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King For A Day: Pierce The Veil, Kellin Quinn
"Brianna, hi." Martha waves as I head over with my headphones around my neck.
"Hi." I reply. "Wait, step back." I shove my iPod in my hoodie pocket as I walk past Clark and then lift up the truck by the back. "The exhaust snapper." I nod to the ground and Jonathan grabs it from under the truck.
"Thanks, Brianna." Jonathan places it aside.
"It's what I'm here for, quite literally." I slowly release the car and dust my hands off against my jeans. "You wanted to see me. Am I fired? I didn't ride any cows. At least not yet."
"No, you're not fired." He chuckles. "C'mon." He nods his head to the side. "I'll be right back, sweetheart." He tells Martha and I follow him inside the house. "You want anything?"
"I ate on my way here, thanks." I shove my hands in my hoodie pockets. "So what's up?"
"That girl from school, Blair, she stopped by a few days ago and asked if you were here. But by the sound of her condescending tone, I could tell she was really here to see me and Martha. Because she gave me this." He grabs a tape from the drawer and holds it up.
"I see. So, what did you think?"
"I didn't watch it."
"But deep down you want to. I get it, it's okay."
"No, Brianna, no." He shakes his head. "It's not okay. Now, I want you to tell me whether I should burn this or take it down to the police station." He hands me the tape and I stare at it before walking over to the tv.
I turn it on and slip the tape into the slot. I press a few buttons and the video pops up. I then grab the remote and turn the volume up a few notches. The video of me running across the field starts to play.
"You should watch it. So you're not kept out of the loop, you know?" I hand him the remote. "I'll see you later, Jon." I nod before leaving and I walk down the stairs.
"Brianna." Martha heads over.
"You don't wanna miss the movie. I'll see you later, Martha." I faintly grin and walk past her. I put my headphones back on my ears and take out my iPod. I shuffle through the songs and Hit 'Em Up by 2Pac comes on. I turn it up a few notches and place my iPod back in my hoodie pocket.
•❅──────✧❅✦❅✧──────❅•
"Hey." I walk over to Mateo.
"Hey." Mateo replies.
"Listen, I'm really sorry I stood you up at Lana's party. Pete's friend was in trouble and calling you just slipped my mind."
"It's alright. Is Pete's friend okay?"
"Yeah. She went to the hospital to get help." I nod as we walk across the courtyard.
"What happened?" Mateo asks.
"She had an eating disorder. But she's gonna be okay."
"Good." He nods. "Hey, what happened to your head?"
"What?" I furrow my eyebrows and he runs his thumb over the bandage on my forehead.
"Oh, yeah, uh, in order to help Pete's friend, Jody, we had to, uh, calm her down before the medics got there. She didn't mean it, she was in distress. But I'm okay."
"Have you spoken her?"
"No." I shake my head. "I want her to recover fully, heal on her own. But she's gonna be fine, that's all that matters."
"Yeah." Mateo nods. "I heard about Blair. I'm so sorry."
"Don't worry, it's all handled."
"So, have any plans this week?"
"Can I get back to you on that? Between community service and the diner, my schedule's complicated."
"Yeah, for sure. And you couldn't of called me." He takes out a pen.
"What?"
"You don't have my number." He starts writing his phone number on my palm. "Now you do." He grins before walking off.
I look down at my hand before slightly grinning. I fix my hood over my head before making my way to the exit of the courtyard.
"Hey." I now walk over to Lana.
"Hi." Lana turns to me.
"I'm sorry I missed your party. I just, uh, I had-"
"Brianna, it's okay." She nods."I just wanna know if you're okay."
"Oh, yeah, I'm fine. I was working at Kent's barn for community service and I fell, hit my head. But I'm okay." I nod.
"I heard about what Blair did. I'm so sorry, Brianna."
"Here." I go into my backpack and I pull out her gift.
"Special edition?" She looks at the book. "Brianna, these are extremely hard to find."
"Not for the book master." I shake my head. "Happy birthday, Lana." I turn, only to meet a football slamming into my stomach.
"Brianna!" Lana shouts and I grunt before falling to my knees with my hands around the football. "Oh, my God! Are you okay?" She grips both of my shoulders and I cough a few times. "Who the hell threw that?"
"Don't know. Don't care. I'm fine." I cough again.
"We need to go Principal Kwan."
"I'm fine, Lana."
