One Perfect Year at Stevenson High

Chapter 12

Adora wasn't exaggerating when she said the weeks leading up to homecoming were going to be intense. As the Valkyries doubled down in preparation for their first big performance of the year, Bow's birthday party—and the brief bit of respite it provided—faded into the distance. With classes, homework, rehearsals, and practice, Adora's schedule was packed.

The glee club did what they could to help out, including keeping rehearsals light and scheduling them during lunch hours until after homecoming. And no one complained about it either — not even Entrapta, who usually used her lunch break to sneak in a bit of extra time in the science lab. When Adora asked Glimmer how she could repay her for the favor, she was rebuffed with a wave of the captain's hand.

"It's fine, Adora," Glimmer said, pulling her into a tight hug. "This is what friends do for each other."

Adora melted gratefully into the embrace. Still, while she was relieved that Glimmer was so accommodating, she couldn't shake the feeling that she was letting everyone down. She wasn't even a month into the school year and already she was struggling to keep her head above water.

At least she was good at looking like she was keeping it together. She created a countdown to homecoming on her phone and promised herself the reward of an epic nap if she managed to make it without dropping the ball. That plus her promise to the others that she would tell Coach Weaver what she'd been up to was all the motivation she needed to maintain the appearances of being on top of her game.

Still, Adora was only human, and she was prone to slip up once or twice.

One afternoon, as Vocal Rebellion was running through their big show stopping number, Adora did one of the many things Catra loved to tease her about: she screwed up the lyrics. It wouldn't have been so bad had she not also been in the middle of a solo.

"I am so sorry, you guys," she said, flushing with embarrassment. "That was not my best, and I know I can do better. It won't happen again, I promise."

The rest of the team shared startled, wordless glances. With a soft smile, Bow stepped forward and laid his hands gently on Adora's perpetually tense shoulders. "Adora, relax. So you screwed up a line — big deal! It's not the end of the world."

Adora shook her head, the ribbons atop her ponytail swaying with the motion. "It's a big deal to me. There's no excuse for such a stupid mistake."

"I don't know about that," Entrapta mused from the floor. During this brief pause in rehearsal, she had already sunk to sit cross-legged on the floor and pulled a tablet out of who knows where. "I forget lyrics all the time and it's never been a problem."

A part of Adora wanted to gently remind Entrapta that it was likely because she never had any solos, but she couldn't figure out how to say so without coming across as a stuck-up bitch. Thankfully, Glimmer stepped in and saved her from herself.

"Don't take this the wrong way, Adora, but... we're not the Valkyries. Perfection might be what's expected of you there, but here we're just trying to have fun. And if you're not having fun, what's the point?"

"Right," Perfuma chimed in. "Be gentle with yourself, Adora. You deserve it."

Adora mulled this over in the days that followed. She made a private promise to herself to try being a little kinder to herself when she messed up. Surprisingly, this was easier for her to do than she expected. Unfortunately, this newfound leniency found its way into other aspects of her life, and not everyone was quite as receptive to the mantra.

A few nights before homecoming, while Adora was running the Valkyries through their main routine for the fourth time that night, Kyle lost his balance while being held aloft by Scorpia. He fell back with a shocked squeak, and likely would have broken something had Lonnie and DT not been there to catch him. Adora hurried forward. Both Kyle and Scorpia were already apologizing over one another before she reached them.