I think we could do it if we tried~

Chapter 8: Adora

Her student accommodations were grander than anything she'd ever seen. Adora struggled to remain calm as she took in the crystals and wall sconces, the golds and silvers, the pinks and blues. She'd always known Bright Moon College was lavish. After all, it was an independent school—running off the money its expensive students paid to attend.

But now, gazing at the marble counter tops and feather-stuffed cushions, Adora felt that "lavish" was an understatement.

Hope appeared in the doorway behind her, carrying a bin bag full of her Fright Zone belongings. "What do you think?" She asked.

Adora could barely get her words out. "I think," she said, awestruck. "I think it's magnificent."

"Yes," Hope said, nodding. "Everything in Bright Moon is quite extraordinary." She placed the bin bag down. "Here are your belongings from the Fright Zone." She took a key-card from her pocket and held it out. "And this is the key to your residence. Simply hold it against the pad near your door until it flashes pink, and the lock clicks."

Adora took the card, as well as the bin bag. "Thank you, Hope," she said, unable to wipe the smile off her face. "This all feels so...surreal. Almost like I'll wake up any moment back in the Fright Zone."

Hope laughed. "Don't worry, Miss Gray-"

"Just call me Adora."

"Don't worry, Adora," Hope corrected herself. "You'll never need to go back to that...place ever again." She gave Adora a pat on the shoulder. "I really should be going now; it's getting quite late. Someone from the college will come to visit you tomorrow, to discuss your courses and extracurriculars, and give you a tour of the campus."

Hope took her leave, saying "Goodnight," to Adora as she closed the dorm door. Adora finally allowed all the emotions she'd bottled up to stay as formal as possible out, and collapsed onto her plush sofa, a giggling mess. 

She was still in her netball dress and shorts; still her sweaty post-game self. Adora headed to her new bathroom, and barely managed to work the shower. After pressing five different buttons, the shower head finally rained water - freezing cold water, but water nonetheless. 

A twist of a brass dial fixed the temperature, and Adora shed her damp clothes. It was strange, showering in a lone bathroom, rather than a communal one. She kept expecting to hear giggling as Lonnie and Catra stole Kyle's towel, or a scream as one of the shower's water turned to ice.

Like most things in the Fright Zone, the showers were temperamental. You were lucky if the water stayed consistently flowing and warm for a full five minutes. It was a race to get in, cleaned, and out again. Dawdling meant you'd either catch a cold, get ambushed by an impatient kid, or leave the water to several people snickering as they ran away with your clothes. 

But in Bright Moon, Adora felt the freedom to shower for as long as she wanted. Twenty minutes passed as she revelled in the hot steam and assortment of soaps. The lemon ones, she quickly discovered, were her favourite. 

When she finally did turn off the tap, wrapping herself in a fluffy pink towel and wringing out her hair, Adora's eyelids were heavy. The past week of intense training, the standoff with Catra, the game - it'd worn her out. Her adrenaline high from meeting Hope and moving to Bright Moon had finally calmed, and the blonde was ready to climb into her new king-sized bed and crash.

And after changing into her old pyjamas from the Fright Zone - she'd need to buy some new clothes soon - Adora did just that.

***

She awoke from the best sleep she'd ever had, to the sound of knocking. Adora groaned, stretching out her full body.