Behind Closed Doors // Billie Eilish

Chapter 13

"Who are you on the phone with?" I tilt my head at my mom. "You're like constantly on the phone."

She furrows her eyebrows, holding her finger up to her lips. "Hold on. His fifteen minutes are almost up."

"Uh..." What the fuck? Who's fifteen minutes? "Okay."

A few minutes later, she hangs up.

"Who was that?"

"His name is JC."

"Mm." I nod. "What happened to being totally in love with David?"

She shrugs. "He broke up with me."

"Oookay. Does JC live anywhere around here?"

"Oh. He's in prison. You know the one that's like—"

"Well, mother," I say, . "I actually—and this might come as a shock—don't know any prisons. How did you even meet somebody that's in prison all of a sudden?"

"I knew him before he got in," she replies.

"Well, um. Have fun with... that. I'm gonna go... somewhere that's not here. Uh, bye."

"Wait. Where are you going?"

I shrug. "Probably Billie's house."

"Well, did she even invite you over? You can't go to peoples houses unannounced."

"Actually, I can go to Billie's house unannounced, and according to the messages she sent me earlier, I'm assuming I'm invited." I pull my phone out and read the messages out loud. "I'm bored. I'm bored. Please come over. I'm bored."

She huffs, sitting on the couch. "Okay."

I call Billie as I walk out the front door. She answers quickly. "Hey, dummy. Still bored?"

"Yep. Are you coming?"

"Mhm."

"Hell yeah! You can just let yourself in when you get here. I need somebody to talk to. Claudia and Finneas are the only ones here and they're grossly infatuated with each other."

I laugh. "Okay."

I walk to Billie's house and raise my hand to knock, but then I remember that she said to just let myself in. It feels weird. You're not just supposed to barge into peoples houses, but I also don't want to trouble Billie. She said to just let myself in.

All of a sudden the door opens. "What are you doing, you bozo? I said let yourself in. You were just standing at my door like a creep."

"Sorry." I rub my arm.

She pulls me into a hug and laughs. "I'm just messing with you, dude."

I wrap my arms around her waist, hugging her back as I breathe in her vanilla scent. She smells so fucking good all the time.

"God." She chuckles. "Did you miss me or what?"

I quickly let go. "Sorry."

"Stop apologizing and come inside."

"Okay." I follow her inside and she sits on the couch next to Finneas.

"We were about to watch a scary movie," Claudia says. "Billie recommended it. She said you love horror movies."

I sit in a chair next to the couch. "Fuck you, Billie."

She smiles. "You wish."

My cheeks heat up and I look towards the TV. "I hate you."

"Whatever. Click play, Fin."

"Okay." He clicks play and it certainly doesn't take long for me to get scared.

"Oh, shit," I mumble quietly, but apparently loud enough for Billie to hear.

"Sure you don't wanna come over here?"

"Nope." I sigh heavily, sitting up in my chair. "I'm fine."

"Whatever you s—"

"Nuh-uh. Fuck this shit. Scoot over." I sit down and she throws her blanket over the both of us.

"Poor baby. You just couldn't—"

"Leave me alone before I go back to the chair."

"No, I'm sorry."

-

"Uno out, bitches." Billie laughs.

I toss my fourteen cards down. "I was close."

"Sure." Finneas laughs.

"Dibs on not putting the cards up," Billie says quickly.

"Me either!" Finneas raises his hands, scooting his chair away from the table.

"I'll do it." I put all of the cards back in the box. "Where do they go?"

"I'll show you." Claudia stands up and I follow her to the living room. "They go here." She takes the small box and puts it in a drawer.

I look at Billie and feel my face heating up as I realize that she was already looking at me. I turn back to a smiling Claudia. "Do you like her?"

"Of course. She's a great friend of—"

"Not like that." She rolls her eyes. "Like—do you have a crush on her?"

"What? No!" I furrow my eyebrows, quickly looking away from her.

"Oh my God. You totally do."

"Claudia, stop it. I don't. It wouldn't matter anyways."

"Why not?" She leans against the wall.

I laugh skeptically, letting my head fall. "Well, she's straight and even if she was the gayest person on the planet, she wouldn't date me."

"What makes you think that?"

"She's constantly giving me a lovely reminder that she likes dick."

"No, not that. What makes you think that she'd never date you?"

"Because I'm me. I'm weird, and awkward, and ugly." I shrug.

"Don't say that."

"Don't say what," Billie asks. I jump, turning around.

"Fuck, Billie." I sigh. "Nothing."

She groans. "Secrets don't make friends. Claudia?"

"Nothing." She shakes her head.

Billie frowns. "I don't like you guys."

"Wow. I'm so offended."

She pushes my shoulder lightly. "You're annoying."

"Unfortunate, isn't it?"

She shakes her head. "Come on. We're getting away from these hobos."

"We're not hobos," Finneas says.

"Then why are you always at my house?"

"Because you always invite us over." Claudia raises and eyebrow.

"Shut up, you don't pay these bills," she says in a deep voice, walking towards Finneas.

I laugh. "Neither do you."