THE DOORBELL RANG, and billie jumped up to answer it, excitement written all over her face. valerie stood beside her friend group, waiting in anticipation, trying not to look overly eager. when the door opened, danah ali, her idol, was standing just inside, leaning casually against the wall with a cool confidence that somehow made her even more intimidating.
the minute everyone started to file in, the room burst with noise. chatter, laughter, and jokes started flying around as everyone settled in. sabrina spotted danah first, grinning with a mischievous spark. "hey, that's my favorite victim!" she teased.
danah shot back, clearly in her element. "hi to my favorite homewrecker. did the internet bully you again, or are you still looking for a new one?"
sabrina put a finger to her chin, pretending to think. "nah, i'm still looking. you'll call me if you find one, right?"
"of course," danah laughed, a playful light in her eyes. "i'll keep an eye out."
as the greetings continued, danah made her way over to conan and olivia, sharing a quick hello before her gaze landed on valerie. valerie's heart skipped a beat seeing danah look at her directly. she tried to keep her cool as billie stepped up to make introductions.
"danah, this is valerie. valerie, meet danah," billie said, a proud grin on her face like she knew how much this moment meant to valerie.
"you can call me val," valerie managed, smiling. "dude, i've heard so much about you. it's so nice to finally meet you. i love your music."
danah's face lit up. "same! you can call me dani-or pearl. i'm obsessed with your stuff, honestly. live, laugh, love, and breathe your album."
valerie's cheeks heated up. "bro, shut up. this is actually wild. your album's literally one of my top-played on spotify."
danah gasped, eyes wide. "no way, you're one of my top artists too. stop it." they both broke into laughter, hitting it off immediately.
"okay, i feel like a third wheel here," billie interjected, crossing her arms in mock annoyance.
valerie smirked, nudging danah. "you should be-we're a duo now."
"alright, bitches, let's play!" danah laughed, gesturing everyone towards the living room.
the games kicked off, and soon everyone was laughing uncontrollably. they went from charades to monopoly, but the real chaos began when they pulled out the uno cards. before long, billie and conan were in a full-on argument.
"you can't unreverse the reverses! that's not how uno works!" conan shouted, pointing dramatically at the stack of cards in the middle.
valerie leaned closer to danah, stifling a laugh. "they're totally gonna go at it."
danah chuckled. "ten bucks says billie won't back down."
"deal," valerie grinned, watching the showdown unfold with amusement.
billie, undeterred, shot back at conan. "if i can't unreverse the reverses, what's even the point of uno, genius? this is how it works!"
they continued bickering for what felt like an eternity, neither side willing to budge.
eventually, some of the group-zoe, sabrina, and olivia-drifted off into the kitchen to refill snacks and chat, leaving valerie, danah, and billie in the living room.
"for the millionth time, billie, just admit you lost." valerie rolled her eyes, pulling a blanket over her legs as she got comfy on the couch.
"not fair," billie muttered, a small grin betraying her amusement. before anyone could say more, she held up a pizza box. "you guys want any pizza?"
valerie's voice softened. "nah, i'm good." danah glanced at her, recognizing the subtle shift in tone.
danah quickly jumped in. "same, i'm full," she said, nodding as they let the conversation drift onto other things.
soon, the three of them were deep in random conversations-talking about concerts, debating the best movies, laughing over memes, and sharing embarrassing stories. the laughter flowed endlessly, filling the room with warmth and making any earlier nervousness vanish.
as they kept talking, valerie and danah found themselves sharing more and more inside jokes. billie, noticing how naturally they got along, smirked. "i knew you two would hit it off. you're practically the same person."
valerie and danah exchanged a look, both grinning. turns out, they had so much in common-writing styles, sense of humor, even shared life experiences. they could already tell they'd end up close friends.
"have you watched the perks of being a wallflower?" valerie asked, glancing at danah with excitement.
"oh my god, yes. that movie changed my life," danah replied, mirroring valerie's enthusiasm.
"literally my annual depression rewatch," valerie sighed, stretching her legs out in front of her.
danah nodded. "comfort movie, for real."
"and girl interrupted?" valerie added, shaking her head dramatically. "i'm dead."
"it's hard being us, honestly," danah said, pushing a stray strand of hair behind her ear. "tough daughters gotta stick together."
valerie laughed softly, feeling more comfortable than she ever expected. "i was so nervous to meet you. now you're, like, one of my favorite people."
"same," danah admitted, her smile widening. "i was so anxious. you're just... so cool."
"girl, i was terrified of you," valerie said, laughing. "your resting face is intense. i thought you'd beat me up."
danah rolled her eyes, pretending to be offended. "hey, i'm not that scary!"
valerie tilted her head, a teasing smirk on her face. "you sure about that?"
danah laughed. "at least not yet."
as the night wound down, everyone started saying their goodbyes. valerie and danah lingered by the door, neither really wanting the night to end.
"girl, we have to hang again," valerie said, smiling. "i'm already attached."
"same here!" danah agreed. "come over tomorrow. i don't vibe with most people, but you're an exception."
valerie grinned. "this is why i love you."
they hugged and exchanged numbers, sharing a last laugh before parting ways. as danah headed out, valerie couldn't help but feel thrilled-she'd just met one of her idols, and it felt like the start of something real.
what in the multiverse