Adora took a deep breath and steadied herself. She felt like throwing up. She gripped the door handle until her knuckles were white and she leaned forward in her seat, trying to prepare herself to get out of the car and walk inside of the school building.
It was early Monday morning. School wouldn't start for another hour. Principal Hope, after hearing about the events that transpired at the football game last Friday night, asked that the students arrive early Monday morning and with their legal guardians present, if at all possible.
Now Adora sat in Angella's car, trying not to freak out as they prepared to go in. Angella saw Adora struggling and delicately placed a hand on Adora's arm. Adora eased at the touch a little and looked at her foster mother. She was looking at Adora encouragingly and smiled warmly.
"Adora," she said smoothly. "We talked about this. It's gonna be okay. You didn't do anything except defend yourself."
Adora bit at her lip in concern. "I guess," she responded quietly and looked out the window.
Her biggest fear was that without many witnesses, all three of the girls would be expelled. Adora couldn't let that happen. She couldn't be kicked out of school. Not after Angella had done so much to get her settled in here. Not after things in her life were just starting to look up.
This town was her new chance. Her new beginning. And all Adora could think was that she had messed that all up.
Angella had told her over and over that it wasn't her fault and that she wasn't mad at her in the slightest, but Adora figured that Angella had every right to be upset. Angella had kindly invited a new member into her home and into her family and then she got into a big fight in her first few weeks of school. Adora felt very guilty and the feeling gnawed away at her stomach slowly.
Angella and Glimmer had tried to reassure her all weekend. It hadn't helped much, although Adora had tried to pretend that it did. And even if she was spared a hefty punishment, Adora still had Catra to worry about.
The threat of school, memories of the fight, and Catra had been the only things she could focus on during the last couple of days. She knew that Catra didn't care for Lonnie and she knew that her and Catra were becoming friends very quickly, but why had she stuck her neck out like that for her? Why had she risked all this trouble? Risked getting hurt? And at the end of it all, despite everything that had happened, she had smiled.
Adora had replayed the image of that blood-stained smile in her head at least a hundred times. Thinking back to the look in Catra's eyes, the stadium lights reflecting in her pupils.
Adora shivered as she recalled the memory. She didn't know what she would do if Catra got kicked out of school just for coming to her aid, so she tried to push it out of her mind.
Only two things were looking up for Adora at the moment. For one, Adora didn't have to get stitches. Angella had rushed her to the hospital after she saw Adora's face wound Friday night. Adora had protested this decision but she had no say in the matter. The doctor examined the wound and decided that it wasn't serious enough to warrant any stitches.
The other positive was that Frosta had slipped away from the scene before she could be linked to the fight. As far as Adora knew, nobody had known Frosta was ever there except her and Lonnie, and Lonnie probably didn't even know her name. Hopefully, Frosta could stay clear of everything. Adora thought back to the girl's valiant intervention. She had been so fearless.
Adora envied her. If Adora had been anywhere near as brave as her a lot of this wouldn't have happened. Specifically during the pivotal moment when she had fought back and shoved Lonnie to the ground. If she had simply run away, with Frosta in tow, instead of freezing up, she could have avoided all of this. But she had just stood there, stunned at her actions. It was just another reason that everything had been her fault.
Adora sighed and felt another wave of anxiety wash over her. She realized she had been biting her lip too hard and tasted blood in her mouth. She continued to look out at the imposing school building.
Angella watched the girl, concernedly. She felt incredibly sorry for her. Her first few weeks at school had been so hectic. And it had all culminated last Friday. Angella wished she had been there to intervene. She wished that Adora could open up to her and tell her how she really felt about it all. More than anything, though, she wished that Adora would realize that she wasn't to blame.
"Adora I promise you it will be alright. I know Mrs. Hope and she is a very understanding woman. And I'll be here for you if you need me." Angella placed her hand on Adora's head and slowly stroked her hair.
Adora took these words to heart and made a genuine effort to calm down. After a few deep breaths, she clenched her fists and swallowed her fear. "Thank you," she said appreciatively. "I think I'm ready."
