23 -

The next morning, the sun was shining over Baltimore, flooding the city with light. Ellie and Kate woke up with a palpable excitement. Kate, who had studied in this city, was eager to show Ellie all the must-see spots.

Kate: "Ready to follow me everywhere?"

Ellie: "Totally! Can't wait to see everything you've got to show."

They left the hotel and headed into the heart of the city. Kate turned into a full-on tour guide, sharing stories about every street corner.

Kate: "This is Lexington Market," she said, pointing to a large, colorful building.

Ellie gazed in awe at the vibrant stalls and mouth-watering smells of the food.

Ellie: "It looks amazing! I bet it's a whole different vibe on weekends, packed with people."

Kate: "Totally! And over there is the contemporary art museum. I spent hours exploring the exhibits here."

Ellie: "I'd love to check it out. I bet Billie and Finneas would be up for it, too."

Kate nodded, her expression darkening slightly: "Yeah, I kinda feel bad for them. They never really get to enjoy the city like we do. Fans and paparazzi are always around."

They kept walking, talking about different parts of the city. Eventually, they stopped in a cute café, filled with natural light and green plants.

Kate: "We should sit here. Their hot chocolate is to die for."

They grabbed a table by the window and ordered their drinks. As they sipped their hot chocolate, the topic of the concert came up.

Ellie: "Hey, I have an idea. How about a little party in our hotel room tonight?"

Kate burst out laughing: "Absolutely down! You should suggest it to Billie. I bet she could use a break from all these rehearsals."

Ellie: "That was my plan, a girls' night in."

As they left the café, Ellie sent a quick message to Billie:

Ellie: "Kate and I thought of having a girls' night tonight. Want to join us? We won't stay up too late, since the concert's tomorrow night."

After a few hours exploring the streets of Baltimore, the girls returned to the hotel. When they entered their room, Ellie noticed that Billie had finally replied.

Billie: "I'm totally in, but I might get there super late. I've got a ton of rehearsals left."

Ellie: "Perfect, no worries, don't wear yourself out too much ;)"

Billie: "Don't worry about me, can't wait to see you tonight."

Ellie smiled at the message and turned to Kate.

Ellie: "She's in, but she'll be a bit late. She's still in rehearsals."

Kate: "Awesome! Let's get things ready. Wonder how we'll move the mattress from my room to yours without anyone noticing."

They exchanged amused glances.

Ellie: "We'll have to be sneaky so we don't get kicked out of the hotel."

They started planning the mattress move. Kate peeked out to make sure no one was watching, and then they began sliding the mattress across the floor.

Ellie: "Holy crap, this thing's so heavy."

Kate: "One last push!" she said, giving it her all.

After a bit of effort, they finally managed to get the mattress into Ellie's room, laughing and whispering to avoid getting caught.

Kate: "Mission accomplished! Now for the rest."

Ellie: "Why don't we go snag a few snacks from the buffet? We can't have a sleepover without good junk food."

Kate: "That's the smartest thing you've said all day."

Ellie: "I'm proud of it."

They snuck out of the room and headed to the buffet area. Ellie opened the door and checked to make sure no one was around before slipping inside.

Ellie: "Quick, before we get caught!" she whispered as they slipped in.

They grabbed bags of chips, some berries, popcorn, and, of course, Ellie couldn't resist filling a small container with ice cream since there was a mini-fridge in their room.

Ellie: "Now that's what I call a haul!"

They snuck back to their room, their hearts pounding with excitement. Everything was ready for the night.

While waiting for Billie to arrive, the girls passed the time chatting about everything and anything.

Kate: "What do you think tomorrow will be like?"

Ellie: "I think it'll be amazing, like always."

Time passed, and finally, around 10 p.m., Ellie received a message from Billie.

Billie: "I'm here! Gonna come up in a few minutes, just need a quick shower, I smell death."

Ellie turned to Kate, her eyes sparkling with excitement.

Ellie: "She's on her way! Get everything set, I'll lay out the mattresses."

They arranged the mattresses, making a cozy spot for the three of them. Ellie put on some background music to create a fun vibe, and Kate did a final check to make sure everything was ready.

Kate: "Feels like being in elementary school again."

A few minutes later, Billie knocked on the door, her face lighting up with a big smile despite her obvious fatigue.

Billie: "Sorry for being late, hope I didn't keep you waiting too long."

Ellie motioned for her to come in: "Not at all, come on in."

Billie stepped into the room, her eyes lighting up at the sight of the mattress, snacks, and relaxed setup.

Billie: "You two are the best! I really needed this break." She flopped onto the mattress.

They chatted casually for a while, laughing and joking about the day.

Kate: "We should download a game on our phones! It's kind of childish, but it could be fun."

Billie: "I'm down, just to get a few secrets out of you two."

They searched for a game and eventually downloaded a fun quiz where they had to answer questions about each other.

Kate: "Alright, who's first?"

Billie: "Let's start with the photographer."

They started playing, answering simple questions to warm up, like "who's the most likely to..." and laughing at each other's responses.

The first question was: "Who here is most likely to get lost in a strip club?"

Kate: "That's gotta be Ellie, she's always looking through her camera, never looking where she's going."

Ellie: "Can't argue with that."

The conversation flowed, and soon, a slightly more sensitive question popped up: "Who here still thinks about their ex?"

Ellie felt her heart race. She knew it was a loaded question, but she was ready to answer.

Ellie: "I'm over her, that's old news."

Kate: "That's what we all say, until they show up at our door."

Ellie: "She can try knocking all she wants, but the door's locked."

Billie smiled, but there was a hint of something serious in her eyes. She looked away for a second.

Billie: "I bet there are a lot of people locked behind that door."

Ellie: "What do you mean?"

Billie: "You're pretty hot, bet you had some admirers back in Portland, huh?"

Ellie blushed: "Can't complain, but I only had one serious relationship, and it didn't end too well."

Kate: "Next question?"

They kept playing, laughing and sharing stories, until they realized it was getting late.

Ellie: "It's almost 2 a.m., maybe we should get some sleep?"

Billie nodded, smiling: "I loved this night, thank you both."

Kate stretched and lay down on her mattress: "Thanks for the idea, Ellie."

Finally, they lay down, and Billie settled beside Ellie, like it was the most natural thing in the world.

Billie: "Good night, I'm so glad we did this together."

Ellie: "Good night, Billie."

The lights went out, and they drifted off to sleep with light hearts, ready to face the concert waiting for them the next day.