Kleptomania | Billie Eilish

Epilogue

Wren

3 years after the disappearance of Madison Peterson.

Mexico isn't as bad as I thought it was going to be.

But 4 years of Spanish class in high school apparently didn't teach me anything.

For the past 2 months, I worked my ass off to go to this a ticket to this music festival which is now today. I've never been more excited to hear live music in my life. I haven't been out at something like this since probably my junior year of high school. But now, being 21 and haven't been to many concerts is just fucking depressing.

I came alone though. I've learned to do fun shit on my own. It's not too bad once you learn that you don't need a bunch of friends to keep you stimulated. The drag of keeping an eye on your intoxicated friends in large crowds is hellish. I'd rather be here only having to watch myself, and siping on alcohol.

"Miss?" An employee disrupts my thoughts, "here's your drink."

I look up and the young man puts out the alcoholic beverage I had just bought on the bar table. "Enjoy," he smiles at me.

"Thank you," I take the drink then realize I need to pee so I go to the bathroom in the back of the building. This bar is the only structure that's not a pop-up tent, so it's nice to feel some real AC and a real bathroom.

I take a look at myself in the mirror. My bleached, blonde hair is chopped to my shoulders. I'm thinking about doing an unnatural color soon, maybe red or pink. I've always wanted to since high school, and now that I have the hair for it. Why not? I run my fingertips through the damage ends with a sigh. Sometimes I do miss my long, brown hair I had before Mexico.

I lean closer into my reflection and fix my crooked septum piercing. The black tank top I'm wearing shows off the sleeve of ink I have etched into my bicep. My top shows the muscle in my biceps as well, from working out constantly. I won't lie, the muscle looks good on me after being so frail my entire life.

My necklace is held between my thumb and finger. I stare at the pendant of Audrey's baby fingerprint through the mirror.

I don't remember the last time I took off this necklace.

The set for one of my favorite artists is about to begin so I make my way there. I pass by the VIP lounge which is just a fenced-in area with a big, white tent filled with artists and special people whole paid thousands of dollars to be let into a plastic tent with plastic people.

I groan internally at the sight of it before I hear a boom of cheers explode as I walk by the tent. I look over and see a small crowd surrounding the entrance. I stop in my tracks and take a moment to see if I can get a look at whatever celebrity those people are going ape shit for.

Security guards begin yelling and separate the gathering and reveal a small woman standing there. Her hair a bleached blonde, like mine. She wears a white graphic tee with a black, pleated skirt. Paired with black fishnets and platform Demonias.
She takes off the huge pair of sunglasses she's wearing and reveals her stinging, blue eyes.

Suddenly, her eyes meet mine. I don't know how she even saw me, I'm at least 100 feet away from her. Once her eyes meet mine, my drink falls to the ground after a wave of realization hits me.

That's Billie O'Connell.

The girl with the silver hair.

The girl who I loved.

My entire body feels like it's been frozen. I can't move, my heart begins to race, and my breathing feels like it stops.

She won't take her eyes off of me. She pushes the crowd of fans out of her way and walks towards me. She stops once she's about 30 feet away from me.

She stops and stands there, her eyes wide and her mouth dropped open. I can hardly recognize her. Her face has matured. Her nose is still perky and same with those plump lips that I remember.
I ditched my phone years ago and have been completely off the grid.

I haven't seen her face in 3 years.

I look down at her hands, she only wears two rings. And one small necklace around her neck with a pendant of a small hanging man.

What happened to all of her chunky jewelry that I remember? And the big, shorts and shoes?

She's almost unrecognizable. An entirely different person.

I look back into her eyes, her mouth parts like she's trying to spit something out. A single tear rolls down her cheek.

"Maddie?"