"Alright," Angella replied. "Let's go win us an argument."
Adora managed a smile and the two exited the car and walked towards the school. The shock of the cold air helped to calm Adora down and she continued to focus on staying calm as she walked beside Angella. The pair entered through the front doors and made their way to the main office.
Angella gave Adora's hand a quick squeeze as they entered and Adora realized how thankful she was that she didn't have to do this alone.
As they walked into the office doors, the secretary greeted them at the front desk. He ushered them over to a room down the office hall and to the left. Angella and Adora entered the room and several pairs of eyes turned to face them.
Adora instantly recognized Catra and Lonnie. Lonnie scowled at the sight of Adora and then tried to hide the resulting wince of pain. Her face was scraped in several places and her left eye was puffy and darkened. Adora regarded her blankly, not even bothering to return the scowl.
Instead, Adora looked to Catra. The girl seemed to be examining Adora's face. She frowned slightly as she saw the large bandage covering Adora's brow and a smaller strip covering her cheek. Adora wanted to tell her that she was alright, but didn't feel like this would be the right time.
To Adora's great relief, Catra looked practically unscathed. Her nose looked like it had healed up already and she only had two small pieces of medical tape on the ridge of her nose.
Behind Catra, stood a tall, lean man with dark hair, a tan complexion, and warm hazel eyes that were very familiar to Adora. She instantly realized that this must be Catra's father, considering that he looked so much like her. The man smiled and greeted Angella and Adora as they walked into the room.
Angella courteously returned the wave and her and Adora headed for two empty seats in the middle of the, now cramped, office.
Sitting behind a large oak desk facing everyone was Principal Hope. Adora had seen her a few times before, but had never talked to her. She was very tall with sharp features and a tightly-shaved head. She wore a black suit with a simple tie. A tired, but firm, expression rested on her face and she nodded to the pair as they entered and took their seats.
"Good morning," Mrs. Hope said politely. "You are both right on time. Now I know you two are very busy," she said, gesturing to Catra's father and Angella, "so I will try to make this as quick as possible."
Adora squirmed in her seat, feeling very uncomfortable. It also felt strange to be sitting so close to Lonnie, the girl she had just been fighting a few nights ago. Adora wondered briefly where Lonnie's parents were.
Mrs. Hope continued calmly. "Now I believe we all know why we're here. Last Friday night there was a physical altercation by the stadium. You three girls were all at the scene and looked to be involved given your injuries. Mr. Hordak said that he was informed of the event by a student and quickly rushed over to see Catra and Lonnie struggling. As he approached, he also noticed Adora walking towards the pair, bearing a clear face wound."
At the description of the event, Catra's father sighed and Angella frowned deeply. The three girls remained silent.
"I would like to point out that our student's safety is our utmost concern and I am terribly sorry that this was allowed to take place at a school event. In light of this we are now considering stricter security at games to ensure this doesn't happen again." Mrs. Hope explained this with a sincere look of apology to both parents, who nodded.
Angella still hadn't forgiven the school for letting this happen, but she didn't want to make a scene here. She decided she would send a very passive aggressive letter in the near future.
Mrs. Hope scanned the room, her eyes resting on each of the girls. Each one averted their gaze as she focused on them. "Now before we discuss any punishment, I would like to hear from you three what happened from your point of view. Mr. Hordak only witnessed some of the fight and he has a way of…embellishing these things. Please describe what happened in full detail."
Adora sat there nervously, not wanting to speak up. She shot a quick glance at Lonnie, and the girl appeared to be ignoring the request. She did, however, hear Catra scoff from beside her.
"Yeah I'll tell you what happened," Catra spat out angrily. "Lonnie started the whole thing. She's been messing with Adora since she started coming here." Catra shot a nasty look at Lonnie, who simply shook her head and remained silent, staring off distantly.
Catra's father put a hand on his daughter's shoulder to calm her down and Mrs. Hope turned to Catra. "I would prefer that we keep this conversation as civil as possible."
