How Green Becomes Wood

Lex smirked at that and gently squeezed Cooger's arm.

"I'm going to follow the skate circuit," Toby said with a happy grin. He knew the reaction that statement was most likely going to garner, but he didn't care. It was his dream, and he was passionate about it!
 
"He wants to be a skater boy, so I'll have to say, 'see you later, boy,' once he graduates," Lex said with a straight face. "He is very good at skateboards and rollerskates, and he wants to make a career of it."
 
This cleared absolutely nothing up for Russell. When Lex said he wanted to make a career out of skateboarding, he nearly was able to fathom some version of what Tobey wanted to do, but it still didn't make a whole lot of sense to him. "Wait, so... How do you make money doing that?" He asked.

Lightly tapping him on the arm, Abbey said, "Maybe save the deposition for later, Counselor."
 
Toby's eyes lit up. "There are competitions and things where you can win big bucks! And if you're good enough, you might get asked to judge, and sometimes do demonstrations. It's so awesome. I'm not good enough for that yet, but I want to be good enough that people ask me to open the comps with demonstrations! It'd be rad."
 
Russell glanced at Lex for a second and then looked back at Toby, "Well, good luck to you!"

"I didn't know the kids still said 'rad,'" Abbey remarked, feeling almost pleased, "I remember Jasper's phase where everything was rad."
 
Lex kept her smile, determined to be nothing but a supportive mother, no matter what she might think. Toby knew her reservations. That was enough.

"It's a good word," Toby agreed. He glanced at his mother.

"You did your job of being a polite son. You can head off again," she assured him. "Pictures are happening, so resist the urge to soak people just yet."

"Right, Mom!" Toby said happily. "Nice to meet you two." He tried to tip his hat again and headed off.
 
Both of Cooger's parents said goodbye to Toby and then Abbey said, "We should definitely get the pictures done before Ivy ruins her outfit, are we waiting on anyone?"

Cooger glanced around, "No, I think everyone is here. I don't have a photographer, but I have a backdrop and I bought a tripod I can put my phone on," He looked at Lex, "I want a group picture of everyone, then people can take whatever individual pictures they like."
 
Lex smiled at him and turned away to wave a hand. "Hey, everybody! Rodeo roundup! Everyone, gather around! Yes, you, you there by the tree. And you petting the cat. The cat will still be here when you're done."
 
Lex's very demanding way to corrall everyone worked, even if they were a bit bewildered. Cooger had set up a big cloth photo backdrop on a frame. The image had a sunset, a Sheriff's building with another unnamed building, and a few tumbleweeds. To make it feel more lived in, he put up a few actually barrels to either side of the frame and then, added a sign which (originally designed for a kid's birthday) read, "This ain't my first Rodeo! It's my 2nd 40th!"

He put his phone up on the tripod and said, "We gotta get one nice one, or my mom's kill me, and then we have to get one where we're actually looking like we're in the West!"
 
Alec and Xander headed straight for the backdrop, and they shuffled themselves around to be with their family in as proper of a stance as they could manage. One of the strangers pressed in close to Xander so they could fit in the frame, and Xander tensed, but he tolerated it. It was only for a few minutes, he reminded himself. It would be over soon.

Lex stood next to Cooger, and Toby stood on her other side with his arm draped around his mother. They were properly posed, but both seemed ready to crack up at any second.
 
Before Cooger joined the picture, he swore and then went inside to grab Hank before getting back into the middle of the picture. Naturally, Dark stood all the way in the back, because it wasn't like anyone could stand behind him, but still beside Cooger. Daizi stood in front of him, holding Ivy, and Dark kept his hand on her waist. Everyone else filled in where they could, and one of the guests sitting near the front agreed to be the one to make sure everyone was in frame and set the timer on the camera before running back into position.

They did this twice so there was the one where they were smiling and then one where they had the instruction to give a big yee-haw and be properly Western for it.
 
Alec and Toby were the most enthusiastic in the "Yee-Haw," and Lex wasn't too far behind. Xander tried, but he really was not good at it. He did his best, but on the picture it'd be clear who was having fun and who was just making an effort.
 
Daizi was fully prepared to give her best yee-haw, until she heard her grim, Iraqi husband's attempt at it. God help him, he was prepared to try for his brother, but it still came out in his usual cadence, and it made Daizi fall backwards against him laughing. Ivy managing to copy the "Yee-haw!" in her sweet little voice did not make it any easier for Daizi to get the words out.

Cooger fully committed, holding his hat up off his head for it, and after the picture was taken, he slapped Dark on the back for trying and then chided Hank for not making even the slightest attempt, while the rest of the guests were given their leave to return to their past activities.
 
The twins and Toby immediately ran off and started trying to shoot each other and a few other bystanders. They'd been holding back for so long! They did take care to try not to hit any cats, and only people who were looking and could see they were being aimed at.

"Hey, Dark, old man, that's a pretty great hat," Lex said, taking note of it for the first time. "Haven't seen you wear that before."
 
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