Insomnia // Billie Eilish

Chapter 4

I laid in my bed, staring at the glow-in-the-dark stars. My phone made a noise, alerting me that I had a message. I opened Instagram and I was surprised to see that it was Billie. When I got home on Tuesday, I listened to a lot of her music. She was really good and I'd heard some of it before. I just didn't know it was her.

I clicked on the message and read it.

billieelish: hey

I smiled and responded.

mack.jones: hi

Shortly after, she texted back.

billieeilish: wyd?

mack.jones: staring at my ceiling. :/

billieeilish: wanna come over?

mack.jones: i can't i'm watching my little brother. but you can come over her :D

billieeilish: send me a pin and i'll be there in twenty

mack.jones: cool cool

I laughed, sending her my address. I sat on the porch, waiting for her, and a little while later, she pulled up in a matte black Dodge Challenger. "Whoa. I love your car."

She patted the hood and grinned. "Yeah. This is my lil' dragon."

We sat outside and talked until I heard Brian crying on the baby monitor. "I have to go see what's wrong with Brian. You can come in." I opened the door and she followed me inside.

"Who's Brian," she asked.

"My little brother." I walked through the hall and twisted the doorknob to his room, but it didn't open. I quickly realized it was locked. "Shit."

"Camin." He said, mispronouncing my middle name. "It's not open."

"I know," I said. "You locked it. Do you know how to unlock it?"

His crying paused. "No." He yelled. "It's— it's locked."

  "I know." I stood back up. "I'm gonna unlock it, but you have to calm down."

"I can pick it if you give me something long and skinny," Billie said. "Like, a skinny screwdriver would work."

I walked into the garage and grabbed a screwdriver, handing it to Billie. She picked the lock and the door opened. I picked Brian up and twisted the lock on his door. "Look. When you turn this, the door won't open anymore. Don't turn this."

He got out of my lap and walked off. I shook my head. There were toys strolled out across his room, leaving me to believe he'd been awake a lot longer than I thought. "Do you have a rubber band?"

"I have a hair tie."

"That might work." I gave her my hair tie and she put it on the doorknob and twisted it before putting it on the other side of the doorknob.

"Now it can't close."

"Thanks."

I lead her to the living room and sat on the couch. "So, where's your dad?"

"He's on a work trip. He should be back next Friday."

"Damn." She laughed. "You have to watch him that long?"

"Yeah, but he's usually a pretty good kid."

He ran into the living room with a toy gun in his hand. "I'm hungry."

"Do you want some pizza," I asked.

"Nooo."

"Do you want a popsicle?"