Catra scowled but didn't argue. Mrs. Hope turned to address Lonnie. "Now Lonnie, Catra is making some serious accusations here. Can you confirm or deny these claims?"
Lonnie continued to stare off blankly and Mrs. Hope cleared her throat. "I would like to point out to you all that refusing to provide me with a clear picture of the event will not help your case. If it is unclear then you will all have to be punished to the fullest extent regardless of the roles you played."
Lonnie remained silent and Mrs. Hope shifted her attention to Adora. "Do you have any light to shed on this situation, Adora?"
Adora frowned and felt Angella squeeze her shoulder protectively. "Um," she uttered quietly. "Well I guess I was by the concession stand. And then, well, Lonnie was there. And she was being very aggressive. And she shoved me and…" Adora paused for a bit before continuing. "And I shoved her back and then she hit me…"
Adora was briefly interrupted by Catra as she audibly growled upon hearing this. Adora noticed that the girl was visibly distressed by the recounting of events.
Lonnie had looked up briefly upon noticing that Adora had left out the part about Frosta interfering, but said nothing.
Adora continued slowly. "And then…I was on the ground and Catra was there. And she fought Lonnie off of me and gave me time to get up. And then I saw them fighting and that's when Mr. Hordak broke it up."
Mrs. Hope nodded in affirmation. "Alright. Does that sound accurate to the two of you?"
"Yeah that sounds exactly right," Catra said quickly. "Adora was just defending herself. That's why I helped." Catra's father seemed relieved that, at least for the time being, it appeared that his daughter had not started the fight.
"That's not how it happened," Lonnie spoke up suddenly and everyone in the room turned to look at the girl.
"I was messing with Adora a little bit, sure. Just some teasing. But she took it too far. She hit me first. Then I hit her back in self defense. Next thing I know…Catra's there. And well…" Lonnie trailed off.
Adora shook her head at the false account and Catra snorted. "Yeah that's a huge lie," Catra said pointing a finger at Lonnie. "That's what she does! She couldn't tell the truth to save her life!"
"Catra," her father said softly and Catra calmed down a little.
Mrs. Hope stared at Catra sternly. "I believe we already discussed that we will maintain civility while we are discussing this. You are allowed to disagree, but you are not allowed to hurl insults at your classmates."
"Fine," Catra said begrudgingly.
Adora had been watching Lonnie when Catra had yelled at her, and for a moment she actually seemed shaken up. Her blank expression turning softer, more vulnerable, before she went back to staring at the corner of the room dejectedly.
Adora found it hard to feel sorry for the girl after what she had done, but it was strange to see a flash of an emotion other than anger in Lonnie.
"Now we can't be sure of the exact truth," Mrs. Hope continued. "But I expect that you are all telling me versions of the same series of events." She stared at the students thoughtfully before looking up to their guardians. "Angella, Gerald," she said respectfully. "Would you mind stepping into the room next door with me to discuss what we should do about this situation?"
Both adults agreed and Mrs. Hope stood up slowly. "If you two could kindly take a seat next door. I'd like to have one last word with the girls, if you don't mind."
Angella patted Adora on the shoulder and then walked out. Catra's father tousled his daughter's already messy hair and followed after Angella, closing the door behind him. The three girls now sat in the quiet room with Mrs. Hope. She remained standing, looming over the three of them.
"I have an idea," Mrs. Hope said slowly. "Since we don't all have the same view on how things happened last night, I think it would do you all some good to get your story straight. I am going to go discuss with your parents the consequences that you girls are facing. You have until I come back into this room to come up with a singular, unified account of what took place. And I will expect an apology from each of you to each other. If you cannot do this, I am afraid that I will have to leave some of the more serious punishments on the table."
Mrs. Hope walked past the silent students and over to the door. "Please make this easier on yourselves," she said over her shoulder as she exited the room and shut the door behind her.
There was a very awkward moment of silence as the girls looked each other over. Catra was the first to speak, and she was not happy.
"Well the way I see it," she said slowly, turning her chair to face Lonnie, "the only option is for you to admit that you started the whole thing."
