chance

chapter 2

I immediately open my phone to see hundreds of text messages, ignoring them all I text Holly where I am and to wait for me.
I felt like my nerves were on fire, like I was indestructible. I look around finding a snack table tucked in a dark corner, I help myself to a water. A man in black asks me to follow him. As we walk, I see hundred of pounds worth of electical gear used in sound and lightning. It's difficult to see my surroundings in these shadows, I can hardly see the man's face.
My train of thought is cut off by the sound of Billie and Finneas talking and laughing. We turn the corner and I see the two of them sat comfortably on a black sofa, peaches sat between them.
"Hey Bella!!"
Billie gets up to hug me and points towards another sofa which I gladly sit on.
"You were incredible up there!"
"So were you," I gush, feeling much more shy now that its all starting to set in. I just sung infront of thousands of people alongside Billie Eilish and Finneas O'Connell and now I'm sat backstage with them. Gladly, I ground myself before I pass out or do something embarrassing.
"You know I'd love to sample your voice." Finneas says quietly.
"Really?" I say in utter disbelief.
"Yeah, you've definitely got something, especially alongside Bils"
Billie leans towards me, closing a distance between us that I wasn't aware of.
"For real, I loved your voice"
Totally taken aback I blurt back, "I'd love to"
Finneas returns to his phone, texting or something. While Billie eyes me through hooded lids. Why is she looking at me like that? Breaking the short silence she asks,
"Hey after shows we like to get take out if you'd like to join?"
"I'd love to but I'm meant to go back with my friend, Holly" her face falls momentarily.
"We'll make sure you get back okay and everything if you'd like?"
"Okay, I'll call her and see what she says" which earns a beam from Billie and a glistening diamond in those ocean blue eyes .

I excuse myself out of the room and call Holly.
"AAAHH!!" I pull my ear away from the speaker, " I CAN'T BELIEVE THAT JUST HAPPENED!!!?"
"No me neither, I'm sat backstage with Billie Eilish right now its crazy"
"How was it? Is she really nice? What's Finneas like? What does back stage look like? Did y-"
"Oh my god, breathe Holly! It was incredible and they're both really nice. Oh and peaches is here. Umm and backstage is mostly wires and tech, but never mind that. Finneas wants to sample my voice!!!"
"You're joking! That's unreal, you see I've been trying to tell you you're good all these years"
"I know but I guess, I didn't fully believe it, oh and also, they've invited me to go to dinner with the-"
"You should SO go!!"
Relief washes over me, but to be polite I ask,
"Haven't we got to go home?"
"Bro you just performed with Billie fucking Eilish, go to dinner else I'll kill you!"
"I will you be okay to get back by yourself?"
"Yeah of course, I'll just grab an uber. Now go live my dreams you arsehole. I actually can't believe this"
"No me neither! I love you, message me when you've gotten your uber."
"I will bitch, now go hang out with Billie Eilish!!"
I hang up and put one hand against the wall the other on my forehead as I try to process what the hell just happened. Taking a deep breath I walk back in. Those icy eyes meet mine, and I can't help but smile.
"She said it's okay"
"Ahhh no way, what we feeling tonight?"
Finneas puts down his phone,"could we wait for Claudia? I mean its not like we dont have snacks"
Billie raises an eyebrow at me.
"Of cours-"
I get cut off by shark bounding into the room and into Billie's lap. She begins petting him.
"Come say hi" Billie coos. I reach over and pet the wiggling, grey dog.
"He's so sweet, and so are you peaches!" I give her a bit of attention. And giggle at their slobbery responses.
"How did you find the show?"
"You were incredible, the bad guy performance was so strong"
I felt her eyes examine my face as she spoke, "yeah, we wanted to do it a little differently today. You know sometimes I fear some of the more popular stuff will get boring or something". The pools of blue are still flitting about my face when claudia walks in. She greets us and gives Finneas a swift peck.
" Bella this is Claudia, and vice versa" Finneas smiles.
" Hi its nice to meet you", she reaches to hug me, "I heard you killed it up there"
Her eyes are kind, her hug is comforting, like a big sisters.
"I was so nervous, but I'm so grateful it happened" I say to Claudia, but am directing to the room. Billie winks at me as I retake my seat.
Finneas claps, "so what to we want? Cause I heard theres this new thai pla-"
"Bro we haven't had burritos in ageeesss"
"You always want that, how about Chinese take out?" Billie furrows her brows, opening her mouth to make a rebuttal, with an finger pointed in his direction.
"Will you two stop bickering?" Claudia flashes a stern look, "look we can get both. And Bella, what would you like?"
"Ummm... I'm not fussy. I guess the burrito." I scratch the back of my neck.
"Ha! She likes MY idea" Billie jests. Sticking her tongue out like a fool.
It was cute to see the siblings bicker, its exactly something you'd expect from the two of them.

