Chapter 2
A week passed since Maroon started school, but nothing changed. It seemed that none of the staff wanted to help him and that the instructor found him very disappointing. Maroon spent much of his weekend at his house. He tried to convince his mother to take him out of school or to get Garnet to switch his class but it was to no avail. After the weekend, Maroon went to class and took his spot when the instructor said he had an announcement. "We are getting a new trainee today. This is Granite, the son of General Smoke." The class did a collective gasp. General Smoke was the most respected General in the Skywing Kingdom. "This doesn't mean he deserves any special treatment. Take your seat."
Maroon noticed he was bigger than the other three year old dragonets. Even Stone who was the biggest! Maroon also noticed an open spot next to him. Please don't sit next to me. Please don't sit next to me. Please don't sit next to me.
He sat down next to Maroon. He looked around a little and saw Maroon. He smiled at him. "Hi. What's your name?" he questioned him.
Maroon opened his mouth to answer, but Pyro kindly answered for him. "It's Pebble."
"Ah. Well, nice to meet you Pebble." He smiled as he responded while the rest of the class snickered. Maroon just sighed and looked back down.
Lunch rolled around and Maroon took his spot at a table near one of the windows with a mountain view.
"Hey Pebble," Maroon turned around. It was Stone and his friends. "We want this table now. Move."
"Really?" Maroon responded with an annoyed tone, "What's wrong with the other one?"
"Am I going to have to ask again?" Stone questioned as he leaned closer. "Please make me have to ask again."
Maroon sighed and stood up, but someone pushed him back in his spot from behind. "No. We aren't going anywhere." Maroon turned around to see Granite behind him.
"You think just because you're the General's son you can boss us around?" Stone sneered. "Or are you just Pebble's boyfriend?"
"Neither." Granite smiled. "So why don't you go find your own table?"
Stone laughed. "Listen, this is your last warning, Hot Shot. Move or I'll move you."
Granite took a deep sigh. "I really hate bullies." He then tackled Stone and slung him into Pyro. Then he turned and swept Rubble's legs from under him and pinned Spark against the stone wall while standing on top of Rubble. Stone then returned for an attack, but Granite expected it and dodge and shoved Stone into the wall. He slammed Spark on top of Rubble as he tried to get up.
Pyro ran away. Stone and the others in followed close pursuit. "Those four always give you trouble, Pebble?" Granite asked.
"My name isn't, 'Pebble'. It's Maroon," he cautiously answered.
"Ah. I thought 'Pebble' seemed a bit strange, and I guess the class laughing should've said something. Anyways, mind if I sit here?" Granite requested. Maroon was stunned. What just happened? Why is Granite helping me? Why is he wanting to sit here of all places? "I mean before I started the fight I did say 'we' and I did fight for the table. Literally."
"Uh. Yea– Yeah I guess," Maroon stuttered as he was distracted from his thoughts. "Go ahead. Sit." Maroon went back to silently thinking as Granite started to eat.
"I believe the word you are looking for is 'thank you Granite for stopping them from pushing me around.'" Granite grinned with a mouth full of food. "I mean. That's just what I would say."
"Oh." Maroon realized he was being rude. "Yeah thank you for doing that…. but why did you? There are plenty of other tables."
"Like I said. I don't like bullies." Granite shrugged. "A good deed doesn't need a rhyme or reason to happen does it?" Granite asked.
"No. I guess not–"
"Then great! Happy to hear we are on the same page," Granite interrupted. There was a small silence. "You know, I think I know why they are picking on you." He paused while Maroon gave him a puzzled look. "You are too big. You are worrying them with your size," Granite said as he studied Maroon. "Yep. Way too big. You need to be shortened by a boulder or something."
Maroon laughed. "Sure! And you beat them because you're too small. They couldn't even see you coming!"
Granite put a hurt look on his face. "That's a very mean thing to say, Maroon."
"Oh! I'm sorry. I– I just meant it to be–" Maroon stopped when Granite practically exploded with laughter.
"Alright. Sorry," Granite apologized once he caught his breath. "That was mean of me. You don't know me well enough to tell I was kidding." Granite smiled. "I have a feeling we are going to have a great friendship, Boulder."
Maroon smiled, "I think so too, Pebble."
Maroon was actually happy to go to school the next day and the next. He hung out with Granite all the time, and over time, he felt like they had become friends. After a week, Granite had continued to sit with him and even help him with training. They told jokes and started to play pranks on the instructor. Stone and his goons had stopped bullying Maroon and stayed far away from Granite. They ate lunch together and everything. One lunch Granite caught Maroon staring at one of the other dragonets. "Who you staring at?" he asked.
"Staring!?" Maroon looked quickly at him with an alarmed expression. "I wasn't staring! I was just…. looking in that general direction and uhhh…. thinking."
"Mmhhmm. Sure you were. You can't even think through the simplest of strategies in class," Granite said. "What could you be pondering about in such a deep manner?" he asked in a snobby voice.
"Alright." Maroon smiled. "I was staring."
"At whom?" Granite questioned as he turned to the direction Maroon was looking. "Wait a second…." A large smile started to spread across his face. "It's Dawn isn't it?"
"What? No! Don't be ridiculous!" Maroon nervously laughed.
"Aha! It is! Don't deny it!" Granite exclaimed.
"Fine. Yes. It's her," Maroon admitted. Maroon looked at her again. "She's the most beautiful dragon in the school," he said wistfully. Dawn was a beautiful dark pink dragon with matching color eyes. He's had a crush on her for a while. She was smart and a jokester in the class. He had tried to talk to her once after mustering the courage, but was blocked by Stone and his gang before he could try.
"Alright, not bad there Love Bird. Very sappy... Go tell her that," Granite told him.
"What?" Maroon questioned shocked.
"Go tell her how much you loooovvveee her," Granite teased. Even though he was teasing Maroon could tell he was serious.
"No. I –heh– I couldn't. I'm, uuuhh, too busy. And even If I could–" Maroon scrambled.
"Really? Come on! Just tell her. What are you afraid of?" Granite persisted.
Maroon sat there for a moment as his smile started to fade away. "I'm afraid she'll reject me." Maroon looked down and said, "I'm afraid she'll laugh in my face and tell me I'm the last dragon she'd ever date."
"Why would she do that? You are a swell dragon!" Granite responded.
"Because I'm the smallest, weakest, most pathetic dragon in the class!" Maroon said as his voice started to fill with grief. "I wouldn't even be at a table if it wasn't for you scaring the bullies!" He took a couple of deep breaths to recompose himself. Then, in a calmer voice, he said, "You have no idea what it is like to be me."
"Maroon, I'm sorry." He looked at Stone, Pyro, Rubble, and Spark who all looked away. "Hhhhmm. Maroon, come with me to my house after training. I got an idea."