Lonnie scoffed, pulling her gaze away from the corner and locking eyes with Catra. "Yeah sounds great. I'll just tell her it was all my fault and then you two get off scot-free and I get kicked outta school."
"Yeah and you deserve to be kicked out of school!" Catra yelled, prompting Adora to shush her so that they didn't hear her next door. Catra continued in a quieter tone, but with just as much fury. "What the hell is wrong with you anyway? Picking fights for no reason? What did Adora ever do to you? Why do you do stuff like this?"
Adora was alarmed by Catra's hostility. She could practically feel the anger coming off of her in waves. She wanted to calm her down, but didn't know how. Instead she just looked to Lonnie to see her reaction.
Lonnie chuckled mirthfully. "Does it matter? At this point I don't even care. And to be honest, I'd rather we all get kicked out than just me. So I think I'm done with this whole exercise."
Catra gritted her teeth and stood up out of her chair, angrily. Adora put a hand out in front of Catra and blocked her path to Lonnie. Catra stopped immediately, but stared Lonnie down hatefully.
"Look," Adora said with a tired sigh, "I get not wanting to work together on this. Trust me, after Friday I never wanted to have to see you again. But here we are."
Lonnie remained silent and looked away from Adora. Adora heard Catra groan beside her and continued trying to get through to Lonnie.
"I actually would like to know why you couldn't just leave me alone. I really would. But I don't even think we have time right now. And if you actually have a reason I don't think you'd tell me anyway." Adora ran a hand through her hair nervously. She wasn't entirely sure where she was going with this, but she desperately needed them to get out of this situation.
Catra leaned back on Mrs. Hope's desk and watched Lonnie, a hard look on her face. She remained quiet and let Adora speak.
"Whatever you did it for, it's too late to change it. But Lonnie," Adora spoke firmly, "I am not about to get kicked out of school for what you did. You can keep tripping me in the hallways and calling me names and all that childish stuff you love to do. I don't care. But I can't lose this. I won't lose this. And especially not because you're too stubborn to tell the truth." Adora let her words hang in the tense room for a bit. She was breathing heavily at this point.
Catra realized at that point how much this school meant to Adora. Catra reminded herself that Adora had just moved here. She felt terrible for Adora. She could see the stress had taken its toll on her. She had dark bags under her eyes and looked very tired. Catra wanted to comfort her. She also wanted to beat Lonnie to a pulp for doing this to her. If she had known that Lonnie had still been messing with Adora during school this fight would have happened a lot earlier. She turned her attention to Lonnie and saw that she was still staring off and ignoring them.
Catra was about to lash out at her again when Adora spoke again, her voice softer this time.
"Please," she asked quietly.
"No way," Catra said quickly. "No you shouldn't have to be asking her to come through for you. This is all her fault in the first place. Look what she did to you," Catra gestured at Adora's brow and Adora put a hand to it absentmindedly.
"I'm alright," Adora told the girl. "It's healing okay."
"No nothing about it is okay!" Catra exclaimed, her voice breaking a little. She looked away and put a hand to her face.
Adora stood up out of her chair and walked over to Catra, forgetting about Lonnie and the fight and all of it for the first time since it had all happened. She leaned next to Catra on the desk and put a hand on her shoulder.
Catra looked up, pulling her face out of her hand and staring into Adora's eyes. Adora looked at her calmly and smiled lightly. "Thanks. For everything."
Catra felt her breath leave her as she stared at Adora. She managed to nod in response, unable to think of anything to say. She just knew that she was glad she had helped Adora. She would do it again a hundred times over.
Adora slowly leaned over and wrapped her arms around Catra, bringing her into a tight hug. Catra was stunned for a moment, but then quickly hugged Adora back. The only thing that Catra was capable of thinking was that it felt so incredibly good.
Adora was in a similar state. She hadn't known she had needed this until she had done it. It felt like all the stress she had was just flowing away and all that mattered was this. She wanted it to last a lot longer, but eventually she pulled away.
