How Green Becomes Wood

"Oh it is not up to me," She joked, and then immediately worried it was too soon to joke like that with the boys, "but, thank you. You're such a good kid, thank you. Water is fine."

Dark watched Alec suspiciously, and then in a soft tone asked, "Is everything okay? There is not anything wrong with a fashion statement, but..."
 
Xander flushed at her compliment and grumbled softly. He fetched a glass of water and let her hear exactly where it was by setting it so it made a soft clink on the table. He had no idea how to take a compliment. It was such a foreign thing! But also felt nice.

"I'm fine! I should have asked, I'm sorry, but it's all fine," Alec blurted hastily. "We should hurry so we aren't late." He started fumbling with his toast, almost getting his wide red sleeves in the jam.
 
Daizi thanked him again and took slight, cautious nibbles of the toast, "Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery," she said, referring to Alec's 'new look,' "so I give him my full support. As long as," she turned slightly towards him, "he is being honest about his reasons for it." He wasn't as slick as he seemed to believe himself to be, and even though she couldn't see him fumbling, the tone in his voice revealed a lot.

But, ultimately, Xander was being normal, which implied whatever was going on with Alec couldn't be too bad, and to an extent, they figured if they forced him to tell the truth it'd only cause strife in their relationship with him, and with Daizi's announcement the day before, their relationship was already more fragile than it had been. So, Dark finished his breakfast and said, "I am going to go get dressed for real, and then we can go." He would come to them with whatever was up when he was ready. After all, they had showed him the same courtesy yesterday.
 
Alec blushed bright red and ducked his head, shamefully nibbling on the edge of his toast, suddenly not at all hungry. He said nothing in reply, choosing silence as his defense. He wasn't used to this sort of scrutiny from someone who actually cared.

Xander blew a strand of hair out of his eyes and plunked down next to Alec. "If you don't tell them, they'll just get worried," he said in an undertone.

Alec's only response was to blush deeper and sink into his seat.

Xander shook his head and devoured his breakfast in no time flat. He didn't understand why Alec was making such a fuss over a bit of stuck makeup, but he wasn't going to push him. Yet. Instead, he took over Alec's usual job of getting their lunches together and ensuring everyone had what they needed.

Alec escaped the table and cleaned up before going straight to the front door. The sooner they could escape, the sooner he could avoid his shame.
 
Daizi wanted to eat a bit of fruit, but decided against it, because so far, she was surviving the toast and did not want to tempt fate, "I can't believe I'm stuck eating bland food," she complained, choosing to not further question Alec.

Eventually Dark came downstairs wearing yet another of his seemingly endless combinations of suits, "Alright, are we all ready to go?"

"I think so," Daizi replied, standing up. She took a few moments with one hand flat on the table, and then she inhaled, "okay, I'm okay. Let's go." They went out to the car and took their seats and drove first to the train station and then to the school as they had done so many times before.
 
Xander lounged in the backseat of the car, dressed in a torn-up white shirt that couldn't possibly be warm enough in the early spring weather and a pair of surprisingly un-torn black jeans. He'd stuck a pair of clamp-on rings in one ear, but he wasn't wearing nearly the amount of gaudy stuff he used to. He stared out the window, mindlessly chewing on one knuckle and letting his mind wander.

Alec sat stiffly in his seat, wearing his usual bright array of clothes, although slowly he seemed to be learning how to match colors a little better. Today's shirts were white and blue checked under a solid yellow unbuttoned long-sleeve shirt. On top of that, he wore his grey coat with the green lining. He hadn't brought out the grey coat in some time. He fiddled with the shades now and then, watching out the window and trying to get used to the darker way of life.
 
Daizi couldn't take the silence in the car. The longer it persisted the louder the voice in her head which blamed her for it became, so she quickly switched on music to drown it out. At the train station, she kissed Dark goodbye, and they said some gentle things in their own language. They had been trying to only speak in English in front of the twins, but Dark wanted to say sweet things about their baby before she left, and he knew it was still a sensitive subject, so he didn't want to rub salt in it by speaking in English.

Before she left, she told the twins, "Alright, have a good day. And don't under value your sight, Alec, take it from me."

When they were driving to school, Dark glanced back at the twins and said, a bit awkwardly, "I do not think either of you would, but the school does not know about... it yet, so I would appreciate it if you did not say anything," He drummed on the steering wheel with his thumbs and immediately changed the subject, "I have not asked in a few weeks, and none of your teachers have come to me, how is school going for you both? Do you need any help?"
 
"Sure as heck ain't going t hear it from me," Xander mumbled.

