Property of Billie Eilish (✓)

005

"Get up" Billie mumbles, kicking me in my side. I wince and roll over, sighing. "We have to go to school, Riley. Get up"

"Gimmie a minute.." I pull my blanket over my head and curl into fetal position. I hear Billie groan and walk somewhere else in the room. I start to relax, thinking she's left me alone.

"I said get up" she pulls the blanket off of me and starts to spray me with a spray bottle. I sit up immediately and glare at her. "No need to treat me like a fucking cat, Billie"

"I told you to fucking get up and you didn't. What else was I supposed to do?" she murmurs.

I snatch the spray bottle from her and spray her back. She flinches and snatches it back, hitting me over the head with it. I wince and move away from her, unsure if she's gonna smash that thing into my skull again.

"I have no clothes" I say while rubbing my head. Billie stops brushing her hair to look at me through the mirror. "You can wear something from my closet, we might be the same size"

I get up from the floor and day nothing, feeling exhausted. I look through her closet and just settle for a bright green hoodie and the same jeans I wore yesterday. I ask billie if i can borrow a beanie, and she mumbles something that I assume is a yes.

I go into the bathroom and wash my face and gargle some mouthwash, since i didn't have a toothbrush. I stare at myself in the mirror for a while, not really liking what I see.

Once I'm done, I go back into Billie's room and reach into my bookbag for my hair brush (I never leave the house without one) and begin to try and make myself look somewhat presentable. Although my hair is straight, it can be disrespectful and frizzy. Billie comes behind me and takes my brush from my hand, her hands covered in product that smells really good. I allow her to work with my hair, and when she's done it looks a lot better. I thank her and pull on the beanie, satisfied with my appearance for once.

Billie was wearing a red sweater and sweatpants. She catches me staring and clears her throat. "We didn't finish the packet. So, you can come over again if you'd like, or we can work on it at lunch"

"Which one is easier for you?" I ask, pulling on a pair of socks that I took from Billie's dresser.

"I don't like lunch. It makes me nervous" she watches me tie my shoelaces "I feel like everyone is watching me, talking about me. Like they're laughing at me"

"Then I'll let my mom know. But I won't be able to stay over this time because my mom would flip" I joke and Billie nods and looks at the floor, her eyebrows furrowed.

I lean my head down, trying to get her to look at me. When our eyes meet, she crosses her eyes. I laugh and her lip twitches.

She puts her journal into her bag and then puts the bag on, looking at me and making sure I'm ready as well. We head out, saying goodbye to her father, who was making himself a bowl of cereal.

"It's 5:44 AM" Billie says as we walk down the street "We're going to get food, and we have to be on the bus at 6:47"

"Okay" I yawn, not really processing her words. She leads me into a deli and orders a tortilla with avocado in it, and I grab a bag of doritos and a Bai...I squint at the label 'Antioxidant cocofusion' drink.

After we pay for our things (We paid for our own items) we walk to the bus stop. by the time we get there, the tortilla is gone and Billie takes my drink from me, downing a little less than half of it. I'm stunned into mental silence for a moment, but then decide I really don't mind.

When the bus rolls up, Billie goes in first and takes her usual seat. I sit next to her, and she pulls out a piece loose-leaf paper and we play tic tac toe. After Billie beats me for the fourth time in a row, I give up. Billie puts her headphones in and starts mumbling along to a song and I cuddle into the hoodie she let me borrow.

*

When we walk into the school, Billie doesn't speed up and rush away like she usually does. She stays by my side and actually says goodbye when she parts to go to her class. I was a bit surprised, but not by much. Something changed last night. We actually became friends.

I take my seat in ELA and wait for the bell to ring. I make eye contact with one of the girls who were questioning me about Billie on the first day, and she makes her way towards me.

"So, you and the mental girl seem to be close" She shoves her hands into her pockets, looking awkward "I wanted to ask if it'd be okay if I sat with you guys at lunch?"

I clear my throat and look away, not really interested in having another person join me and Billie. I mean, we were just starting to really talk. And what if Billie doesn't trust her and ends up having an episode?

"You'll have to ask Billie" I say finally, trying to signal that the conversation was over.

"But what if she goes all nuts?" the girl whines, and I exhale through my nose loudly. If this were a cartoon, steam would've came out of it.

"So you want to sit with me and the mentally challenged girl, yet you are unprepared and afraid of the possibility of her having an episode? You make absolutely no sense." I say, my tone flat, but still laced with annoyance.

She crosses her arms, looking offended. "Duh! Who wouldn't be afraid? She's mental! I just wanted a fucking friend, but you're being a bitch about it!"

"Ask Billie" I say finally, giving the bald man at the front of the classroom my full attention as the bell rings.

++++

I would like you all to forgive me if reading this is difficult. Once the book is completed. I'm going to do major editing on it so it's less tedious to read.