Lonnie quietly glanced over at the two girls and saw them staring at each other. She gasped lightly as she realized she hadn't seen Catra that happy in a while. It made sense now. Why Catra had come to Adora's aid. Why Catra had confronted her about picking on people. There was something between these two. Something deeper than just a normal friendship. Something Lonnie hadn't caught onto before, but was definitely seeing now.
She looked away, grappling with a strange amalgamation of her own emotions.
It was at this time that the door opened and Mrs. Hope walked in, Angella and Gerald in tow. Adora and Catra quickly sat back down, shooting glances at one another as the adults returned to their places.
Adora tried to read Angella's face, but couldn't glean much from it. Mrs. Hope settled down and spoke up.
"So have you three decided what happened?" She asked expectantly.
Catra looked to Adora and bit her lip. "Uh, well, we…" Catra trailed off.
Adora opened her mouth to speak, but was interrupted by Lonnie. "Yeah it's like they said," Lonnie said quietly and the other two girls looked over, trying to hide their surprise. "But I mean I'm still not sure who threw the first punch. It all happened real fast."
Adora saw where Lonnie was going with this and extended her support. "Yeah I mean...it could have been either of us. It was dark and we were mad." Adora felt a twinge of anger that Lonnie was still slightly twisting the truth, but at least she had made the surprising change of heart to work with them to avoid trouble.
Mrs. Hope looked satisfied and leaned back slightly in her chair. "Alright. And do you have anything to say to one another. And to your parents while you're at it?"
Of the three, Adora was the first to speak up. "I'm sorry Catra and…Catra's dad. And I'm sorry Angella for all this. And…" Adora stalled a little bit. She found it harder than she had thought to apologize to Lonnie. She eventually managed to avoid thinking about the implications of the apology and continued. "...and I'm sorry Lonnie."
Catra let out a small sigh and shook her head. "Yeah whatever. I'm sorry too I guess. To all of you," Catra said bluntly and her father looked embarrassed.
"Same. Sorry," Lonnie said quickly.
Mrs. Hope nodded acceptingly. "Well some of those were a bit unconvincing, but I think we've made some ground here. Alright girls. Your parents and I have talked. The school has to take certain steps to ensure that you are punished for the violence towards your classmates, however, due to your cooperation I believe we can dial it back a bit."
The room seemed to let out a collective sigh and Adora felt a weekend's worth of tension flow out of her.
"You will each be suspended for 2 days. When you return you will each begin regular meetings with the school's guidance counselor during your free period. Also you will not be allowed to attend any football games for the next month. Does that sound fair?"
Angella looked down at Adora first, recognizing her relief at the result, and then nodded her affirmation. There were no objections.
"Alright! Then we are in agreement. Keep in mind that if something like this happens again you will all receive much harsher discipline. Your temporary suspension starts immediately. You may return on Wednesday. Your schoolwork will be sent home for you. Any questions?" Mrs. Hope surveyed the room and was met with no questions. "Then we should be done here. Thank you all for coming in on such short notice."
Angella and Catra's father, Gerald, stayed behind to talk to Mrs. Hope while the three girls left the room. Lonnie walked off quickly without saying a word, exiting the office and leaving the building.
Catra and Adora sat on the seats out in the main office. They watched Lonnie leave.
"Good riddance," Catra said as she left.
"It is good not to be stuck in a room with her anymore," Adora acknowledged. "That was weird though. What she did. I mean…I don't know her that well but I didn't think she'd actually listen to me."
Catra shrugged. "Meh. She was just trying to save herself. I mean she's the one who did all this and she just walked away with the same punishment as us! How is that fair?"
"That's a good point," Adora agreed. "Were you guys ever actually friends?"
"Oh boy," Catra said, thinking back. "Yeah we were. Good friends too. But she changed. I mean I did too, I guess. I was a jerk for a while after middle school but I rounded out more or less. Lonnie never did though. She just got more and more…hateful." Catra explained, a distant look on her face.
"Huh," Adora said thoughtfully. "It's hard to imagine you two as friends. But I guess if she was different back then."
"Yeah she was," Catra said reflectively before shaking her head and changing the subject. "You excited for our mini vacation?"
