Azura stood onstage in front of an audience. Not a new experience by any means, but the feeling of excitement just before the curtain rose was a feeling she had forgotten.
As Mikoto, the music director, introduced her to the audience who most likely already knew who she was, Azura took a deep breath that filled her lungs with air.
The audience thought they knew what song she was going to sing, the song her mother had written years before and the song Azura had committed to memory in order to do her proud. But this song was different. it was a song Azura had written months ago, but never put to music, let alone performed, out of fear the meaning would be misinterpreted.
A love song about two girls. There was an undercurrent of fear throughout the piece, fear that the girl's love was not requited, or the other girl was straight. worse, that the other girl would try to harm her if she ever confessed. Azura had written that song from within her secret heart, and she wasn't sure she would be able to bear critics twisting her lyrics into something she would never want.
The clumsy flutist had only discovered her secret song on a chance afternoon where azura had left her notebook at practice. Felicia had opened the notebook to see who it belonged to, and had seen the lyrics on the front page, covered in arrows and circles and brackets. Even though Azura had resigned herself to no one ever hearing her labor of love, she had still compulsively rewritten the lyrics time and again.
When Felicia returned the notebook the next day, her explanation of what happened and how she had read her song a flurry of words, Azura's throat had stuck shut, rendering her unable to tell Felicia that the song was about her.
Azura's heart skipped a beat as she saw Felicia in the front row with her sister, Flora, smiling excitedly as she drank in every word. Felicia gave a little wave as she saw her, and Azura quickly looked back toward the audience at large. Maybe it was Azura's imagination, but she thought she had seen a glimmer of understanding in Felicia's eyes.
She smiled with temporary relief as the wave of applause that followed the end of the song washed over her. She bowed demurely as was proper etiquette, then walked semi-quickly off the stage as the dancers walked onto it.
As she sat in the chorus room, gathering her thoughts and trying to calm her rapidly beating heart, Felicia opened the door and walked in, sitting down beside Azura in one of the hard plastic chairs provided for the students.
"Hi."
"Hi." Azura said softly, her heartbeat increasing speed again.
"You sounded really good." Felicia paused. "And I really like that you wrote a gay song."
Azura froze. She said nothing.
Felicia spoke quickly. "I-I mean, I don't know for sure if it was gay, but it sounded pretty gay, I mean, with dancing among the violet flowers and hoping for a sign her friend's friend loved her back and...and stuff." She finished lamely.
"No, you're right." Azura said suddenly, a burst of courage overtaking her. "It is a gay song. It's about my love for you."
She looked at Felicia, who was blushing fiercely, eyes wide. Azura felt panic rise in her throat before Felicia giggled.
"What's so funny?" Azura asked, unable to keep the hurt out of her voice.
"Oh, nothing." Felicia smiled widely. "I just thought that was a funny coincidence, because I love you too."
Azura pulled Felicia in for a thirty-second kiss, knowing deep in her secret heart that it didn't matter if everyone else who heard the song thought it was from a boy's point of view. Because Felicia knew the truth. And that was all that mattered.
"Do you want to walk home?" Azura murmured. "It's a nice night."
"Sure." Felicia smiled shyly.