Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

1

— Who the hell do you think you are?

The brunette complains as soon as her energy drink is confiscated from her hand.

— Adora. Student Council President. — The blonde throws the can on the ground and stomps on it, crushing it. — And energy drinks are forbidden here, even when consumed in secret.

The other rolls her two-colored eyes, ceasing to lean against the low wall and heading to the courtyard frustrated.

Adora sighs and picks up the can, throwing it in the trash. She hears applause behind her.

— Good throw, Adora. Careful, if you make one of those again I might want you on my team. — She puts a hand on her hip.

— Azula, you know I'm not very fond of handball.

— That's a shame. You'd make a great player. Maybe you could even replace Ty Lee.

Adora gives a small smile, not like Azula's malicious ones. Just a smile.

— No, thank you.

The brunette shrugs.

— I didn't think I'd see you here.

— Why? I was just keeping order.

— I thought you were welcoming the new students.

Adora's eyes widen.

— There are new students?!

Azula giggles.

— Relax, they're probably already having lunch.

— Anyway, it's never too late. Bye.

Then she left for the cafeteria. Azula went to meet her other friends.

...

— Wow, this sandwich is really good.

Catra took another bite, practically devouring the bread.

— At least it's not that awful mush we always get. — Katara commented. They both laughed.

On the other side of the table, the other girl was reading another one of her chemistry books, studying for the test.

— Twilight, don't you ever get tired of studying? — Katara nudged her. — You're the smartest in the first year, you'll definitely get a ten.

— Not now, Kat, I'm concentrating.

Before Catra could reply with some sarcastic remark, the cafeteria door burst open.

Ah, yes, of course it was her: Sunset, the Coordinator, vocalist and guitarist of the boarding school band. And right behind her came Azula and Adora.

The three sat at the central table, as always.

— Good God, I can't stand these girls anymore. — Catra murmured.

Even Twilight put down her book. Katara rolled her eyes.

Azula looked at them as if wondering why on earth they were staring. Katara held her gaze.
"Spoiled brat," she whispered. Then she turned to her friends. "I heard her dad is, like, super rich and influential."

Catra laughed, brushing the crumbs of sandwich off her leather jacket.

"I think she bought her spot on the team."

Katara smiled.

At the center table, Sunset commented:

"There are some girls who have been eyeing us for a while. Including that girl who won the medal for best musical composition instead of me."

"The one with purple hair?" Azula said, and the redhead nodded. "I saw her. Her friend in the blue shirt stared at me first; if I catch her in a fight, I'll—"

Adora placed a hand on her shoulder.

"No fighting."

Azula rolled her eyes, pulling away from the blonde's hand. The student council president sighed and said:

"One of them, the little devil with the messy hair, was drinking and selling energy drinks this week. Every time a different problem."

"Another reason to make them suffer." Azula smiled.

"As long as they don't interfere with my band, everything's fine."

Sunset said, grabbing her sandwich.

After ten minutes, the bell rang and almost all the girls returned to their classrooms.

Twilight walked alone down the hallway to the first-year classroom.

Adora headed towards the third-year classroom, only to realize there was an empty class: Catra, skipping class again.

Azula and Sunset went to the second floor, to the second-year classroom. Katara took the same hallway. The handball team leader already had a plan.

Poff. Katara bumped into someone and stumbled backward.

"Shit. Sorry, I…"

Azula looked down at her, smug. Sunset glanced over her shoulder, neutral.
— Hmm, sorry, did you say?

Katara frowns and clenches her jaw, damn it.

Chapter Text

2

— What do you want?

— An apology would be good to start with.

Katara straightened up, refusing to obey.

— I already said sorry.

Azula raised an eyebrow, ignoring the other students entering the room.

— Listen here, girl, I don't know who you think you are, but—

— I don't know who you think you are. — Katara pointed a finger at the athlete's chest. — Well, you're not the owner of the school. Much less the owner of me.

The other narrowed her eyes, her smile thinning along with her patience. She clenched her fists, ready to fight if necessary.

