Sibling spotlight - billie and Finneas story

The innocence fades

Chapter 39: The Innocence Fades

Y/N stirred slightly, her body shifting in her sleep. Finneas and Billie watched quietly as she pressed herself further into the side of the sofa, almost as if she were trying to disappear into the cushions. Her small frame seemed tense, and every inch of her seemed to scream discomfort—even though she was fast asleep.

Billie frowned, her heart sinking as she recalled the innocent moment earlier when Y/N had been happily drawing, her giggles filling the room like they used to when she was a kid. The contrast between that carefree moment and what they were witnessing now was heartbreaking. Just hours ago, Y/N had been wrapped up in her sketchbook, lost in the safety of her art. Now, her body language screamed fear and anxiety.

"How did it get to this?" Billie whispered, her voice thick with emotion.

Finneas sighed, rubbing his temples in frustration. "That one comment, Billie. It’s always just one that sticks. It digs deep and refuses to let go."

They both knew what had triggered it—the toxic words she had been bombarded with online. One hateful comment had the power to unravel all the good, all the innocence. Y/N was only sixteen, and no matter how strong she pretended to be, she was still so vulnerable. She shouldn’t have to be dealing with this—none of them should.

“She was so happy earlier,” Billie muttered, her voice catching in her throat. “Drawing, laughing, acting like a kid again. I thought… I thought maybe we were turning a corner.”

Finneas clenched his jaw, looking at his sister. “It only takes one thing to pull her back into that dark place. No matter how much we try to distract her, she’s always carrying it with her.”

Billie swallowed hard, her gaze returning to Y/N, still pressed as far as she could into the couch as if trying to hide from the world. The sight was too much to bear. “She’s a kid,” she whispered, more to herself than to Finneas. “She shouldn’t have to deal with this. It’s not fair.”

“I know,” Finneas said softly. “But we can’t fix it overnight. We can only be here for her, keep watching, and help her through it.”

Billie leaned back, sighing deeply. “We were supposed to make music tonight, remember?”

“Yeah,” Finneas replied, his voice distant. “But...”

Billie shook her head before he could finish. “But it doesn’t feel right, does it? Not when she’s like this.”

Finneas nodded in agreement. “Yeah. I’d rather keep an eye on her, just in case. Let’s just focus on her tonight.”

They settled into the sofa, watching Y/N sleep fitfully, her body language making it clear that she was far from peaceful. Finneas couldn’t shake the feeling of helplessness. Y/N wasn’t just avoiding cuddling them; she was physically pushing herself away, retreating into herself. And it wasn’t just about the comments anymore—it was about how those words had seeped into every part of her mind, making her feel isolated even when she wasn’t alone.

Billie rested her head in her hands, her frustration evident. “I hate this. I hate that she feels like this. What can we even do?”

“We can be here,” Finneas said quietly, watching Y/N’s subtle movements. “That’s all we can do right now. Just be here when she wakes up.”

They sat in the dim room, the glow of the TV playing in the background, their focus entirely on Y/N. Her subconscious actions—the way she buried herself into the cushions, the way her face twitched as if she were trapped in a nightmare—it all screamed how much she was suffering inside.

“Let’s just see how the night goes,” Billie finally said after a long pause. “We’ll keep an eye on her. If she wakes up… maybe she’ll talk to us.”

Finneas nodded, though doubt lingered in the air. He wasn’t sure if Y/N would talk—she had already started to shut them out, little by little. But they couldn’t give up. They wouldn’t.

As the night dragged on, they both remained on high alert, their hearts heavy with the knowledge that their sister, so young and innocent, was slipping deeper into a place they weren’t sure how to pull her from.