"School is going fine," Alec said brightly. "Xander hasn't gotten into a single fight all week! Not one! And I got a B in math." He smiled, genuinely proud of that accomplishment. "History still alludes me. There are too many dates. I miss your classes."

"I don't. It's a lot easier to pass our new teacher's," Xander said. "For one thing, everyone is so lax it's easy to peak an answer or two." He suddenly remembered who he was talking to. "If that's what other students wanted to do. Which several others do."
 
"I heard about the lack of fights," Dark said, "we are both very proud, and it means Bernice has had to eat her words a little bit," If nothing else, this violence-free streak Xander had managed to keep up proved his influence had some effect. And Alec's grade in math was also big, because he remembered the start of rhe semester where his grades in that class were not so high, "and congratulations on your B, I know you have been struggling in that subject."

History was tricky, because he didn't want to shame the coworkers in his department, although he was privately hoping to become department head in the next few years, but, "If you need extra help, Alec, I would be happy to work with you at home. As for other students stealing glances," he glanced in the mirror at Xander, "I am sure even the most relaxed teacher will eventually catch them, so I hope they know they will save themselves trouble if they just get something wrong."

At last he pulled into the parking lot of the school, "Okay, both of you, have a good day, and all of the other cliché things I ought to say."
 
Xander snickered as he rolled smoothly out of the car and sauntered up to the building. "Back at ya, Professor. See you after school."

"Bye!" Alec chirped, hopping out after him. "Enjoy your day!"

"Reign of terror is more like it," Xander said as the pair walked up to the doors, but there was no venom like there might have been even a few weeks previously. It was more like a joke now.

They split for their first class that they didn't share, and Alec headed off on his own to Mr. Major's art class.
 
Like the start of all of his days, Dark first went to the teacher's lounge for some of the worst coffee ever brewed and gave his pleasantries to the few coworkers he actually liked and then he headed off to his classroom to, once again, prepare for the day.

On his way, a certain teenager with new black streaks in her hair skipped up to him and tried to rope him into a conversation with her. He suffered through it for a few minutes before having to firmly say he needed to go prepare his classroom and that she, too, should be heading to her first class. He did not know which class it was, but he knew it was not his.

Then, once within his own space, he sat down at his desk, and opened the drawer where he kept a picture of Daizi and, now, one of the sonogram images. He didn't expect it to be a long day, and he was pretty relieved that, with the exception of Alec and the sunglasses, the general mood that morning seemed more similar to how it was two days ago, before the twins knew the truth. Still, it was good to look at the two pictures in the drawer before he began the day.
 
Alec sat in the second to back row of the class, away from his usual seat. It was dangerous sitting so close to the back as that was where all the troublemakers were known to hang out, but he hoped that this way the teacher wouldn't notice the glasses. He wasn't sure they were against the dress code as he wasn't even entirely sure what the dress code even was, but he didn't want to take the chance. Even so, he was less willing to take the chance that no one would notice his hideous eye. Multiple washings had lessened the dark color to something more like a grouchy grey than a baffling black, but he was beginning to suspect the eyeshadow had actually stained his skin. He hoped not. He could only wear sunglasses for so long to so many different places.

Most of the class seemed to be going fine as Mr. Major tried to teach them the importance of color theory in art. The kids at the front were trying to follow along while those at the back mostly tried to catch a few more winks of sleep. Alec took notes, trying to follow but not really understanding, especially as the shades blurred the colors.

"Hey, carrot top, what's with the granny glasses?" whispered one of the boys behind Alec.

Alec tried not to glance back. It was one of Logan's friends. Logan hadn't noticed yet, at least not enough to care as he leaned back against the wall. "A new thing," Alec whispered back. If he tried to ignore him, the other kid would just get louder looking for a response. It was better to respond and try to buy himself time until class was over. They'd leave him alone when he was with Xander, usually because Xander actively tried to keep the focus on himself.

"It's a really stupid thing," the kid snickered. "Here, lemme try them."

Alec shifted, leaning forward a little more. "They're borrowed. I shouldn't."

"Oh, borrowed Granny glasses? Seriously? Who borrows granny glasses?" the kid cackled, earning a couple of snorts from his friends.

Alec wasn't sure he was actually supposed to answer that question, so he stayed silent and scribbled a note about how the color yellow could be associated with either safety and caution, or warmth and cheerfulness. A foot kicked the back of his chair.

"Come on, man. Those glasses make you look even stupider than you already do," said the kid behind him. "Lemme take them off your hands."

"I can't, they're borrowed," Alec said without looking up.