"Mini…you mean our suspension?" Adora asked incredulously.
Catra rolled her eyes. "Same thing really. They just try to scare you with the big word, but really you just get some time off. Pretty sweet deal," Catra said with a toothy grin.
Adora chuckled. "Well I wouldn't call it that, but I guess it could be nice to have some time off. I guess."
"There it is," Catra said, satisfied. She turned and picked up a college pamphlet that was lying on an end table and began leafing through it distractedly. "You know," she said slowly, "that whole counseling thing sounds really interesting."
"Yeah who's our counselor?" Adora asked curiously.
"I couldn't tell ya," Catra said with a shrug, taking a marker out of her pocket and drawing on the pamphlet she was reading. "But I know I'll hate it, regardless."
"It can't be that bad," Adora said with a wave of her hand. "They'll just try and weed out our violent tendencies or whatever."
Catra scoffed. "Yeah we'll see," she said sarcastically and then grew quiet. "But hey that whole mess Friday. I mean that was…have you ever been in a fight before?"
Adora shook her head instantly. She had gotten in plenty of arguments, but never anything physical.
"Yeah me neither. At least not like that," Catra explained and then frowned a little. "It's…I dunno I keep thinking about it. Like just how…mad I was. I couldn't even stop myself from hitting her. And I…I mean you saw her face." Catra opened her mouth to continue, but shut it again, unable to form more words.
Adora looked at the girl, concerned. "I get what you mean. I felt it too there at the end. If Mr. Hordak hadn't interfered…" Adora trailed off before pushing the thought out of her head. "But you did what you had to. And I'm glad you did."
"I know. I'd do it again," Catra replied quickly and Adora felt her stomach flip. "But it's just hard to forget all the...hitting I guess."
"Yeah," Adora said knowingly. "You know maybe the counseling will help a little."
Catra smirked. "Yeah we'll see. It'll take up my free period so it better help."
The girls were interrupted by their respective guardians coming down the hall. Gerald was laughing at something Angella had said and Angella was smiling widely.
"Well it was nice meeting you, Angella. I hope I get the chance to see you again sometime. I'm sure I will if our daughters continue tag teaming at football games." Gerald said with a graceful laugh as they reached the office entrance and noticed Catra and Adora, now standing and ready to leave.
Angella laughed at his joke. "And it was a pleasure meeting you, Gerald. I look forward to it." She replied with a kind smile and brushed some of her hair out of her face nervously.
Catra and Adora looked at each other, confused by what they were seeing. Adora elbowed Catra and looked at the girl questioningly. "Do they seem…" she began under her breath before Catra cut her off.
"Nope. Ew. I don't wanna think about that. They're old." Catra whispered back hastily and Adora stifled a laugh.
"Let me get the door for you." Angella quickly moved over and held the door open for Gerald.
"Well thank you very much," he said with a chuckle before turning to his daughter. "Catra are you ready?"
Catra looked at Adora and then to her father. "Uh yeah I guess," she said awkwardly and shot a grimace to Adora who smiled widely.
Catra walked out with her dad and Angella and Adora followed suit. Angella and Gerald continued to converse with one another warmly as they walked out the doors and out to the parking lot. Catra and Adora walked together.
"You know," Catra said slowly, her breath making puffs of vapor in the cold morning air, "I don't really think I'm all that interested in this college." Catra held up the pamphlet she had picked up inside. "Seems a little too wordy for my taste. But uh…you should check it out sometime," Catra said and handed the pamphlet to Adora.
"Uh…yeah I guess I could," Adora said, eyeing the girl strangely and cautiously accepting the pamphlet.
Catra started to say something and then thought better of it and shook her head. "Yep. Well. I will see you soon! Have a good vacation!" Catra said quickly and hurried off, following her dad as he said goodbye to Angella and walked towards his car.
Adora stared after Catra and chuckled to herself. "What a strange girl."
Angella had the heat blasting in the car as her and Adora drove back to the house. Angella had spent almost the whole time complaining about how Adora was being punished for something she had very little part in. Adora agreed, but she was honestly so relieved at the punishment that she didn't really mind.
