Fluffy/deep-ish NaLu 2-3 shot for the amazing WATER! Or cakelover2468 on this site. Her stories are amazing, go check them out!

Heavily influenced by LoneStorm's "Painted Blind", Prom and Prejudice by Elizabeth Eulberg, and the Bratz movie.

It is also more tell than show.

I regret nothing.

Lucy watched her finger as they flew across the ivory keys, her muscles taking over, her mind in another place. The music thrummed out of the piano, floating into the air of the secluded practice room.

The her fingers drew closer and closer, and she tried to crossover.

She winced even before the sound hit the air.

It was a horrid, jumbled crashing noise as her fingers ran together.

Lucy groaned, pulling her knees up to her chest and hiding her face in them.

"That was awful." Lucy moaned.

"No, it wasn't! It was amazing-" Mavis began cheerfully, until Lucy cut her off.

"Until the end…"

"You've got some time before the audition, you'll get it!"

Lucy looked at her friend. "I'm not going to get it."

"Yes you will!" Mavis said. "You've got three months, and that means you can perfect it!"

"Juilliard is so…Juilliard… and I'm not sure that I even want to go." Lucy said.

"What? Why?" Mavis cried.

"Well, I'm not sure I want to leave all familiarity to go to a strange university where I know absolutely no one. I'd miss my friends, and I'd be surrounded by snobby musicians like myself." Lucy said.

"Aw, Lu-chan, I'd miss you too!"

Levy waltzed into the practice room, making it rather cramped.

"But it's Juilliard!" Mavis persisted.

"And we'd still be best friends!" Levy exclaimed. "No matter where you are!"

Just then, the bell rang, sparing Lucy from saying anything else.

"C'mon, let's go." Mavis said.

Levy squealed. "First day of school Lu-chan!"

First day of senior year.

Lucy and Mavis had decided to come early to catch up with their friends, but they had ended up in the band practice room, working on her audition piece.

"Aren't you excited?" Levy asked.

"Sort of…" Lucy muttered.

Her music, her audition it was everything she had. Her music, Juilliard, it might make her someone. But she might like being no one.

"Okay, Lu-chan, I'm going to math. See you in English?" Levy asked.

"Yes, go to Calculus III you nerd." Lucy teased.

"See you later." Levy laughed.

Lucy walked down the hall, clutching her Biotech book to her chest.

As she walked, she caught a few strains of music. She followed her ears to the door of the band room.

The last few notes of a Bach sonata rang out, clear, until a note of discord twangs out.

The conductor stops the orchestra, and begins calling out the kid who made the mistake.

Lucy turned to leave-

And promptly fell to the ground as someone crashed into her.

Picking herself off of the ground, she began gathering up her things.

She looked up at the boy who had bowled her over. He seemed to be new.

He had on a varsity jacket and had shocking pink hair.

As he looked up, Lucy tried to ignore the little skip-beat of her heart.

"Watch it! Are you blind or something?" Lucy snarked.

He watched her for a moment, saying nothing.

He moved his hands to his mouth, his eyes, his ears.

"What?" Lucy asked, confused.

"I am deaf. Not blind." He said slowly, doing repeating the movements he had just made, which Lucy now recognized as sign language.

"I-I…" Lucy stuttered.

"Whatever." The boy muttered.

He picked up his textbook and walked off, his backpack slung over one shoulder.

Lucy watched him go, feeling as though she had just made a huge mistake.