The rain hitting the window of the school bus created droplets for Adora to watch. She loved the season of Fall.

Adora sat in a lone seat with her chin on her hand, looking out the window at the rushing cars, busy streets and opening stores as the bus took her to Bright Moon Academy. A three month break had gone by a tad too fast for Adora's liking, but it didn't bother her as much as some other people on this bus.

This was, after all, Adora's final year in high school before the big decision of whether to go to university or not.

That was a decision Adora really didn't want to make, at least not right now. There was still a whole year ahead of her to get through.

The rain slid down the clear window before Adora, and she watched droplets inch their way lower. Some droplets of rain collided with others to form even bigger droplets, but other droplets often simply destroyed themselves and ceased to exist. It was a fascinating race to watch for Adora. Which droplet would reach the bottom of the bus window first, and how many other droplets would they combine with to get there?

It was enough to distract Adora from her music momentarily, but her senses were interrupted when she suddenly heard a short tone ring in her ears. She glanced at the phone on her lap to see a text flash up on screen.

Bownarrow174: Hope you're not late for your first day again. Did you catch the bus this time?

"Dammit, Bow…" Adora scoffed, unlocking her phone and typing a quick reply.

Adorablyscary33: That was ONE time back in Year 10, and I wasn't even that late!

Adora saw that Bow had read her message, and just as quick as she had replied, so too did Bow come back with a message.

Bownarrow174: Late enough to get every single person in the class staring at you… And no, I will not let that one go. It's one of the few things I have over you to embarrass you.

Adora made a mental note to punish Bow when she saw him next as he typed out another message.

Bownarrow174: You didn't answer my question by the way, which is starting to worry Glimmer and I…

Adorablyscary33: Yes, I'm on the bus and on my way to kick your ass if you don't learn to respect your elders within the next few minutes.

Bownarrow174: You're older by 2 months.

Adorablyscary33: 2 months is a lot of time to gain wisdom and enlightenment.

Bownarrow174: Clearly not enough 'wisdom' to make it to class on time.

Adora felt her bus go over the usual speedbump that indicated she was at least close by to the school, and she smirked as she took off her headphones and grabbed her bag, typing one last message to Bow.

Adorablyscary33: The bus has arrived, and so has your doom. See you in a bit!

Adora pocketed her phone as she stood up, grabbing her red leather jacket to throw over herself as the rain outside began to pick up. She inched her way out of the seats and down the aisle of the bus, slinging her bag over her shoulder.

Adora stepped off the bus, and into her final year at Bright Moon Academy.

It mostly looked the same, with a few students putting up signs about their clubs or chatting with friends they haven't seen for weeks. Adora got a few greetings from people she knew in previous years as she ran for a roof to get out of the rain and into the main building. Homeroom was in a few minutes, after all.

The main hall was crowded with students figuring out their lockers or which room to go to. Adora pulled up the school map on her phone to find her way around the school, trying not to bump into too many people in the crowd.

"Adora! Darling!" Adora heard a familiar voice behind her, and turned around to see a friend she hadn't seen since the end of May weaving their way through the crowd.

"Double Trouble, nice to see you!" Adora waved as she saw them. Double Trouble walked alongside Adora after finally catching up.

"How did the holidays treat you? Did you get a haircut, per chance?" Double Trouble asked the same question they asked at the start of almost every year, and Adora couldn't help but chuckle as she shook her head.

"The hair poof is here to stay, sorry. I've grown too attached to it," Adora explained as she ran a hand through her hair, rubbing the poof of hair near her own forehead as Double Trouble sighed.

"And I was attached to this particular blue skirt I saw yesterday until I realized I couldn't afford it, dear. Sometimes you need to cut these things out of your life!" Double Trouble said, which Adora simply held up a hand in response.

"The more you complain about it, the longer it stays," Adora spoke with a smug smile on her face, and Double Trouble stared deadpan at Adora, before shaking their head and handing Adora a small flyer. Adora looked at it, seeing rainbows covering the flyer with bright text.

Come join the Bright Moon Pride Club! Meet ups during lunch and after school on Wednesday's and Friday's! A place for discussion, study, or just a general gay time.

"I know you give the same answer every year, but I just want you to know there's a place for you whenever you want, darling. We're always happy for new members!" Double Trouble beamed as Adora looked at the poster, before folding it and putting it neatly in her bag.