"Then I'm getting you to the nurse and I'm not taking no for an answer. C'mon." Lana helps me up and puts my arm around her shoulder, now leading me back to school.
"Ah." I gently hold my stomach before coughing again.
•❅──────✧❅✦❅✧──────❅•
"You should be at Kent's shindig with Whitney." I lay in my bed.
"It's just a party. And I can go a day without Whitney." Lana places an ice pack on my stomach.
"Thanks." I wince before holding the ice pack against my stomach.
"So you have no idea who threw that football at you?"
"No." I shake my head. "But I'm fine with not knowing. I'm not gonna let anyone drive me crazy. Cause then they win."
"Did you tell Miles or his parents?"
"I've been out on the field since I was eight years old. I've been knocked down harder. I'll be alright for the field trip."
"You should rest."
"I will, Lana. And like I said, I'll be alright for the field trip."
"I really thought you had broken a rib. That throw was so hard."
"They got a decent arm, I'll give them that." I close my eyes.
•❅──────✧❅✦❅✧──────❅•
"Hey, got your call about Earl." I head over with Lana.
"Hey." Clark greets.
"Hi, Clark." Lana grins.
"What happened?" I ask.
"We don't know yet." Miles hugs me and I slightly wince before hugging him back. "You okay?" He pulls away with furrowed eyebrows.
"Yeah. I'm good." I nod.
"You guys missed out on another killer party." Chloe inquires.
"Bet we did." Lana grins. "Sorry we couldn't make it. Brianna and I had to finish up our lab retort for biology class."
"No worries." Clark tells her and I start fanning myself with the collar of my hoodie as a hot flash passes through my body.
"This guy should be in a detox center." Chloe breaks the short silence.
"He's not on drugs, Chloe." Clark tells me.
"Then why was he shaking like a junkie? Uh, no offense, Brianna, I didn't mean-"
"None taken." I heave.
"Look, Earl worked on the farm for six seasons. I spent twelve hours a day with the guy out in the fields. He even tried to teach me how to play guitar. He said it was a good way to impress women." Clark says.
"Yeah, we're all a sucker for a guy with a 6-string."
"How come I've never heard you play?" Chloe wonders.
"I kept snapping the guitar strings. I think Earl got sick of replacing them." Clark informs.
"You know, just because you spend a lot of time with someone doesn't mean you know their darkest secrets."
"He was like family."
"Then why did he leave?" Lana speaks up.
"He took a job at the LuthorCorp plant. It was full-time and the pay was better." Clark tells her before two cops enter.
"Where can we find Earl Jenkins?" The first cop asks.
"Exam room 3, down the hall." The nurse replies.
"Excuse me. I'm a friend of Earl's. Is he in some kind of trouble?" Clark gets up.
"Oh, yeah." The cop tells him before I hear screaming.
"We need some help in here!" A man shouts and we make our way to the room as I feel sweat running down my forehead.
"What the hell?"
"Earl!" Clark tries to help the second cop hold Earl down, but is then thrown through the window of the room.
"Are you okay?" Chloe kneels down to Clark and I grimace before holding my stomach.
•❅──────✧❅✦❅✧──────❅•
"Hello, everybody. I'm Gabe Sullivan, plant manager and proud father. Hi, sweetheart." Gabe waves as I keep my hand on my stomach while shivering.
"Hi, dad." Chloe steps behind Clark.
"Welcome to LuthorCorp, where we give a crap."
"Okay, somebody kill me now."
"A little fertilizer humor there." He laughs. "Alright, before we go inside, I need you to remove all your cell phones, pagers, jewelry. Anything that jangles, dangles, or rings needs to go in these plastic trays right here. Alright, any other questions?" He asks and I see Clark raise his hand. "Yes?"
"I heard there was a third level to the Plant. Is that true?" Clark wonders.
"Yeah, yeah. That's where we do the alien autopsies. I think we better get started."
"Don't encourage him." Chloe inquires.
"This way, everybody." Gabe leaves and me and Miles follow after everyone else. "Alright, people. let's stay together."
"You alright?" Miles grips my shoulder.
"Yeah. Just tired." I tell him. I then wince as a sharp pain shoots through my stomach, making me hold it.
•❅──────✧❅✦❅✧──────❅•
"Watch out for these babies. 262 degrees. They get hot." Gabe warns as we keep walking. "This is it. The plant's mission control. 100,000 tons of animal waste is processed here every year. Trust me, the results can be pretty explosive. So if any of you had beans for lunch, I'm going to have to ask you to leave." He nods and everyone laughs.
