The art is not mine! From what I've gathered, this is by Pixiv on some website called Zerochan. This information may be misguided.

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Look at my babiessssss they're so pretty!!! And Juls is smiling!!!

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So, the background for this oneshot is that this is when Rose and Juleka become friends. Juleka is the new girl at school. She's obviously shy and Rose tries to befriend her. She tried several times to find an interest that they both shared---like singing---but Juls always looked uncomfortable, so Rose dropped the subject. Little did she know that Juleka did want to be friends and just was terrible at expressing her feelings. SO, she asked her big bro for some help to get her 'friend' back.

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Enjoy!

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Juleka fiddled with the zipper on her hoodie, nervously. She was never a confident singer. Or even confident, at all. She turned to her brother. "Are you sure about this?" she asked, feeling terrified.

Luka put a hand on her shoulder, comfortingly. "I'm positive. But if this makes you feel uncomfortable, you can just talk to Rose in private and tell her about your social anxiety. I'm sure that she'd understand and would be ecstatic to be your friend."

"I know," she mumbled and pulled the purple tips of her bangs over her face. "But I just feel like she needs a grand gesture after all the times I ran away."

"If that's what you want, then you go get it," the boy looked her straight in her eyes and smiled, warmly. "I'll be with you every step of the way."

"Thanks."

Juleka flinched when she heard her name called on the stage. It was time. 

Knees buckling, the young woman walked the length of the stage, head low. She stopped in the center where the spotlight was, still staring at her shoes. She heard the murmuring of the crowd as they tried to figure out who she was. 

The girl was so nervous, she felt as though she would cry. She bit her lip and ducked her head, already regretting that she was there. A warm hand rested on her shoulder, prompting her to look up into her brother's aquamarine eyes.

"Hey," he said, softly. "You got this."

She let out a shaky breath. "I-I can do this."

"You can do it." Luka smiled. 

"I can do it." She felt more confident as she said this. 

With a nod, Luka sat down on the stool next to her with his guitar in hand. Juleka took a breath, preparing herself. She looked up whilst n the spotlight and out toward the audience.

(A/N: Play song now)

https://youtu.be/DDjlaN-X8-0

When you were here before, Luka started strumming.

Couldn't look you in the eyes, her soft voice sounded in the awaiting auditorium. She was still terrified, but she had a mission. 

You look like an angel,

Your skin makes me cry,

You float like a feather,

In a beautiful world, There were a few whistles in the audience now, egging her on.

I wish I was special,

You're so very special,

Juleka stood taller and lifted her chin. Out of the corner of her eye she saw Luka watching her, supporting her and staying by her side. You can do this.

Luka paused his strumming, ready for her entrance.

But I'm a creep,

I'm a weirdo,

Creep, weirdo, ugly, these were insults that Juleka had been all too familiar with at her old school. The 'Goth Gargoyle' had been another of the stupid nicknames.

But Juleka knew, now. She knew that that was all those names were. Stupid. She knew there were good people in the world. Good people like her mother. Like her brother, Luka. Even Rose, the sweet girl in the audience, whose encouraging cheer could be heard over the din in the auditorium.

What the heck am I doin' here?

I don't belong here,

No, Juleka didn't belong at her old school. She'd tried to fit in, too much, and look where that got her. But this place was a fresh start for the pretty girl. She could make friends and be herself. Because, as the saying goes, why try to fit in when you were born to stand out?

I don't care if it hurts, 

I wanna have control,

I want a perfect body, the words hit her right in the heart. She'd always felt self-conscious about the way that she looked. It was hard to be a perfectionist when you constantly felt imperfect.

I want a perfect soul,

I want you to notice, she felt her chest tighten at the thought of the next words.

When I'm not around, There it was. It deeply affected her, again. 

You're so very special,

I wish I was special,

Confidence was a fantasy to the girl with purple hair. A piper's dream. But Juleka couldn't help but think with satisfaction that this particular piper could sing. 

Oh, she's runnin' away, the tall girl modulated the notes, a tad.

Oh, she's runnin', she vocalized in her own special way.

Oh, she's runnin',

Oh, she's runnin', 

Oh, she's run, she softened her voice. She raised her hand slightly to indicate for her brother to slow the tempo down.

She looked out, off the stage to see if she could find anyone's faces, but the spotlight was blazing. She couldn't see anyone outside of the bright light. Juleka felt like she was going to panic again, until she tuned into the sound of her brother's playing. She wasn't alone, she had Luka. He wasn't just her brother, he was her friend. And if she did this one thing, she'd have another friend.

Whatever makes you happy, Luka's light strumming was back with her. She could tell he was improvising so that she wouldn't feel abandoned and left to sing acapella.

Whatever you want,

You're so very special, coming to the end of the song, Juleka raised her chin towards the audience.

I wish I was special.

As soon as Luka's guitar faded away, the spotlights lifted and the crowd jumped to their feet, applauding wildly.

She felt at odds with the loud crowd, it made her nervous, but not uncomfortable. With a smile and a wave, Juleka decided that, with some practice, she could get used that kind of scene.

After the concert was over, Juleka was swarmed with fellow students who wished to congratulate her. She appreciated their enthusiasm, but it was getting too much for her to handle at this point. That was how she came to be hiding in Ms. Bustier's classroom. 

Someone knocked on the door, lightly.

"Go away," the tall girl called, feebly.

"I just wanted to say that I liked your performance."

Juleka snapped her gaze up at the high-pitched voice. "Y-you did?" she asked, bewildered.

The blonde girl brushed back the bangs of her pixie-cut. "I liked it a lot." Rose sat down on the floor next to the girl with purple hair. "I know I should have asked this before, but," she turned to face the other girl. "Do prefer being alone?"

"Huh?"

"Well, you ran away all those times I asked you to be my friend. I just realized now that you might have felt like you didn't belong here. I'm a people-person, so it's hard for me to imagine it, but I know that some people prefer to be alone. Is that what you want? I'd never want to make you uncomfortable."

"What? No!" Juleka hurried to reassure the guilty girl. "No I...I just have selective social anxiety. I don't like big groups, but I'm trying to overcome it. You see," she brushed her own violet bangs back from her brown eyes. "I'm terrified of being alone," she confided, at last.

"Oh!" Rose's expression brightened. "I understand now! So, now that there's not a lot of people here, let me try again." She cleared her throat and held her hand out to the other young woman. "I'm Rose! Do you wanna be friends?"

Juleka smiled, softly. "Yeah," she murmured. "I'd like that."

"Great! Then as your friend I gotta tell you again that I loved your performance. Although, I didn't recognize the song. What was it?"

The purple-haired girl smirked a little. "It was my song."

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Ta-da!!!!!

I can't think on anything clever to say.

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Comments?

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Have a nice day!