Chapter Text
Do ghosts dream?
The traitorous part of Catra’s mind wondered if, somehow by the heavens’ will, ghosts could dream. There was a key difference in reminiscing and dreaming- even if Catra could recall the memories she built in the span of five years, she could never remember a single dream. Because of that, part of her ached to know if she could dream.
It was a dumb question. Surely, the ghost had other things to worry about. And she did. Catra pondered on what the next tiresome five years would bring, if there was any humanity left within her and if there was any way to move on. Ghosts and their theoretical ability to dream was at the bottom of her list-of-things-to-worry-about, but it was still present in her mind.
Besides, it wasn’t like she could just ask another ghost. There was no other soul trapped in the walls of the Horde’s orphanage, much to her disappointment.
A companion would have been nice, Catra realized one day. It would have been nice to be stuck with someone else, at least to have someone to torment on a regular basis. Catra didn’t need a best friend, she needed someone else who could relate to her. Someone who could understand her thirst for the afterlife.
“Aha! A get out of jail card!” Sparkles’ voice rang in Catra’s head, snapping her from her thoughts. The apparition uneasily glanced up, confusion written on her face.
Triumphantly, Glimmer held a stack of colorful paper bills in one hand and raised her fist in the air. She proudly puffed out her chest, sticking her tongue at Bow. In retaliation, Bow narrowed his eyes and brought the few bills he had closer to him. He scoffed, mockingly turning away from Glimmer.
Catra blinked.
“Whatever, I’m still winning.”
“You owe me rent!” Glimmer pointed at one of the squares on the blue board game. “You landed on my property!”
“Gee, that’s all you ever accuse people of.” The ghost chimed, aware that the conversation had nothing to do with her or the topic of rent. She loved giving her two cents in, though, and annoying Glimmer was a new hobby she developed. It was just so easy to do!
The ex-heiress glared at Catra.
“Don’t start! You owe me rent, too!”
“I literally have never held a single dollar in my life.”
“Not in real- paper money, Catra!”
She snickered.
It had only been two weeks since their first encounter. In all honesty, Catra figured the eccentric duo would do all the research in the world and come to the conclusion that change could never happen. They’d probably come once to sell the building without her consent. Their deal would have gone to hell and Catra would have stayed in limbo for the next couple of centuries, forever cursing the generation of Sparkles and Crop Tops to come.
Instead, they came every other day to visit. At first, they’d bring information about ghosts and brainstorm on what Catra needed to do. Glimmer was working on manipulating the last of her contacts to get a full list of orphans. Her hope was that they could then get an accurate description of who Catra used to be, assuming those records existed. Catra doubted a shady business would have squeaky clean records at some point in time.
Bow was ready to go full private investigator mode and pin down anyone who survived the Horde to ask questions. Of course, that was more of a last resort approach. That and no one would feel comfortable doing so.
Catra didn’t mind. Whatever worked, worked. The fact that the two were still so passionate about completing their side of the deal meant more than her ego would allow her to share. Her part of the compromise was easy- she’d move on and leave this building behind.
Afterwards, they’d show up just for the sake of showing up. It shocked Catra, and she even tried pushing them away with lame excuses and the occasional hissing. At this, the two just rolled their eyes. Glimmer and Bow insistes on arriving, sometimes bringing their college textbooks and snacks. They’d sit down and do homework in the library while Catra drew in her sketchbook. They even began to teach Catra whatever lesson they were on, claiming it was a good way to study.
Catra didn’t mind. Only so little could be captured of the outside world in the books she read. Learning about mathematics was actually interesting, and the ethics classes Bow had were a good read.
Other times, Bow brought board games. Catra learned to play monopoly, bingo, connect four and speed. She was taught more card games by Glimmer, who happily showed her how to play poker and gamble. There were more games to play, and Bow assured her they’d have time to teach her. They also showed her something called a phone and a speaker. Music, they called it, would blast throughout the library.
Catra didn’t mind. Their visits brought her warmth and made her heart flutter. Strangely, it was as if the visits were enough to make her stop feeling so lonely. She would never admit it to them, much less to Glimmer. She shuddered, not willing to give the girl a compliment. Who knew what that would do to Sparkles and her ego.
