7 days in limbo [Billie Eilish]

DAY III.3: they were roommates

Billie was looking over my shoulder when I turned the key and pushed the door open. Apart from needing renovation and being small I liked my flat with its old wood floor and high ceiling.

Normally I would feel exposed letting someone into my life like that. It was a studio apartment which meant that everything was out in the open.
The few guest I had brought home since moving in two month ago had not seen how obsessively organized my desk was, how workout clothes piled in the corner and how neatly I stacked my books by the wall because I was too lazy to buy an actual shelf.
They had been the kinds of guest that came late at night and left before dawn and, needless to say, our activities had not required me to turn the light on.

Billie looked around curiously.

I did not mind her seeing it all, including my houseplant in the corner, currently slowly dying and suffering withdrawal from my mum's green thumb.

Meo got up from his place in the half-made bed by the window when I clicked my tongue. My white sheets would be covered in his black hair.

"Hi handsome," I greeted him. For a second I forgot Billie was there and let my voice automatically slip two octaves higher.
I heard a surprised gasp from behind me and my cat went over to inspect the guest I had brought in.

I put my helmet on the dresser by the door and took Billie's too. Meo rubbed his scarred nose against her leg and she took a closer look at him. "Uh... not sure if I'd call that handsome."

"He's been though some shit," I explained Meo's battered appearance.

She crouched down and ran her hand over his black fur, making him purr. "But he's cute. Aren't you cute, buddy?"

"His name is Mephisto. After the devil in a classical German play."

In the kitchenette I asked, "I'm making tea. Do you want a cuppa?"

"Are you for real?" Billie looked up from Meo with a laugh. "You're such a stereotype sometimes, Mara."

I leaned against the counter. "For what? I'm not even making black tea. That's not very British."

She shook her head with a smirk. "I just didn't think you were being literal when you invited me for tea."

"I'm just going to make you one whether you want it or not. I can see the goosebumps on your arms from over here."

By the time I had filled the herbs into a tea bag Billie was looking at the photographs hanging on a string by the wall. They were black and white prints I had made. Most were street photography but some were from last winter, from before I moved to London.
In the last year of school my friends used to hang out a lot at my place. There was booze on the table as well as a deck of cards.

Billie took a closer look. She had found the only picture of me. Most often I was the one taking them but here my friend had snatched away the camera to capture the moment just after she shaved all my hair off.
It had been a good day in an otherwise miserable winter. I was sitting in the sunlight on the edge of the bathtub, one hand on my head to touch the unfamiliar stubble.

The bits of hair still flying around reflected the glaring light and stood out in the black and white photograph. I was practically glowing with a happy grin.

"I didn't know you shaved your head."

"Does it look like this-" I pointed at the lack of a haircut on my head with a laugh- "is voluntary?"

"Yeah, kind of? I mean, I like it and the buzz cut is pretty too." Billie turned around to where I was standing in the kitchen. "But that's just you, I guess. You'd make anything look hot."

I almost dropped the kettle full of water. "Says the girl who can dye her hair any colour of the rainbow and look beautiful."

Scratching the back of my neck to cover how uncomfortable I was with getting compliments, I changed the topic. "I've developed the pictures I took of you but I haven't come around to making prints yet."

"The pictures from yesterday? Don't you need to send them to a laboratory, or something?"

"No, I just do it in my bathroom. It's easy to turn into a darkroom and pretty convenient. Only down side is that I can't make coloured prints at the moment"

Billie sank onto my couch like she was feeling at home. Meo surprised me by joining her. He watched her curiously as she made silly faces at him and I had to smile.

"I see you're more of a cat person than a dog person?"

She loosened Meo's claws when he tried to playfully attack her leg. "Nah, I'm a both kinda person."

I let out a snorting laugh. Story of my life.

I waited for the water to boil while Billie goofed around with Meo. The rain pattered softly against the window.

I spoke over my shoulder when I looked through the cabinets for two cups. "I don't know how long this storm is going to last."

"We can watch a movie."

"Do you have anything in mind?"

Billie had pulled her legs up to sit cross-legged on the couch. "I have an idea. What about one of your movies."

"My movies? I wouldn't call them that. They're just stupid sketches I made with friends, nothing proper."

"Whatever, I don't care. I used to make stupid videos all the time."

I agreed. Looking at my old pictures had made me miss home.
With two cups in hand I made my way to the couch. I tossed Billie a blanket and powered up my computer.

I clicked on a random file and settled back.

The storm was raging outside, the tea was hot and Billie was a somehow calming presence next no me.

She looked at me when I let out a low chuckle. "What?"

"Nothing. Don't you think it's absurd how we're sitting here?"

"Maybe." She sipped her tea.

"We've known each other for what? Three days?"

Billie pulled the blanked closer around herself. "Three? It feels way more than that."

"I know. You're way more comfortable to be around than I would've ever expected."

"What? Did you think everyone is a bitch in the music industry?"

"Nooo." My tone was so defensive it clearly implied the opposite.

"You're still a terrible liar." Billie nudged me with her shoulder. "But you're comfortable to be around too."

She turned her attention towards the screen and I used the moment to steal half of the blanked.

Outside it was completely dark now but from time to time the flat would light up with the flash of lightning.

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New York - St. Vincent