Charity//BILLIE EILISH

Chapter 1

1755 words

A/n:

Please comment!! I miss you guyssss

"Don't use this for drugs," a woman says as her single quarter clangs loudly into my can, startling me.

"That wouldn't get me anything good anyway," I mumble to myself as I lean back against the cool cement wall of the designer store behind me.

She stops in her tracks, and instead of entering the store, she marches back, scolding me about talking back and reaching into my can to take her quarter back.

I am actually speechless that she just did that, but I play it off, acting nonchalant as she finishes telling me off and walks into the store.

I've been homeless for a while now, and although I can't say that woman didn't shock me, I have seen almost everything at this point; people yelling at me, telling me not to do drugs, crossing the street, staring, handing me a Bible, all of it. I use the Bible to sit on when my back hurts.

I pull my ratty jacket across my chest as the wind picks up and clouds cover the sun. I shiver, but don't walk the block back to my tent, still hoping for more change before I give up. I've never begged here before for this very reason, it's always shady and windy on this street.

I pull the hood over my head, and as I'm flattening my matted hair underneath, I hear footsteps coming from my right. I look up, hoping it is someone kind, and I am met with the piercing eyes of Billie Eilish.

She has two security guards with her, likely to protect her from people like me. All of the air leaves my lungs, and I can't help but gawk at her. She catches my eye, and I immediately look away, too ashamed to ask someone like her for money.

I watch her Nikes approach me, and they stop in their tracks.

"Hold on," she says quietly, almost to herself.

Still too afraid to look up, I continue to listen.

"Billie," one of her guards says, "Keep moving."

"No, no," she says, "Just one second." I can hear her digging through her purse.

I slowly look up, impressed by her beauty, and see her eyes light up as she finds her wallet. She swiftly opens it and pulls out two twenties. She drops them in my can, saying, "Here you go, Hun."

I almost cry at the kind words, and continue to stare up at her. I muster up a smile, "I- um, I like your outfit."

She smiles back at me, seeming slightly embarrassed, "Thank you."

"You're welcome."

Her guards finally succeed in rushing her on, and the three of them enter the store. I replay the conversation in my mind, momentarily forgetting about my homelessness, forgetting about the wind and the cold, and forgetting about how bad my ass hurts right now. A small, very small, smile even breaks on my lips.

I pull my knees to my chest and hug them to shield myself from the cold.

Around twenty minutes later, the rude woman walks out of the store and holds her chin high as she walks past me. Then, leaves Billie, one of her guards holding a shopping bag for her.

I look into her eyes and smile a larger, genuine smile as she walks by. She sends me a wink, and I internally giggle, but try not to let on that I'm flustered. I watch the group of three walk down the rest of the block and get inside a black SUV.

At that, I stand up, my ass thanking me profusely, and gather my few things, heading back to the encampment in the canyon behind me.

"Hey, Jemma," Don greets as he walks past my tent to his own.