"That Lonnie girl seemed very uncooperative," Angella said with a shake of her head. "I can't believe she did all this to you and got away with the same punishment as you and Catra."
"Yeah. It's not really fair, but I guess they have no way of knowing if we're telling the truth about how it started." Adora said thoughtfully.
"I guess so," Angella said annoyed. "Oh and just to clear things up, I thought that Catra was still causing you trouble as well. Is that still happening or did you two make up or…"
"Well," Adora said, twisting her fingers together nervously. "We found some common ground."
"You must have!" Angella exclaimed. "Not many people would just jump in and selflessly protect someone like that. Maybe she's turning a new leaf. The way Glimmer talks about her made me think she was still a little troublemaker."
Adora laughed. "Well she is definitely that, but she's…nice it turns out."
Angella nodded encouragingly. "Well I'm glad you're making friends, Adora. How does Glimmer feel about being around Catra again?"
"See I don't really…hang out with them around one another," Adora carefully explained, shifting in her seat.
"Ah," Angella said. "That makes sense. Glimmer hasn't said one good thing about Catra in a long time."
"Yeah I know," Adora said guiltily.
"But," Angella stated, "you are free to make friends with whomever you please. Glimmer can't control that. You will have to tell her at some point though."
Adora nodded. "I know. And I don't like not telling her. I just don't want her to be upset with me."
Angella stopped at a red light and took the chance to look over and focus on her foster-child. "Adora, you are such an incredibly considerate and selfless person. And that's a fantastic quality to have. But sometimes you have to worry about yourself for a change. Glimmer's a big girl. She can handle it. Now sure, one time she didn't talk to me for three days straight because I wouldn't let her go to a concert, but she gets over it eventually."
Adora smiled at the story. "Okay," Adora said decidedly. "Thanks Angella. I'll let her know sometime."
"Take your time," Angella said. "I won't narc."
Adora snorted and then turned to Angella. "Oh and hey," she said slowly, a grin spreading across her face, "was it just me, or were you and Catra's dad…"
Angella's pale face turned a bright scarlet color and she stammered a bit. "Well he was a very nice man and he…well…" She let out a small sigh. "Yes maybe a little," Angella replied guiltily.
Adora laughed loudly and Angella couldn't help but laugh along with her, despite her embarrassment.
When Adora got to the house she headed upstairs and woke Glimmer up for school. She explained what had happened and Glimmer was very excited for Adora that she hadn't gotten into too much trouble. The sleepy girl then shuffled downstairs and her and Angella got ready to leave for the day.
Adora went back to her room and fell asleep again, finally able to rest easy. By the time she finally woke up it was close to three in the afternoon. She marveled at how long she had slept and got up slowly, feeling strange sitting at home on a Monday.
She spent some time cleaning up her room. As she was cleaning her nightstand, she recognized the pamphlet that Catra had given her that morning and smiled wryly at the thought of the girl.
Adora picked it up casually and leafed through it. It was just a normal brochure for a local college. Adora was about to toss it out when she noticed something written in marker at the bottom of one of the pages.
Adora quickly opened the page up and examined the writing. Under the, 'Contact Information' heading for the college contacts, there was a hastily scribbled phone number written in black marker. Under the number was a similar looking message that said 'This feels stupid but I've already committed to it.'
Adora put her face in her palm, grinning widely. She put the number into her phone under the name 'C' so that Glimmer wouldn't be able to figure out who it was if she borrowed Adora's phone. Adora laid back on her bed and laughed to herself quietly as she shot a message over to the new contact.
'That was the most roundabout way of giving me your number that you could have possibly thought of' Adora typed out and pushed send.
It had barely been ten seconds when she got a response.
'Well it sure took ya long enough.'
Things are looking up for the girls. And for me! I'm on winter break now so I can just unwind and I'll be writing some more. As usual I'm always open to reviews and I absolutely love getting them. Thanks to everyone for reading and I'm glad you're enjoying it so far! I hope you all have a great day!