"I'll… think about it," Adora responded. Double Trouble grabbed Adora's hand.

"You've been thinking about it for three years! Look… I won't pressure you, doll, but the opportunity is always there. Bow is there too, so you won't be completely alone!" Double Trouble let go of Adora's hand as Adora smiled.

"I really appreciate it, DT. I'll definitely let you know if I'm interested, alright?" Adora responded, and Double Trouble put a hand over their heart.

"You're wonderful. I'll see you around, darling!" Double Trouble waved as they emerged back into the crowd to hand out as many flyers as they could. It was nice to see them again. Adora was always happy to have a friend around who was as supportive as Double Trouble.

The bell rang as Adora went into her new homeroom and immediately scanned the room for any spare seats. Thankfully, she had some perfect ones near the back corner, placed right next to…

"Bow! Glimmer!" Adora called out as she jogged over to the friends she's had longest in her schooling life. Bow was seated directly behind Adora, and Glimmer was seated in front of Adora, but first, the Best Friends Squad joined into their usual group hug.

"How've you been, Adora?" Glimmer asked, but before Adora could answer, she squeezed Bow as tightly as she could in a personal hug, almost choking him and crushing his ribs at the same time.

"Give me a bit… I have to get revenge for someone who won't forget my past," Adora said to Glimmer as she squeezed Bow tightly, lifting him in the air before finally letting go. "There! Hopefully that teaches you to respect your elders and not bring up embarrassing times of my history!"

Bow was gasping for air, but laughing all the same as he stared at Adora. "Did your grip get tighter or am I just weaker?" Bow asked.

"A bit of both," Adora said with a smirk, crossing her arms. It was true that Adora had spent more time at the gym than usual, mostly out of boredom. Holidays alone usually got to her. "To answer your question," Adora turned to Glimmer, "I'm doing great. Mostly ready to just… do stuff again instead of sitting around all day. Plus, it's the final year, and everyone always told me this was the best year!"

"I bet," Glimmer smiled as she sat at her desk, Adora doing the same as Glimmer turned around to face Adora. "You still in the track club this year? I mean, it's your last shot to get first place in the 800 metres."

"Why do you think I worked out so much over the break?" Adora put her chin on her palm. "Maybe I'll be able to kickstart my career into becoming an Olympic athlete. You can be a part of my cheerleader squad."

"You won't catch me dead in those outfits," Glimmer scoffed. "I'm plenty fine cheering you on from the comforts of the crowd in the stands."

"I'll be your cheerleader!" Bow spoke up, and Adora turned to face him. "I would look amazing in those outfits, and they allow for so much flexibility!"

"Knew I could count on you!" Adora smiled as she high fived Bow. "See? This is the guy that's gonna get me past that finish line and into my Olympic career, and he'll look cute while doing it too. Together, we'll travel the world…"

"Uh-huh. Send me pics from Paris when you get there," Glimmer couldn't help but smile at her friends. Nothing had really changed between them, even after all this time. The Best Friends Squad were loyal to the end, and they were all glad to have each other.

"Did Double Trouble offer for you to join us at the Pride Club again, Adora?" Bow asked, and Adora nodded. "Did you accept? We'd really love to have you there."

"I… I don't know. It feels like I'm intruding on something special if I go there, especially in my last year of all times," Adora explained. "Plus, like… I don't really know if I'm gay or straight or anything. I've never thought about that kind of stuff. Been single for life."

"You don't have to be queer to join, Adora. I didn't know I was bisexual until last year, after all. But they still loved me when I first joined three years back, and they really helped me figure things out. It's just a nice space for anyone," Bow said. Adora shrugged, crossing her arms as their teacher, Castaspella, stepped into the classroom.

"I'll definitely think about it, alright?" Adora whispered as the class went quiet. The rain grew heavy outside of the classroom window, and scattered across the rooftops. It comforted Adora's soul as Castaspella's voice slowly drowned out amidst the warmth of being indoors during rain.

Adora glanced around at her homeroom, and noticed one empty seat next to hers. Who would miss school on the first day? Maybe the rain had caught them up. Castaspella's voice suddenly interjected as she clapped her hands together.

"So! Before we go any further, I would like to introduce someone new to the class who will be joining us for her final year. Please give a warm welcome to her, and treat her kindly," Castaspella explained. She waved to the door, and it slowly opened.

In stepped in a girl who Adora's eyes were immediately drawn to.