“You know, we could always bring you more stuff from home.” Glimmer started as the game wrapped up. Bow declared bankruptcy as Glimmer led the way. Catra wasn’t even sure how to play, regardless of the amount of calm instruction the boy did, so she spent her time moving her figure around and praying no one noticed. “Just ask.”
She bit her bottom lip, picking at the rough rug underneath her. She had enough books for another couple of years (if boredom sufficed) and Bow already gifted her a deck of cards. What else could she possibly want?
“I think...I’m good.”
“It doesn’t have to be games , we could, I dunno. Get you clothes or music or paint. You like to draw.” Bow piped, smiling warmly at the ghost.
Catra surveyed Glimmer carefully. Unlike her best friend, Glimmer was wearing hoodies most of the time. Black and white hoodies with leggings and sneakers, to be precise. Bow was the one who always wore something different everyday- different colored crop top with either black skinny jeans, blue jeans, leggings and even once joggers. He also matched his shirts with earrings and bracelets, and she began to note his adoration for bright colors in particular.
“Maybe a hoodie.” Catra awkwardly gestured to Glimmer. “I like hers.”
“Consider it done!”
The next visit, Bow handed her a maroon hoodie.
“To match your suit!” He exclaimed. “I think it’s your color.”
“So, if you’re a ghost, can you talk to other ghosts?” Glimmer asked out of the blue, prompting Catra to roll her eyes and groan. She finished slipping on the hoodie and fiddled with the strings.
“If I could, I wouldn’t be so-”
“Lonely?” The pink-haired girl stuck out her tongue, mocking Catra as she slammed another ethics textbook on the table. “Admit it, you like our company!”
The few days Bow and Glimmer arrived with their backpacks and no textbooks were the days they meant business. They’d talk briefly on information Glimmer gathered about the Horde. They’d print article upon article, and Bow even went as far as looking into his parents’ private archives for more readings.
Catra would read the articles and shrug. To her, the horrors of the Horde were something she simply knew. They were intertwined with her core- she’d never escape from their anguish, even if she had no memory of it.
Glimmer read them.
The ghoul didn’t understand why the ex-heiress did. Glimmer inhaled and ingested each and every word and took them to heart.
The atrocities of the horde, the inexplicable torture, were registered deep within her mind. She knew the girl couldn’t sleep the first week, pondering how people could be so mercilessly cruel.
Catra could tell all that by the bags underneath her eyes, unless the issues she had were also driving her sleep away.
“It doesn’t take a genius to imagine what they did.” Catra explained to her, trying to coax the girl from feeling pity. “I already knew- I’m not all in the dark.”
Still, she asked for any and all articles they could find. Bow would provide, Glimmer could only supply business notes. She didn’t want to know more.
“So, I have a bit of a plan in motion.” Glimmer spoke up, ignoring the way Bow’s eyebrow raised.
The trio were in the library with Catra floating on top of the table, legs crossed as she flipped through staples pages. Bow was laying down on brown carpet and Glimmer sat on a wooden chair, attempting to pay no mind to Catra’s hovering figure.
“Proceed.” Catra replied, waving a dismissive hand. It was an obvious attempt at pissing Glimmer off, but the girl knew better than going against the ghoul again. Also, Bow’s head was hurting during the day and she wasn’t going to cause another headache.
“Bow and I live together and we got a roommate. Turns out, she’s an ex-Horde orphan.”
Catra immediately looked up, blue and golden eyes meeting lilac.
“Really?”
“Yeah. And she was a real activist abou-”
“Glimmer.” Bow began. “You told me bringing Adora-”
“That’s her name?” The ghost cut in.
“Yeah, that’s her name-”
“Glimmer.” Bow said once more, only his tone was more stern. The young man stood up, towering over the two. “You said bringing Adora was because she was a, y’know, good person . And she was over the age limit so we could buy drinks- but that’s besides the point! You didn’t tell me she was an orphan from the Horde!”
