Sibling spotlight - billie and Finneas story

siblings fame

Chapter 7: siblings Fame

After breakfast, Y/N felt a little more grounded, though the heavy cloud hanging over her hadn't completely lifted. But something in Billie and Finneas's words stuck with her-she didn't want to keep spiraling like this. She needed to create again, to find that part of herself that wasn't defined by the noise of the outside world. Maybe, just maybe, writing with her siblings would help bring some of that spark back.

Taking a deep breath, she finally asked, "Would you two help me write a song?"

Both Billie and Finneas looked up, surprised but clearly pleased. It had been days since Y/N had even mentioned writing music, and seeing her take a step forward gave them hope.

"Of course!" Billie said immediately, her face lighting up with a smile. "I'd love to."

"Same here," Finneas added, his voice full of encouragement. "Let's do it. I've got my guitar in the studio."

Y/N nodded, feeling a little lighter as they made their way to the small home studio. It had always been a space of comfort for them, where the three of them would get lost in melodies and lyrics for hours. But today, Y/N felt a subtle pressure that she couldn't shake, despite wanting to feel normal again.

They sat down, Finneas picking up his guitar and Billie settling beside Y/N with a notepad. "So, do you have anything in mind?" Billie asked, her pen poised over the paper.

Y/N nodded, pulling out her notebook with the half-written lyrics from earlier. "I started something, but I couldn't finish it," she admitted, her voice quiet. "Maybe we could build on this?"

Billie took the notebook, scanning the lyrics. "This is really good, Y/N," she said, her voice soft but sincere. "I can see where you're going with this."

Finneas strummed a few chords on the guitar, nodding along. "Yeah, this could totally work. Let's play around with it and see what we come up with."

For the next half hour, they worked together, adding lines, tweaking melodies, and bouncing ideas back and forth. Y/N could feel a small part of her creative energy returning, and for a while, the familiar rhythm of songwriting flowed naturally. It felt good-like she was finally reconnecting with the part of herself she thought she'd lost.

But then, halfway through, as Billie suggested a new lyric and Finneas played a soft melody that made the whole thing come together, something inside Y/N shifted.

Suddenly, it wasn't just her song anymore. It was theirs.

And that's when the doubt crept back in.

Y/N's mind started to wander, and the words they'd just written seemed to blur. All she could think about was how she didn't belong in this space-not really. Billie and Finneas were the ones with the talent, the ones who had earned their fame. They didn't need her. She was just... there. Riding on their success, using their creativity because she couldn't do it on her own.

She glanced down at the lyrics they had written together, the song that now felt less like hers and more like another collaboration between Billie and Finneas. Her heart sank. Was she just stealing their spotlight?

What if people thought she couldn't do it without them? What if they said she was only good because her siblings had carried her the whole way? The imagined comments started swirling in her head again, louder this time.

"She's just a shadow of Billie and Finneas."

"She'd be nothing without them."

"This is all their work anyway. She's just using their fame."

The room seemed to close in around her as the doubts tightened their grip. She hadn't noticed how quiet she had become until Finneas's voice broke through her thoughts.

"Y/N?" He looked up from the guitar, concern crossing his face. "You good? You kind of drifted off there."

Y/N blinked, forcing herself to focus, but her stomach twisted, and the weight of her thoughts kept pulling her under. She nodded quickly, trying to shake it off. "Yeah, sorry. I just... spaced out for a second."

But Billie wasn't convinced. She'd seen this look before, the way Y/N's energy faded and her eyes turned distant. "Are you sure? You've been really quiet all of a sudden."

Y/N swallowed, feeling her throat tighten. How could she explain it? How could she tell them that despite everything, she still felt like she didn't belong, like this wasn't really her song anymore?

She glanced at the notebook in front of her, the lyrics staring back at her like they didn't belong to her at all. "I don't know," she admitted, her voice barely above a whisper. "I just... feel like I'm not doing enough. Like this isn't really my song anymore."

Finneas frowned, setting the guitar down. "What are you talking about? We're just helping you. This is your song. We're just adding ideas."

Billie nodded, her voice soft and reassuring. "You're leading this, Y/N. We're just here to support you. It's still your vision."

But Y/N shook her head, the doubts too loud to ignore now. "It doesn't feel that way. It feels like I'm just... using you guys. Like I can't do this on my own, and people are going to see that. They're going to say I only write good songs because you're helping me. And maybe they're right."

Finneas's face softened as he realized what was happening. "Y/N, that's not true. You're talented, and you don't need us to prove that."

Billie put a hand on Y/N's arm, her eyes filled with understanding. "I get it. I know what it's like to feel like you're not enough, but trust me-you are. And you don't have to do this alone to prove that. Getting help doesn't make your music any less yours."

Y/N looked down at her hands, her mind still racing. She wanted to believe them. She wanted to trust that her music was hers, even with their help. But the fear of being seen as just Billie and Finneas's little sister, of being overshadowed by their talent, was so overwhelming.

"I just don't want to be a shadow," Y/N whispered, her voice breaking.

"You're not a shadow," Finneas said firmly, his hand on her shoulder. "You're your own person, and your music is yours. No one else can take that away from you. Not the comments, not the haters. No one."

Billie leaned in closer, her voice gentle but steady. "You're more than what they say, Y/N. And you're more than just our sister. You're an artist. You don't have to prove that to anyone but yourself."

Y/N's chest tightened, but something about their words made her feel just a little lighter. She wasn't sure if she fully believed them yet, but maybe, just maybe, she could start to.

She took a deep breath, looking at the notebook again. "Okay," she said softly. "I'll try."

And for now, trying was enough.