The first thing Adora saw was her differently colored eyes. One yellow, the other turquoise. Those eyes were scanning the room as the girl entered, observing each person individually. Like those eyes were looking for targets, or people to avoid.

Adora looked at the rest of the girl. She had freckles on her soft cheeks, and a slender body. Her long hair went down to the mid-point of her shoulder blades, and atop her head were adorable little cat ears.

Adora couldn't take her eyes off this girl. She was usually distracted by the rain, but she was instead distracted by this new person. This girl who had literally walked in on her life, bringing about a demeanour of both intimidation, but also fright. Like she wanted to establish her dominance, but was afraid of failing.

"Hey," the girl spoke. The voice made Adora's spine tingle, and she immediately felt her face going red as she quickly looked away before she fell into a wreck. "My name is… Catra. It's… nice to meet you all."

Catra. Her name was Catra. Adora turned away from the girl, and yet her eyes stayed glued to Catra's face. It was like they were stuck, and no matter what Adora did, she couldn't hide herself. It was just a new student, but Adora couldn't figure out why she was taking so much interest in the girl.

Glimmer glanced at Adora, and Adora glanced back. It was just a new student. Nothing to really get excited over. Adora kept telling herself that, but she couldn't keep down the fact that this girl was definitely making an impression most new student's fail to do.

"I believe… Yes, there's a seat next to Adora over there," Castaspella pointed out. Adora glanced at the empty seat next to her, and glanced back at Catra, who was already making her way towards Adora.

Adora hid her stares, simply looking at her own hands as she felt Catra's presence next to her. It took everything in her not to glance at Catra one more time, but ultimately, Adora failed, her eyes looking to her right.

And directly into Catra's eyes.

Adora and Catra stared at each other, and Adora almost felt a sense of intimacy. Eye contact. The eyes were the windows into Catra's soul, and Adora could see the droplets forming in the midst of them. Adora didn't know how long she stared into Catra's eyes, but however long it was, it was enough to make her entire face go red as she looked away.

Adora didn't dare to look back at Catra for the rest of homeroom, but she already knew this year was going to be more interesting than any other with her around.

During lunch break, Adora sat at the indoor cafeteria with Bow and Glimmer, like usual. Bow and Glimmer were mostly discussing their holidays, but Adora couldn't help but glance over to the corner of the cafeteria room.

Catra sat alone with little food at her feet that she wasn't even thinking about eating. She didn't look depressed; more that she wanted to avoid everyone. She bunched her knees up to her chest and barely looked at anyone, except for those who would occasionally pass her.

On the one hand, Adora wanted to sit with her and talk. Get to know Catra and perhaps make a new friend. On the other hand, what would they even talk about? Does Catra even want to talk?

"I heard she was expelled myself."

Adora's ears perked up as she heard the voices of the table behind her. People in her class, talking about Catra. General gossip that Adora usually didn't pay any mind to, except for now. If it had to do with Catra, she couldn't avoid it.

"Shit, really?" One person asked as Adora listened in.

"She got into some crazy fight and scratched the hell out of the other guy. Had to be pulled from the school and was shoved here instead," the original storyteller explained.

"Do you know why she did it?" Another voice asked.

"No clue. Maybe she's just crazy. Maybe someone pissed her off," the storyteller said. It was clear that it was gossip for fun, but the way the storyteller spoke almost made Adora believe it was the truth.

She didn't want to indulge in baseless gossip, especially over someone she just met, but Catra was growing more and more intriguing to Adora by the second. The way she sat alone, even the way she sorted through her textbooks, was like a show for Adora. Catra had some feign of mystery about her, but also a sense of loneliness.

"Adora? You still here?" Glimmer suddenly asked, snapping Adora out of a trance. "If you're not going to have your rice, I'll gladly take it."

"Don't you dare," Adora chuckled, keeping her food to herself. She glanced at Catra's position again, but in the blink of an eye, she had vanished. Everything this girl did only made her more and more interesting to Adora.

The bell rang after Adora had finished her lunch. "What've you got after this?" Bow asked Adora.

"Literature," Adora replied. It was one of the few classes Adora did by herself usually, but things changed this time around. When she walked into the small classroom, she found Catra already at her desk, reading through the first prescribed novel of the year.

Adora was seated further away from Catra this time, but that didn't stop her occasionally looking at the girl. When it came to group discussions, Adora could barely contribute to hers. Her mind was drawn to the new girl as she talked with her own group, bringing one leg up on her own seat.

