Let The Games Begin // Billie Eilish

Chapter 14

The silence is deafening. I stand there for a few moments, embarrassed by the fact that I'm so affected by this situation.

I realise that I don't actually know Billie at all. I have no idea what her life was like before being selected for The Games, except for the fact that it was 'bleak'. I shouldn't have these unrealistic expectations of her to be loyal to me. If anything, I feel stupid for reacting like this. I guess the stress of it all has been bubbling up inside me for a while now, and this was just my tipping point.

"You're right." I say quietly. "I don't mean to get so upset, I think I'm just really tired and stressed and I miss my family and I hate it here and I want to go home." I choke out, before sobs start spilling out of me.

Billie looks extremely uncomfortable at the sight of me crying uncontrollably. She just stands there, a look of panic shading her eyes as if she doesn't know what to do.

"It's-um-you're-you're good." She responds nervously. Meanwhile, I physically cannot stop the tears from coming.

This is absolutely humiliating. Here I am stood in front of my new partner crying my eyes out.

Before I know it, the thought of me having a massive meltdown in front of the most intimidating person I know becomes absolutely hilarious to me, and my sobs are replaced by cackles.

Billie, now looking more uncomfortable than ever, starts chuckling along nervously with me while scratching the back of her head. I've never seen her look so scared, which only makes me laugh more.

"You-you must be regretting picking me to be your partner now!" I laugh loudly. We stand there for about a minute, me laughing to myself while Billie stands there awkwardly not knowing how to react.

Eventually, I manage to calm myself down and start rubbing the tears of laughter away from my eyes.

"I'm sorry, I don't even know why I'm laughing. I'm such a mess." I chuckle.

"Are you ok? Do you need, like, water or something?" She asks anxiously.

"No, no I'm good thanks." I smile.

"Hey, um, I really am sorry. I hope you believe me, I never was gonna partner with Milaus, ok?" She says, her eyebrows raised in anticipation of my response.

"It's ok. It just sounded really bad from where I was standing."

"Yeah, God, it probably sounded terrible." She laughs, genuinely this time.

"It really did." I burst out laughing again.

Oh no.

All of a sudden, we both stand in the middle of the dorm room cackling at each other. Billies shoulders are shaking up and down as voluminous laughs escape her mouth, while i crouch down on the floor, unable to catch my breath. Neither of us can stop as we just stay there laughing at absolutely nothing.

This lasts for about 5 minutes until we are both lying down on the floor, finally calming ourselves down.

"You know what, Cove?" Billie speaks up while sprawled out like a starfish

"What?" I question.

"I haven't laughed like that in years."

I think for a moment.

"You know, I don't think I have either."

~

"I just cannot get over the fact that you guys a partners. You really had me fooled!" James says as he shovels some cereal into his mouth.

Myself, James, Audrey, Matthew and Billie are seated together in the dining hall for breakfast. Billie normally sits with Milaus or Nikki for meals, but today she surprised us all when she tamely approached our table and sat down beside me.