Team Catradora

40 -Badminton

Now that the date was over, badminton was the priority.

Yeah, yeah, Adora shouldn't have been so competitive. But she couldn't help it! Practicing gave her something to focus on, besides Razz. As excited as she was, what if Razz would meet her and be disappointed in who she'd become?

Everytime she had that thought, she found herself either researching the rules for badminton or asking someone to practice. In her head, she kept reminding herself that this was just for fun, that it didn't matter if she lost, but a part of her couldn't help but keep score, and be bitter when Seahawk beat her at a game.

"You're cheating!" She said, plucking a birdie from her hair (somehow it hit her there and stuck.). Instead of serving it, she put her hands on her hips.

"No, I'm not." He got in the ready position. "I've just had more practice than you. Mind if I give you a tip?"

"Sure."

"Bend your knee-yes, exactly. I'm ready when you are."

Adora's frustration dissolved. She served it, and it barely went over the net. Seahawk let it drop. "It didn't reach past the boundaries. Try again."

"I had no idea this game was so hard."

"Didn't you play it in gym?"

"Yeah, but that was with Glimmer, and she didn't care if I cheated."

He laughed. "Well..." he pulled the birdie back with his net. "I'm just gonna show you how I serve. Once you get it, it's going to be so easy. Like riding a bike."

"Right." Once the bird was served, Adora managed to hit it pretty well. Seahawk barely caught it, tripping over himself to reach it in time. "I'm doing it-"

"Yay," Mermista said from behind, and Adora jumped. The birdie hit her this time, and Mermista stood there, frowning. After a minute, she plucked it, glaring. "I was not expecting this today." She placed her seagull lunchbag beside the nearby bench. "I had some leftovers, so here you go."

"Aw..." Seahawk dropped his racket. "And this is why I love you."

She blushed. "R-right. I was just making sure Adora wasn't biting your head off for beating her."

"Hey!"

"Am I wrong to assume that?"

"No..." Adora sighed. "I guess not."

Mermista grinned. "See? What do I say? I'm always right." She sat on the bench, and pulled out an earphone. "Keep doing your thing. I have a show to watch."

Adora raised an eyebrow. "Not a podcast?"

"Nope. I'm trying something new." She looked at her nails. "True crime tv shows. Totally different from true crime podcasts."

"How so?"

"Uh, I can see them talk?" She shrugged. "And I see the evidence."

"Ah." Adora served, but Seahawk wasn't paying attention. It barely went over the boundary, and Adora couldn't help but woop. "I win!"

"What?" He looked at it over the line. "Congrats. Sorry, I was distracted by Mermista's natural beauty."

"Sure." Mermista looked away.

"You were talking about your show?" Seahawk sat beside her, hands on his fist. "That's the one with the drawings, right?"

"Right." She said. "They estimate what the killer or victim would look like at an older age."

He nodded. "If they did one of me, I'm sure it would be ruggedly handsome."

"Oh, god, why am I dating you?" Mermista buried her face in her hands. "Why are you like this?"