2 months later
VALERIE ADJUSTED HER DRESS AS she sat at the grammys, the soft fabric cascading over her legs in waves. the muted gold tones shimmered under the warm lighting, catching the occasional glances of other attendees. her hair was down, soft curls framing her face as she exchanged smiles with olivia, who was seated to her left. on her right was taylor swift, who leaned in to share a quick anecdote about her latest songwriting process. across the table, gracie, sabrina, and lana del rey sat, their laughter blending with the ambient buzz of conversation around them.
"so, val," taylor began, a playful grin spreading across her face, "are you nervous about tonight? or are you just pretending to be all calm and collected?"
valerie chuckled, sipping her water. "i'm not pretending anything. i'm just... trying not to think about it too much, honestly. whatever happens, happens."
lana tilted her head, her soft voice chiming in. "that's a good attitude to have, but best pop duo/group performance? that's a big deal. how does it feel to have a song with billie up for a grammy?"
valerie hesitated, glancing at olivia, who gave her an encouraging nudge. "it's... surreal," she admitted. "we made that song months ago. before everything."
before things fell apart. before they stopped speaking. before valerie started writing about her instead.
as the group continued chatting, the atmosphere shifted slightly. the hum of voices softened when billie eilish approached their table. she was dressed in a sleek pink varsity jacket and black satin trousers, her makeup minimal but striking. her presence drew attention, though she seemed entirely focused on taylor and lana.
"hey, you two," billie greeted, her voice light as she leaned down to hug taylor and then lana. "it's been a while."
taylor smiled warmly. "too long. you've been busy conquering the world, though, so i'll allow it."
lana laughed softly. "and here i thought you'd forgotten about us little people."
billie smirked. "never." as she spoke, a photographer approached, camera in hand.
"billie, taylor, lana-mind if i get a quick shot of you three?"
the trio exchanged glances, then shrugged in agreement. they posed together, taylor's arm casually resting on billie's shoulder while lana smiled softly at the camera. valerie watched from her seat, fingers fidgeting with the edge of her napkin.
once the photo was taken, billie turned slightly, her gaze flickering to valerie for the briefest moment before she refocused on taylor. "well, i'll let you guys get back to it. i just wanted to say hi."
as billie walked away, sabrina leaned over the table, whispering to gracie, who nodded subtly. valerie caught the exchange but chose not to comment.
the evening continued, filled with performances and speeches. as the announcement for best pop duo/group performance approached, valerie felt her heart pounding, though she tried to keep her expression composed.
"and now, to present the award for best pop duo/group performance," the host announced, "please welcome dua lipa."
valerie's breath caught. she wasn't sure what she was hoping for.
dua smiled at the audience before reading the nominees. when she got to their song, valerie felt a strange mix of emotions. she hadn't performed that song with billie in years.
"and the grammy for best pop duo/group performance goes to..." dua paused, smiling. "billie eilish and valerie wilson!"
valerie barely processed the applause as she stood. olivia squeezed her arm in encouragement, and taylor gave her a small push forward. billie was already on her feet, and for the first time that night, their eyes met.
walking up to the stage, valerie kept her focus forward. billie reached for the grammy first, then turned slightly to hand it to her. their fingers brushed for a split second, and valerie swallowed hard.
billie stepped up to the mic first, adjusting her grip on the award. "uh, wow. um, i don't even know what to say. this song means a lot to me, even tho it's really stupid, and i'm grateful that people actually enjoyed it as much as we did. thank you to everyone who made this possible."
she hesitated, then turned slightly toward valerie.
valerie inhaled sharply and stepped forward.
"yeah, wow," she echoed. "um, thank you. to my team, to the fans, to everyone who listened to this song. i'm grateful, truly."
she paused for a moment, the weight of the situation settling in.
"and, actually, while i'm up here, i have an announcement. as a way to thank the fans, i would like to announce that my brand-new album, reverie, comes out april 24th."
the crowd erupted into cheers before she could even finish the sentence. valerie laughed softly, shaking her head.
"i hope you love it as much as i've loved working on it. thank you, truly, from the bottom of my heart."
as she walked off the stage, billie was still standing nearby, watching her go. valerie didn't look back.
later, during the after-party, valerie stepped out onto one of the balconies for a moment of quiet. the city lights stretched out before her, and she took a deep breath.
she didn't hear the door open behind her but felt the presence before she saw who it was.
"you didn't even say hi," billie's voice broke the silence, low and edged with something valerie couldn't quite place.
valerie turned slowly, meeting her gaze. "maybe i didn't feel like it."
billie exhaled sharply, stepping closer. "val, come on. this is ridiculous. we won a grammy together. we-"
"we don't talk anymore," valerie interrupted, her voice even.
billie searched her face, frustration flickering behind her eyes. "i don't get what happened."
valerie's jaw tightened. "i don't owe you an explanation."
the tension between them crackled in the air, heavy and unresolved. billie opened her mouth, then closed it again, like she wanted to say something but thought better of it.
finally, valerie stepped past her, reaching for the balcony door.
RED ROOTS BILLIE