"Among his peers he's considered witty." Chloe informs.
"Mm-hmm." Pete nods.
"Where's Clark?" Miles looks around before I hear rattling from a room a few feet down.
"What the heck? Excuse me." Gabe walks to door and I share a look with Miles.
"Don't move!" I hear Earl shout. "Take me to Level 3." He points a gun at Gabe's head and Lana pulls me back.
"Dad." Chloe whispers.
"Now!"
•❅──────✧❅✦❅✧──────❅•
"I swear, I don't know anything about Level 3." Gabe says as I sit next to Miles while holding my stomach with sweat all over my face.
"Lying." Earl inquires.
"He's not lying!" Clark walks in with rolled papers. "I found these blueprints. There is no Level 3." He walks closer and Earl takes the blue prints and opens them.
"Every night, I go down to Level 2, I follow the red pipes down that long hallway. I go to the door, I open it, and I take the elevator down to Level 3!" He hands the blueprints back. "You're just like everybody else. Now you get over there and you sit down!" He orders and Clark heads over to us before sitting down next to me.
"Brianna." Lana scoots over to me. "Are you alright?"
"I'm fine." I chatter. "Just tired."
"You look really pale." She wraps her arm around my neck, keeping me close to her.
"I'm okay. I'm okay." I shakily whisper before another sharp pain shoots through my stomach, making me close my eyes.
"Brianna—" Lana is cut off as the phone rings and Gabe picks it up.
"Lionel Luthor." Gabe holds out the phone and my head hits the crook of Lana's.
"Speaker." Earl says and Gabe presses a button with a shaky hand. "Mister Luthor, I've finally got your attention, haven't I?"
"Earl, why don't you come out? We've gotta lot to talk about." Lionel inquires through the phone and Lana pulls me impossibly closer to her.
"Just tell me what you were using down on Level 3."
"You're sick Earl. Let everyone go. We'll get you help." He assures and Earl begins to shake and holds onto a gas valve to steady himself.
"Earl." Clark now stands up.
Earl breaks the valve and throws Clark backwards, making everyone scream. Clark hits the floor and a gauge shows the methane level in the room rising.
"Oh, no. See what you made me do? See what you made me..." Earl goes to the camera. "See what you made me do? Your methane gas-valve just broke. The whole place is gonna go up."
"We need to do something." Whitney whispers and I keep my hand on my stomach.
"I don't think that's a good idea." Clark whispers back.
"That man's nuts. He's not listening to the cops and that methane gas is gonna blow."
"He's sick, but he's still strong."
"Whitney, I don't want you to get hurt." Lana says.
"I'm not putting my life in that man's hands. Two of us can take him. How about it, Clark?" Whitney asks.
"I can't." Clark tells him and I follow his gaze to the meteor rocks.
"It's okay." Lana nods.
"Earl." I pull myself up from the floor, getting out of Lana's hold.
"Brianna." Miles and Lana say.
"It's okay, it's okay. It's okay." I wave a weak hand out to them. "Earl." I slowly walk towards him with the shakes.
"Luthor, I trusted you. You told me you were trying to help people." Earl cries into the camera.
"Earl."
"Get back!" Earl now points the gun at me and I barely flinch.
"Brianna!" Miles yells over the others.
"Earl, my name is Brianna Brady. I just moved here about a month ago. You know why? Because I was high all the time." I force a chuckle. "Yeah, my mom, she—she just shipped me off here like it was nothing. And I know how you feel, okay? I know what it's like to feel like you're dying. You're hollow, right? The world stops spinning. You think you're in a movie, but the truth is you're numb and you just can't move. Right? Is that how you feel? Like your mind is your own prison?"
"I don't—I don't wanna die." Earl cries.
"I know, I know." I take another slow step closer to him. "I don't want you to die either. I don't want them to die. So you just talk to Lionel. This is about him, not the kids. Just let them go, okay? Please. If you let them go, I'll, uh, I'll stay back here and I'll help you. Best I can." I nod.
"Why—Why did you get high all the time?"
