Chapter Text
“Are you sure we need to be this early?” Mara asks tentatively as she pulls into the almost empty parking lot.
“I have that meeting with Principal Moon before first period and I want to figure out the fastest way to all my classes,” Adora explains for the tenth time. She loves her mom and will never be able to repay her for how amazing she has been these past few months, but ever since… well, ever since it happened, she’s forgotten how to be chill. “I’ll be fine.”
Mara gives a thin-lipped smile, but her firm grip on the steering wheel doesn’t let up.
“If you need anything, call me, okay?”
“I will,” she promises.
“I know you said you didn’t want to start by taking half days, but I want you to know that it’s still an option, kiddo. You don’t need to prove yourself to anybody, you’re allowed to take it slow.”
“I know.” Adora sighs thoughtfully. “I just… I think if I don’t go back for real now then I never will. I’m scared that I’ll forget how to be normal or something.”
“Okay.” Mara pulls into a parking spot close to the school’s entrance. “It’s okay to want things to go back to normal, I get it. Just be careful.”
Adora hadn’t realised she has been dreading this particular hurdle until she touches the door handle. Mara pulls the wheelchair out of the trunk and for a moment Adora’s heart doesn’t beat right. She’s going back to school, the school where she had her accident. The school where everyone used to know her as the cheer captain, but now all they’ll see is how –
“Adora?” Mara puts a hand on her daughter’s shoulder. “Do you need a minute?”
Not trusting herself to speak, Adora shakes her head. It takes her longer than she’d like to unbuckle her seatbelt, but eventually Mara is helping her into the wheelchair just like her physical therapist showed her to.
“I’m so proud of you, Squirt,” Mara smiles, kissing Adora on the top of her head. “I’ll bet you’re too cool to let your lame old mom walk you inside, huh?”
Adora rolls her eyes. “You aren’t lame.”
“So you’ll let me walk you in?”
“Absolutely not,” Adora laughs.
“I’ll be here, two forty-five, okay?”
“Actually, can you come a little later?” Adora looks down at her knees. “When there will be less people?”
“How does three sound?”
“Perfect, thanks mom.”
Carefully, Adora pushes off towards the front entrance, where she knows the access ramp is. Coming back to school feels kind of like a dream. Not in the ‘this is all I’ve ever wanted’ kind of way but the ‘everything feels just a little bit wrong’ kind of way. From the chair, her perspective is much lower than her usually high vantage point. The whole place feels huge, but somehow the walls start to suffocate her. Ignoring the tightening of her chest, Adora makes her way through the familiar halls to her locker, biting back tears as she remembered it was on the second row.
It's fine, Adora tells herself, I can get a new locker. I just have to grab my books.
Looking up and down the hallway, Adora puts on her brakes and flips up the footrests. She’s been getting better at standing, her physical therapist has assured her as much, but standing surrounded by support bars and a pair of arms to catch her if she falls feels very different to an empty hall. Regardless, she braces her hands on the armrests of her wheelchair and pushes up, breathing through the begrudgingly familiar shooting pains as she gets to her feet.
It isn’t until she’s at eye level with the lock that she realised she can’t remember the combination.
Sitting back down more abruptly than she should have, Adora pulls out her phone and texts Glimmer, asking her if she knows the code. She knows she won’t get an answer for a while, Glimmer Moon is not a morning person and is chronically late in the mornings, much to her mother’s disappointment.
Glimmer
28 – 10 – 13
wait why do you need to know?
ARE YOU COMING BACK TO SCHOOL TODAY??????
ON A WEDNESDAY?!?!?!
Cringing internally, Adora slips her phone back into her backpack, mentally preparing for Glimmer’s wrath.
“Adora, it’s lovely to see you!” Castaspella calls from down the hall. “How have you been?”
“Better, thanks.” Forgetting she put the brakes on, Adora tries and fails to turn to face her principal. She swallows her frustration, taking off the brakes and turning around.
“You are rather early for our meeting,” Casta comments.