“You didn’t Google her name?” The pink-haired girl questioned, tilting her head.
Bow’s left eye twitched before he shook his head and threw his hands up.
“Okay, screw me for not doing research.”
“Aren’t you a history major?” The ghost piped, smirking.
“Minor!” He corrected. “Besides the point, I like Adora and I think if you’re going to be her friend only to get information out of her to-”
“We were already texting her and told her to come over before we met Catra.” She defended. “It’s a really crazy coincidence, Bow. But it’s just that. And I like her, too! But if she lived through the Horde then maybe she met Catra, or at least knows something .”
It took Bow some time to sit down and think. His bottom lip quivered as he slouched in his seat, ignoring the glare Catra was giving him. Glimmer was back to her devices, picking at lint on her hoodie and waiting for her best friend to respond.
“Okay, fine. But you do the talking.” Bow announced. “I’ll come up with, I dunno, an unexpected event with my dads and you two can talk tomorrow and bond. Then we’ll see what happens.”
“Can I see her? I mean, a photo of her. Maybe that can awaken some memories...” Catra asked, resting her head on her palms. The ghost was always quiet during their serious conversations. She had the occasional snarky comment, but learned to let Bow and Glimmer talk and then add on after they were done.
Glimmer took out her phone from her pocket, pulling up one of Adora’s social media accounts.
“You said you were gonna teach me how to use a phone thingy.” Catra whined, recalling an earlier chat.
“Please, I can’t imagine the things you’d text us. Also, I’m broke and can’t afford another line.” Glimmer snickered. “Look, her name’s Adora.”
The curious phantom cocked her head and frowned, eyeing the girl on the screen. A young, tall and pale woman with blonde hair stood in front of a field of sunflowers. She held a golden award plaque, inscribed with the words “University of Brightmoon’s Valedictorian” . She had a huge (and beautiful) smile on her face, blue eyes ready to take on the world.
“Does she look familiar?” The only male present broke the silence.
Adora looked strikingly similar to the girl in the polaroid. In fact, she was sure if she pulled out the photo of her and sided it with Adora’s, they’d be almost identical.
Her heart stopped. She clung to the photo of the strange girl since the day she found it. It was the only hint of her past life that remained- a remnant of a past she longed to remember. Her heart ached with an odd sensation of nostalgia every time she gazed into pools of blue. The hesitation of leaving this world and entering another always came after. It was as if she was drawn to this girl, as if she was meant to walk side by side.
Catra blinked.
“No.”
Catra needed to leave.
This girl, whoever she was, wouldn't stop her.
-
Adjusting to her roommates hadn’t been an easy task. In fact, Adora thought she deserved a trophy or certificate of sorts. She found them to be comfortably dysfunctional for each other (okay, dysfunctional in an outsider’s perspective). She learned their quirks and the little cues they had for each other in the short amount of time they were together, although it was really hard to read the mood of the room sometimes.
It was also difficult to read signs. Adora was notoriously bad at it and one could only really blame the years spent in the Horde for it. She wasn’t all that sure when Glimmer and Bow needed their own time. Most of their inside jokes came from years of knowing each other, and she couldn’t help feeling left out. She supposed it was to be expected. Adora was a third wheel, after all.
It was even worse if she found Glimmer crying or in emotional distress (which was common lately).
That, sadly, happened a week ago by accident when she could no longer avoid doing so. Adora shared a bathroom with Glimmer- a fact she paid no mind to. She didn’t need much room except for her basic necessities, and Glimmer often got ready in her own room. Except this time, Adora entered the bathroom and walked into Glimmer full on crying while looking at the mirror. The young woman was hurriedly trying to wash off her tears, only for her to freeze when hearing the door swing open.
“Oh my god, I’m so sorry.” Adora nervously rambled, pushing a strand of blonde hair away as she backed up from the room. “I’m sorry, I’ll knock next time!”
Before Glimmer could react, she ran off and sealed herself in her room. She only came out when the digital clock on her nightstand read 8:00 p.m. She knew Glimmer and Bow would always leave at eight every other day of the week for some reason and come back around midnight. She didn’t question what they were doing, even if they didn’t look like the type to go clubbing more than twice a week.
