Sibling spotlight - billie and Finneas story

panic attack

Chapter 12: panic attack

The car moved through the city streets, the noise of the crowd fading behind them. But inside, the air felt thick, suffocating, and Y/N could feel her chest tightening with every passing second. She stared out the window, watching the buildings blur past, but her mind was racing.

She tried to focus on the soft hum of the engine, on the steady presence of Billie beside her, but her thoughts spiraled out of control. The moment with the fan replayed in her head over and over again—just with you though—the words seeping into her like poison.

It wasn’t just the fan. It was everything. The constant comparisons, the feeling of being in her siblings’ shadow, the pressure to be someone she wasn’t. All of it was crashing down on her at once, and no matter how hard she tried to push it away, it was too much.

Her breathing quickened. She could feel her heart pounding, racing so fast it made her head spin. She clenched her hands into fists, trying to steady herself, but it wasn’t working. The panic was rising, overwhelming her, and she didn’t know how to stop it.

Billie was talking to Finneas in the front seat, their conversation a distant hum in the background. They hadn’t noticed yet. Y/N didn’t want them to notice—she didn’t want to make a scene. But her chest was tightening, her vision blurring at the edges. She was gasping for air, but it felt like she couldn’t get enough.

Suddenly, the car slowed down as they hit a red light, and a flash of cameras caught her eye. She looked out the window, and her heart sank. Paparazzi had spotted them again, trailing the car, their cameras ready. They were snapping photos through the glass, the bright flashes disorienting her even more.

They can see me.

Her hands started to shake uncontrollably. She pulled her hoodie tighter around her, trying to hide her face, but the cameras kept flashing. They were capturing everything—her panic, her fear—and it made her feel exposed, like she was falling apart in front of the whole world.

Billie finally noticed. “Y/N?” Her voice was soft but urgent. “Hey, what’s going on?”

Y/N shook her head, unable to speak. She couldn’t catch her breath, her chest squeezing so tight it hurt. She felt like she was drowning, and the flashes of cameras outside only made it worse.

Billie quickly unbuckled her seatbelt, moving closer to Y/N, her hands gently gripping her sister’s arms. “Hey, hey, it’s okay. Just breathe, okay? Breathe with me.”

Y/N tried to focus on Billie’s voice, but it was hard to hear anything over the rush of panic in her ears. She felt tears welling up in her eyes, but she didn’t want to cry—not in front of Billie, not in front of the cameras.

Finneas turned around from the front seat, his expression shifting from confusion to concern as he saw the state Y/N was in. “Pull over,” he told the driver. “We need to stop for a minute.”

The driver nodded, quickly pulling the car to the side of the road. The paparazzi followed, their cameras still flashing from the other side of the glass. But Billie was focused entirely on Y/N, her hands steady as she guided her little sister’s trembling ones.

“Close your eyes,” Billie said softly. “Don’t look at them. Just focus on me, okay? Breathe in… and out.”

Y/N squeezed her eyes shut, trying to match Billie’s breaths, but the panic was still there, gnawing at her insides. The flashes from outside burned through her closed eyelids, and she could hear the muffled voices of the paparazzi, shouting their names, trying to get a reaction.

Finneas was on his phone, speaking quickly to someone—probably their security team—but Y/N couldn’t focus on his words. All she could feel was the overwhelming sense of fear, the weight of the world pressing down on her, and the cameras capturing every second of it.

“Y/N, listen to me,” Billie’s voice cut through the noise. “You’re safe. You’re here with us. Just breathe, okay? You’re not alone.”

Slowly, Y/N’s breaths began to even out, though they were still shaky. The tightness in her chest loosened just a little, and the world didn’t feel as dizzying as it had moments before. She focused on Billie’s hand gripping hers, the steady warmth of her touch grounding her.

The paparazzi outside were relentless, but Y/N didn’t open her eyes. She didn’t want to see them. She didn’t want to know that they were capturing her at her lowest moment.

Finneas finished his call and turned back to them. “Security’s coming. They’ll clear them out soon.”

Billie nodded, still focused on Y/N. “You’re okay,” she whispered. “We’ve got you.”

Y/N opened her eyes slowly, her vision still a bit blurred from the tears, but she could see Billie’s face—calm, determined, and filled with concern. It helped. Just seeing her sister, knowing she was there, helped more than Y/N could put into words.

“I’m sorry,” Y/N croaked, her voice barely audible.

Billie shook her head. “Don’t apologize. You don’t have to apologize for this. You’re allowed to feel this way. We’re going to get through it together.”

Y/N nodded weakly, still feeling fragile, but a little more stable with Billie and Finneas by her side. The flashes outside continued, but the noise felt more distant now, like it wasn’t as powerful as it had been before.

The panic was still there, lingering just beneath the surface, but Y/N knew she wasn’t alone. And for now, that was enough.