𝐁eyond the Lens - b.e

20 -

Ellie slowly opened her eyes after a two-hour nap, still a bit tired but already grateful for that short moment of rest. She hadn't been able to sleep on the plane, too lost in her thoughts. But now, lying in bed, she felt a little more refreshed. Glancing at her phone, she saw it was 7:04 PM.

Wasting no time, Ellie sent a message to Kate: "Hey! Have you eaten yet? If not, we can go down together!"

Kate's reply came quickly: "Nope, haven't eaten yet! I'm starving, meet you by the elevator in 5 minutes?"

Ellie sat up, adjusted her clothes, and grabbed her phone before leaving her room. A few minutes later, she met Kate by the elevator, who greeted her with a tired but friendly smile.

"Did you sleep well?" Kate asked, glancing at Ellie.

"Two hours, not enough to make up for it, but better than nothing," Ellie replied with a small smile. "And you? Did you get to enjoy your bed?"

"Not really, I just scrolled through Insta and edited a few photos," Kate admitted.

Ellie smiled and pressed the button to go down. The elevator moved silently, and the two girls used the moment to quickly talk about their evening plans.

"I hope the hotel food lives up to the room," Ellie remarked, her eyes already sparkling at the thought of a meal.

"Oh yeah, I think I saw they have an all-you-can-eat buffet. I've been praying for sushi and a good burger to end up on my plate," Kate replied with a shrug.

The elevator stopped with a soft ding, and the doors opened into the lobby. However, as soon as they stepped out, a commotion echoed through the hotel. Shouts, frantic calls... Billie's name rang out through the voices of fans and paparazzi, who seemed to have gathered outside, eagerly waiting for the star's arrival.

Ellie and Kate exchanged knowing glances.

"Perfect timing," Ellie murmured with a nervous smile.

They headed towards the restaurant, located right next to the main entrance of the hotel. The layout forced them to walk near the crowd, though protected by walls and glass. It was almost like they were following the bus carrying Billie and the rest of her team.

As they entered the dining room, they ran into Finneas, who had just escaped the fan frenzy. He sighed, a slightly ironic smile on his face, clearly relieved to have made it through the crowd.

"You survived?" Kate joked when she saw him.

"Barely, I haven't checked yet," Finneas replied with a grin. "The fans are awesome, but sometimes... it gets a bit intense."

Ellie smiled as she watched the scene. She liked how effortlessly Finneas interacted with everyone.

"So, how was the trip?" Ellie asked, turning to him.

"Not too bad, a bit long, but we're used to it. And you? How was the flight?"

Ellie shrugged.

"It was fine, no crashes, and a decent plastic-tasting sandwich."

Finneas laughed at Ellie's sarcastic response. They exchanged some small talk before Ellie asked the question that had been on her mind for the past few minutes.

"And Billie? Where is she?" she asked with a playful smile.

Finneas smiled too.

"She's probably still stuck outside, between the journalists and the fans. You know how she is, she can't say no, and she hates disappointing anyone. All it takes is for a fan to ask for a hug, and she's there for another fifteen minutes."

Kate and Ellie burst out laughing at the thought, easily imagining the scene. That was typical Billie, always willing to give her time, even if it meant facing a swarm of paparazzi.

Suddenly, the noise in the lobby seemed to intensify. The servers in the dining room instinctively turned around, and the girls followed their gaze. There, at the hotel entrance, Billie appeared, smiling, clearly happy to have met her fans despite the chaos.

"How does she always have so much energy?" Ellie whispered, impressed.

Billie quickly joined the small group, her smile bright and her eyes sparkling. She headed straight for Ellie.

"Hey! So, how was the flight?" Billie asked, looking at her with genuine interest.

Ellie blushed slightly, surprised by the attention.

"Uh, it was fine, a bit long but no problems," she replied.

Kate smirked, amused by how focused Billie seemed on Ellie. She knew the pop star didn't usually take so much time with everyone.

"Didn't you guys get tired of the bus?" Kate asked Finneas, shifting the attention to help Ellie feel more at ease.

"A little, but it's fine. I had time to write a few lyrics for my next album, so I can't complain," he replied with a smile.

"You're always working, it's fascinating, a real behind-the-scenes hero," Ellie said admiringly.

Finneas shrugged, modest as always.

"That's just how I roll. The bus is a great place to let your mind wander, you know? It's quiet, I can think, create."

"And does Billie work during the ride too?" Ellie asked, turning to Billie.

Billie burst out laughing.

"Oh no, I spent the whole ride sleeping! I let Finneas do the thinking while I recharge," she joked.

"You can tell you're fully recharged," Kate added, with a hint of envy in her voice.

The conversation continued like that, light and easy, the four of them sharing stories about their experiences on the tour. They talked about the different cities, the fans, the moments of calm and stress. Finneas told an anecdote about a particularly creative fan in New York, and Billie recalled a laughing fit she had in the middle of a performance.

After about ten minutes of chatting, Ellie shyly suggested, "How about we all have dinner together tonight? You and us, just to relax a bit?"

Finneas shook his head with an apologetic smile.

"We already had a quick sandwich on the bus. And I'm totally wiped, I think I'll crash."

Billie nodded in agreement.

"Same here, but that's super sweet of you to offer! Maybe we could have lunch tomorrow instead?"

Ellie nodded, happy with the idea.

"Sounds great! Tomorrow then."

They exchanged a few more words before parting ways. Billie and Finneas headed up to their rooms, while Kate and Ellie finally made their way to the buffet. The calm of the dining room contrasted with the ongoing excitement outside, and the girls took the opportunity to relax and enjoy their meal.

Sitting at a table, Ellie and Kate chatted about random things, but the highlight of the evening remained Billie's boundless energy and how easily she seemed to click with Ellie. Kate couldn't resist teasing her friend throughout dinner, amused by the attention the pop star seemed to give her.

Finally, after a satisfying meal, the two girls quietly returned to their rooms, ready to rest once more.