Chapter Text
May
The day had started as usual, almost like any other Monday. Adora woke up early, went running around the block to shake off the remaining sleep in her, and took a shower. Breakfast with Mara was fine, too. Lots of chatter and coffee left Adora buzzing, the expectancy of the day slowly growing in her mind.
Adora grabbed her backpack, checking the clock. Still on time . In an effort to stop her nerves she checked all her belongings were in place before leaving. Water bottle? Check. Money? Check. Camera? Check. Keys? Ch-keys? Searching around her room, Adora moved from her bed to her nightstand, scanning. Nothing. Where did I leave them? She wondered. Walking towards the desk, she moved a couple of notebooks, colored pencils, and some sticky notes. Come on, keys, don’t hide right now . A ringing noise caught her attention as she pushed some sheets to the side, and lifting them, she found her sword keychain shining to her. Let’s go .
Walking outside, she closed the door behind her and went to grab her bike. Freeing it from its chain, Adora turned to both sides of the street before pedaling away from her home. Leaving the neighborhood behind, she made her way to Plumeria’s park, where she would meet Catra. What a great way to begin the summer break.
Just a couple of days ago Adora had had this idea. Catra, somewhat still new in town, didn’t have plans for the summer, something unthinkable for Adora. Before she could overthink it, she came up with a plan in a matter of seconds, determined to give her friend a memorable summer.
It wasn’t hard for her to suggest it, though. They had been talking almost since Catra arrived in the middle of March and quickly found themselves doing everything together. From school projects to eating lunch and hanging out during the weekends, the duo became close. They were already best friends, inseparable no matter what. And by the last day of class, the idea popped up as soon as she heard how unoccupied her best friend would be all summer long.
Stopping to the red light of a busy corner, Adora let herself feel her nervousness. It wasn’t as if seeing Catra was alien to her. The longer they were together it was clear their bond was strong , but this whole plan felt different somehow , even if she had no secret plans or hidden intentions, her focus only on them enjoying their vacation.
Her attention again on the road, she moved fast as the traffic lowered, letting the fresh morning air take her worries away. It’s just a park, Adora, don’t be silly , she scolded herself. It wasn’t the first time today, nor the last, she started to believe. Giving a final turn, Adora saw the doors of Plumeria Park rising before her, the trees already covering the small street as she went towards the main entrance.
As a fairy kingdom, the park seemed to live on an eternal spring, with blossoming flowers, grass coloring the soil of green, and birds singing softly in the branches of beautiful, big old trees. Despite being a couple of miles from downtown, Plumeria tended to be crowded in the summer and today was no exception. Adora went into the park with her bicycle by her side, avoiding a young couple with a kid and two old women talking happily as they walked slowly.
Looking around, she started searching for a familiar curly head, her eyes stopping near a vending machine. Catra seemed too busy with her thoughts as she listened to a song on her earphones. A little taller than usual from her skates, Catra was leaning against a stone handrail, her black cat backpack lying by her side. The sunlight bathed her back, leaving her face slightly hidden in the shadows of the messy short hair. She was wearing a loose black t-shirt tied in the front -Adora remembered the symbol belonging to a band she liked-, denim shorts and her signature black nails.
Smiling to herself, Adora walked in her direction, shortening the distance, her heart beating fast against her chest. All peace of mind was long forgotten.
Approaching Catra’s visual field, Adora lifted her arms, trapping her best friend in a bear hug, as she was greeted with a big smile.
“Hey!” Adora said, her mind already racing, excitement written all over her face.
March
Adora lifted her face to the sky, the bluest color painting the horizon, yellow light warming her cheeks as she hurried to cover her eyes with a hand. Even in the first days of March, she could already tell this summer would be really warm.
Checking all her instruments were in order, and her station was clean, Adora took her place at the serving window as the truck started to move slowly. A couple of streets later, the sweet music filled her ears, and so the weekend began.
Two weeks ago, Adora had decided to help Madame Razz with her ice cream truck during the weekends, following her older sister’s steps, Mara. She planned to save as much money as she could before summer break, so no obstacles were between her and all the fun stuff when the time came.
Razz was sweet and very patient, although she would get lost in her thoughts sometimes. She wasn’t that good with names and faces, so the help came very useful in terms of money and speed. She would call Adora by her sister's name every once in a while and offered as much ice cream as she wanted. Sometimes, she would even give her some extra dollars for “being such a hero” with the extra work. Life sometimes wasn't as hard as they said.
Razz had already told Adora -or Mara, depending on the day- how much she had improved the sales. It seemed people liked Adora and her gentle personality, as she had helped sell twice as usual of the inventory.
