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As someone who had grown up with a twin, Juleka had never been good at the ‘making new friends’ thing. She’d always had Luka there beside her, through the thick and the thin. No one else could ever share her life so fully, so how could she invite them in?
But she found solace in a loud soul. It had been an accident, all those times Rose had sat beside her. Their friendship had been something unexpected. It came from nowhere and blazed bright. It burned out just as fast.
Juleka knelt down and placed her black roses on the tranquil grass. A simple gravestone, embossed with designs of birds and petals, held the words: “Here lies Rose Lavillant. A daughter, a friend, and an inspiration.”
“Happy seventeenth birthday, Rose,” Juleka whispered. “Thank you for being my first friend.”
She stood up and walked back down the row of graves, to where Chloe was waiting for her.
Her girlfriend shifted nervously from side to side, then held out her hand for Juleka to take. “You ready?”
“Yeah. Let’s do this.”
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Loud venues weren’t Juleka’s thing, but Chloe shone in a spotlight. Her eyes lit up with passion and words fell easily from her lips. She waved her arms exuberantly, keeping her small crowd of onlookers on the edge of their floor seats. She regaled them with another tale of her exploits as Queen Bee, but told it with dramatic flair instead of boastfulness.
Juleka watched slightly and smiled.
Chloe caught her eye when the group dispersed and immediately began to blush. In the dim purple lighting, she looked ethereal; her dress might have been made of stardust, her hair liquid gold running down her back in elegant braids.
“We’re a weird pair, aren’t we?” Juleka asked quietly.
Chloe sat down at the table beside her, carefully tucking in the folds of her skirt underneath her. “Yeah…” she stared out into the sea of dancers—couples, friends, and loners. “We are.”
They held hands underneath the table. Neither of them had any reason to hide, but shadows felt more comfortable to the frequently overlooked.
“You remind me of her.”
“Who?” Chloe fiddled with the tablecloth. “Rose?”
Juleka shook her head slowly. “No. I mean- you remind me of Rose as well, but I was going to say that you remind me of Ladybug.”
Chloe scoffed. “Please, as if I could be anything like her.”
Juleka counted off on her fingers. “Let’s see… You’re beautiful, you’re brave, you’re passionate, you’re kind-”
“Not so sure about that last one.”
“That’s alright.” Juleka kissed her girlfriend’s cheek quickly. “I am.”
Chloe’s blush deepened. She tucked a stray strand of hair behind her ear shyly. “What do you even see in me anyway? You’re a fighter. You’re fierce, unshakeable- you- You always get up and keep trying, despite all the times I tried to knock you down. I tried to break you, and you’re still here, stronger than ever. Why give me another chance?”
“I like hearing you talk."
“What?"
Juleka leaned back in her seat. Coming to a dance like this was not her idea of fun, but spending time with Chloe made it all worth it. “When you… stopped using your words to hurt people, and started using them honestly instead, I noticed that. You’re a flame that draws people in. It’s beautiful to see… You’re beautiful, and not only on the outside.”
She stood up and pulled her girlfriend up to her feet. Chloe was still blushing, clearly at a loss for words.
“But enough talking. I believe we came here to dance.”
She stuck out her arm and Chloe took it with a smile.