chapter three:

backstage invitation

~💚~

madigan followed the slow-moving crowd toward the exit, the collective buzz of excitement still ringing in her ears. the concert had ended, and she could already feel the relief of leaving the thrumming energy of the arena behind her. beside her, kara was on an emotional high, practically skipping as they made their way through the masses of fans, her face glowing with post-concert bliss.

"oh my god, mads! that was incredible!" kara gushed for what felt like the hundredth time. "did you see the lights during 'you should see me in a crown'? i mean, holy shit, i think i ascended."

madigan nodded half-heartedly, pulling her hoodie tighter around herself as if it could shield her from kara's relentless enthusiasm. "yeah, it was... something," she muttered.

kara didn't seem to notice her lack of enthusiasm. "i knew it! i knew you'd come around. billie has that effect on people. i mean, when she hit that high note during 'happier than ever,' i nearly passed out."

madigan wasn't sure what she had expected from the concert, but it wasn't whatever this weird cocktail of exhaustion and restlessness she was feeling now. she'd come out of curiosity, mostly, and a little out of guilt for always turning down kara's plans, but as the night went on, she found herself more and more disconnected. the crowd had been wild, the energy intense, but it never quite reached her.

except for that one moment.

madigan shook the thought from her head, trying to convince herself it hadn't been as strange as it felt at the time. billie eilish had not been looking at her. she was a global superstar, for crying out loud—she probably couldn't even see half the audience from the stage, let alone pick out some random girl who wasn't singing along.

she felt kara's hand tug on her arm. "wait, hold up. something's going on up there."

madigan glanced up ahead where a small group of people stood gathered around one of the arena staff, who was holding a clipboard and talking to a few fans. probably giving out autographs or taking last-minute fan requests, madigan assumed. she was about to suggest they keep walking when she heard someone call out, "is there a madigan in the crowd? madigan...?"

her heart skipped a beat.

"madigan pierce?" the voice clarified, louder this time.

kara's eyes widened, and she whipped her head around to face madigan, her mouth hanging open in disbelief. "holy shit, that's your name!" she squealed, grabbing madigan's arm with both hands and shaking her like a rag doll. "what the hell did you do? are you secretly a superfan or something?"

madigan blinked, her body frozen in place. "i—i don't know," she stammered, her stomach churning with a weird mixture of anxiety and confusion.

the staff member, a tall woman with a no-nonsense attitude, caught sight of madigan standing still among the dispersing crowd and waved her over. "you madigan pierce?" she asked, her tone brisk.

madigan nodded, unsure of what else to do.

"here," the woman said, thrusting a glossy, laminated backstage pass into her hand. "you and your friend are invited to the vip after-party. billie's team wants to meet you."

kara screamed.

madigan, on the other hand, stared at the pass like it was an alien artifact. the thin plastic rectangle gleamed under the bright lights of the arena, the bold letters "vip" stamped across it as if it were some kind of golden ticket. it felt wrong in her hand—like it didn't belong to her.

she blinked at the staff member, then back at the pass. "wait—why? why does she want to meet me?"

the woman shrugged, already moving on to address another group of fans. "i don't know, but she asked for you by name. you in or what?"

kara clapped her hands over her mouth, eyes wide and full of disbelief. "holy shit, mads. you're going to meet billie fucking eilish."

"i—i don't—" madigan stammered, feeling overwhelmed. "this has to be some kind of mistake. why would she want to meet me?"

"who cares?" kara practically screamed, tugging on madigan's sleeve. "do you know how many people would kill for this? come on! we're going backstage! this is insane!"

madigan swallowed hard, glancing back at the stage and the now mostly empty arena. a part of her wanted to just walk away, to hand the pass back and pretend this whole weird situation had never happened. she hadn't wanted to come to the concert in the first place, and now she was being thrust into some bizarre situation that made no sense.

but... why not?

her curiosity was piqued now. billie had noticed her, somehow, and that nagging question—the one that had been buzzing in her head ever since that moment during the show—was back.

why her?

madigan let out a shaky breath. "alright, fine. let's go."

kara squealed again and practically dragged her toward the backstage entrance, where a security guard waved them through after checking their passes. the backstage area was bustling with crew members packing up equipment, but kara barely seemed to notice, still riding the high of their unexpected invitation. madigan, on the other hand, felt her anxiety ramping up with every step they took.

what the hell was she going to say to billie eilish? what the hell would billie eilish want to say to her?

they were led down a hallway, the noise from the arena fading into the background as they moved deeper into the labyrinth of rooms and corridors that made up the backstage area. eventually, they were stopped outside a door with a small sign that read "vip lounge." the guard outside gave them a once-over and then nodded for them to enter.

inside, the vibe was completely different—calmer, quieter. the room was filled with soft lighting, a couple of couches, and a spread of food and drinks that looked untouched. a few people mingled, probably other vips, but madigan barely registered any of it. her heart was pounding too hard in her chest.

and then, there she was.

billie stood near the back of the room, talking quietly with a few members of her team. she was dressed down now, in sweatpants and an oversized hoodie, her neon green hair pulled back in a messy bun. despite the exhaustion in her posture, there was still an air of cool confidence about her, like she was in complete control of everything around her.

madigan swallowed hard. what the fuck am i doing here?

billie glanced up and immediately locked eyes with her.

for a moment, the room seemed to go silent.

billie's expression shifted—something between amusement and curiosity—and she excused herself from her conversation, making her way over to where madigan and kara stood. kara looked like she was about to pass out, but madigan just felt frozen.

billie stopped in front of them, her blue eyes fixed on madigan, studying her. up close, billie was strikingly pretty in a way that wasn't just about looks—it was her presence, her vibe, the way she carried herself. but even as madigan's heart raced in her chest, there was still a part of her that couldn't quite believe any of this was real.

"so you're the girl who didn't care," billie said, her voice soft but teasing. there was a smirk playing on her lips, but her eyes were intense, like she was trying to figure something out.

madigan blinked, unsure how to respond. "i—i didn't... i mean, i..."

billie chuckled, her gaze still locked on madigan. "you didn't sing. you didn't scream. you didn't even move half the time. i noticed you." she tilted her head, her expression softening. "and now i want to know why."

madigan's mouth went dry. she wasn't sure what she'd expected, but it wasn't this. billie eilish—an actual, living, breathing global sensation—was standing in front of her, curious about why she hadn't lost her mind during the concert.

"i—uh, i guess i just... i didn't know what to expect," madigan mumbled, feeling stupid and small. "i didn't really want to come, honestly."

billie raised an eyebrow, intrigued. "you didn't want to come? that's even better. so why did you?"

madigan glanced at kara, who was still in some kind of silent fan-induced stupor, and then back at billie. "my friend. she's a huge fan. she begged me."

billie glanced at kara, then smiled knowingly. "got it." she looked back at madigan, her eyes flickering with something unreadable. "well, i'm glad you came. even if you didn't want to."

madigan felt her face flush. billie's gaze was intense, sharp but kind, and there was something about the way she looked at her—like she was really looking—that made madigan's skin prickle. she wasn't used to being the center of attention, especially not from someone like billie eilish.

"thanks," madigan muttered, feeling awkward as hell.

billie's lips quirked into a smirk again. "you're interesting," she said, almost to herself. "i want to know more about you."

and just like that, the world felt like it had tilted on its axis.

madigan wasn't sure what the fuck was happening, but one thing was clear: she was in way over her head.