Stopping every couple of blocks, kids and parents would come close to the car, and after some scoops and coins interchanged, they would keep their way on the road.
Truly, Adora loved her weekend job, traveling around Etheria and listening to all the stories that Razz would tell from the driver's seat. She could already see missing this job in June, where a cold dessert could be convenient against the burning sunlight, but she didn’t regret her decision. This summer would be amazing, even if she hadn’t figured out how yet.
As Razz kept talking about the time Mara had saved the world -she had avoided a car crash, but this version was more interesting-, they stopped by a park in a calm cul-de-sac. Giving time for the people to arrive from their homes, the truck songs worked their charm like a siren call. As they waited, Adora took her time to see the park, not too far from where they had parked. It was simple but nice, with flowery bushes around the pathway, a couple of swings for the neighborhood children, and benches spread here and there.
Kids started to arrive, dragging their parents as they started to tell her their orders. Five minutes later, most of the small crowd had dissipated into the surroundings, finding benches and parts of the sidewalk to enjoy their sweets.
Adora’s gaze wandered behind the boys in front of her, waiting for them to decide what to buy. A few feet away from her, a girl talked happily with a woman that shared the same factions. Her mother , Adora guessed. Her eyes got caught in the girl’s face, her mind suddenly aware of who she was watching.
It was a girl from her school. A classmate of hers, to be exact. She was the new girl, just arrived this week in the middle of Biology. The moment she was introduced to the class, Adora had been mesmerized.
She was a little shorter than her, with brown skin and a thin complexus. She had this gorgeous curly short brown hair that shaped a face even more beautiful. A freckled nose and cheeks framed mismatched blue and hazel eyes (a lovely combination, if you were to ask her).
And still, Adora had been too busy looking at her to remember her name. Oh, the irony. Something with K, C perhaps? Adora thought as she scrambled through her memory, trying to recall her name.
Adora had caught glimpses of the girl, sitting quietly two seats behind her. Sometimes a hand reaching for a pencil, another her figure walking outside the classroom, and once she saw her waiting for the school bus. Her figure was inviting in Adora’s gaze, her gut telling her there was more to see behind the reserved facade.
Making an effort to stop daydreaming, she returned the change to the kids and watched the girl approaching the truck. Her eyes moved through the menu outside, and then turned to see directly at Adora’s eyes. She ordered two cherry popsicles and handed her money, smiling as she turned to the sun, waiting. If it weren’t for the warm weather, Adora could have sworn she saw her cheeks blush.
She seemed to be much more interesting than the quiet person she had been in class this week. Aside from the fact that she was the most beautiful girl she’d ever seen, Adora wondered if she should talk to her. Hopefully, she’s not too lonely . Taking the popsicles from the freezer, Adora returned to the window, trying to play things cool. The girl took her order, giving her a raspy thank you and a smile in exchange, walking back to her mother.
“You like her, dearie?,” said Razz behind her back. Scared, Adora turned with her heart racing, wielding an ice spoon.
“W-whaaaaat? What are you talking about, Razz?” Caught with her guard down, she bounced her feet, focused on creating a plausible story for her reaction.
“The cute girl that just smiled at you.” The woman smiled knowingly, placing envelopes and kitchen utensils back in their place. Turning, she continued. ”You should talk to her.”
“Pshhh, I don’t like her. I was just- just being friendly,” she said, fidgeting with the spoon, her eyes glued to the floor. She asked herself in silence how the woman noticed if she had been too obvious. “The sun is making you imagine things, Razz,” Adora said simply, pretending not to know what the woman was talking about.
“Razz may be old, but not blind. She looks like a good girl for my Mara.”
“Yeah? She...” Adora wondered how to get away from this conversation without lying. After all, Razz was well-intentioned and cared about her. Finally, she continued, “… she seemed interesting.”
“That’s my Adora! I knew I saw you blushing when you took her money!” Razz pointed a bony finger at her, laughing.
“Razz!” acknowledging her defeat, she begged. “Just... please don’t tell Mara about it, okay?” The last thing Adora needed was her sister haunting her with questions about girls and dating. Not a chance .
“My lips are sealed,” Razz answered, winking at her as she laughed.
While Razz started the truck, Adora cleaned her space. Closing the window, she took a seat next to the old woman, fastening her seatbelt. Sliding away from the park, Adora turned to see the road until it became blurry, her mind too busy to focus. It’s nothing. She was just friendly , she lied to herself. Still, the smile that grew in her face was hard to hide, too busy in her thoughts to mind her.
