BLUEPRINTS || Billie Eilish

A joke

Billie's laughter echoed through the small green room, breaking the tense air that had been brewing all morning. She stood behind Greg, leaning over his shoulder as she peered at the laptop screen. "These honestly aren't that good," she said between chuckles, her voice light and teasing, yet there was an edge to it.

Greg glanced up from the screen, smirking. "Who hired her again?" His tone was sarcastic, laced with the kind of humor that tried to soften a truth no one wanted to say outright.

Billie didn't miss a beat. "Kai..." she replied, her eyes still glued to the photos Angela had taken, scrolling through shots of herself on stage, each one worse than the last—unflattering angles, bad lighting. She felt a mix of embarrassment and irritation bubbling beneath the surface, though she tried to laugh it off.

Greg turned toward Kai, who was on the other side of the room, sitting on the couch talking quietly with Tyler about the setlist. Billie instinctively reached out, shoving Greg's shoulder to stop him from calling out. "No, don't—"

But it was too late. Greg was already hollering across the room. "Kai!"

Kai looked up, her brow furrowing as she noticed the weird energy in the room. She stuffed her hands in her pockets, the tension slowly making its way into her bones as she walked over, trying to sense what she was walking into. "What's up?" she asked, her voice cautious, a mix of confusion and curiosity.

Greg snorted, turning the laptop toward her. "I love you, man, but hiring Angela? Gotta be the worst thing you've ever done." He spun the screen so she could see the photos—Billie caught mid-performance, awkward poses that completely misrepresented her stage presence. The lighting washed her out, making her look like a shadow of herself.

Kai raised an eyebrow, confused but amused. "Woah, woah, woah," she began, her tone playful but defensive, "I never hired Angela." She crossed her arms, leaning against the back of the couch as she stared down at the screen.

Greg glanced at Billie, his eyebrows raised like he was waiting for her to confirm or deny it. "Billie's saying otherwise." He continued scrolling through the horrific shots, each one worse than the last.

Kai rolled her eyes dramatically, letting out a small laugh. "Oh please," she shot back, still not taking it too seriously. "Billie hired her last minute. We literally have photographers; she wasn't even needed." Kai's voice had that sharp edge she got when she knew she was right, but she still tried to keep it light, not wanting to start something.

Billie stiffened. Her easy laughter from earlier had vanished, and now her expression darkened slightly. She leaned back, crossing her arms. "You're the one who asked for her business card," Billie retorted, her tone taking on a defensive edge that wasn't there before.

Kai turned her head slowly to look at Billie, her face puzzled. "And did I ever contact her? Did I ever give you that business card?" Kai's voice was calm, deliberate. She knew where this was going, and the tension in the room began to simmer.

Billie hesitated, her eyes flickering down, knowing full well the answer. She stayed silent, her lips pressing together, clearly unwilling to admit it out loud.

"Exactly," Kai said, her voice harder now. "You're the one who reached out to her." The words landed heavily in the room, Kai's frustration bubbling up just enough to sharpen her tone. "You just had her around to be your tour girlfriend or something," she added, her earlier playfulness completely gone now.

The words hit like a punch, and Billie's face twisted, caught between shock and anger. "Tour girlfriend?" she repeated, her voice louder now, almost incredulous. Her annoyance flared as she leaned forward, glaring at Kai. "You're just mad because she wants to fuck me."