Jazpeer shook himself, splashing water on his face. He wanted to look alert at this breakfast. In fact, if his team hadn't insisted, he might have chickened out of this. Taking a deep breath, he grabbed his backpack in case he didn't have time to come back before class. It wasn't a long walk to the lunchroom, in fact it was too short of a walk.
He glanced around as he walked through the double doors. Most of the tables had the benches stacked on top of them, except for one near the front.
"Just in time," Onyx looked up from her cup of tea as he approached.
Jazpeer smiled a little, "Thanks for inviting me."
"Yeah," Pine Bosn boomed, slapping Jazpeer on the back. "We needed another guy to even things out."
"Oh you held your own last time," Onyx replied.
"Well, maybe I did," Pine winked.
Cloud walked in, carrying a box of donuts. She waved to the others and sat it down on the table. Pouring herself a hot cup of coffee she joined the three at the table.
"How is everyone?" she asked, feeling the steam radiating off of her cup.
"I am doing well," Onyx nodded.
"Always doing great!" Pine half shouted enthusiastically.
"I'm fine," Jazpeer said.
"Here's breakfast," Cloud slid the box to the middle of the table. "What's our first topic of discussion?"
"Well...Pine pulled out a wrinkled and worn piece of paper. "We talked about team morale, tactics, end of the year project, and possible new members last time."
"Check off possible new members," Onyx said. "We aren't inviting Galena and Jazpeer is here."
"That should be one of this meeting's topics," Cloud said. "Not Jazpeer...Galena and her team."
A murmur of agreement rippled around the table. Jazpeer looked around uncomfortably, before taking a donut and dipping it in his coffee and swirling it around till it was the right amount of soggy. An odd habit he had picked up from his mother. She used to say that if someone ever figured out how to combine coffee and a donut she would make them millionaires. He would too.
"Galena and her team have rich parents standing behind them," Pine said. "The Headmaster can't expel them unless he wants a storm on his head and they are reasonably good students so the Professors have no reason to give for expelling them. Most of their bullying is done after school, and they never let it bleed into classes. You have to admit, they are smart about their cruelty."
"That doesn't mean we should stand for it," Onyx said. "They need to be expelled. The Headmaster shouldn't tolerate it because their rich parents could make his life hell."
"I have to agree with Onyx," Cloud said. "What do you say, Jazpeer? Your team has been affected the most."
Jazpeer hesitated, feeling all of their gazes on him. Well, maybe not Cloud's, but she was definitely listening closely.
"We should give them a chance," Jazpeer said after a moment, looking down to see he'd left his donut in the coffee for too long and it was floating around in his cup. "Like you said, they have rich parents. They probably aren't used to not getting their way. If we ignore them for a bit, they'll realize we aren't worth the trouble. Maybe they will even quit bullying. Everyone deserves a chance, even if they make a lot of mistakes."
The table went quiet, and Jazpeer took a drink of his donut infused coffee. Cloud spoke first, feeling for the donut box.
"Not the response I expected from a guy who they just beat the crap out of with an aura breaker," she shrugged, grabbing a jelly filled donut. "But you have a point. Still, they shouldn't get to pick on the younger ones. Nor do they have the right to downgrade faunas."
"No," Pine boomed, his flat nose flattening even further in disgust. "They think it's fun to pick on kids like my boy Nickle. Cloud taught them better, but he's still learning the ropes so to speak."
"I still say expel them and send them back with such a record they won't be able to get a decent job anywhere," Onyx muttered, taking a drink of her tea.
Jazpeer sighed, "Everyone wants a chance to turn around, even if they don't see it."
Onyx look up at him, "Wise words. But Beacon shouldn't tolerate bullies."
"That doesn't answer what we do," Cloud pointed out, trying to turn the conversation back that way."
Pine huffed a breath, taking a deep swig of his orange juice. "I'd say kick their butts, but I know what Onyx will say to that."
"We cannot act with violence against violence," Onyx quoted.
"Yeah," Pine huffed. "So...I guess the only choice is Jazpeer's suggestion. Ignore them. Maybe they'll turn around, maybe they won't. We make sure to protect our teammates and each other though, in case ignoring doesn't work."
"Sounds good," Cloud nodded. "Now…"
Jazpeer smiled a little, this was a good start, even if the others didn't seem to agree with him. Maybe these Team Leader's Breakfasts wouldn't be so bad.
Team Breakfast before I forget! Now back to character chapters. I'll use these to propel us to the end of the semester and the end of the semester test Professor Zaff and Professor Sterling have planned O.O