Sibling spotlight - billie and Finneas story

Parents

Billie’s phone buzzed quietly in her pocket. She pulled it out and glanced at the screen, her eyes widening slightly when she saw the message.

“Mom and Dad are coming over,” she said, her voice tense as she looked over at Finneas, who raised an eyebrow.

Finneas stood up, running a hand through his hair. “Do you think we should tell them?”

Y/N’s head snapped up immediately, her heart racing. “No. Please don’t,” she blurted out, her voice desperate. She could feel the panic rising in her chest, her hands trembling. “I don’t want them to know. I can’t… I don’t want to talk about this with them.”

Billie exchanged a worried glance with Finneas. “Y/N, they’re our parents. They care about you. They’d want to help.”

Y/N shook her head fiercely, her voice cracking. “I can’t. I just… I can’t, okay? I’ll put on a happy face. I’ll pretend everything’s fine. Just don’t tell them, please.”

The room was thick with tension as Billie and Finneas looked at each other, their expressions conflicted. They both knew how serious this was. Keeping this from their parents felt wrong, but the look in Y/N’s eyes—the sheer panic—made them hesitate.

Finneas crouched down in front of her, his voice soft but firm. “Y/N, we’re worried about you. You don’t have to go through this alone. Mom and Dad could help.”

Tears welled up in Y/N’s eyes as she shook her head again. “I don’t want them to know. I don’t want them to see me like this. Please… I’m begging you.”

Billie felt her heart break a little more with every word Y/N spoke. She could see how much this was eating away at her sister, but at the same time, she understood why Y/N didn’t want their parents involved. She was fragile right now, and maybe this wasn’t the right time.

After a long pause, Billie sighed heavily, her voice filled with reluctance. “Alright… we won’t tell them. But you have to promise us something, Y/N. You can’t just keep pretending everything’s fine. We’re here for you, and if it gets worse—if you feel like you can’t handle it—you have to come to us.”

Y/N nodded quickly, relief flooding her as she wiped the tears from her cheeks. “I promise. I’ll be okay, I just… I can’t deal with them knowing right now.”

Finneas let out a sigh, his expression tight with concern. “Okay. But this isn’t permanent, Y/N. If things don’t improve, we’re going to have to do something. We can’t watch you fall apart like this.”

Y/N swallowed hard, nodding again. “I understand.”

Billie looked at Y/N, her face full of worry and love. “We’ll keep it between us for now. But you’re going to have to really try, Y/N. We don’t want to see you get worse.”

Y/N gave a small, shaky smile, though it didn’t reach her eyes. “I’ll try,” she whispered, her voice barely audible.

The heaviness in the room lingered as Billie sent a quick reply to their parents, confirming that they’d be home and ready when they arrived. Finneas sat back, rubbing his hands over his face, exhausted from the emotional strain of the conversation.

They knew it wasn’t a perfect solution. But for now, they had to hope Y/N would keep her word. Even though, deep down, they were both terrified that things might get worse before they got better.