Catra managed to stay out of the way not wanting to ruin Scorpia's day by punching someone in the face, yet she couldn't help but feel a bit of something whenever she saw Adora and her friends interacting. But she wasn't jealous.

She couldn't be, after all she hated Adora for what she did.

Didn't she?

Catra wasn't sure what she was feeling anymore—if she was being honest with herself anyway—but falling back into old patterns would have been too easy and Catra was determined not to set herself up to be hurt or overshadowed again, Yet it was just too easy to find herself enjoying the blonde's company.

To find things slipping back into normalcy between them.

But Catra didn't forgive her.

Did she?

She didn't want to, or at least she was pretty sure she didn't but not speaking would make being on the same team difficult and there was no way that Catra was going to try to be captain of the junior team—she wasn't so desperate that she was going to put up with junior high and middle school students.

Sighing she leaned against the wall and closed her eyes, trying to focus on the sound of blaring music to keep herself from thinking too much.

Get it together Catra, you are acting like some kind of kicked puppy...What the hell is up with that? You don't need anyone! She mentally scolded herself after a while, heading toward the stairs only to pause to see that a storm was raging outside.

Thank the stars that the music is so loud...I do not want to deal with Scorpia's Astraphobia today. She thought as a streak of lightening shot through the sky. She glanced back toward the teenager in question, only to find her laughing at something that Kyle was saying.

Well I know that she at least has some friends here so I'm not needed. I showed up, that's all I promised her I would do.

Adora hadn't been sure what to expect when Scorpia had invited them over but this was not it although she figured that her being a bit judgmental of the taller girl was half of the reason she had been so hesitant. The other reason—of course—had barely spoken to her and skulked around the snack table all evening before vanishing.

She tried not to think too much about it, knowing that if Catra wanted to talk to anyone that she would and anything that even seemed like forcing her to do something would just blow up in their faces—and Adora preferred the strange rivalry that they had developed over the past few weeks to whatever her prickly, defensive demeanor from that first week could have been called. But even Adora couldn't tell herself that she could ever completely let go of Catra—who knew her better than anyone.

Pushing Catra from her mind she turned her attention fully to Bow and Glimmer who were trying to explain to her just what this strange dance that some of the other people where doing, however then a loud crack filled the air followed by the lights going out.

Everything was chaos as some scrambled to help Scorpia light candles while others prepared to go home. Adora however, was more concerned about something—or rather someone—who wasn't in the room.

It felt as though she couldn't breath, like the walls were going to come crumbling in at any moment and suddenly it was like she was a little kid again, trapped in the dark compounds to wait until Beatrix's anger had subsided and she returned to release her.

It's just a power outage Catra, calm down.

She told herself but she couldn't seem to get her body to stop shaking and it felt as if her heart was about to come flying out of her chest and she felt ridiculous.

If anyone ever found out about this they would never let her live it down. After all, what sixteen year old was afraid of the dark?

They didn't live with the same people you did. They were be afraid too.

The voice in the back of her head told her although she ignored it.

No, they wouldn't. They would have ran away or fought back...Not just stay around like a affection starved puppy. Catra told herself as she buried her face into her arms hoping that if she didn't see the darkness around her that at least her body would stop shaking so damn much.

It felt like forever that she had been sitting there until a hand gently touched her shoulder, causing her to jolt away as if she had been burned, although she couldn't help but relax once she saw that it was just Adora knelt beside of her, holding a single candle.

"Catra? Are you alright?"

The tone in Adora's voice caught Catra off guard. She had expected to be laughed at or something, not this. Not that familiar concerned tone that had been directed at her all during her childhood.

"Do I look like I'm okay, Adora?" She retorted, trying to sound threatening however the effect was lost under the quivering of her voice.

Why do I have to be so pathetic?

"You're still afraid of the dark." Adora guessed as she tentatively reached out and ran a hand through the other girl's mane of hair, relaxing once Catra didn't pull away.

"You would be to but you were lucky to be their favorite."

Catra answered, confusing the blonde for a minute before realization hit her like a ton of bricks and her blood turned cold.

"Catra, I knew you were afraid of the dark but I never really understood why. Does it have something to do with...what they did to you at the home?"

How could I have been so stupid? Of course it does!

The blonde berated herself as she slowly moved to sit on the bed next to the other girl, who didn't seem to even notice her position had changed.

"Why do you think I started calling her Shadow Weaver after we learned about the black widow at school? She was like a spider...Sucking me dry Adora. You were the only reason that I didn't go crazy. No matter how many times she locked me in the basement or hit me...I knew that I had someone who gave a damn." Catra said after a while, not daring to look toward the girl because she knew that even in the dim light that came from the candle, she would see that stupid, empathetic look.

And she knew that she would have no choice but to crumble if she saw those eyes again.

"Oh my god...Catra why didn't you ever tell me what she was doing? I mean when I asked her where you where when you just dissappeared she said that you were grounded and well...I knew that she locked the door and there was no way I was going anywhere near her room after I got you in trouble that one time." Adora began, only to feel Catra pull away.

"I wanted to tell you but I also didn't want you to end up in the same boat as me. You were her favorite...and despite how jealous I would get of you sometimes...I knew that you didn't mean to be better than me. That you didn't think that you were." the other girl responded, closing her eyes as a familiar pressure began to build behind them.

"No matter how many times I lay awake listening to rats scurrying around the basement...No matter how many times she punished me. I knew that in the end, no matter what I had you then you just made plans to leave without me...I...it hurt okay? If fucking hurt. I was losing the only person in this whole damn world that cared about me."

As Catra said this her voice broke and she struggled in vain to keep the tears back.

"you left...Just like everyone else. You just up and left! I felt as if I was at fault...Like something was wrong with me, Adora! I thought that for two years...until our talk a few weeks ago and then...I just don't know anymore Adora...About anything!"

Adora couldn't believe what she was hearing, well she could but she couldn't believe that Catra had kept something like this from her and had only told her when she was already in an emotionally drained state. But despite all of that, she pulled the other girl into an embrace—which to her surprise—she didn't pull out of.

"I know it doesn't mean anything but I am so sorry Catra. I am sorry I made you feel like that, I am sorry that all that shit happened to you and I'm sorry that I failed to keep my promise to always be there. You have every right to hate me."

Adora hadn't even noticed that she had started to cry as well until she felt Catra pull away and put a hand on her cheek.

"I don't hate you. Hell...even I couldn't lie to myself about that and I think that's enough of this sappy stuff for a while...We're both a mess." Catra said with a ghost of a smile as she pulled away.

"So I guess this means you want to try to be friends again?" Adora asked, earning a chuckle.

"To be honest Adora, I think we already are...sort of."