Team Prevail Chat

Terra: Happy Friday, team!
Terra: I know it’s been a long week, but do you want to get dinner together? All of us?
Terra: It’s pizza night!
Terra: Maybe we can hang out afterwards, too? Go to the rec room for some friendly games maybe!
Terra: Or steal some furniture! I think Team Aster is supposed to be out tonight
Terra: They’re 4th years, yeah, but we could probably get something if we work together
Terra: I guess you’re still in classes haha. Sorry if I’m blowing up your phones
Terra: I’ll be at the cafeteria if/when you want to meet! I’m at one of the booths
Terra: hope to see you soon!

With shaking hands, Terra dropped her phone face-down on the table and pushed it against the wall. She needed to stop and shut her mouth before she could annoy them any further… But wasn’t not doing enough as leader what got them into such a mess in the first place?

Her heart thrummed in her chest so loud that she could hear it over the busy cafeteria. She stared down at her food, appetite having been gone from the moment she sent the first text. Everyone around her was laughing and talking and having a good time. She wanted her team here, and for them to be like everyone else.

Would it even be like that, though? Probably not, and she knew it. If they were one on one, maybe. Terra really enjoyed hanging out with Soledad, and Chika, and Adela. She liked playing games and talking and being quiet together. And she really liked how loved she felt with them.

But putting everyone in one room together was like putting water on a grease fire, and it only seemed to be getting worse every day. There hadn’t been an evening without an argument, or a morning without a spat. Even their group chat wasn’t free of it, unless they were either sleeping or in class. They were picking fights over messes and misunderstandings and poor marks in assignments…

A growing part of her was wishing she was still in Team Slayers. At least she was the only one they hated.

She just didn’t understand what she was doing wrong. Everyone else seemed to be doing okay and getting along, why couldn’t they? She’d been thinking all she needed to do was have everyone get to know each other more, but that hadn’t worked out even a little bit. Why couldn’t they just work together?

Unless… Unless Terra was the problem.

She winced and shrunk down in her seat, lifting a hand to rub at her neck. Had she been too pushy, trying to force something that was never meant to be? As much as it hurt to think, not every team was going to act like a family. Maybe Team Prevail was doomed to just be acquaintances, co-workers.

Or was it that she wasn’t pushy enough? She’d hardly said a word to get them to stop fighting, always either too afraid or unsure of herself. Was it a leader’s duty to handle that, even if they were conflicts that didn’t involve her? Wouldn’t she just be getting in the way?

What did other leaders do?

Well… Calanthe of Team Doghouse had intervened on her first night there, even though it wasn’t her fight, because it was affecting her team. And Carlito was good at keeping his team focused. Slaine… was Slaine. Always because I said so and I’m the leader and you’re not so shut up and listen.

Terra didn’t want to be like that.

But she did have to admit, Slayers listened to her.

Terra had a whole team depending on her to be her best. She couldn’t let her weaknesses hold her back, and right now, those weaknesses were communication and fear. Maybe if she fixed those, she could get Prevail to follow her. Be someone worth following.

How could she show that when she didn’t even think she should be the leader?

She shook her head. It didn’t matter if she thought she deserved it or not; she was there, and it was up to her to make it work.

The fate of Team Prevail was on her shoulders.

Terra picked up her phone and checked the chat; when she saw there were still no replies, she shoved it into her pocket and got to her feet. Taking her still-full plate to the trash, she walked straight for the exit. She paid no mind to the rain when she stepped outside.

She had an idea.