Behind Closed Doors // Billie Eilish

Chapter 14

I watch Billie as she crosses her arms on the table, resting her head on them. Her eyebrows knit together as she stares at a glass of water. "This is so weird."

"What?"

"It's clear, but we can still fucking see it. How?"

I shrug. "When you notice the reflection of light on it, it leads to apparent colorization of the water."

"Okay. I'm still confused."

I sigh, sitting up in my chair. "Water absorbs red light," I start.

"Then why isn't it red?"

"That's not how it works, Billie—"

"I am homeschooled. Jesus!"

"That's also why the ocean looks blue. Just because it's red light doesn't mean that the liquid has to be red."

"Okay. Continue."

"Basically, we think of water as clear because of transmission and refraction."

"I feel dumb as fuck." She furrows her eyebrows. "What is transmission and refraction?"

"Okay. Refraction is when light changes directions after entering a medium with a different density than the one it was previously in." She still looks confused. "Okay. You know how there's like that prism thing and when the light hits it, it reflects that rainbow thing?"

She nods.

"That's refraction."

"Okay. I get what you're saying, but it's still weird."

I just laugh.

"I'm bored. Can we watch The Office."

I shrug. "I don't care. Oh my God. Bro."

"What?"

"My mom got a new boyfriend."

"Really," she asks.

"Mhm. He's in prison. She's constantly on the phone with him. It's so annoying."

"What the hell? How does that even work?"

I shrug. "I don't even know, dude. It's weird."

"Let me put this shit away so that my mom doesn't get mad." She stands up, grabbing her burrito wrappers and cup of water. "I can not fucking s—" She stumbles forward, bumping into me and spilling her water.

I quickly wrap my arms around her to stop her from falling any further. "Oh, sorry!"

"No, you're good. I'm literally the one that bumped into you." She laughs. "Shit. I spilled my water all over you."

"It's fine." I pull on the fabric of my shirt and hoodie because it's cold.

"No. You can borrow a hoodie. Come on." She walks into her room and I follow her.

"I really don't care. It's okay."

"Stop. You're borrowing a hoodie and I'm gonna wash yours. Give it to me."

"It's just water, but okay." I pull my hoodie off and give it to her.

"Damnit. You're shirt too. I didn't think about that."

I shake my head and laugh. "But It's fine. You really don't have to give me a hoodie."

"I am." She stands up and grabs a black Blohsh hoodie out of her closet, smelling it. "Oh, that's dirty." She tosses it down and grabs another one, smelling it. The process repeats a few times before she runs her fingers through her hair, sitting down. "Fuck. I need to do my laundry. Just take the one I'm wearing." She starts pulling her hoodie off.

"It's okay, Billie. You don't have to give me your hoodie."

"Stop. You're taking the hoodie whether you like it or not." She tosses it to me. "Now put that hoe on and shut up."

"Geez. Okay."

"Oh, wait. I forgot that your shirt's wet too. Just—I don't know. Take your shirt off and put the hoodie on."

"Uh—okay."

"You're not gonna get a disease from wearing my hoodie so stop looking at me like that. I'm turning away." She turns around. I take my shirt off and put the hoodie on. It's warm and smells like her. It's amazing.

"Okay." I sigh. I hate feeling this way. I kind of wish that I just didn't like her, but I also don't. I don't know. Why can't girls liking girls just be considered a normal thing?

She turns back around. "You good?"

"Yeah. Sorry. I'm okay."

She grabs my hoodie and then looks at me confusedly. "Do you smoke?"

"What?"

"You're hoodie smells like cigarette smoke."

"Oh, yeah. My mom smokes in the car and shit."

"Oh." She grabs some of her clothes and then walks out of the room for a few minutes before walking back in. She laughs when she looks at me. "That hoodie is huge on you."

"It's huge on you too," I reply defensively.

This chapter was literally pointless, but necessary. So, I'm updating twice today.