Inside the iconic SoFi Stadium, two figures walked purposefully through the quiet halls, their footsteps echoing in the vast, empty space. The stadium, which would soon be bursting with energy and excitement, was eerily calm in these early hours. The pair moved with direction, knowing exactly where they were headed, though their conversation suggested at least one of them would rather be anywhere else.
"Finneas, do I have to be here? You know I'm busy. And do I really need to meet your new girlfriend?" came the first voice, belonging to the shorter of the two. Her tone was unmistakably whiny, filled with reluctance. The girl had distinctive green highlights in her hair, her very presence exuding an effortlessly cool yet perpetually unimpressed demeanor.
"Billie, why are you like this?" Finneas sighed, rolling his eyes as he continued walking. "I've told you, you're going to like Maddie. She's super nice, and this is a good chance for you two to meet properly. Plus, she really wants to see you. She's a huge fan of your music."
Billie scoffed, crossing her arms as she quickened her pace to keep up with her older brother. "I should be promoting the album right now, you know that. The tour's about to start, and I actually need to prepare for it. Not waste time on some forced meet-and-greet."
Finneas exhaled sharply, the frustration in his voice evident as he shot her a look. "Billie, come on. This is the Super Bowl. There's literally no better place to get promo than here. Half the industry is in this building right now. You'll be surrounded by stars, cameras—hell, if you get a picture with Eminem's daughter, that alone will get lots of attention not to mention with him himself and all the hundreds of stars that would be here" he said muttering after "Not like you even need promoting" Then his voice rose again." And let's be real, you don't need more preparation for the tour. Stop being such a brat."
Billie rolled her eyes but said nothing, choosing to let out an exaggerated sigh instead. Finneas, sensing a tiny victory, smirked and nodded toward a suite door just ahead. "This should be it," he said, his voice lighter now, relieved they had finally arrived.
As they came to a stop in front of the door, he turned to his sister one last time. "Billie, please, I'm begging you—just be on your best behavior, okay? Just for once? No sarcasm, no attitude, just… be nice."
She gave him an unimpressed stare, then shrugged. "Yeah, yeah. Whatever. Let's just get this over with."
With that, she reached for the handle and swung the door open without hesitation.
"Wait—" Finneas started, hurriedly adjusting his clothes, but it was too late.
The door had already opened.
Billie, without waiting for whatever her brother was about to say, pushed open the door and stepped inside. This was her first time attending the Super Bowl, and despite how big and popular she had become, she had never been to one before. As she took in the suite, she felt a flicker of surprise. Sure, they had said it was a "suite," but for a sports stadium, she hadn't expected this. The room looked more like a high-end hotel lounge than something in an arena. Plush seating, a well-stocked bar, and massive windows overlooking the field made the space feel luxurious. But none of that was what truly caught her attention.
No, what really surprised her was the guy in the room.
He was sitting in the middle of four girls, all of them smiling, giggling, and leaning toward him as if hanging onto his every word. Were they playing a game? Flirting? Billie wasn't sure. But seeing him, she recognized him immediately—because who wouldn't? Anyone who was even remotely interested in music knew his name. Even people who weren't interested knew who he was. Ethan Jones.
And for Billie, it was even deeper than that.
Ethan wasn't just another rising star. He was, in many ways, being touted as the next big thing in pop—her genre. More specifically, he was being called the next her.
She had heard it all before. When she had her debut, she had taken the world by storm. Her first album had been a cultural moment, and at just 18, she had made history by sweeping the Big Four Grammy categories—Album of the Year, Record of the Year, Song of the Year, and Best New Artist—all in one night. The youngest artist ever to do so. She had dominated the charts, sold out arenas, and become the face of a new era in music.
And then, just one year later, Ethan had arrived. And not just arrived—exploded. He had done what she had done… maybe even bigger. His debut had broken streaming records, sold more units than hers, and his fanbase had grown at an astronomical rate. It was impossible to ignore him.
Now, here he was, sitting there, completely relaxed in the middle of those girls, a dazzling smile on his face.
And he was beautiful.
She had seen pictures, of course—who hadn't? But pictures hadn't done him justice. Up close, she could see every perfect detail: long, golden-blond hair styled effortlessly, piercing blue eyes that shone under the suite's warm lighting, smooth, flawless skin that made it look like he had never had a breakout in his life, and a face so symmetrical and soft yet defined, it almost didn't seem real.
Billie could tell by the way he was looking at her that he was just as surprised to see her.
Perks of being a megastar, she thought dryly.
Before anything could be said, a voice broke through the moment.
"Finneas! How are you?"
A blonde girl with striking green eyes had stepped forward, moving into Billie's brother's arms for a quick hug. Billie blinked at the interaction, momentarily distracted.
"I'm good, Maddie," Finneas replied, his tone warm. "Sorry we were a little late. I was trying to get this one ready." Billie knew without looking that he was referring to her.
Maddie just let out a small laugh, casting Billie a knowing glance. "I'm sure she was busy."
Billie, catching onto the playful tone, smirked slightly but didn't say anything.
Maddie turned fully to her now, smiling. "Hi, I'm Maddie Prescott. It's finally nice to meet you—I'm a huge fan."
Billie returned the smile, her voice more genuine this time. "Aww, thank you so much. Nice to meet you too."
Finneas, hearing how normal and polite Billie sounded, let out a small but very visible sigh of relief. Meanwhile, Maddie grabbed Billie's hand and led her toward the rest of the group.
"This is Hailie," Maddie introduced, her tone dropping just slightly as if giving Billie a secret hint. "Her dad owns the suite."
Billie caught on instantly. Ah. So this is Eminem's daughter. She kept her reaction cool, simply exchanging friendly hellos with Hailie before being introduced to the rest of the girls, who all gushed about being fans.
And then it was his turn.
The room seemed to shift as everyone turned their attention to the two pop superstars facing each other. Ethan smiled, effortlessly charming as he extended his hand toward her.
"I'm Ethan," he said smoothly, his voice warm and confident. "And I just want to say it's really great to meet you. I'm such a huge fan of your music." His smile widened slightly, revealing teeth so white they almost looked fake.
Billie stared at him, her lips twitching. Finneas, who had been watching cautiously, immediately tensed, his friendly expression turning into an instant frown. He knew that look. He had seen that look. And before he could intervene—before he could stop her—she opened her mouth.
"I know who you are," Billie said, her tone sickly sweet before turning sarcastic. "After all, you did leave me on read in your DMs."
The silence that followed was deafening.