Adora had never quite felt like this before. This sense of rush upon seeing someone, the heart skipping a beat and the stomach tightening. It was something that was hard to capture for her. She wanted, more than anything, to simply go over and talk to her. But the very idea seemed wrong. Why should they talk?

Adora kept to herself to the end of the school day as the rain faded away. The first day may have been the same as usual, but to Adora, it felt like the beginning of something entirely new.

Adora threw another kick at the heavy bag before her. It was a clean kick, shaking the bag and swinging it back and forth.

Adora was finishing up a workout at the gym, wearing her usual clothes of a fitted top and long yoga pants. Her hands were wrapped in tape for the last part of her training session, which involving sparring with either a heavy bag or a partner.

Tonight, it was the bag. She threw two jabs and a left hook, repeating the action for a minute. Meanwhile, her mind was wandering off to the first day. To Catra.

No words were exchanged, but it felt like something had bloomed from the moment they made eye contact in that classroom. Adora couldn't describe it, and she was entirely sure it was one-sided, but she just couldn't let it go no matter how hard she tried.

Catra was slowly beginning to invade her life.

Adora let out a final grunt as she threw one more roundhouse kick at the bag, before backing away and finding somewhere to sit, grabbing her towel and wiping the sweat off her forehead as she panted. She sat back, taking a drink of water.

"Mind if I take the bag?"

A voice sounded next to Adora, and she glanced over to find Catra sitting right next to her.

Adora choked on her water, keeping it down but nearly spitting it out. She had no clue Catra was at the same gym she went to, and it almost gave her a heart attack upon seeing her. "Y-yeah, sure, I was just finishing up…" Adora said after trying to hide her coughing from nearly choking to death.

Catra stared at Adora like she had a third eye for a few seconds, before standing up and going over to the heavy bag. Adora began to unwrap the tape on her hands after calming down, looking at Catra as she got into a fighting stance and threw a roundhouse kick.

When it connected with the heavy bag, it sounded like a gunshot.

Adora was impressed with Catra's physique, and Catra also took interest in Adora's body, especially the well-toned arms and strong legs. The two girls did their best not to stare for too long, but it was hard. Adora, however, watched as Catra threw five consecutive kicks, each as strong as the last.

It wouldn't be a surprise if this girl got into a fight. Adora was almost intimidated by her.

Adora put her hand tape away and sat on the floor, stretching her left leg out and reaching to touch her toe, slowly cooling down and relaxing her leg muscles. "So…" Catra started, throwing another kick before turning to face Adora. "Noticed you staring at me a bunch today."

Adora cursed under her breath, before speaking up. "Sorry for creeping you out. I swear I'm not a stalker or anything, it's just… I don't know…"

Catra snickered for a bit, before throwing a few jabs at the heavy bag. "I'm kidding with you, dude. I don't give a shit, honestly. I was staring at you a bit, too."

Adora's face went red, and not just from exhaustion. "You were?" Adora asked.

"Well… Kinda. I mean, we have so many classes together, after all. Look, I'm just trying to say not to worry too much. I didn't want things to be…" Catra threw a heavy hook. "Weird, between us."

"Well… thanks for that," Adora responded as she stretched an arm over her head, feeling a slight sense of relief that she hadn't made an enemy with the girl she was so fascinated with. "So… what did you think of your first day?" She asked.

"It was alright," Catra said, throwing another combination of jabs and hooks. "Nothing to complain about, honestly. Especially compared to the last school I went to."

"Yeah…" Adora mumbled. She wanted to bring up the rumour about Catra's expulsion from her previous school, and the fight she got into, but decided against that. Either it was a baseless rumour and Adora made herself seem like a gossip queen, or it was true and was simply bringing up bad memories for Catra. "Have you… joined any clubs yet?"

"Nah… Got a ton of offers, though," Catra replied. "Are you in any clubs?"

"The track club," Adora responded to the girl. Catra looked at Adora's legs quickly, and let out a slight chuckle.

"I kinda guessed that, actually. You seem like a running girl," Catra spoke in an almost teasing tone. Adora laughed a bit.

"Yeah, well… I enjoy it," Adora responded.

It was a conversation that really went nowhere, but beyond all else, Adora felt comfortable talking to this girl. It felt like no judgement was coming from her, and that she was quite easy to be around. A safe person. That's what Adora liked. She felt safe around Catra.

