BLUEPRINTS || Billie Eilish

X-ray

Kai woke up to the now-familiar throb in her back, a constant reminder of the accident. The pain hadn't lessened in the three days since she'd been stuck in bed, and if anything, it had only gotten worse. Every shift in position sent a dull ache radiating through her lower spine. She sighed, staring up at the ceiling, willing the soreness to fade. But she couldn't afford another day lying around; she needed to get back to work soon, despite how her body protested.

Two days ago, she had visited the doctor after the pain had become too much to bear. She'd been convinced something serious was wrong, but after a thorough examination, the doctor had assured her that there were no broken bones—just severe bruising from her fall. "Just soreness," he'd said, as if that would make it easier to endure.

Kai shifted, her muscles stiff as she pushed herself up in bed, feeling the strain with every movement. Her phone was on the bedside table, and she grabbed it instinctively, the screen lighting up with notifications. She scrolled through them, her heart sinking as she saw a missed call from her mom. The last thing she wanted to do was call her back. She loved her mother, but the energy it took to talk to her always felt like too much, she only called when she needed something.

She hesitated, her thumb hovering over the voicemail icon, before scrolling past the missed call to the texts. As usual, her dad had sent a series of messages, each one more impatient than the last, concerned about the progress of their work. Kai sighed. He was always like this, focused on the job, the deadlines, the reputation of the company. Sometimes it felt like he forgot she was his daughter and not just another worker on his crew.

But then, as her finger moved down the list, she spotted a text from Billie. The sight of it made her pause, her stomach flipping unexpectedly. She was about to open it, curious about what Billie had sent, when another chat caught her eye. It was from the guy she'd been talking to—Aiden,
still stuck on 'delivered.' He hadn't replied in days. A familiar frustration bubbled up inside her, and Kai clenched her jaw. He always did this, vanishing without explanation, leaving her hanging. It made her feel like she wasn't worth his time, like she was always the one chasing him, waiting for a scrap of attention.

She rolled her eyes and dropped the phone onto the bed beside her. "I'm done with him," she muttered under her breath, though even she knew that wasn't true. She was never done. The thought gnawed at her, making her feel even more unsettled. Being stuck at home, alone with her thoughts, only made it worse. She couldn't stop wondering why she wasn't good enough for him, why he always treated her like an afterthought.

Kai rubbed her temples, forcing the negative thoughts away. Sitting around feeling sorry for herself wasn't going to help. She needed to get out of the house, back to work. Without thinking twice, she grabbed her phone again and called her dad.

Miguel answered immediately, his voice brisk, as always. "Mija, how are you feeling?"

"Morning, Papi," Kai said, her voice rough with sleep. She stretched, wincing at the pull in her back. "I'm doing... better, I guess."

"What did the doctor say?" There was concern in his voice, but as always, it was layered beneath the business tone he rarely dropped.

Kai shifted uncomfortably in bed, pressing a hand to her sore lower back. "The X-ray didn't show anything serious. The doctor said it's just a lot of bruising and muscle strain. I'll be sore for a while, but nothing's broken."

"You need to be more careful, mija," Miguel said, his voice tinged with disappointment. "We can't afford accidents like this. It doesn't just slow us down—it reflects on the company. People notice things like this."

Kai rolled her eyes, already anticipating the lecture that was coming. "I know, Papi. I get it. Being the face of the company and all that fun stuff," she said, her voice dripping with sarcasm.