She hadn’t really talked to Glimmer after the fact. They exchanged friendly conversation, eating over dinner and making plans to go hang out later on. Glimmer liked to suggest going to ninety-nine cents stores and Adora wanted to go sightseeing. Of course, both never really meant it.
Today was different. Bow announced last-minute plans to visit his dads and invited the two to join along. His best friend shot down the invitation, saying she had to look over some research for her class and then look at more business plans. Adora politely turned him down after Glimmer did, because she didn’t feel comfortable enough to meet family.
She came to love and adore Bow. Still, she wanted to head to her room and have alone time.
“Hey, Adora. Can we talk?”
Glimmer stood in her doorway, awkwardly crossing her arms over her chest. Lilac eyes avoided blue, looking instead at the floorboards.
Adora looked up from typing in her laptop, pulling an earbud out. She tensed, swallowing. Hastily, she reached out and turned on the lamp in her dark room.
The conversation she was aching to avoid was now unavoidable.
“Yeah, of course! What’s up?”
Without answering, Glimmer climbed into Adora’s bed and kicked off her slippers. She sighed, tucking her knees underneath her arms as she finally met Adora’s gaze.
The blonde’s heart stopped briefly. She took it as a sign of trust. A sign of familiarity, she reasoned. Was Glimmer this comfortable with Bow? No, she was obviously more. This was just a start.
“I know I have some, well, issues happening. I mean, life is really kicking my ass and I know we’re just roommates. But I don’t want things to be, you know, weird between us. I don’t often go around crying in rooms. Life just-”
“Happens.” Adora nodded, closing her laptop and scooting closer to Glimmer. “I get it. I just didn’t want to cross any boundaries and stuff. I’m not sure how’d you react if I did.”
“Thank you for understanding. Bow and I have always been best friends.” She looked away at this point. “We always pushed each other to our limits. Growing up, we thought we were bigger than the world. And that’s how we lived.”
They stayed in silence before she began again.
“I want us to be friends. I know you and Bow get along really well and I think you’re great. I’ve never been good at this and oh wow I’m rambling.”
Glimmer being open came off as a surprise to Adora. She wasn’t her first roommate. Adora had some odd relationships with her previous roommates in college. Most of them were just roommates- nothing too sentimental, nothing too distant. They were people she could just watch Netflix with and agree to split ramen with. Yet it was relieving to receive openness from someone like Glimmer, who always seemed out of reach for people like her .
“I’d like that. Being friends, I mean. Why not?”
The young Filipino beamed, gesturing at Adora to come along.
“Okay, let’s go watch Netflix in my room- stop being locked in your room! We can get ice cream!”
-
Talking to Adora required lots of confidence and pep talk. Glimmer wasn’t known for being the one who’s words moved a crowd- that was Bow. Sure, she was stubborn, but Bow always took care of the whole talking thing in high school. She learned to reach out more in college, but speaking to Adora was still daunting.
After Bow left, Glimmer summoned all her courage and sauntered to her roommate’s room, prepared to have a chat with her that would eventually lead to them hanging out. Her hope was that the two could be friends and slowly get closer, as Catra later advised the day before.
Glimmer shifted in her bed, taking a spoonful of rocky road ice cream in her mouth. Adora was lying next to her, a pint of strawberry in her hands. They were both watching a detective show, something Adora actually really enjoyed. Glimmer did as well, but it reminded her too much of hospital programming. It brought bitter memories of her mother’s last days. Regardless, she watched for the sake of bonding with the blonde.
Small talk was made between the two. Glimmer learned that Adora had moved from the south up to Brightmoon when she was eighteen. She said she studied poly science and minored in criminal justice. Also, she listened to country music and got a horse named Swift Wind for her sixteenth birthday.
Adora learned about Glimmer. She learned that, unlike her horse gift, she received these very apartments as a gift. She was fluent in five languages and was studying to be a lawyer, but she wasn’t sure about that anymore. Also, she didn’t like country music.