“Yeah, I uh…” Has Casta always been this tall? “I wanted to do some recon, make sure I knew where I was going for everything. Be prepared, I guess.”
“Ah, I see.” Casta looks at her watch. “Well, we have thirty minutes until we’re scheduled to meet, but I can walk around with you if you’d like?”
“That’s okay,” Adora answers automatically. “Actually, would you mind helping me grab some stuff from my locker?”
“Of course! Write down your code, I shall have the office assign you a new locker that’s easier for you to access.” Casta hands over a small note pad and pencil, but Adora declines.
“It’s probably easier if you do it,” Adora mumbles.
Realisation dawns on Casta’s face, but Adora cuts off her apologies with the locker combination. Taking the hint, Casta lets it go and puts in the code.
“Oh my!” She says, catching the mountains of cards that fell out as she pulled the door.
Adora’s face went bright red. Back when she was still in the hospital, Glimmer had texted her a picture of her locker, covered in get well soon signs and other well-meaning messages. Even back then, when she didn’t know if she’d be able to eat by herself again, Adora had demanded they be taken down. She couldn’t even send the message herself; she had her mom call Casta to have her handle it. The thought that she has this much attention, for this, makes Adora a little queasy.
“Why don’t I get a box for all of your things and take them to my office until your new locker is arranged?”
“That would be great.” Adora forces a smile. “I’m gonna, uh, go. Now.”
“Of course, I’ll see you in a little while.”
Adora wheels herself away, double checking her schedule before heading off towards the history department, where she’s supposed to be for first period. It’s odd. Not just being back but being in these halls alone. She steels herself. She’s been waiting for so long for this day, she can’t lose her nerve now. All she has to do is find the most inoffensive path from history to English.
Her history classroom has two entrances, one in the main hallway and one that passes by the football field and through the library. Clearly the main hallway is out of the question, too many people to avoid, too big a crowd to fight through. It won’t be convenient if it’s raining, Adora realises as she makes her way outside, but that’s a problem for future Adora.
The back entrance to the library isn’t automatic, but she’s trying to be positive, so Adora mentally adds asking George to keep it propped open for her to her ever growing to-do list as she wrestles with the heavy door. It slams closed once she’s inside, the bang echoing against the stacks. Grateful that she’s alone, Adora manoeuvres through the stacks towards the main doors.
Stopping abruptly, Adora peers through the bookshelves to the cluster of desks in the middle of the room, where a student is sat surrounded by papers, engrossed in whatever they’re working on.
Catra D’riluth.
Instinctively, Adora ducks down, biting her tongue at the pull of the awkward movement. She doesn’t think Catra sees her. Or at least, she hopes she hasn’t. In all of the… well, everything, Adora had forgotten about the Catra of it all.
As quietly as she can, Adora sneaks out of the library.
-----
Adora would never understand how Catra could be so smart when whenever they did homework together it turned into… well. Another paper ball hit her face.
“Do you mind?”
“No not at all,” Catra replied nonchalantly. “Your giant forehead is just such a big target, it’s great for practice.”
“Oh yeah? What are you practising for?”
“The screwed-up ball of comp-sci homework forehead target Olympics.” Catra paused, throwing another paper ball. “Obviously.”
“I thought it would be the race to annoy your friend into failing geometry.”
“Nah, that’s next month.”
“Is that right?”
Adora turned back to her work but was interrupted by another paper ball to the head.
“Catra!” She whined, “Please! I need to finish this.”
“Relax, it isn’t due ‘til next week. I’ll help you with it tomorrow after school if you come to the movies with me.”
“I can’t, I have try-outs after school tomorrow, and then you have that math thing, and I’m helping Razz paint her spare room this weekend.”
“Try-outs?”
“Yeah.” Adora put a handful of candy in her mouth. “For cheerleading.”
“You’re kidding?” Catra laughed, but her chuckles were cut short when she saw Adora’s face. “I thought you wanted to do soccer?”
