Only Young Once

Episode One

PILOT

Present Day

Just a few tables away, Evan Rushmore was unleashing chaos, and the tension in the cafeteria was palpable. 

"Mace, I'll call you later!" Lena swiftly ended her FaceTime call with Mason—her boyfriend— and Brie felt her stomach twist as the scene unfolded before her. When Evan forcefully pinned Reed Stevenson against a table, all the students who were watching gasped in shock.  Evan's accusations echoed through the crowded cafeteria and  Skylar Vaughn's screeches added to the layer of the drama that is progressing. Phones emerged everywhere to record the spectacle. 

Lena whimpers and covers her eyes but Brie seemed stuck watching the whole thing, horrified. Evan is angry, you can see it from the apparent redness on his face and the veins popping from his neck and temples. Right now he has Reed in a chokehold, his forearm dangerously pressed up against Reed's neck.

"You son of a bitch!" He growls at Reed. The basketball team's attempts to pull Evan off of Reed weren't enough and every time they successfully pry him off, he would verbally threaten and violently shove them aside.

"Evan, stop! What the fuck are you doing?!" Skylar's desperate plea cut through the air, her voice trembling just a bit. It was like a moment straight out of a CW drama and Brie would have laughed at this if she hadn't been too busy making sure Reed was still breathing despite the hold Evan on him. 

Then, in a swift and deliberate motion, Evan seized the front of Reed's shirt, pulled his hand off of  him and drew his fist back. The anticipation was evident in the air. Then, he punched him! 

His fist striking Reed square on the side of his face. The cafeteria erupted into chaos, a cacophony of gasps and cheers as the confrontation reached its peak. Skylar is beyond hysterical. She looked like she might jump in between them if only the girls from the cheerleading squad hadn't been holding her back.

Brie, who's watching from a few tables away, could've sworn she heard Reed's jaw crack under Evan's knuckle. Her heart was hammering like she'd drank a whole pitcher of red bull. She's tensed and breathless and she's stuck between running towards commotion or running out of the cafeteria. Thankfully, Principal Ackerman appears just in time, separating the two and averting further damage, much to Skylar's—and Brie's— relief.

The plump man stands between the two boys, separating them. Sebastian Wright pulls Reed back up on his feet, preventing him from making a final swipe at Evan. Despite his busted lip, the red mark on his neck, and a forming bruise on his left cheek, Reed still managed to look as cocky as she remembered him. He leaned against the table behind him, tapping his foot impatiently. He had this defiant look as the principal began giving them both an earful. At that moment, he turns, catching her eyes. He smirks at her, casually slipping one hand into his pocket. Brie would never admit it to anyone but at that moment, he made her skittish. So, she breaks the eye contact and turns back to Lena instead.

Lena, still processing the aftermath, settles back into her seat. The weight of the event lingering in the air as the principal escorts the two boys out of the cafeteria.

"That was... crazy." Lena blinks and Brie nods, absently. She looks back over her shoulder to the table where the commotion was happening mere moments ago. She found Sebastian in the crowd, and he gave her a reassuring smile, which she generously returned.

At the very least, her boyfriend and best friend may be the only reasons she makes it through this year.

—

Thoughts of Kyle no longer dominate her mind, or at least, she strives to banish them before they do. Ever since he left for college, she made a promise to herself to not think of him as often. Over the past few months, she quietly worked on moving forward, navigating the ebb and flow of the lingering emotions she had for him, until they just ceased to be. The universe, in its own painful ways, had conveyed that they were never meant to end up with each other anyway.

In her introspective moments, she reminded herself of the simple truth: she deserved someone who embraced her without reservations, someone who banished any lingering doubts she had about her own worth. And she recognized this with confidence once she started going out with Sebastian Wright.

Letting go of her feelings for Kyle hasn't been the easiest thing. Day after day, she felt like losing a limb by trying to cut off pieces of him because the truth was, she was cutting off pieces of her, too. Through the grueling emotional surgery though, Lena served as her anchor while, Sebastian, he became her fortress. 

She just wants to get through this year without having to deal with the complications of previous dramas and she may not know what her senior year will bring, but one thing is certain: she needs to steer clear of Reed Stevenson. At all costs!

—

"We're heading to Terry's after basketball practice. Can you come?" Brie peered over her lashes, and Lena caught the expectant look in her eyes. The redheaded girl casually sipped on her juice box before responding.

"You can't keep using me as a human shield every time your boyfriend wants you to spend quality time with his friends." Lena's tone carried a hint of accusation, prompting Brie to let out a sigh, frowning.

"First of all, I would never use you."

"Oh yeah. Why would you ask me to come, then?" Lena munches on her soggy fries.

"I just feel better when you're there." Lena huffs.

"Just because they intimidate you--"

"His friends do not intimidate me. I'm just not used to being around them." Brie cuts her off, tucking her hair behind her ear.

"Uh huh." Lena sarcastically replies, checking her phone again.

"Lena, please." She begged. "I will buy you all the pizza you want. I'll even throw in a milkshake!" Brie was on the verge of kneeling.

"Sorry, babe. Bribery won't work this time." Lena shrugged.

"Come on, Lanes." She gave Lena her best puppy dog eyes.

"Drama queen." Lena smiles in amusement, shaking her head. "Even if I want to, I can't, alright? Mason's coming over." Lena's gaze flickered with excitement, and Brie immediately felt guilty for being selfish.

"Really?! But I thought he wasn't due to visit for another week?"

Mason Finch, not to get confused with Mason Rockwell, is Lena's boyfriend. He chose work over going to college opting to join his uncle's Tech company right after graduating high school last year. They've been sustaining a long-distance relationship ever since.

"Well, something personal came up, and his uncle decided to let him get a vacation earlier." Lena's eyes sparkled, and Brie smiled at her friend's excitement.

"How long is he here for?"

"About five days, I think."

"And... you're okay with that?"

"I just miss him so much; anything is better than nothing." She sighed, her phone lighting up, the lockscreen revealing a photo of them at Homecoming last year. Mason—with his sandy curls and perfect smile, his arms wrapped around Lena, who looked up at him like he held the universe in his hands. Then, the bell ending lunch break rang.

"I have a free period, but I gotta work on my Bio homework." Lena declared. "See you later?"

"Later." Brie said before they parted ways, heading to their respective destinations.

—