"I'll give them back!"

Alec glanced at the clock. Class was almost over. Two more minutes! "No, I don't think I should. It would be a really bad idea for you."

A brief pause behind him as the kid tried to figure that out. "Why would it be bad for me?"

Alec took a deep breath and watched the clock tick closer. "Because... if they look stupid on me, just imagine how they would look on someone who's even stupider."

"Huh?" the kid blurted, but he didn't get a chance to say anything more as Mr. Major raised his voice and yelled out their homework assignment.

Alec shoved his notebook into his backpack and scurried toward the front of the room the second the teacher called dismissal. He hoped to get lost in the crowd. What was he thinking?! That was not an Alec line, that was more like something Xander would say! He must have lost his mind. Stress. It was due to stress. It had to be. What else could it be? He hurried into the all, hugging the wall.

"Hey!"

Alec froze like a caught rabbit. He turned slowly. Logan stood with his four pals. The one who'd wanted the glasses scowled angrily while the other three looked more confused than annoyed, as if they weren't entirely certain why they were here. Logan grinned at Alec.

"Yeah, you, carrot top," Logan drawled. "Good job responding, pup. So, you gonna hand over those glasses?"

"I can't. They're borrowed," Alec managed to force out. He started backing up.

Two of the minions were faster and blocked his path behind him. The moving crowd of students barely glanced at them. Even if they saw what was happening, none of them wanted to be involved, but in truth, most were too focused on their own business to even clock what was happening.

"Glasses, carrot top," Logan said sternly. "Hand them over." He held out his hand as if asking for the item, but before Alec could respond, his hand snapped out and snatched the glasses from his face.

"No!" Alec yelped.

Logan cast his eye over the glasses until one of his minions nudged him, indicating Alec's face. "Woo-ho! What's this?" He leaned forward, squinting at the eye. "Finally letting your freak flag fly, huh? Joining the fairy kingdom? Good for you!" He let out a roucus laugh that his minions joined eagerly. "Well, then, you won't need these." He held up the glasses.

"Please?" Alec whimpered, his heart pounding frantically in his chest. "They're borrowed. I need to return them."

Logan hummed and tapped the glasses on his palm. "Mmm, nah." Gripping the glasses between his fingers, he twisted them.

Alec gasped at the sharp snap and reached out helplessly. Logan dropped the glasses on the ground and walked around, deliberately stepping on one of the lenses, crunching it under his boot.

"There you go, as good as new! I hope your new boyfriend likes the style," Logan sneered.

The kid who had wanted the glasses laughed as they started to walk away. "His new boyfriend? What do you wanna bet it's those supposed foster parents of his?"

"Yeah, he's just the type Dracula would like. Fresh and young!" Logan snickered. "Forget the parents. No way is he interested in parents. Look how he lets Addison join the detention club every time he's there! You have to be stupid not to see that. Obviously, he's encouraging it."

Alec knelt and scooped the glasses into one hand. He felt numb as the group continued to talk about how Dark was hooking up with students and his foster kid was trying to get his attention. It was vulgar. Nasty. Horrible. How could they say such things?! No, he couldn't let them! And they'd broken Daizi's glasses! Daizi who was having a baby! A baby that was going to replace him! He couldn't take it!

He gripped his backpack in one hand and swung as he stood, sweeping the backpack at the much larger boy. The backpack struck and bounced off Logan's shoulder weakly. Alec had little by way of upper body strength, and not even the weight of the books in his bag could save him.

Logan turned and glared at him. "You little..."

He didn't finish his statement as he and the others grabbed Alec. Alec squeaked in fear as they lifted him bodily off the floor and hustled him down the nearly empty hallway. Alec couldn't see where they were going. He could only feel the hands grabbing him and yanking him along. Then a door opened, and he was shoved through. The door shut, and he heard a lock click. Darkness descended, softened only by a little light coming through the narrow rectangular window in the door.

Alec stood shaking and turned in a slow circle. Storage closet. They'd locked him in the small, overcrowded storage closet. Whimpering softly, he sank to the floor and huddled against one of the metal shelves. He sat there, hugging his knees, tears trickling down his cheeks. He didn't bother trying to call out for help. He doubted anyone could hear him. Besides, it was quiet in here. Dark, quiet, and safe. He could sit and think without a bunch of other students. He closed his eyes and waited. Someone would find him. Eventually.

Eventually, he had no idea when, he heard keys jangling outside the door. Hastily, he wiped the tears from his cheeks. The door opened, letting light stream in, and he squinted at the figure standing in the doorway.