“I did,” Adora replied. “But then I met some of the cheerleaders and they told me that I’d be great at it.”
“I’m sure they did,” Catra grumbled.
“What does that mean?”
“Nothing, nothing.”
Adora decided not to press. “Anyway, my mom was a cheerleader when she came here.”
“So you have to be?”
“No. I want to be. She was just…” She waved her hand around, “the inspiration.”
“So what, you’re gonna go be one of those stuck-up bitches in the tight costume throwing each other up in the air and calling it a sport?”
“What?”
“You do know how shitty those people are, right?”
“Just because I want to be a cheerleader doesn’t make me shitty, Catra.”
“You know what, that’s fine.” Catra started shoving her things in her backpack. “Have fun with your pom-poms.”
“Catra, wait!”
“What?”
“Try-outs don’t start until four. You can help me with this until then, and we can go to the movies now.”
“Fine, but we’re getting buttered popcorn.”
Adora rolled her eyes, quickly packing away her things as she half-heartedly listened to Catra tease her hatred for buttered popcorn. She did want this, right? Catra wasn’t on to anything when she said she was just doing it because her mom did?
“Hey, dummy,” Catra called. “I’ll get you some candy if you hurry up, I don’t want to miss the trailers.”
-----
After her near miss with Catra, Adora finishes planning her route between classes. The only time she’ll have to use a main hallway is to get to the cafeteria, which is coincidentally the one place she’s been actively dreading. Technically, she doesn’t have to sit in the cafeteria; there are a bunch of places across campus to sit during lunch and she brought her own food, but her friends always take the same seats at the same table, and she doesn’t know if she can bring herself to ask to sit somewhere else.
Whatever, Adora thinks, I’ll figure it out.
Her journey back towards the principal’s office is a little more crowded than she expected at this time of the morning, though the few people walking the halls either don’t notice her or completely ignore her. Either way, it’s fine by her, she doesn’t really want people to see her anyway. Her arms start to ache, though, after pushing herself for so long today. It’s not like she hasn’t been practising, mind. Just last night she and her mom went for a stroll around the neighbourhood, but the campus is big, and she’s already made her way pretty much everywhere.
“Adora!” Casta calls from her office doorway. A few heads turn but no one bats and eye as she wheels into the office.
“I have just a few things I’d like to go over before your day begins,” Casta says kindly as she sits down. “I have an access key here; this should allow you to use the elevator and the disabled bathroom.”
Adora hesitates before she slides the key into her hand, as if taking it would be accepting… everything. It isn’t forever, Adora tells herself, stuffing the key into her backpack, just for now.
“With regards to your schoolwork.” She pulls out a stack of pages. “I understand you have been attempting to catch up at home?”
“Yeah, most of my teachers sent some work over with Glimmer,” Adora replies, “I think I got to it all.”
“I’m afraid that only covered about a third of what you missed.”
A third? That’s it? Adora thinks as her heart drops, fuck.
“Since you have said that you would like to walk at graduation with your peers, I have taken the liberty of arranging for some peer-to-peer tutoring.”
Adora tries to pay attention to Casta, she really does, but the mention of walking at graduation makes her face heat up and she has to fight with herself not to cry. Was that even an option? Even if she manages to catch up, somehow, and actually graduates on time, is she going to be able to get up out of this stupid chair and get herself across that stage without falling or embarrassing herself?
“Adora?”
“Sorry, what were you saying?”
“Just that your peer tutor should be arriving any-“ a knock at the door “-second. Come in!”
“Hey, Principal Moon, you wanted to-“
“Catra come in and sit down.”
“Catra?” Adora spins around so fast that the jolting pain that follows takes her breath away. She waves off her principal when her vision stops spinning. “I’m good.”
Catra scoffs.
Adora ignores her.
“I was just telling Adora that you are going to be her tutor for the-“
“Absolutely not,” Catra insists.
“Gee, thanks.”
“Oh, so you really want to be stuck with me trying to teach you math, Princess?”