— Listen to me, you…

— What, huh?

Sunset grabbed Azula, pulling her away and looking at Katara.

— I don't know who you are, but be careful.

Then she and Azula entered the second-year B classroom.

...

Adora's tall shadow behind her made Catra, who was lying in the boarding school garden, shiver.

"Damn it!"

"Skipping class. For the second time this week. And it's Wednesday."

The brunette sat up, pouting.

"And that's the fifth time this month you've caught me doing this. Are you obsessed with me?"

Adora raised her eyebrows.

"It's my job, I'm the—"

"’Student Council President.’ And I sell drugs."

The blonde's eyes widened.

"You what?!"

"Irony, my angel. I'm going back to class." Catra laughed.

...

That damn hot afternoon, Sunset, with her shirt rolled up to the top and almost asleep in the music room, expected everything but the door opening out of nowhere.

Twilight's eyes widened, standing in the doorway.

"Oh! I… uh, sorry."

Sunset quickly pulled her shirt down, sat up straight in the chair, and cleared her throat.
"...Excuse me. What do you want?"

Twilight looked away quickly.
"I wanted to learn to play guitar."

The redhead raised an eyebrow, standing up. It was almost a joke.

"Guitar? I thought your forte was, I don't know, algebra," she teased.

The other shifted uncomfortably.

"Yes, but I'd also like to join the band."

Sunset almost laughed.

"Oh, yes. I highly doubt you'll manage it. But if you insist on the idea, meet me tomorrow night, here."

Twilight waved and left, leaving Sunset alone, almost amused.

Chapter Text

3

— You're late, Adora. — Glimmer said, lying on the bed in the shared room, reading.

The blonde sighed.

— So much homework.

— I've already told you that you need a distraction. Enough of just studying and keeping the school in order.

Adora throws herself onto the bed, whimpering.

Glimmer puts down her book and looks at her.

— What's wrong?

— I can't find anything to distract me… And it seems you're distracting yourself with me. Where the hell is Entrapta?

The girl with lilac-dyed hair shrugs.

— In the shower. You know what it is, Adora?

— Hmm?

Glimmer smiles.

— I think you need a girlfriend.

Adora's eyes widen, turning her face to her roommate.

— Come on — Glimmer says — We're in our junior year. You know everyone here. You're tall, strong, beautiful, intelligent, kind, and very, very concerned about everyone's well-being. "Anyone would want to date you."

Adora rolled her eyes.
"Go back to reading, please."

Glimmer laughed and obeyed, but the idea wouldn't leave the blonde's mind.

...

Sunset was very lucky; after all, she was the only student at the boarding school who didn't have roommates, simply because her room was smaller.

She arrived exhausted, her voice hoarse from singing so much and her fingers crumpled from playing guitar.

Two things were on her mind: the linguistics test the next day, which neither she nor Azula had studied for, and, for some reason, the encounter with Twilight, the first-year nerd, in the music room.

"She wants to play guitar…" she whispered to herself, sitting on the bed and smiling. "That's surprising. It's ridiculous, but surprising."

...

Suki and Toph spent a good amount of time listening to Katara complain about Azula's attitude.

— But was she really that awful? — Suki asked, putting on makeup.

— It was.

Katara replied, fiddling with her phone. Toph crossed her arms.

— And why didn't you beat her up?

— Because she seems strong, she trains.

— Big deal. — Suki finished applying her lipstick. — I would help.

Katara sighed, putting her phone aside.

— Thanks, girls, but that's my business.

…

Catra's roommates didn't even see her that night. She probably left school to graffiti walls or smoke.

...

Twilight, too tired to talk to Applejack and Rarity, her roommates, took a shower and went to sleep.

...

"I think I'm going to kill someone," Azula announced as she entered the room.

Mai stopped painting her canvas, and Ty Lee stopped doing gymnastics and looked at her.

"Why, Azula?"

Azula took off her sneakers and sat on her bed.

"A girl from second year A. The one with braids. She keeps staring at me, challenging me."

"Isn't it all in your head?" Mai asked.

