Sibling spotlight - billie and Finneas story

Pain between the notes

Chapter 6: pain Between the Notes

The morning sun streamed through the windows, casting soft rays across Y/N’s room. She sat at her desk, a notebook open in front of her, pen in hand. The page was blank except for a few scribbled lines, lyrics that once felt promising but now seemed hollow.

Y/N stared down at the words, her hand frozen mid-sentence. She wanted to write. She needed to write. But every time she tried, the same intrusive thoughts crept in—what people would say about the song, the comments they’d make, the way they’d pick apart every word, every note.

“She’s only famous because of her siblings.”

“She’s not talented; she’s just riding their coattails.”

“I bet she doesn’t even write her own music.”

Y/N’s chest tightened as the imagined criticisms swirled in her mind. It was like she could already hear them, voices shouting at her from all corners of the internet, tearing her apart before she’d even finished a single verse. Her hand hovered over the page, but the inspiration she’d once felt was gone, suffocated by the weight of everyone’s expectations.

She set the pen down, defeated. The joy she used to feel while writing music seemed distant now, replaced by anxiety and doubt. What was the point if people were just going to hate her for it? If they were going to turn her passion into another thing to attack?

She closed the notebook and pushed it away, her heart sinking as she did. The emptiness she’d been trying to shake only deepened, leaving her feeling more lost than before.

There was a soft knock on the door, and Finneas’s voice called from the hallway. “Y/N? Breakfast’s ready.”

Y/N didn’t respond right away. She wasn’t hungry. In fact, the thought of food made her feel nauseous, like there was a knot in her stomach that wouldn’t untangle. She heard Finneas knock again, this time a bit louder.

“You coming?” he asked, his tone still gentle but now laced with concern.

Y/N swallowed hard, forcing herself to stand. She didn’t want to worry her siblings, but pretending everything was fine was getting harder each day. She glanced at the notebook one last time before leaving it behind, closing the door as if to shut out the weight of her unspoken words.

In the kitchen, Billie and Finneas were already sitting at the table, plates of eggs and toast in front of them. Billie glanced up as Y/N walked in, offering her a small smile. “Morning, sleepyhead.”

Y/N tried to smile back, but it didn’t reach her eyes. She sat down at the table, her chair scraping against the floor, but didn’t touch the plate of food Finneas had set out for her.

Finneas noticed right away, his gaze flickering between Y/N and her untouched breakfast. “Not hungry?”

Y/N shook her head. “No, I’m good.”

Billie raised an eyebrow. “You haven’t eaten since dinner last night. You should at least have something.”

Y/N pushed her food around with her fork, her appetite completely gone. “I’m fine, really.”

Finneas exchanged a worried glance with Billie. They both knew something was off, but neither pushed her right away. Instead, they tried to keep things light, talking about upcoming projects and random stories from the road.

But Y/N wasn’t really listening. Her mind was still back in her room, thinking about the half-written lyrics in her notebook, the song she couldn’t bring herself to finish. She used to love writing with Finneas and Billie, the three of them coming together to create something special. But lately, every time she tried, all she could hear were the voices of strangers, criticizing and tearing her down.

Her siblings hadn’t noticed that she’d stopped writing. They didn’t know she hadn’t touched her guitar in days or that the lyrics in her head were fading. Y/N had always been able to lose herself in music, but now it felt like even that was slipping away.

Billie’s voice snapped her out of her thoughts. “Y/N, are you okay?”

She looked up, realizing both Billie and Finneas were staring at her, their faces full of concern.

“Huh? Yeah, I’m fine,” Y/N said quickly, but her voice sounded unconvincing, even to herself.

Billie’s eyes narrowed. “You don’t seem fine. You’ve been quiet, and you’re not eating. What’s going on?”

Y/N bit her lip, unsure of what to say. How could she explain the constant anxiety that gnawed at her every time she tried to create something new? How could she tell them that she was afraid—afraid that whatever she made would never be good enough, that the world would never see her for who she really was?

“I just… I don’t know,” Y/N said finally, her voice small. “I’m just tired, I guess.”

Finneas leaned forward, his tone soft but serious. “Is it about the comments again? Because if it is, we can—”

“No,” Y/N interrupted, shaking her head. “It’s not just that. It’s everything. It’s like… no matter what I do, it’s not enough. Every time I try to write or play music, I just freeze. I can’t even think straight anymore.”

Billie frowned, her worry deepening. “Why didn’t you tell us? We could’ve helped.”

“I didn’t want to make a big deal out of it,” Y/N muttered, her fingers nervously tracing the edge of her plate. “You two have so much going on, and I didn’t want to add more stress.”

Finneas sighed, his expression softening. “Y/N, you don’t have to carry this alone. If you’re struggling, you have to talk to us. We’re here for you.”

Billie nodded, reaching out to gently squeeze Y/N’s hand. “You’re not just ‘Billie and Finneas’s little sister.’ You’re a musician, an artist in your own right. You can’t let the noise drown that out.”

Y/N swallowed hard, her eyes stinging with unshed tears. “I just don’t know if I’m cut out for this anymore. It’s so hard to keep going when it feels like everyone’s waiting for me to fail.”

Billie’s gaze softened even more, and she squeezed Y/N’s hand tighter. “You’re not going to fail, Y/N. Not as long as you keep believing in yourself—and we believe in you, even if you don’t right now.”

Finneas nodded, his voice steady. “We’ll help you find your way back. But you’ve got to take care of yourself first. No more skipping meals, okay? You need to be strong for you—not just for the music, but for yourself.”

Y/N looked down at her plate, the knot in her stomach still there but softened by their words. She hadn’t realized just how much she’d been holding in until now.

With a small, shaky breath, she finally picked up her fork. “I’ll try.”

As she took a small bite, Billie and Finneas exchanged relieved glances. It wasn’t much, but it was a start. And right now, that was all they could ask for.