Chapter Text
Lloyd sat in his bedroom floor, holding his phone in both hands as he stared down at the screen. The group chats messages kept going through, and he just read them silently with tear filled eyes.
A message from Cole. ”Lloyd isn’t really okay, besides, a temporary replacement of team leader would just help him get his shit together. Plus, he isn’t really helping the situation.”
A message from Nya. “The team keeps falling apart, who says you’ll fix it?”
Another from Cole. ”It falls apart under his guidance. Not mine. You can’t blame me yet.”
Lloyd let his eyes well up with tears, his vision growing blurry from refusing to cry. He took a second, before typing out a message in response to his “friend’s” message. “You just think I’m useless, huh?”
“No, I don’t.” Cole responded almost immediately.
”You implied it.”
”No, I really didn’t.”
“You did. You’re basically saying I’m a useless teammate and a horrible leader.”
Another almost immediate response from Cole. “For fucks sake, Lloyd, that’s not what I meant and you know it.”
Tears stung at Lloyd’s eyes again, but he tried to blink them back again before sending a, “Shut up.”
Cole’s contact had the little typing symbol, the three dots, and Lloyd’s tired and upset mind almost found them entertaining. Until a message went through. “You know what? Fuck it. Lloyd. You aren't useless but as of right now you aren't a good leader. You haven't done anything to try and come up with any kind of plan. Not to mention you are constantly trying to get yourself hurt. We try to offer you help or get you help but you just choose to tell us to ‘fuck off’ or call us some other name. So yeah, not exactly the best leader right now, so yes, I'm taking over for a bit and you are gonna sit there until you are genuinely better. You are not useless either. so I do NOT want to seeing you put words in my mouth.”
Lloyd sat still for another moment, before angrily sending, “You know what? I’m done, Cole, you want to lead the stupid team? Be my guest, because I won’t be on it. All of you are jerks and are always so dishonest and disloyal. You want to replace me so bad, fine. I’m done with the dumb team and you can run your own without me. Besides, not like your stupid lies will sway me, I know you probably hate me on the inside. You probably don’t even want to help.”
A moment passes, before another message from Cole goes through. “Don't want to help? REALLY LLOYD? ALL WE'VE EVER DONE IS TRY TO HELP YOU SO WHAT THE FUCK?! I don't hate you and for fucks sake I didn't want to replace you but as of right now a temporary replacement is probably best until you get your shit together.”
”I don’t need to get my shit together if I’m fine.” Lloyd sends as his eyes grow blurry again.
Another response from Cole. “Lloyd, you aren’t fine.”
Then Jay pops into the over text argument. “Yeah, Lloyd, you do need to get your shit together.”
Lloyd took a second to reread the messages, before glaring at his phone as he typed out and sent a “No I don’t. I’ve said I’m fine and I am.”
“Saying it doesn’t meant you are.” Another dumb message from Cole.
Jay messages again. “I know from experience that saying you’re fine and being fine, for you, are two different things.”
”I would know if I’m not fine before you did. I’m not some child.”
Lloyd puts down his phone, ignoring it as it buzzes with messages for a few moments as he grabs a blanket off his bed and wraps himself in it. He leaned against his bed as he kept sitting on the floor, wiping his eyes a few times and sniffing.
He picked up his phone again. Conveniently, the most recent message was directed at him. It was from Cole. “Alright, I’ll go with Jay. Lloyd, I’m trusting you to be in charge of the monastery. I’m sure you can handle that, right?”
Lloyd takes a second, before sending, “Nope. Not doing that. Not on the team anymore, remember?”
Jay responds. “It’s not a team thing to keep an eye on your home, Lloyd.”
”It is.”
Jay responds yet again, “It’s not. and you don’t want to be treated like a kid? here’s your chance.”
Lloyd stares blankly at his screen, before distrust starts to creep in and he sends, “Quit trying to mess with my head or whatever you’re doing. Jerk.”
Jay responds yet again, “I’m not trying to mess with your head. But acting like this is childish.”
Lloyd stares at his screen again as Cole’s contact comes up with the typing icon again. “Lloyd I'm giving you a chance to prove you can lead. Take it or leave it really.”
He freezes for a moment, blinking a few times as he clenched his phone harder. “Stop. Please. Please just stop. You’re manipulating me. Quit it.”
”Lloyd, this is not manipulation.” A message from Jay reads.
Cole sends another message, adding on, “Not manipulating you. You are free to go if you really want to. No one is keeping you here. I'll just have Kai do it and be charge of watching the monastery. Lloyd. Pick. What's it going to be? Are you going to take the responsibility we are trusting you with and show us you can still lead or are you going to leave? No one is going to force you into any one option. So can we trust you with this or not?”
Lloyd stared at his phone for another moment.
He really didn’t want Cole to have his way. Cole wanted to replace him.
He didn’t even do anything wrong.
”You can trust me,” Lloyd sends after a moment, before putting his phone down and standing up.
He was going to take care of the monastery alright.