"Great, a class skipper," grumbled the janitor. "Stupid place to hide. You even realize you got yourself locked in? Come on. To the principal."

Alec tried to stammer out an explanation, but the janitor wasn't having it. He gripped Alec's arm and pulled him down the hallway to the principal's office where the janitor would explain to the secretary that he was a class skipper and also seriously in violation of the dress code with his ridiculous makeup. Alec fell silent. What was the point in talking? No one ever heard him.
 
When Dark was called down to the office because one of his foster kids was there, he fully believed he knew who he was going to find, so it was fair to say he was shocked when he saw who was sitting in that chair across from Bernice. But at least this time, she wasn't screaming. She may not have been a perfect principal by any means, and she may have been biased against those sharing Xander's genetic code, but she was good enough to recognize a first offense.

"Alec," Dark said, unable to hide the surprise and concern in his voice, "what is going on? What happened?"

"He was found locked in the Janitor's closet skipping class." Bernice explained, arms crossed. To be honest, she might've been more understanding with Alec, even considering who his brother was, if she liked his foster parent much at all. She begrudgingly respected him, but she did not like him.

Dark, meanwhile, immediately knew there was something off about how simple those events were, and he looked at Bernice and asked simply, "What?" And then, to Alec, again asked, "What happened?"
 
Alec sat with his knees up, feet on the chair, hugging his backpack tight to his chest. He didn't respond at first, seeming to have retreated into a shell. Finally, he held out a hand with the broken sunglasses. "I'm sorry," he said in a tiny voice. "They got broken." The hand holding the pieces trembled, and he didn't look at either of the adults in the face.

They were so angry with him! Daizi would be furious! First, he borrowed without asking, and now they were broken. How didn't matter. He'd broken something of hers, and Dark was so defensive of Daizi, he must be absolutely livid. Or, worse, disappointed. Alec couldn't bring himself to look up and see which it was. It was enough that he'd ruined everything, including his record at school. It was the only thing he had. The only thing he could present to people as something he did right. Now even that was gone.
 
Dark sank down in the chair besides Alec and gently took the broken remains of Daizi's sunglasses from him. He shot a look to Bernice which demanded her silence, and for once she simply rolled her eyes and muttered about them having five minutes before leaving them in peace. She wasn't stupid and knew that if she tried to force herself in they would just argue about his rights as a legal guardian versus her rights as his boss, and ultimately she'd end up leaving them alone anyway, so she chose to skip a few steps.

Dark turned the broken pieces over in his hands and then handed them back to Alec. "Do you want to tell me how?" He asked, slouching down in his chair so he didn't seem like he was towering over the teenager.
 
Alec clutched the pieces before tucking himself back into a protective ball. "They got stepped on," he whispered. It would do no good to tell the story. Even if Dark heard him and believed, there was nothing he could do. Nothing anyone could do. Not where Logan was concerned. And if Logan heard that someone had snitched on him, well, broken glasses would be the least of Alec's troubles.
 
"So it was an accident," Dark said, speaking quietly to match Alec's volume, "and you apologized. So it is okay, accidents happen." He didn't really believe him, because that still didn't explain how he ended up in the Janitor's closet, but he was hoping to get Alec to relax enough to tell him a little bit more.

To be honest, it hurt to see him so curled up like he was. Very slowly, Dark reached out and put one of his hands gently on Alec's back, between the shoulder blades, "She will understand."
 
Alec flinched at first, not expecting the touch, but then he relaxed a little, quivering under Dark's hand. Not from a desire not to be touched, but from trying to fight off the urge to break then and there. "I didn't mean to cause a fuss," he whispered, his voice trembling. "I really didn't. I just wanted... to not be noticed. That's all." He turned his head, the edge of the once black now dark grey makeup now visible.
 
"Is that why you were in the closet?" He asked, leaving his hand exactly where it was, "because you did not want to be noticed? It is okay, Alec, I am not angry with you. I only want to know what is going on." When Alec turned his head and Dark caught a glimpse of the dark grey on his face, he inhaled sharply. At first he thought the teen had a black eye, but then he looked closer and exhaled, "are you wearing makeup?"
 
Alec flushed and instantly buried his face again. It took him a minute to work up the courage to answer. "No. Not why I was in the closet," he squeaked out tremulously. "And... and I can't get this off. I tried. I'm sorry. I just wanted to try- I'm sorry." He tensed, expecting the worst. A previous boyfriend of his mother's had had... opinions about his apparent leanings based purely on the fact that he had worn a pink shirt. Once. Makeup? That was far worse than a pink shirt.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top