Catra threw one last combination, before wiping her sweat with her forearm. She glanced over at Adora. "Mind if I borrow your water for a bit?" Catra asked.

"Sure," Adora threw her water bottle in Catra's direction, and the new girl caught it. As Adora signed herself out of the gym and got her jacket out of her gym bag, she looked over to Catra to see her chugging Adora's water. Her lips in the same spot that Adora's were just a few moments ago. The liquid went down Catra's chin slightly, coating her body that was already soaked in sweat.

Adora was staring yet again, and she could barely stop herself as Catra took the bottle away from her lips, screwing the cap back on and throwing it back to Adora. "Thanks," Catra said. "You leaving?"

"Yeah… It was nice meeting you, though," Adora smiled. She felt like a blushing school girl, maybe because she was, but Catra did return the smile, snapping her fingers and giving Adora a singular finger gun.

"Likewise," Catra returned, and the two girls laughed. "I'll… see you tomorrow, I suppose."

"Yeah! For… for sure," Adora nodded. She and Catra stared at each other for a few more seconds, and Adora gazed into her soul one more time. The droplets forming in Catra's eyes, and the colors that shined brighter than the sun were enough to make Adora stare forever.

But eventually, Adora was the first to look away and leave the gym, entering the chilly night.

The town was still live with people, restaurants, dates, cars and stores. It was dark, the moon shining in the sky and the stars as bright as always. Adora walked home alone, like she usually did, and mostly avoided anyone she saw on the sidewalk. And they avoided her.

However, she saw one woman who wasn't avoiding her.

This woman had seen Adora leave the gym, and approached Adora directly. She stood in front of Adora, blocking her path and forcing Adora to look up at her.

The woman stood tall over Adora, and sent chills down Adora's spine. All of a sudden, Adora felt like she was going to die. The woman had a presence about her that legitimately scared Adora beyond comprehension.

"Hello," the woman spoke. Her voice sounded like nails on a chalkboard. "Allow me to… introduce myself. My name is Shadow Weaver, although, you'll probably know me as Catra's mother."

This woman did not look like Catra's mom at all. Shadow Weaver seemed to instantly recognize Adora's confusion, and raised a hand. "Do not worry. She is adopted, but she is my daughter nonetheless. She has... not been home all night. I've been looking for her, but I can't quite seem to find her. I noticed you go to the same school as her now. Did she mention going somewhere tonight? Have you… seen her recently, perhaps?"

Adora could've easily told Shadow Weaver, Catra's adoptive mother, where she was. The gym, at the heavy bags, cracking roundhouse kicks that sounded like explosions. It wasn't far away, either. Adora could easily point Shadow Weaver in the right direction.

But this woman scared Adora, freezing her bones and making the temperature drop by many degrees. Adora swallowed, and slowly getting movement back in her body, she shook her head. "No… sorry. I don't know where she is."

She lied. Adora didn't lie often, but something in her mind told her that she needed to lie now. But she was clearly bad at it, as Shadow Weaver narrowed her eyes and glared down at Adora. Staring directly into her soul, almost trying to steal it. Adora felt like throwing up.

But Shadow Weaver backed away. "That's a shame. Do let me know if you see her. She shouldn't be out here when it starts to rain tonight."

Adora nodded her head, and Shadow Weaver walked pass Adora. Adora let out a breath, and felt her shoulders finally relax. She was regaining feeling in her body again after Shadow Weaver nearly scared her stiff.

Why was Catra running away from her adoptive mother? Why didn't she bring it up? These were another few questions to add to the list, but Adora could never ask Catra about them. They were way too personal. Adora barely knew her in the first place.

Adora watched Shadow Weaver walk away, but for a few seconds, she stopped to make sure Shadow Weaver walked pass the gym.

She looked in Shadow Weaver's direction for some time, and saw the woman walk away and not even glance at the gym. Adora sighed, relief filling her body. Shadow Weaver would have no clue where Catra was for a little while longer.

Adora didn't know why she was relieved. But she felt as if Catra needed to be alone. It was the same as in the cafeteria. She was alone on purpose, and away from Shadow Weaver for a reason.

That reason wasn't for Adora to know. At least, not yet. She walked towards her home with more questions than answers, but knew one thing for sure.

Catra was going to make this year more chaotic than Adora could ever realize.