Malware | Billie Eilish

One

"Yo. Chill out. We're still on the ground," I reassure Marcus.

"Nah, Nah," he breathes. "I cannot chill this shit is so nerve-racking man."

"I assure you we gonna be fine."

Marcus clicks his tongue. "And how are you so sure?"

"Watch," I hold up my pointer finger. I pull out my phone and open a search engine. "Channelnewasia.com says that it's 1 in 188,364 probability of a plane crash. We're gonna make it to Paris just fine."

"That's a buncha bullshit-to-the-bull," he snarks. "Lemme see," Marcus takes my phone from my hands. "Ah man," he sighs. "Whatever. Some internet site don't know nothin'. Anything can happen."

"We're gonna be good," I reassure one more time. He only grips the armrest harder.

"I'm takin' melatonin and knocking myself out, bro. No way I'm staying conscious for this nightmare." Marcus reaches into his backpack and removes a bottle of melatonin. A natural sleep inducer.

"Can I cop one?" I ask.

"Bet. I'm taking two to speed up the process," he hands me a small, white tablet. "It's chewable," he adds while throwing the pill into his mouth.

I put the pill in between my teeth and slowly chew it. It tastes like artificial strawberries. I exhale deeply before closing my eyes and leaning my head back.

"Now why are you so stressed?" Marcus asks.

"Why do you think I'm stressed?"

"You did that sigh. That stupid long sigh you do when you're stressed."

"Oh fuck off," I open my eyes and hit the side of his arm playfully. "I don't know. It's really fucking irritating to have Millinieum High here as well. They take up space and it's like all of my competitors."

"Amira, come on. You gotta get over this shit. We're not fourteen anymore, you can't hate them cause they're they competing school."

"But! You know how it is with basketball... I like to win. And they're the best team in the district. They won last season bro, I can't let that go."

"High school basketball is not that important in the long run," he chuckles.

"Yeah, well it's important to me right now," I grumble while crossing my arms.

"The season is over, Amira. Let the grudge go. You'll feel better after you do."

I roll my eyes in annoyance. "Yeah once that fucking bitch Billie steps off this plane I'll let the grudge go."

"Oh god not this again," he mutters.

"She stole my winning shot! She's the reason we lost the season! She's always the reason we fucking lose. She's selfish and stuck up and just plain rude," I begin to ramble.

"She doesn't know when to quit and plays those stupid pranks on my team! Like the time she and her team warmed up chocolate protein bars and scattered them in our lockerroom. It looked like there were pieces of dog shit everywhere! Everyone was freaking out then she comes in laughing with the rest of em'. She's a child. A literal fucking 12-year-old trapped in an 18-year-old body," I say. "That's not even that funny of a prank! And it ruined my best pair of shorts after someone left one on em'."

"Lord, I pray that Amira's melatonin will quick in the next thirty seconds so she'll stop being her angsty self. Or I might just walk off this plane. Amen," Marcus holds his hands in a praying position.

"Get outta here," I push at his hands.

"I gotta admit, that prank was kinda funny," he giggles.

"You're a dick, you know that?"

He smiles at me, "I do actually."

"Try to chill a little, Amira. I know it's stressful having the competing school also here n' stuff. But come on! It's our senior trip! Let's make the most of it."

"Yeah," I shrug. "You have a point."

"Here," he offers me an earbud. "Relax." I take the left one and stick it into my ear. Apocalypse Dreams by Tame Impala streams through the bud. I close my eyes and attempt to calm down my anger. I lean against Marcus' shoulder. His head comes down on mine as well.

Being a hotheaded person, it's easy for me to lose my shit. Lucky for me, I don't know where Billie sits on this plane right now. Otherwise, I'd probably lose it and shout something rude at her.

The airdrop sound interrupts the music.

"The fuck?" Marcus curses. He unlocks his phone to see an airdrop request from the name "Billie's iPhone." He accepts it.

A picture opens of me and him sitting together sharing the earbuds. My head slightly laying on his shoulder.

"What the fuck is this?" Marcus snorts.

"We all know y'all fuckin'!" A voice shouts from behind us.

I turn around abruptly and look down the aisle. A head of dark blue hair staring at me. Phone in hand.

"Just admit it already!" She laughs.

It's Billie O'Connell.

Her eyes meet mine in a demeaning stare. A smirk pulled across her face as her tongue licks her lips. She can't help but chuckle then purse her lips out.

"Grow up," I spit. "Also get a new joke, I'm fucking sick of that one."

She rolls her eyes, pulls her bottom lip in between her lips, looks me up and down then scoffs with a slight shake of the head. I ignore her rude body language.

I turn to Marcus. "She won't ever fucking stop, won't she?" I mutter.

"You do the same shit to her, you're feeding it," he points out.

"I'm just not in the mood for her bullshit right now." I take his earbud and continue the music. "Plus, does she still not understand that I like girls and you're ace? She's got an IQ of negative eight, I swear," I scoff. "Literally everyone else on this fucking plane knows that. Yet, she continues to harass me with that stupid, fucking joke."

"Shhhhhhh," Marcus brings his index finger up to my lips. "Ignore her."

I remove his hand. "Fine," I grumble. "Her face is just so punchable-"

"Mmmmm can't hear you. This melatonin is really working, huh," Marcus closes his eyes in an attempt to drown me out.

"One week," he adds. "Only one week with her and the rest of Millenium. It'll be over before you know it."

"Right, just one week. What could go wrong, right?"