definitely overplayed now, and not intimidating," Xander agreed, trying to remember the exact phrases.
 
"Honestly, calling them derivative is itself derivative," Milo replied, not feeling as impressed with himself as they were with him, "People have been calling out that behavior for pretty much as long as that behavior existed. I bet the Athenians were calling the Spartans derivative. But also I wouldn't be surprised if they didn't know what the word meant, and will need to look it up later. If they remember it." He shrugged, "It's not turning your back on it, it's withholding the pleasure from them."
 
"No, I mean I would literally not turn my literal back on any of them," Xander said mildly. "Literally. Not a safe move. I don't care if they talk smack anymore, it doesn't matter. But I'm not backing down. I don't think I know how."

"I've been trying to teach him since we were three," Alec told Milo.
 
Milo wanted to point out they'd just keep talking smack if he couldn't let it go, but then again, the footballer did stop him first, so with a shrug he let it go, "It's just good you didn't get into a brawl this time. I think your dad would've been pissed if you got suspended on your second day."
 
"Probably," Xander agreed.

"What do you think he meant by one left and one was dead?"Alec mused.

Xander glanced at him in confusion. "I think it's pretty obvious."

"I'm not sure," Alec admitted. "Huh. I'll talk to Becky later."

Xander felt as though he'd completely lost the thread of the conversation and gave up trying. Instead, he compared homework loads with Milo until they reached their class.
 
"I thought I didn't know, at first," Milo mumbled quietly, "but then I think I figured it out." He didn't explain any further, taking his interpretation as nothing more than a puzzle piece. It's not like he didn't already know something had happened in the twins' lives, it was obvious Dark and Daizi hadn't always been their parents after all.
 
The rest of the day went by as quietly as the second day of school could go, and as school finally let out, Alec spotted Becky and ran over to talk to her excitedly.

"Want a ride home?" Xander asked Milo.

Meanwhile, Rumy waved to Sloan and started walking toward her. "Hey! Slo-Slo!"
 
"Um..." Milo turned to gauge the weather, "No, I think I'll probably be okay making it home. Thank you though.'

Sloan turned and walked over towards Rumy, adjusting her bag, questioning the nickname, "Slo-Slo?"
 
"Right. Text me when you get home," Xander said with a slight nod. "Ride safe."

Rumy slowed her jog and stopped in front of Sloan with a grin. "Thought I'd try it out. Stupid?"
 
Xander watched him go until he had his bike out and in motion. Then he turned to watch Alec chatting with Becky excitedly.

Rumy laughed. "Alright, that's a no-go. I'll try again later. Anyway! My mom had this idea to host a small back-to-school party this Friday. It's kind of dumb, like, we aren't eight anymore, but she's a good cook and stuff. Do you wanna come?"
 
"That does sound pretty cool," Sloan nodded, rocking back on her heels and tucking a strand of hair back behind her ear, "but it's actually my birthday on Friday. I'm not really sure what I'm doing yet."
 
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