The Brightmoon Institution (Catradora Boarding School AU)

President Adora

Adora shut her laptop quickly, guilt suddenly flowing through her. She shouldn't be relaxing right now, she had midterms to study for, finals to think of. It was criminal to think of anything other than school, but perhaps that was the fun of it...

"Adora!"

A sense of uneasiness pooled within her at the voice, and she quickly scampered from her luxurious desk space to the kitchen where the dreaded voice was projected. Looking back at the desk, Adora frowned. Fresh pale post its, pastel highlighters and a brand new laptop. The brand new laptop on which she was watching-

She fought the blushed, her cheeks turning rosy.

"Adora! Dinner's ready."

The smell of roast chicken wafted into the air, and that was enough to send the young girl barreling down the crooked stairs in vivid anticipation.

"Good evening, Adora."

Adora sat down on one of the kitchen stools, looking up at her adoptive mother.

"Good evening Shadow Weaver."

The woman wore a mask, though Adora never understood why. Shadow Weaver had mentioned she'd been angrily burned in a house fire, but Adora was too afraid to question her further. Shadow Weaver wasn't much of a talker, preferring to question Adora rather than reveal her past.

Cold hands gripped her shoulders softly, and goosebumps came to life on her skin.

"I hope the new study accommodations have been treating you well?"

"Yes, Shadow Weaver."

Her response was automatic, too much so that the woman detected it the same way she detected lies. Adora looked down on the cold stone table, guilt and shame threatening to crack into her expression.

"Adora," the old woman cooed at her. "You can call me mother, sweet child."

The girl didn't respond, didn't really know how too. Only a trickle of surprise flowed through her, surprise at the somewhat tender tone.

Shadow Weaver had been good to her ever since she'd been adopted eleven years ago, but somehow Adora couldn't spit out the words without feeling a slight uncomfortable.

"Yes...mother."

Shadow Weaver flashed a smile, well at least her eyes did, and pulled out a plate for Adora.

"I've been thinking..."

Adora waited, watching the steaming piece of chicken with eager eyes. The pause wasn't for Shadow Weaver's thoughts, she didn't speak unless she knew exactly what she was going to say. The pause must've been for dramatic effect, which was never out of the question for her adoptive mother.

"It's time for you to return to school."

Her eyes flew up to meet hagged hazel, and she stared in confusion.

"But you pulled me out of school so I could get ahead?"

Shadow Weaver slid the plate of food in front of her, but her eyes didn't leave the old woman's face.

"Yes, but if we-" she paused.

"You," Adora made note of the amendment, "decide to run for office one day, we need to have precautions set in place."

Adora chewed on her chicken absentmindedly, the words occupying her thoughts. School was a foreign thought, nearly taboo in the house.

"You need to be in the right social circles, and need to gain skills other than...studying."