The captain of the handball team frowned.

"You know what's all in your head, Mai? Your stupid romance with my brother."

Mai raised her eyebrows and went back to painting.

Ty Lee hung upside down, supported by her hands.
— But what are you going to do with her?

Azula smiled mischievously, already planning.

— The interclass sports competition is in two days. Katara, the girl with braids, is going to watch.

— And?

— I'm going to take care of her.

Chapter Text

4

The school was a complete mess.

Students were going up and down, heading to the locker rooms to get ready, cheerleaders were rehearsing their dances, eager to see their team play.

The Angels, the boarding school's handball team, were representing the school against The Bears, the girls' team from another school. There were also games like table tennis and table hockey that didn't award points or medals to anyone who wanted to play.

Twilight stayed reading in her room and Toph went to play table hockey.

Honestly, if it were up to Katara, she would have stayed sleeping, but since Suki was a cheerleader, she went to the gym.

"When does the damn game start?" Catra grumbled.

"Probably when the Bears arrive with their cheering squad," Katara replied, taking a sip of her juice.

"Haha, funny girl."

Then, a double-decker bus stopped next to the gym, and girls in beige and blue t-shirts, different from the red and white ones of the Angels, got off in a line. Their fans positioned themselves on the other side of the bleachers.

The Angels and their reserves stretched off the court. Azula was perfectly positioned, as always, and that irritated Katara.

The principal entered the court, welcoming the teams and wishing them a good game. Then, Adora, as president of the student council, entered and gave her usual speech about principles, education, respect, and blah, blah, blah.

As the teams entered, the fans stirred, waving colorful ribbons, shouting, and dancing.

Katara couldn't help but admire Suki, with her fluid and beautiful movements.

A whistle. The game began.

The ball is with a tall girl from The Bears. She attempts a pass. Mai catches the ball. She passes it to a teammate from the Angels. She spins. She throws the ball and… Azula catches it. She takes a step. Girls from the Bears try to take the ball from her, but Azula easily dodges. She throws the ball. GOAL. The boarding school crowd cheers.

"Damn." Katara says.
"In less than three minutes."

A random girl beside her laughs.

"It's Azula. Haven't you ever seen her play?"

Katara doesn't take her eyes off the field. Shit. This is interesting. The game, not Azula. The game.

For the next five minutes, the game continues without a single goal, just a perfect sequence of shots, blocks, passes, and dribbles.

Then, someone from the Bears scores a goal. Their small crowd cheers. Azula yells at her own goalie—no, she doesn't yell, she explains, orders, and demands improvements in her weak point.

More minutes with passes and movements that Katara definitely doesn't know.

Suddenly, Azula is surrounded by girls from the Bears, with no alternative but to throw the ball out of bounds. She looks at Katara, at the ball, and at Katara again so quickly that the girl with braids doesn't even realize she's been hit.

The crowd stops. Everyone stares at Katara, who is now semi-conscious in the stands.

From the field, Azula tries to hide a smile.

. . .

— That was great.

— No, Ty Lee, we won three to one. It sucks, we made mistakes and—

Punch.

Someone punched Azula in the face. Really hard.

— You bitch… — Katara grabbed her by the tank top, pinning her against the locker.

Azula's eyes widened, her nose bleeding.

— What the hell are you—

— You threw the fucking ball in my face. On purpose.

The girls in the locker room slowly moved away, avoiding seeing it.

— Oh — Azula smiled, having to tilt her head down slightly to talk to Katara. — Were you hurt?

Katara grabbed her so hard she almost ripped her tank top. Their faces were inches apart.

— What's your problem? You like to annoy me, don't you?

— If you let go of me, I'll tell you.

— In your dreams.

Azula simply pushed her back. Letting go, even with her shirt fraying.

"I like to annoy you," she said, the taste of her own blood in her mouth.

Katara clenched her jaw, removing the loose threads of the tank top from between her nails.

"Fuck you, Azula."

And she left, leaving an angry Azula with a bloody nose alone in the locker room.