How Green Becomes Wood

Alec smiled at Sloan. "I could never ignore you, Sloan. Not ever. You have my best interests in mind." He sighed and looked away. "I guess more than anything, I just... want things to work out. For things to go better than they have in the past."
 
"I heard someone say once... Well actually, okay, I read it in a webcomic, that when you feel like you're going in circles, you're actually in an upward spiral," She would've gestured had her hands been free, "so although you may be meeting similar problems, you're encountering them from a place of better knowledge, with everything you've learned since the last time you dealt with something like that with you. I don't know if that means anything to you, but I guess I'm reminded of it because the idea is that... things never go exactly like they have in the past."
 
"That is a really wise webtoon," Alec admitted. "I like that idea. You have a good point." He puffed out his cheeks and blew out a sigh. "It's kind of dumb, but I keep thinking about Crystal and whatever that disaster was."
 
"I mean," Sloan said, gently, "first of all, Crystal is crazy. I didn't know how crazy she was until she assaulted you, but she's crazy. I don't think that's going to happen again. But also, if she does, second of all, I'll kick her ass and I'll be allowed because I'm also a girl. And third of all, if she is crazy enough to do that, like... Don't you think it's better to know sooner rather than later?"
 
Alec chuckled at that. "I have no doubt about that, and thank you for being willing to defend me like that, but it's not really what I meant. Crystal was crazy, sure, and a lot of what happened was all on her, but I made dumb mistakes, too. I just went along with whatever she said because it felt good - for a little bit - to feel like the center of someone's attention, and because I was being incredibly childish and trying to show off or something stupid. And then I didn't want it to end because it felt like admitting mistakes and giving other people the chance to remark on how dumb I was. I know Emma's nothing like Crystal, but I'm afraid of... I'm not sure of what, exactly, but I keep making a connection between the two."
 
"If it helps, I think these are two completely different scenarios. Crystal is a mythic b****. She's manipulative and... just the worst, and you got that warning, but ignored it. Emma is a lot, but she's not like that. Anyway, we're teenagers, we all make dumb mistakes." Sloan replied.
 
Alec chuckled softly. "You are full of words of wisdom," he teased gently. "But you are not wrong." He glanced at her. "You don't think Emma is a good match for me, do you?"
 
With a little sigh, Sloan thought about her answer for a little while, not because she needed to figure out what she thought but because she needed to think about how to phrase it, "Not really. I mean, I... I believe she's nice to you. I do believe she likes you. But you're cool, dude. And she'll probably be president, one day, or burn out halfway through college and completely reinvent herself, one the two, but you're... cool. You're bold, and eccentric, and I think at some point, one of you will need to bend to accommodate the other, and I don't want to live in a world where you blend into a crowd."
 
"Thanks, Sloan. That means a lot to me," Alec said. "I appreciate your honesty. I know you aren't exactly Emma's biggest fan, but you've always been respectful. Thank you. And she might have some opinions about some things about you, but she does actually respect you quite a lot. For whatever that is worth." He paused and mused, "I wonder if she will become president? She might prefer the Senate."
 
"I don't hate her or anything," Sloan replied, "She just... reminds me of my mother, I guess. They aren't the same, but there are some similarities, at least to me." She looked over at him, "She'll be a senator first, then President. Like Obama, and a bunch of other presidents. Seriously, though, just because I don't think she's right for you, doesn't mean that I think she's a bad person, or anything like that."
 
"I'm glad, because she's not," Alec agreed. "A bad person, I mean. She just doesn't vibe with a lot of people. And that's okay, it's just rough when the people she's not vibing with are your friends."
 
"I believe that," Sloan replied, "Honestly I wouldn't mind her opinions as much if she was more respectful of how she shared them, right? 'Cause I think that's the real issue, it's just that she doesn't really know how to... accept when she might be wrong."
 
"That's fair," Alec agreed. "It can be an issue." He stared off into the distance for a while. "You know, you haven't dated in all the time I've known you. Do you think you'll ever date again?"
 
Sloan glanced at Alec and then looked away, "Eventually, probably. Not while I'm in high school, I don't think, but my time in high school is almost over so that doesn't really matter anymore. I once accidentally went on a date with Rumy, but didn't realize it until after the date was over, which was mortifying."
 
Alec snickered. "You poor thing. So confused! I suppose it is easier to assume intent between opposite sexed couples. Communication is very important!" He glanced at her. "So. High school and college issues aside, would you date her?"
 
"I don't know. I mean, she's nice, and she's pretty. I think she's really cool. But... I don't know if I've ever really felt that kind of way for her," Sloan admitted, "I guess sometimes I wish I did, but honestly it's just really nice to have a friend who understands what it's like to be a gay teenager. Especially in a sapphic way."
 
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