May
“Hey,” Catra answered, returning the hug. Usually, she wasn’t much of a hug person, but Adora was the exception. She didn’t give her a hard time about it and seemed to accompany each one with such openness and affection that it hadn’t been hard to reciprocate.
“Waiting for a miracle?” Adora said with a grin after breaking the hug.
“Definitely. Hasn’t arrived yet, though.”
“What a shame. Mind if I join you?”
“Save it. I have this thing in the park with a dork, and I don’t wanna miss it.”
“Oww, don’t be like that. I thought I was a princess.” Pouting, Adora faked a wounded look. Cute .
“ You’re a dork, princess,” Catra said, pushing Adora playfully as she rolled her eyes. Grabbing her backpack, she continued. “Show me the place already, I wanna see what’s all the fuss about it.”
“I feel you’re going to like it.” Pushing her back with one hand, Adora started walking through the main road, and Catra couldn’t help but look around. It was her first time in Plumeria, after all.
The park was lovely. It looked like a good place to begin their adventures (in skates and a bike, apparently). To their left was a circuit for kid’s bicycles and electric cars, along with a quadricycle renting service. It had a little bridge that made it look like a small city in the woods, which made Catra smile. To their left, a playground was surrounded by a small wall of bushes. Inside were arranged some slides, colorful swings, and a couple of seesaws. The space was already full of children and their parents, laughing filling the morning’s air.
“Mara used to take me to a place like this when I was a kid, only smaller and less springy,” Adora said while she watched a kid running towards their family.
“Sounds like you two had fun,” Catra offered, smiling at her friend.
“We did, yeah,” she answered, smiling at the memory of her childhood. “She would stay with me for hours until I got too tired to walk, and then she would bring me home and give me these dinosaur-shaped nuggets that I love.”
Humming in agreement, Catra let the silence sit between them comfortably. Catra knew how much Adora loved her sister and how hard it had been for her to lose both parents being so young, even if she did not bring it up often.
Adora could be secretive at times. Most people did not seem to notice it, but Catra knew certain topics were sensible to her in ways Adora didn’t speak out loud. The future, her family’s history, her deepest hopes, and fears were themes she rarely discussed with anyone, although Catra was an exception to this.
Despite them knowing each other shortly, the bond they shared was deeper than any of them had anticipated. It was the kind of trust between the two girls only achieved by those who have a lifetime shared.
Catra had found herself being too honest, too. Talking about her mother, her older school, and her doubts wasn’t as hard if Adora was the one listening. An unspoken vow of trust tied them together, and it allowed them to be as they pleased whenever they were together. Nothing was too embarrassing or too silly to talk about.
Walking further, Adora pointed out the skating section, a grayish combination of ramps, stairs, rails, and a big bowl surrounded by teenagers in skateboards warming up. They could race there later, Adora promised, grinning.
Reaching the middle of the park a big kiosk stood tall, with a small food court in the middle, tables and chairs surrounding it. It seemed like a chill place to eat after a long day playing around. Catra started to see why this park was so marvelous to Adora. It had a little bit of everything, not too small to look crowded, neither too big to lose its cozy atmosphere.
In the back of the park were a soccer field, some basketball courts, and a picnic area with grills. In comparison to the park at the front, this place was comfortably empty. The people that had previously populated it stayed behind. Reaching a picnic table, Adora leaned her bike against it as they left their bags on the table, Catra taking her skates off and leaving them on the grass. They seated under the shade of a tree, suddenly quiet. There wasn’t much noise besides birds chirping and the wind moving tree leaves.
“I see why you like it. The park, I mean.” Catra commented, incapable to stop her words.
“I thought that being surrounded by nature would be a good start. Also, the people tend to be so nice here. Not like they aren't in town too,” Adora chuckled lightly, staring at the sky, “but it all feels different in here. You know what I mean?”
“Yes. It feels... “ She focused on her words before concluding into something appropriated to express the way she felt.
Besides the nice weather, the place felt different from any place she had gone to in Etheria yet. She hadn't noticed until now, but she felt a warmth in her chest growing since she had arrived at the town. It was a curious feeling, not strange or unwelcoming, but somewhat comforting. “It feels familiar, almost as if I already knew this place,” she stated.
“Right? I knew you would understand it.” Adora sighed, the smile in her words palpable. “The first time that Glimmer and Bow brought me here I tried to explain it to them, but I couldn’t find the right words. I remember telling them it felt like knowing how something will feel before you touch it, but they looked at me as if a third eye had grown in my forehead.”
“I get what you mean. It does feel like that, although they weren’t wrong,” Catra said, fighting to keep her voice even. “It would be a nice look on you, ‘Dora. You have plenty of room for a third and a fourth one.”
