The breakroom was a familiar mess of energy bar wrappers, mystery Tupperware, and that one ancient Keurig that gurgled like it was auditioning for a horror movie. But today, it was the scene of a much-needed group lunch break for the Columbus North chaos crew.

Andrew and Daniel were already posted up at the long lunch table, holding hands under the table like the affectionate power couple they were, while Mike unwrapped a massive sub, Madison dug through her tote for the sauce packet she swore she packed, and Maria, Lucia, Tanisha, and Brendan took their usual seats.

Malik, however, dragged himself in like he'd just crawled out of an emotional kiln. Clay-stained jeans. Hooded sweatshirt backwards. Eyes barely open. Hair resembling a Looney Tunes explosion.

Malik: "No one speak Mona's name. Not today. I am not emotionally fortified."

Maria (wide-eyed): "Whoa. Big Malik energy is not Maliking today."

Andrew (grinning): "What happened? You look like you argued with your pottery wheel and lost."

Daniel: "Or were emotionally trampled by clay."

Malik collapsed onto the bench with a dramatic groan. "I forgot my coffee. I slept in an hour. I almost sculpted a toothbrush by mistake this morning."

Brendan, ever the emotionally observant whisperer, leaned in kindly. "Do you want to talk about why you slept in?"

Malik: "Because my boyfriend is a chaos demon."

Madison: "...Go on."

Mike (mouth full of sub): "The floor is yours."

Malik (sighing): "He was… in a mood last night. A very affectionate, very energetic mood."

Andrew (grinning, setting his sandwich down): "Oh, so your boyfriend was horny."

Malik: "Extremely. And I was like, 'I'm tired, babe.' And he was like, 'Sleep is for the uninspired.' And I was like, 'Let me rest my soul.' And he was like, 'Let me rest it with kisses.'"

Tanisha: "I'm crying already."

Malik (deadpan): "So I gave in. We went for it. Then I finally fell asleep at like 3:30 AM."

Lucia (chewing her salad): "Awww. That's kind of romantic."

Malik (flat): "Romantic until you realize I used reclaim clay for all my demo pieces this morning. And half of them were basically dried-out tragedies masquerading as sculptures."

Everyone at the table gasped.

Maria: "You didn't!"

Daniel: "You reused clay from the reclaim bucket before checking for chunks?!"

Madison (clutching her chest): "Malik, no. That bucket has haunted energy."

Brendan (concerned): "Tell me you didn't put a chunk of someone's forgotten frog sculpture in a new vase."

Malik (groaning): "I made what was supposed to be a minimalist bust. It ended up with half a frog face embedded in the back of the neck. I didn't even notice until it exploded in the kiln preview."

Lucia (softly): "That's art. That's accidental symbolism."

Malik (perking up): "Wait, actually?"

Lucia (nodding): "Totally. You could call it The Frog Within: A Modern Commentary on Inner Evolution."

Madison: "You could sell that to an artsy coffee shop and retire."

Malik (now grinning): "Honestly, I might. That frog is my legacy now."

Andrew (chuckling): "Let it be known that Malik's downfall was love... and amphibians."

Daniel (sipping water): "You could use that story in a faculty TED Talk. 'How Horniness Ruined My Medium.'"

Brendan (serenely): "You know, Malik, when I'm exhausted like that, I try breathing exercises. Four counts in, hold for four, four counts out. It resets your nervous system."

Malik (leaning on the table): "That sounds beautiful. But I barely had the energy to brush my teeth. I think I brushed my nose by accident."

Brendan (gently): "Or, if you're at school and you hit that 2 PM wall, walk a lap around the 200 wing. I do that with students who feel anxious."

Malik: "And what if I cry during the walk?"

Brendan: "Then it's a healing journey."

Mike: "We should get t-shirts that say Team Healing Walk."

Maria (pointing at Malik): "Also. Reminder. Sleep matters. Tell your boyfriend that if he wants romance, he better schedule it before midnight."

Madison: "And bring snacks."

Lucia (gently): "Also, Malik, if you're using reclaim clay again, wedge it twice, not once. And let it rest for 24 hours before shaping. You'll avoid air pockets, and it'll center smoother."

Malik (genuinely impressed): "Lucia, are you moonlighting as a ceramics whisperer?"

Lucia: "Geometry is all about structure and balance."

Malik: "Damn. I needed that. That's the most intimate thing anyone's said to me all day."

Daniel (looking at his phone): "Okay, five minutes until I have to go stop a hallway TikTok dance circle. Last week, they took over the history staircase."

Andrew: "I'll come. I need a walk. And maybe to emotionally process the frog-sculpture love story."

Malik (mock offended): "That frog had dreams."

Maria: "The frog lives on. In our hearts. And probably in someone's backpack."

Tanisha (raising her smoothie): "To frog art. To late-night love. And to reclaiming more than just clay."

Brendan (raising his water bottle): "To breathing through the chaos."

Everyone: "Cheers!"

And as they clinked smoothie cups, seltzer cans, and leftover yogurt containers, one thing was clear: even in sleep-deprived madness, questionable art choices, and exhausting school days…

They had each other.
They had laughter.
And, when needed, clay confessions and calm breathing.

Because at Columbus North, healing came in many forms—sometimes in frog busts, sometimes in yoga breaths, and always in friendship.