“I have a really good Spotify playlist.”
“Nope!”
The taller of the two chuckled, shaking her head. “Fine, I know what not to play around you.”
“Hey Adora, do you believe in ghosts?” Glimmer casually asked, eyes glued to the screen.
Adora paused.
“When I was younger, they used to scare us with the story of the weeping princess. It's still kinda scary.” She stopped. “Yeah, I do.”
That was it! An entrance!
Twirling a pink colored spoon, Glimmer cocked her head to the side and nodded slowly. She played with her food, pretending to laugh lightly. She couldn’t mess this up.
“Oh, did your parents use to scare you with ghost stories? I wish my mom did that. My mom just talked about going bankrupt on Halloween.”
Glimmer was probing and Adora didn’t notice. It was all she needed- the perfect way to set up a long, lengthy, gut-wrenching story. In the world of business, this was child’s play. It was a simple maneuver, an indirect way to provoke conversation. Glimmer knew the answer but was waiting to hear Adora’s reaction. This way she would know how to prepare for deeper talks.
“Well,” discomfort washed on the blonde’s face. She scooted a little back, hugging her knees as a sigh parted from her lips. “I was a foster kid for most of my life, actually.”
“I didn’t know, so-”
Blue eyes nervously looked up, a frown drawn on her face.
“It’s fine, you didn’t know.”
Except she did.
Examining her features, the young woman pondered on how to proceed. She could always just expand on the topic further. The frown on her face told her otherwise, so she decided to lightly drop the topic. Of course, not before sharing a little insight on her own life.
It would have to wait. Just a little longer, anyway. Trust was gained with time. Catra waited years- a few months more meant nothing as long as there was progress.
The thing about her and Adora was that they shared one thing in common- the loss of their parents. Adora was an orphan from the start (well, she assumed ). Glimmer lost her father fairly young, and her mom dropped sick in the middle of the day.
“My dad died when I was six.” Glimmer began, scratching the back of her head. “I’m very blessed. I was left with my mom and a legacy, but I guess money can’t really raise you. After he died, my mom was always stacking her pennies, worried she’d end up like my dad.”
“Glimmer, I’m sorry. About your mom and your dad.”
“Don’t be. My point is that we didn’t live through the exact same experience but we did live through some stuff.” She smiled gently. “Bow and I are a family. You live with us now and you’re going to be part of our little family. But if you think that’s too much then I get it, sorry!”
Adora furrowed her eyebrows.
“No, don’t worry. Seriously, I think...I think I’d like that.”
They both stared back at the screen, ice cream melting in their bowls. Glimmer ignored the faint purple light emitting from her lava lamp, closing her eyes and clutching to a pillow.
Bow and her were a family. A messed up, all-that-was-left type of family. She knew Bow had his fathers and a long, long list of siblings while Glimmer had grown up as an only child. Her earliest memory was her waiting by the door for her mom to come back from a business trip. All she had for so long was her mother, and now the Queen of Brightmoon was gone.
She faltered for a second. It’d be nice to have someone who wasn’t Bow in her life. She knew, under Bow’s judging gaze, she was using Adora. She was practically selling Adora for a quick buck.
Butterflies swarmed in her stomach. It was an ugly feeling, a kick to her stomach and a rude awakening. She was using Adora. Her mind raced to justify itself, pleading that getting closer to Adora was because she chose to be close to the young woman.
If Catra didn’t exist, then this would still be happening. She’d still be getting close to Adora, and she wouldn’t even feel guilty for it.
Catra.
She huffed, her thoughts running to the ghoul. If Catra were alive, would Glimmer treat her with the same kindness? Her imagination wasted no time in drawing up a world where Catra’s heart was still alive and beating. She imagined the ghost and her bickering through rounds of Monopoly games, Adora and Bow helplessly watching from aside.
It dawned upon her that if her mother were alive, they’d be alive and in Europe somewhere. Bow was probably tagging with them in a week or so, tricking his parents into thinking he was trying to capture the essence of Athens. Adora would be arriving at someone else’s front door with five boxes, and Catra would mope in the walls of the orphanage forever.