“I don’t!” Bringing her hand to her face, Adora touched her forehead, embarrassment in her eyes as she tried to cover it. Catra couldn’t hold it anymore and burst out laughing.
“I’m just messing with you, dummy.”
“Idiot,” Adora answered, shoving her elbow to Catra’s side, but laughing as well. Catra pounded, faking the pain, but pushed her shoulder playfully with Adora.
“But seriously, I’m just joking. Your forehead isn’t huge, and the puff makes it look kinda cute sometimes, ya know?” This place must have something , Catra thought as to justify her sincerity.
“Yeah, I-I know.” Dismissing the topic with her hand, Adora hurried to stand up, suddenly interested in moving from their spot. “Hey, we didn’t come here just to sit, r-right?”
Giving her a doubtful look, Catra decided not to push forward into Adora’s sudden change of attitude, instead proposing something to distract Adora from her nerves. “Bet I can give a whole lap in my skates faster than you in your bike.”
Adora offered her a grin, her competitive side already showing while she grabbed her bicycle. “Not a chance, Cat.”
Catra hurried to put her skated back on. Taking their belongings, they moved to the circuit that surrounded the park, looking at each other playfully before they started their race.
The day went by like that, as they jumped from one section of the park to the other. Their race ended up with them arriving at the same time at the entrance of the park. It turned into Adora chasing Catra around the ramps in the skating section, and then a competition to see who could score higher in the baseball court. Finally, they paused for ice cream and some chips. While they ate their food, Adora’s face brightened up with a new plan.
“I have an idea!” she said happily, her food now forgotten.
“Good for you, ‘Dora.”
“Hey, I’m serious. Hurry up with your ice cream so we can go.”
“Lemme guess: this is a surprise and you won’t tell me shit until we get there,” Catra said, fighting to keep an annoyed look but failing. Adora’s excitement was contagious, and she was curious to see what was making her friend so happy.
“You know me. Let’s gooo.” Grabbing her by the wrist, Catra was being pulled out from her seat, barely able to take the remaining of their snacks.
They jogged towards the entrance of the park, stopping nearby the playground. A woman was sitting there in front of two tables, full of ceramic figures and at least 20 cups of paint. By her side, a few tables were displayed. Sitting a few feet away were two kids painting ceramic cars with lots of colors.
“You.. want to paint?” Catra turned to see Adora pulling some cash.
“Always so clever,” she replied, giggling, looking for a figure among the ones displayed. “I was thinking that I could paint something for you, and you could do the same for me… only if you want to! No pressure.”
“Actually, that’s a great idea. I like it.” Her plan was amazing , to say the least. Adora knew how much she loved to draw and paint, and the only vision of the brushes made her hands itch with expectancy. Walking closer, Catra started to scan the table, her eyes wandering from suns, boxes, superheroes, and flowers. “But it should be a surprise,” she added after a few seconds. “You’re not allowed to see what I’ll choose for you.”
Adora’s eyes were shining, the expectancy making her move in her place. “It’s a deal, captain.” Saluting her, Adora went to find her figure while Catra picked a table. Dummy , Catra thought as she laughed.
Both girls sat facing opposite sides with different cups of paint and a bunch of brushes, each one working on their figures. After a couple of minutes of painting and talking, Catra admired her creation, giving some final touches. I hope she likes it , she allowed herself to think. It could be a little unusual, but she knew it was meant for Adora as soon as her eyes landed on it. She knew how much Adora loved tales of knights and kingdoms, so choosing the figure had been easy.
“Ready?” she asked to her back, pretending she wasn’t excited to see Adora’s reaction.
“Yup, I got it. On the count of three?”
“Sounds good to me.”
“One, two, three!” Counting, Adora started shifting in her chair.
Turning around, both friends hurried to see the table, sharing a surprised gasp.
“Catra…” Adora said breathless, looking at the freshly painted sword next to her best friend. It had a clear color in the blade, with linear patterns on the inside. A golden handle adorned the middle with a precious stone, in a mixture of red, purple, and blue that brought all the elements together. It seemed powerful and stylized, just like Adora.
Briefly, Catra shifted her attention between Adora’s face, filled with awe, and the figure that was meant for her, keeping her focus on the latter. A small statue of a black cat sitting was delicately painted, soft bluish brushstrokes giving light and shaping its figure. Yellow and blue eyes gave the cat a cautious look, even elegant. It was beautiful. She loved it. As the thought ended, she realized she had spoken out loud the last part, choosing not to dismiss it. It truly was wonderful work, and Adora deserved to know it.
