Beyond the lens - Billie Eilish

67 -

The taxi was driving them through the busy streets of London. The group was chatting excitedly about the night ahead, and Aubrey's enthusiasm was more than palpable.

Aubrey: "I hope we'll run into a bunch of influencers," she said, stars in her eyes.

Joan: "Try to bring one back to your bed."

Ellie, without looking up from her phone, teased Joan: "We all know you're the Don Juan here."

Joan leaned in to glance over her shoulder.

Joan: "We already know who you want to bring to your bed."

Ellie blushed slightly and shook her head to brush him off.

Ellie: "What are you talking about?" she said, clearly embarrassed.

Joan raised an eyebrow, amused.

Joan: "Keep playing innocent."

The girls burst into laughter, and Ellie rolled her eyes, trying to hide a smile as she put her phone away.

When they arrived at the venue, the crowd of photographers was waiting. As soon as the taxi doors opened, flashes went off, pointing at them. Joan was the first to get out, and immediately, the photographers started yelling "Over here!" and "This way!" without any idea of who he was.

Joan played along with a beaming smile, posing for each shot like he was used to this media frenzy. From inside the taxi, the girls watched him, laughing hysterically.

Aubrey: "He's going to remind us of this moment for the rest of his life, we're screwed."

Ellie: "Shit, he'll probably never get over it."

The small group finally entered the party, where music was blasting in every corner. Inside, Aubrey seemed to recognize every face, turning to them each time she spotted someone influential.

Aubrey: "I'm never going to recover from this either," she whispered while gripping Kate's arm, who nodded with a smile at her excitement.

Then, as they moved through the crowd, Kate spotted someone in the distance and subtly pointed in that direction.

Kate: "Finneas!"

Ellie felt a wave of familiarity comfort her as she saw her friend, who waved at them. Standing beside him was Claudia, always as elegant and radiant.

Ellie: "Finneas! Claudia! So happy to see you guys here," she said as she joined them with a smile.

After a warm hug, she introduced her friends.

Ellie: "This is Joan and Aubrey, these two are my best friends."

Joan didn't hesitate to compliment Finneas, not missing a beat.

Joan: "Claudia, seriously... you hit the jackpot with him."

Finneas laughed, amused by Joan's enthusiasm.

Finneas: "Thanks, man, you're officially my biggest fan," he said, shaking Joan's hand, looking amused.

The conversation moved on to talk about the concert and some small memories, and after a while, Ellie finally asked the question that had been on her mind.

Ellie: "And Billie? She's not here yet?"

Finneas shrugged with a smirk.

Finneas: "She's somewhere in all this chaos, she's literally the star of the night."

Minutes passed, and the lively music prompted Aubrey and Kate to hit the dance floor, causing some laughs from Ellie and Joan, who stayed on the sidelines chatting.