Life was weird.
Not dolce like the sign in her apartments.
Sliding an eye open, she peeked at the blonde. Adora was sitting up, watching the television. She didn’t look back at her roommate, probably distracted by her own thoughts. The show was replaced by a law school drama, and the ex-heiress visibly pouted.
Adora noted.
“So you studied business for law school?” She asked, trying to revamp their talk.
“Mhm. Mother advised me to study business or economics. She didn’t think I’d take the law school route, but I guess she wasn’t so surprised when I told her I was studying for the LSAT.”
“And you’re going to be taking that in..?”
“I took it once for practice in the beginning of junior year. I was planning on taking it again, but I don’t know anymore. Stuff’s kinda in the air for me.” She sighed sadly.
“It’ll work itself out. I’m sure of it.”
Glimmer looked at her bowl again, placing it on her nightstand and nodding.
“Yeah, I guess so. But what about you, what’s next now that you’re done with college?”
Adora blinked. She pressed a finger to her chin, inhaling.
“Same here. I was never sure about poly sci or criminal justice. I was passionate about activism…”
The pink-haired girl visibly perked up, eyes widening at the mention of activism. Thoughts of She-Ra resurfaced. She bit her tongue, deciding not to let herself impulsively bring the name up.
“But I have a job opportunity with a local organization, so I think I’ll do that while I figure it out.” Adora finished. “It’s up in the air for me too.”
“What’s the organization for?”
“Foster care, actually.” Sheepishly, her gaze traced down the white bedsheet. “It’s trying to reform how the system is. I guess my orphan roots were good for something after all.”
Glimmer stared momentarily, remembering the horrors of the Horde. Every word came to fruition within her mind and she wondered how Adora did it.
‘The same way Catra does.’
Except Catra didn’t remember, Adora did.
Guilt tugged at her heart and Glimmer pushed the sensation away, focusing on the show instead.
She didn’t notice the way the blonde studied her with narrowed eyes, as if calculating.
Glimmer was, in many ways, raised to be distrusting. Years of business studies taught her to be. Enemies could be lying anywhere, with plastered friendly faces while they seeked to ruin the empire of Brightmoon. Yet as distrusting as she should have been, loneliness tore down the efforts Queen Angella pushed on her daughter. It blinded her at times, wanting her to jump at the chance to make friends.
Maybe Adora really would just be a friend.
“Well, it’s getting late.”
It was barely ten. Glimmer was a known insomniac. She was a night owl and a creature of the night. Adora probably knew this. If she did, she pretended to buy the story.
The blonde scooped up an empty carton of ice cream and smiled at Glimmer.
“Alright, I’m on cleanup kitchen duty tonight. I’ll leave the light on for Bow.” She gave the smaller girl a thumbs up. “Night, Glimmer.”
“Night, Adora.”
The cotton haired-girl waited for Adora to leave the room and shut the door behind her before pulling her sheets off her body, hands reaching for her laptop. The thin, silver macbook felt cool between the palms of her hands and she sighed. Turning the device on, she opened a webpage and began browsing.
She spent the night pouring her heart into her research. Stories of ghosts and the occasional tale of nonsense took her night. Late into the hours of the night, Glimmer plugged herself into a world of deadly creatures and strange summonings. She refused to search more about the Horde, so she limited her research to Catra only. What Catra needed, why she was stuck in the Horde- questions that only brought more questions.
She narrowed down her conclusion to a couple of possibilities. Probably what she assumed was Catra had unfinished business. Another legend suggested when Catra died, someone refused to let her go. She couldn’t cross over and therefore Catra stayed in the orphanage. They had to find this person and force them to let Catra go. Third, Catra had karma to pay back. She did something bad during her lifetime, and the amount of bad was enough to punish Catra into staying as a lingering spirit.
Glimmer analyzed the theories carefully. The third idea was easiest to discard at first, but then Glimmer remembered they didn’t know who Catra was before. Yes, the Horde was full of unimaginable horrors and terrors. Orphans were tortured there. But Catra was an orphan, right? They always assumed that. No news reports or public reports they read indicated anyone besides the orphans died. There was no way Catra was that bad.
