How Green Becomes Wood

"I do not know when we will be able to schedule the meeting for, but I suppose, in the meanwhile, if you could take the time to write out the instances you can recall? I do not wish to charge in there accusing her of being racist, but it would be good documentation to have." Dark suggested.

"Are there other Arab students in the school?" Daizi asked, her face turned away.

"A few," Dark answered.

"We should talk to their parents."
 
Alec shivered. "It's all getting so big now. I think I liked it better when it was just me."

"It's never just you," Xander told him. "Not in stuff like that. Do you want us to ask around or anything?"
 
"The school still has a directory," Dark told them, "If I was still a high school student, I do not believe I would want two white students I had never spoken with approaching me in the hall to ask if I had been experiencing racism."
 
"Maybe I'll call Ciara tomorrow and see if she'll write anything proving she provided the source. It probably won't help stop the claims of doctoring, but it's better than nothing," Daizi sighed, leaning against Dark.

"It is too late to do anything tonight in any case," Dark added, "Thank you for telling us, I know it was not easy."
 
Alec nodded. "I just... I just really hate seeing what stuff does to you guys. I hate that it exists at all."

Xander grunted. "It's just people needing something to feel better about themselves."
 
"Believe me, I hate it too," Daizi said tiredly, pushing her hair back with one hand. "I keep hoping we're past it, but we never seem to be. Then when we talk about it, we're accused of being dramatic and looking for it."
 
"I'm sorry," Alec said, suddenly feeling guilty. What if he was reading more into things than what had actually happened? What if it really wasn't that bad? If so, then he'd be making it even harder for people like Dark and Daizi to get people to listen to them.

Xander could practically read Alec's mind, and he gave his brother a gentle but firm pat on the back of the head. "We should get to bed."
 
"It's not your fault." Daizi repeated firmly, reaching out to squeeze Alec's hand before letting him go off to bed. Once both twins were gone, Dark sighed heavily and got up to just stare out the window. Daizi stayed where she was on the couch, both of their minds tending towards the same direction, but neither of them wanting to speak it. Never before had Dark felt any measure of regret for leaving the school, but his replacement having such prejudices made him feel somewhat responsible. It was irrational, but had he not quit, his students wouldn't risk being infected with this kind of hateful virus.

"I was really hoping..." Daizi said slowly, "that by the time we had kids..."

"We knew, Daizi," Dark replied, still looking outside at the environment which was so alien to where he grew up, yet would always feel like home to his children. The pair fell silent once more, and slowly Daizi got up off the couch and crossed the room to her husband, snaking her arms around his waist.

"I'm jealous of parents who don't need to raise their children to be resilient against hate," She told him, shutting her eyes as he wrapped his arms around her. They stayed downstairs for awhile, but eventually retreated upstairs to sleep. The next day, they'd have actions to take, and it'd help to do something, but for the time being, all they could do was rest.

The next day at school, Sloan was talking with Claire by their lockers and keeping an eye out for the twins. With how they were yesterday, she wanted to check on them. Beside her, Claire was wearing the hair clip she had found inside of the vase, the one which read As-salamu alaykum with a bit of rose quartz at the end.
 
Alec and Xander walked along, feeling a bit odd that it was just another day. It felt like something should have changed, like they'd declared war on a teacher, but there was nothing different about today, and the teacher in question had no idea. It was so very strange.

Alec caught sight of Sloan and Claire first, and he smiled and gave them a wave. His wave made Xander look, and he saluted Sloan. The pair angled toward the two girls.
 
"Pretty good today, thanks," Alec said cheerfully. "How are you doing?" His eyes kept straying to Claire as he said it, and he noticed that she was wearing the clips he'd gotten her. Was it allowable to compliment her on them?
 
"I'm alright," Sloan replied, "Just another school day."

Claire, meanwhile, smiled when she caught Alec glancing at her. She gently touched her hair and said, "At least at the end of the month school is out."
 
"That's something to look forward to," Xander said enthusiastically. "I can't wait for that."

Alec tried not to wince as he realized a sad fact. "Right. I guess we'll all be going our separate ways after this. What are you going to do for your last summer before college?"
 
"Packing, mostly," Sloan replied, "I mean, once I figure out where I'm going. I've already been accepted to my safety schools, but I'm waiting to hear back from New York before I do anything."

"You're going to be accepted, though, because I mean you're brilliant and the scout loved you," Claire said, squeezing her arm, "I'm gonna miss you so much though!"

"Girl, it's literally like an hour train ride from the ciry," Sloan pointed out.

"Yeah, so it's like two hours, because we have to get to the city," Claire retorted.
 
"Sounds like a pretty fun trip to me," Xander said. "Maybe we could come visit you once you're situated enough that you can give us the grand tour of the sights."

"Do you think you'll go to New York as well, or did you have different plans?" Alec asked.
 
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