The Artist / Billie Eilish

Chapter 20

Soon enough, I was back in the green room listening to Billie's album with everyone.

Claudia called me shortly after Lyndsey left, asking where I was and if I was okay. From there, we found each other and went on a mission to find the twins before wandering back to the green room in time for Billie's set.

Billie was still nowhere to be seen, but I'd had a text from Lyndsey.

Lyndsey: i hope you found the right stage easily enough. let me know if you need anything :)

I smiled, quickly replying to the girl before tuning back into the twins' conversation. They were talking about people they'd found out in the crowd, and I was about to join in when my phone buzzed again.

bill nye the science guy: hey mama, you in the green room or do i gotta come find you? hope you didn't get separated from everyone. on my way. <3

My heart fluttered as I read the message, and I tried not to smile because Ethan would ask me questions.

I knew it would just be because she was busy, I don't know why I started overthinking it all. I guess I just don't fully know where I stand with Billie.

Then, I heard her infamous laugh echo through the walls, and the door swung open - Billie and Finneas wandering in.

Her face lit up when she saw me, and she came jogging over to us all.

"How're my favourite assholes?" She teased, slumping down onto the chair next to me and grinning, her face still flushed from her rehearsal. Ethan began telling Billie his Coachella stories so far when my phone buzzed, Lyndsey messaging me again.

Billie's eyes flickered towards my phone, and a look I'm not used to flashed across her face before she continued to listen to Ethan.

My phone buzzed again, and I reached out to switch it off before Billie read that one.

Lyndsey: I just finished my set. Wanna hang out again? I had fun earlier.

Lyndsey: I hope this isn't overstepping anything, but you're really cute, by the way.

•

It was in the early hours by the time we'd finished with day one of the festival, piling off the tour bus and into the hotel.

Macy was meeting us out here tomorrow, so there was no sleeping schedule yet, and Finneas said we should just use the one we had used before.

I saw Billie roll her eyes next to me.

Soon enough, everyone was in their own rooms, and I followed Billie down the hall as I called goodnight back to Ethan. She forcefully shoved the keycard in the slot and swung the door open, storming off into the bedroom as I sighed.

This was gonna be a long night.

She'd obviously read my messages with Lyndsey and started assuming things without even asking me what had happened.

Which is very Billie.

But it's not very Billie to get this easily affected, or, better yet, this visibly affected.

Suddenly, the black-haired girl swung the bedroom door open, halting my train of thought. She stood in the doorway, playing with her rings and sighing softly.

I tried not to smile.

"Um," she mumbled quietly, not looking up from her hands. "I'm sorry for not talking to you all day."

Laughing slightly under my breath, I hopped off the kitchen counter and made my way towards her, watching as she looked up to meet my eyes.

I folded my arms teasingly and raised an eyebrow, urging for her to continue. She smiled, rolling her eyes.

"I was jealous."

I laughed, cheering and running past her into the bedroom, jumping onto the bed.

"I knew it!" I celebrated, pointing manically at her. "I made Big Bad Billie Eilish jealous! Wow. What a day."

She rolled her eyes again, the smile gone this time, and shoved me over into the pillows when she walked past. Then stepped back and pushed me over again for good measure.

"Fuck off, man," she smiled, rooting through her suitcase. "I have every right to be. Last night we're making out in my bed and today you're hanging out with some bitch at Coachella."

She pulled a hoodie out of her suitcase and threw it at my face as she carried on searching for her own clothes for bed.

I frowned, dragging the hoodie down off of my head and putting it on. "You don't even know the whole story. Don't get all sassy with me without even asking me what's happened," I muttered, holding my breath when she turned to look at me.

She laughed once, under her breath, her eyebrows raising, and she licked her lips. "Oh, please do continue, then. I didn't realise I wasn't aware of the whole story. Because I'm sure there's a whole other explanation for what happened today."

She linked her fingers and watched me as I struggled to find words, my face slowly blushing red.

"Well, in my defence, you left me right away when we got on the bus. And then Ethan, then Justin, Claudia, Finneas... It was just me, Bil! On my own! I have no idea how to navigate Coachella, I'm British!" I exclaimed as she laughed properly this time, pulling an oversized shirt over her head to sleep in. "So, when I was wandering around, I found this girl, Lyndsey, and she just showed me around. She asked for my number in case I get lost, that's all, there was nothing flir..." I paused, furrowing my eyebrows in thought as Billie smiled, pursing her lips knowingly.

"Nothing flirty about it?"

I sighed defeatedly.

Billie giggled and wandered over to the bed, running her hands through my hair and shaking her head slightly.

"What a dummy," she laughed as I whined, leaning down to kiss my nose softly. "I am sorry for ignoring you all day, if that means anything. I was pissed."

Instead of replying, I tilted my head up slightly as an invitation for her to kiss me.

I felt her nose brush against my own.

"Someone's getting brave..." she smirked, gently pressing her lips against mine and running her fingers along the back of my neck.

Her legs straddled either side of me as I rested my hands on her thighs, allowing her to deepen the kiss.

I felt her hands slip into my hair, and I felt her tongue against my own as we ignored the persistent knock at the door.

She moaned softly into the kiss before a voice called out from the corridor.

"Billie, management's on the phone."