Or could she have been?
Glimmer labeled it unlikely, ignoring the nabbing feeling of doubt.
The first two were more likely. They were also intertwined, but Glimmer cursed the idea of a second party being involved. How could they find that person? Most importantly, how could they rush the grieving process? It was illogical, even downright disgusting. Glimmer briefly imagined being the second person in the equation and her mother taking the role of Catra. If two strangers were to come rushing to her to let go of her mother’s memory, she wouldn’t be sure what to do. It wouldn’t be a pretty feeling, though.
No matter how she looked at it, she needed Adora. She desperately needed Adora’s guidance. Even then, there was no guarantee Adora crossed paths with Catra. There had to be something, though!
She heaved, tossing her arms in frustration. Sleepiness was clouding her mind and she cursed Bow for taking the last energy drink.
As if on cue, the boy stumbled into the room. Glimmer shut her laptop and groaned, fumbling to turn on the light.
“You’re past your curfew.” She teased.
The young man chuckled, rubbing the back of his head as he anxiously sat next to Glimmer. The clock read twelve and the two knew they needed to adjust their sleeping schedules. For a moment, Glimmer envied Adora, who was probably sleeping soundly in her own room. The young woman was always fresh and ready for the morning.
“Dads were busy rambling.” He explained. “Oh, they baked some cupcakes for you, I put them away for tomorrow morning.”
“I’ll text them thanks in the morning.” She gave him a grin.
“So...how did it go?” He inquired, pulling off the brown coat he was wearing. Glimmer eyed the full sleeved shirt he wore underneath in place of his crop tops. His parents were beyond okay with his preference of clothing, but Bow occasionally fell into the old habit of hiding his fashion taste.
“I didn’t get much out of her.” She started. “She just told me she was an orphan and was working on an organization for the improvement of foster homes.”
“Well, it’s a start.” Bow frowned.
“Look, I know you don’t like this plan and that you would rather-”
“It’s not that.” He shook his head, looking at his best friend in the eye. “I get that this is big for you. You need to sell that place and pay stuff off, and I like Catra. I know we can help her move on.”
“Then?” Glimmer tilted her head and raised a brow. “What’s the issue?”
Bow stayed silently, shadows dancing on his face. The silence lingered for a few more seconds, as if Bow was carefully trying to pick his words.
“Your mom died, Glimmer. I tried brushing over it when the funeral happened.” He began gently. “I want to help Catra. I want to be close to Adora. I’m not in for this plan because I’m worried it’ll hurt you, somehow. There’s a lot to unpack, you know?”
“But you’re here, Bow!” Glimmer reached for his hand, squeezing it. “We’re here for each other. Always have been.”
“And I’ll always be here, okay? Don’t rush yourself in- and remember it’s okay to take a step back.”
They stayed that way for most of the night. It had been routine at some point after Angella’s death- Bow stayed in his best friend’s bed as they embraced each other. It was soothing for the young duo. Being able to know they would always have each other was enough to motivate them to continue to the next day, even when the world fell apart around Glimmer.
Glimmer wasn’t sure what time Bow left. She assumed it was around two a.m., when he deemed it was too late and he still needed to go to class tomorrow.
She woke without Bow in a cluster of books and printed articles scattered around her. Her laptop lied on the floor, drained of all battery. She sat up hastily, groaning in disgust. Checking her phone, she realized it was nine in the morning. Bow was long gone, having lecture at nine.
Mentally preparing herself for the day, she tossed the sheets over her head and rolled back in her bed. Closing her eyes, the young woman slept until her blonde roommate came in to wake her with news of her own.
While she slept, she dreamt of a world in her mother’s arms. Angella was there, holding her tightly as they traveled the world and finally settled back home. The sound of laughter rang across their home, and the smell of baking filled the air. Her mother was still clinging onto her, alive and present and laughing.
“Oh, Glimmer.”
Glimmer smiled.
”Mom, I missed you.”