Sibling spotlight - billie and Finneas story

fake

Y/N sat there, the guitar resting on her lap, fingers hovering above the strings, hesitant. Finneas strummed a few more chords, looking over at her, waiting for her to jump in. Billie hummed softly, tapping her foot to the rhythm, trying to keep the mood light.

Y/N forced herself to start playing, strumming awkwardly. The melody was off, the rhythm shaky. She felt the disconnect with every note, like her body was going through the motions, but her heart wasn’t in it.

“Yeah, that’s good!” Billie said, her voice a little too cheerful. “I like where you’re going with that.”

Finneas nodded, adding, “Yeah, Y/N, it’s got a vibe. We can work with this.”

But Y/N could see through it—she could hear it. They were trying too hard to make it sound like she was doing something right, but it was a mess. She wasn’t stupid. She knew what good music sounded like, and this wasn’t it.

“Stop,” Y/N snapped, her voice sharper than she intended. Both Billie and Finneas looked at her in surprise.

“What?” Billie asked, her eyebrows raised in concern.

“Just stop pretending like it’s good,” Y/N said, frustration bubbling to the surface. She set the guitar down with more force than necessary, the strings buzzing out an unpleasant noise. “You’re being fake. It sounds like crap, and you know it.”

Finneas opened his mouth to protest, but Y/N wasn’t done. “I don’t need you both acting like I’m doing great when I’m not. It’s not helping. I can tell it’s bad, and I can tell you’re just saying stuff to make me feel better. It’s fake.”

Billie reached out gently, her voice calm, “Y/N, we’re not trying to be fake. We just want to encourage you, that’s all.”

“I don’t want your fake encouragement!” Y/N shouted, standing up from the couch, her chest tight with anger. “I don’t need you to lie to me just because you think I can’t handle the truth!”

Finneas stood up, too, trying to calm her down. “Y/N, we’re not lying. We’re trying to help you feel confident again. Music isn’t always perfect. It’s okay to be off sometimes.”

But Y/N shook her head, tears pricking at her eyes. “It’s not about confidence! It’s about you not treating me like I’m some fragile little kid who can’t take the truth. I know I’m not good right now, but I don’t need you pretending like I am.”

Billie and Finneas exchanged a worried look. They were trying so hard to be supportive, but it seemed like everything they did was backfiring.

Y/N’s voice broke as she continued, “I just… I hate this. I hate that I can’t even make music anymore without feeling like I’m failing. And then you guys sit there and act like it’s okay, like I’m not messing everything up.”

Billie stepped forward, her voice soft. “You’re not messing anything up, Y/N.”

But Y/N shook her head again, tears spilling down her cheeks. “I am. I am, and I can’t take it anymore.”

She turned away, her chest heaving with emotion, and stormed off toward her room, leaving Billie and Finneas standing in stunned silence. Neither of them knew what to say or how to help her without making things worse. They wanted to be there for her, but every step they took seemed to push her further away.