Sibling spotlight - billie and Finneas story

The fans

Y/N leaned her head against the cool glass of the car window, the hum of the engine soothing the headache that had been growing for hours. Another day, another event. Billie sat beside her, eyes closed and earbuds in, no doubt in her zone, prepping herself for the red carpet ahead. Finneas, ever calm and composed, sat in the front seat, chatting with their manager about last-minute details.

But Y/N couldn’t zone out, no matter how hard she tried. Her heart was racing, her stomach a tangled mess of nerves. She didn’t want to be here. The flashing cameras, the prying eyes, the inevitable flood of fan edits and comments that would follow—she wasn’t made for this.

"Hey, you okay?" Billie’s voice pulled her from her thoughts. Her older sister had taken out one earbud and was looking at her with concern, her blue eyes soft.

Y/N nodded, forcing a smile. "Yeah, just tired."

Billie didn’t look convinced, but before she could press further, the car pulled to a stop. Y/N’s heart sank. The faint sound of screaming fans reached her ears, and her pulse quickened.

"We’re here," Finneas announced, turning to glance back at her. "You’ve got this, Y/N. Just stick with us."

Stick with us. Easier said than done. She admired how effortlessly Billie and Finneas could handle the spotlight, how they seemed to glow under the attention. But for Y/N, every camera pointed her way felt like a spotlight burning her skin.

The door swung open, and the screams grew louder. Billie stepped out first, flashing a casual wave and a grin that sent the crowd into a frenzy. Then Finneas, cool and collected as ever.

Y/N took a deep breath, willing herself to keep it together, and followed.

The moment she stepped out, the flashes exploded in front of her. The noise, the lights—it was all too much. Y/N’s hands clenched into fists by her side as she fought the overwhelming urge to run. Just breathe. You’ve done this before. You’ll be fine.

But the voices in her head didn’t help as much as she hoped. As they walked down the red carpet, Billie and Finneas seamlessly navigating interviews and posing for photos, Y/N felt more like an outsider than ever. She plastered a polite smile on her face, nodding and smiling at the cameras when she needed to, but inside, her chest was tight, her throat dry.

She caught a glimpse of herself on one of the big screens, standing just a step behind Billie and Finneas, and the image felt like a punch to the gut. She looked like she didn’t belong—awkward, out of place, and drowning in her siblings' shadow.

It wasn’t that she didn’t love them—God, she did. Making music with them was one of the few things that kept her grounded. But this—this life, the fame, the attention—was suffocating.

After what felt like hours, they finally made it inside. Y/N exhaled the breath she hadn’t realized she’d been holding.

"You did great," Finneas said, giving her a reassuring smile as they moved through the crowd.

Y/N just nodded, but inside, she didn’t feel great. She felt like she was falling apart.

She slipped away from Billie and Finneas as they were pulled into conversations, needing a moment to herself. Finding a quiet corner near the back of the venue, she leaned against the wall, staring down at her phone. Notifications were already flooding in—comments, edits, people dissecting every move she made, every expression she wore.

Y/N looks so uncomfortable, why is she even there?

She’s not as cool as Billie or Finneas.

She’s just trying too hard.

Y/N’s hand tightened around her phone, her eyes stinging with unshed tears. She didn’t ask for any of this. She just wanted to make music. Why wasn’t that enough?

She swallowed hard, shoving her phone back into her pocket. The night had barely begun, and already she felt like she was at her breaking point.

"Hey," Billie’s voice came from behind her, soft and concerned. "You sure you're okay?"

Y/N turned, forcing another smile. "Yeah, just needed a second."

Billie’s gaze lingered on her for a moment before she nodded. "Alright. But if you need more than a second, just let me know. You don’t have to do this if you don’t want to."

Y/N appreciated Billie’s words, but they didn’t change the fact that she was here, and the world was watching.