Her focus now on her friend, Catra watched Adora picking the sword softly. She let her fingers roam delicately around the edges of the figure after watching it intensely, almost as if she was scared it would disappear into thin air. Her eyes traveled up and down, making Catra a little bit jealous she wasn’t the one receiving that look. Not now, idiot , she scolded herself mentally.
“It’s- you... I can’t believe it. You outdid yourself, Cat, thank you.”
“It makes two of us. I adore it.” Catra pointed out the word game in her compliment, although Adora still looked mesmerized by her figure. Coming back to earth, Adora smiled, leaving her figure on the table and searching inside her bag, pulling out a disposable camera.
“I took this from Mara,” Adora explained as she held the camera in front of her, pointing at Catra. “We can take photos of all the new places we visit, and before classes begin I could print the photos. You know, to keep the memory of it all.”
“You’re unbelievable.” Turning her eyes, she smiled as she held the black cat in her hand, next to her cheek.” Click . “Your turn, dork.”
“C’mon, you love it.” I do , Catra thought. Wielding her ceramic sword, Adora smiled at the camera, a few hair strands escaping from her ponytail after a whole day running and moving around. The sun made her hair shine in a halo, the sky not even close as the blue in her eyes. Click .
“So, where are we going next?” Catra asked as she returned the camera to Adora. she let an arm fall around her friend’s neck, both girls making their way out of the park.
“Do you like fish?”
March
The bell rang and everybody started leaving the classroom - some even seemed to fly out. Texting Glimmer to wait for her in the parking lot, Adora packed the remaining things in her desk inside her backpack, scanning the almost empty room. A couple of chairs behind her desk was the new girl, still seated in place, doodling something. Come on, Adora, it’s just an essay, nothing complex , she reminded herself.
The sun was coming in from the windows as Adora approached the other girl’s desk, bathing half of it with light. Focused on her creation, the girl paid no attention to the movement until Adora stood in front of her. Surprised, the girl changed her attention from the notebook to whatever that had appeared near her.
“Hey!” Adora said happily to the new girl, “I don’t have a partner for Teacher Angella’s essay, and I was wondering if you would like to do it with me?” She finished with a friendly smile, her tone between a question and invitation. A hand flew to her ponytail, searching for a strand of hair to play with, fighting her nerves.
It wasn’t a save-the-new-girl situation nor an attempt with her, though. Despite her silence toward her classmates, Adora knew the girl was clever, always ready with answers. She would ask questions Adora hadn’t even begun to think about, so this work could mean killing two birds with one stone. Getting to know this girl and hopefully getting a good grade in this essay.
Sunlight gave her blue and hazel eyes an intensity she hadn’t noticed before. A shy -but honest nonetheless- smile covered the girl’s face as she replied, “yeah, that would be cool”. Now relieved, Adora took a seat next to her. The girl continued. “I’m Catherine, by the way. Some people call me Cat.”
“Hmn,” squinting, she analyzed Cat’s face. The name was pretty but didn’t seem to fit her entirely. Looking at her face for something else, she said, a thoughtful tone in her voice, “you look more like a… Catra to me.” Content about the new nickname, Adora remembered she hadn’t introduced herself yet. “Oh, and I’m Adora, by the way. Always Adora,” she said, giggling.
“I like Catra,” was all she got in response, switching the pages of her notebook and began to write. “Anything in mind for the essay’s topic, ‘Dora?” Catra spoke as her eyes moved away to a corner, unfocused probably from scrambling through her mind, trying to pick something good for their assignment.
In contrast, Adora’s mind had gotten stuck in the way Catra had said her name, a little quick, the ‘a’ at the beginning practically mute. She liked how it sounded with her voice, a little raspy and with a hint of mischief, teasing her lightly. She had not lied. She was always Adora, either with her best friends, in class, or at home. It was new, somewhat relevant for her, even if the change seemed small.
“You... called me ‘´Dora’,” she stated, serious.
“Oh, sorry, I didn’t mean-,” taken by surprise, Catra’s eyes seemed to regret her word choice, an apology already being scripted in her mind. Adora interrupted her.
“I like it. No one calls me other than Adora, and it can get pretty boring, honestly”, a breathy chuckle escaping as a result of her confession. She hadn’t told that to anyone, ever . It felt dumb to give such importance to a name, but Catra didn’t seem to think that.
“Noted.” Catra watched her for a second too long, her gaze softening around the edges. “So, essay?” she prompted to their initial topic, the reason they were having this conversation.
“Yes, the essay!” Catra laughed at her sudden enthusiasm as she continued, “I have some notes in here, maybe you could see if anything looks good for you, or we could brainstorm some ideas, too.” A little breathless, Adora searched for her notebook, a new sensation blooming inside her chest.