Neither acknowledge the nickname.
“She’s right,” Adora admits, “it can’t be her.”
“I am aware that the both of you have a… history.”
“You can say that again,” Adora mumbles.
“However, I’m afraid you don’t have a choice.” Casta turns her computer screen to face the both of them, showing them both a spreadsheet of green, with a single red line across the entire page. “Catra, don’t think I haven’t noticed that you haven’t attended a single gym class this semester.”
“That’s-“
“I’m not finished. Because of your stellar record I am willing to overlook your unexcused absences if you attend your PE lessons as scheduled, and if you tutor Adora. If you decide against taking my offer, I’m afraid there is a chance that you will not graduate.”
“That isn’t fair!”
“It wouldn’t be fair to the other students to-“
“Fuck the other students!”
“Ms D’riluth, that language will not be tolerated in my school, regardless of how fond of you I am. That will be the last time that word passes your lips in these halls, do I make myself clear?”
“Yes, Principal Moon.”
“Good. Now, will you accept my incredibly generous offer, or shall I send over some paperwork regarding summer school?”
“Fine.”
“Excellent!” Casta claps. “Well, girls, I believe the bell is about to ring, so unless either of you have any questions, I will see you later!”
Dumbfounded, Adora follows Catra out of the office and into the now significantly busier hall.
“Are we going to talk about it?”
“No way,” Adora replies simply.
“Fine, are you free after school?” Catra asks impatiently.
“No, I have a ph- a thing.”
“A thing?”
“A thing.”
“Tomorrow?”
“Tomorrow’s good.”
“Library, three o’clock. If you aren’t there, I’m telling Casta you bailed.” Catra starts to walk away but she stops in her tracks and turns back. “Glad you didn’t die, moron.”
-----
Adora had hoped that Glimmer’s joy that she was back at school would outweigh her anger at not being told, but…
“Adora Marie Hart!”
Yeah, that was never going to happen.
Glimmer stomps across the hall, shoulder checking anyone who dares get in her way whilst she’s on a warpath.
“That’s not my middle name?”
“I know! Because I am your best friend who knows everything about you, including the fact that you don’t have a middle name!” Glimmer storms closer, throwing her arms up in the air. “Except apparently I don’t because you’re here and you didn’t tell me!”
“It’s not like I was going to hide from you all day,” Adora mumbles.
“Still! I wanted to celebrate you coming back!” Glimmer whines. “I was going to put up a banner and everything!”
“That’s kind of the reason I didn’t tell you,” Adora says, stretching her fingers one by one. “I just want things to go back to normal.”
Glimmer softens, putting a gentle hand on Adora’s shoulder. “You should have just said so.”
“I know. I’m sorry.”
“I forgive you.” She claps her hands. “Now come on, you have history first period, right?”
Sighing, Adora gives up on her pre-planned route as she tries to keep up with her friend.
-----
“Hey, blondie!” Huntara calls as she wheels into her office. “How’ve you been?”
“Good,” Adora replies in her best impression of someone who isn’t totally out of breath. For a physical therapist's office, there sure are a lot of long ass hallways.
“She went back to school today,” Mara explains. “She’s exhausted.”
“Mom!”
“Hey, you can lie to me all you want but you aren’t allowed to lie to your doctors.”
“I can lie to you?”
“That’s- you know that is not what I meant!”
“C’mon, kid, give your poor mom a break. How have you been getting on with your home practice?”
Her mom wasn’t wrong; she practically had to carry her into the car when she came to pick her up. If Adora had accepted some of the help she was offered, then she wouldn’t have been wheeling herself all day and her arms wouldn’t feel like cooked noodles right now, but she didn’t want it to become habit. She felt like if she had accepted help on the first day, then she wouldn’t even try the next.
It makes sense, to Adora at least, but when she explains it to Huntara, she seems to disagree.
“That is the stupidest thing I have ever heard,” Huntara deadpans.