As the food arrives, Billie asks me what I'm doing at the moment lifewise.
"Well, I'm thinking of applying to college. My parents really want me to do a scientific degree, but I'm just working at the waitress at the moment to save for college or something, I don't know"
" What about your hobbies and stuff?" She says taking a bite out of her bean burrito.
Her stare is so intense, making me feel nervous and fidgety, like butterflies in my stomach. I noticed her eyebrows dip at my hesitation.
" Umm, well I guess I do a bit of music and art"
"Any of your own music?"
"I mean I guess so, I'm not sure if it's any good though."
This drew Finneas from his conversation, "Do you recon I could take a listen at some point?"
"Umm I mean sure"
We continue eating and talking for a while, just enjoying the group dynamic. The siblings asked me interesting questions and talked to me about music, while Claudia sprinkled the conversation with jokes.
"Hey we're probably going to head back in a bit, would you like me to drive you home?" Billie's body is now turned directly towards me, her small frame dominating the space infront of me. Her legs in a comfortable man spread.
"I mean if you don't mind, that would be great"
"Okay I'll go grab my keys" she stands up quickly, my gaze locked on her back. I snap out of it to look at the two dogs asleep on the sofa together, Finneas and Claudia deep in conversation with one another. I took a moment to just breathe, making me realise how tired I really am, afterall it's been a very long day.

Billie calls my name through the door. I say goodbye and thank you to Finneas and Claudia, then follow her call. God this is all so surreal.
She leads me down a long corridor eventually reaching a door. Before opening the door, she places her hand on the small of my back and adjusts her hood and sunglasses. Her black dodge meets my eyes; I can't help but smirk, after all, it is a gorgeous car.
She opens the door for me and leads me in, closing the door carefully behind me. I catch the smell of her brown hair, similar to vanilla.
In the car we continue talking about or lives and our pasts, but I get caught totally off guard;
" And what about your love life? Boyfriend?... Girlfriend?"
Absolutely flabagasted, I turn to look at her where I find her already looking at me.
"Um, not for a while no. What about you?"
"I was for a long time, you might've seen it in the news or something, but I'm over that now"
"That's good to hear"
A comfortable silence drops as she drives, I feel my eyes flutter, then close.

Groggy, I feel an arm shake my own. I open my eyes to see Billie a few inches away from me. Our faces close to touching. I take a moment to look at her face, her lips.
"Hey we're here" she says softly, her eyes grazing down my face, finally resting on my lips. I feel myself crumbling under the intensity of the moment. She licks her lips, I half expect her to lean further forward to allow our lips to connect.
Suddenly, Holly bounds towards the car, babbling at me and Billie. She asks for a photograph and a ton of questions, Billie obliged. We walk up the steps towards the door. Just as we start saying out goodbyes, Billie whispers in my ear, "Text this number later, I'd love to hang out again." She turns and waves before pulling away in her iconic car.
In my hand, I find a note with a number.