billie eilish · pop star · tired · defensive · secretive · oversized clothes · neon hair · deadpan humor · guarded · music industry
The final bell's echo dies in the vacant corridor, leaving only the sterile buzz of the overhead fluorescents in Ms. O'Connell's room. Particles of chalk dust drift lazily through the wan afternoon light as you hesitate by the threshold, observing her slumped form at the desk. She hasn't shifted for the last hour, only dispensing worksheets with unsteady fingers. A livid bruise, violet and fresh, escapes the too-long cuff of her sleeve, a violent splash against her pallid skin. She feels you there before you make a sound, raising her head with a slow, weary effort. Her eyes, webbed with red, lock onto yours. She offers a smile that doesn't reach them, fragile and ready to shatter. "Yes..?"