“Isn’t your whole thing helping me get my independence back or whatever!” Adora exclaims.
“Yeah, but you aren’t going to make yourself better by constantly pushing past your limits. If you go too hard too fast, you’re going to do some real damage, blondie.” Huntara starts helping her with her stretches. “If your sparkly friends want to help, then let them.”
“Sparkly?”
“Their names are Glitter and Boy, aren’t they?”
“Glimmer and Bow.”
“That’s what I said.”
“No, it’s- whatever. So, what, I’m just supposed to let them push me wherever?”
“I didn’t mean it like that – try to keep your hips straight, there you go – I’m not saying you should be a doormat. If you need help then let people help, but if someone starts to take you somewhere without you asking them to, I want you to punch them in the nuts.”
“What?!”
“Just make sure you keep your thumb on the outside, like this.” Huntara demonstrates a perfect junk-punching fist. “I don’t want to be responsible for you breaking anything.”
“On someone’s…”
“On anything. It’s kind of against the whole ‘do no harm’ thing.”
“Stupid oath,” Adora jokes, out of breath as Huntara finally lets her legs down.
“You’re telling me,” Huntara laughs. “Now I have some new exercises I want to show you.”
By the time Huntara is done with her, Mara has to do all the heavy lifting to get Adora back into the car. She’d be embarrassed by all of the people watching as Mara leans over and buckles her seatbelt for her, but she just can’t find it in herself to care.
“I have a proposal,” Mara says as she slides into her seat. “I buy us milkshakes and you be honest about your day, deal?”
“Bribery? Your mother would be so disappointed.”
“My mother gave you a half a key lime pie last week so that you’d stop trying to help with the dishes,” Mara points out.
“I was just trying to be useful!”
“I know, sweetheart, but you almost broke that plate with the French hiker on it and you know how much she loves that ugly thing.” Mara’s shoulders shake with quiet laughter. “So, are you going to take my offer or rat me out to my mother?”
“I could go for milkshakes.”
“That’s my girl.”
The milkshake place isn’t too far from Huntara’s office, so the drive is blessedly short. Mara runs inside to grab the milkshakes to go, and returns in less than two minutes, stabbing the straw through the lid to hand it to Adora.
“Milkshake for your thoughts?” Mara asks.
“What?” Adora asks, mouth half full of sweet, sweet vanilla-ry goodness.
“It’s like penny for your thoughts but with milk- you know what, never mind. Tell me about your day.”
“It was fine.”
“Adora!”
“No, really, it was fine!” Adora insists, “I mean it was exhausting and I’m so behind I don’t know how I’m ever gonna catch up, but it was good to feel normal again, even if everyone was a little weird.”
“Weird in what way?”
“Just like they were walking on eggshells, you know?” Adora takes another sip. “The only person who was normal was…”
“Am I supposed to guess?”
“Catra.”
“Catra?!” Mara’s milkshake spills from its cup, splashing against the dash and dripping onto the floor. She fumbles for the tissues she keeps in the glove box, succeeding only in making a bigger mess for herself as she smears the sticky liquid around.
“Yes, Catra.”
“I thought you and Catra weren’t friends anymore?”
“We aren’t,” Adora replies sadly, “but Casta made her my peer tutor or whatever to help me catch up.”
“How do you feel about that?”
“Well, it bummed me out at first, but then she was just… Catra. She teased me and was all irritated and she didn’t treat me any different than before.” Adora thinks for a moment. “Except when she said that she was glad I didn’t die.”
“That’s… nice, I think.”
“I mean she called me a moron right after.”
“She has such a way with words,” Mara jokes. “So, I take it you’re going back tomorrow?”
“Is that even a question?”
“I had hoped you’d be a little less stubborn.”
“Stubborn is my middle name.”
“That’s not always a good thing, you know,” Mara says earnestly. “Can you at least promise you’ll take it easy?”
“I think Huntara might kill me if I don’t.” Adora reaches over and grips Mara’s hand as tight as she can manage. “I promise.”