"Cause it was the only thing that didn't make me think about what I lost. It numbed for a while, but when I collapsed on the field that night, that's when I knew...I knew that..." I choke on my breath. "I knew that doing that wasn't the answer. It didn't make the problem go away, cause when I was sober, it was still there. And I realized that the thing that I thought was keeping me alive, was actually killing me. And I know whatever you're going through, it's killing you too." I nod with teary eyes. "I can see it. And you can't stop yourself from hurting anyone because you don't how to stop yourself. All you want is to get better. All you want is for it to be...over. Right?" I cry.
"Yes." Earl sobs. "Yes. I just wanna be better."
"I know you do, Earl. So, you let them go. I'll stay here and help you. Best I can. But you just let them go, okay? Please. I know you don't wanna hurt anybody. You just let the kids go, alright? I'll help you. I promise." My knees get weak before I feel something dripping down my stomach. "C'mon, let them go." I whisper with a mere nod and he starts to lower the gun.
"Brianna, get down!" Whitney lunges at Earl.
"Whitney!" Lana yells.
"No!" I shove Whitney aside before the gun goes off, hitting me in the shoulder. I feel myself hit the floor and everything goes black.
•❅──────✧❅✦❅✧──────❅•
"No!" Miles lets out a strangled sob before he runs over to Brianna.
"Oh, my God!" Chloe joins in with Lana, Clark and Pete.
"Brianna. Brianna!" Lana cries.
"Oh, my God." Pete chokes out. "Bri? Hey, can you hear me? Bri!" He gently shakes her.
"She's gonna be okay." Clark takes off his jacket and presses it on Brianna's shoulder.
"Oh, my God!" Chloe covers her mouth as she pulls up Brianna's hoodie to reveal her severally infected wound.
"No!" Miles sobs. "No, no. What the hell happened? What happened?"
"We-We-We were out in the courtyard and someone threw a football at her. We didn't know who—who it was so I-I-I took her to the nurse and she was fine. She was fine!" Lana stresses.
"It must've gotten infected." Pete inquires.
"She's losing a lot of blood." Chloe looks at Brianna's blood spilling out onto the floor.
"No! No! No! C'mon, B, stay with me. Stay with me!" Miles cups Brianna's face.
"It's all your fault, Luthor." Earl shoots the camera.
"C'mon, just hold on, okay? You gotta hold on. I'm here. I'm right here." He sniffles.
"I didn't mean to..." He sobs. "Oh, God, I didn't mean to hurt her."
"If we don't get her help..." Chloe trails off.
"No, no, no." Lana squeezes her eyes shut.
"Somebody! Help us! Help!" Miles loudly sobs as he leans his head against Brianna's. "Stay with me. Don't leave. Stay with me. Please don't leave me!" He cries harder and Clark keeps the pressure on Brianna's wound with teary eyes.
"What kind of man sends his own kid to do his dirty work?" Earl questions as the door opens to reveal Lex in a bulletproof vest.
"I'm not doing anybody's dirty work, Earl. This is my plant." Lex replies.
"Lex!" Miles yelps. "She needs help!"
"What are we gonna do about these kids, Earl?" Lex looks at Brianna in horror.
"I never meant to hurt anybody. I never meant to hurt her. I tried talking to your father, but he wouldn't listen to me." Earl tells him.
"I know the feeling." He takes off the vest. "Earl, you say that everybody's been lying to you. I'm gonna tell you the truth. My father doesn't care about you. He doesn't care about anybody in this room. Because if we all die, his P.R. firm will spin it, his insurance company will pay out, and you, Earl, will go down as the bad guy."
"I'm not the bad guy. I'm just trying to get better."
"How are you gonna get better by killing a bunch of kids? If you let everybody go, I'll take you to Level 3."
"You stop lying." Earl points the gun at Lex and Chloe wraps her scarf around Brianna's infected bruise.
"Let them go, and I'll show you where it is. Earl, trust me. I'm a man of my word." Lex nods. "Brianna needs a hospital, or she'll die. And I know you don't want that as much as I do. Let them go. Let Brianna get help. I know you want that."
"Get out. Get out. Get out! Everybody, get out!" Earl yells and everyone starts running out.
"Do you really know where it is?" Clark picks up Brianna, now holding her in his arms.
"Yeah. It's in his imagination. There is no Level 3, Clark." Lex cups Brianna's face. "Now get out of here. Get her help."
"Someone help!" Miles yells as him, Pete, Clark, Lana and Chloe run up the ramp before the doors can slam shut. "Help! Someone help! She's dying!"
"Miles!" Clark quickly kisses Brianna's forehead before handing her to Miles.
"Clark, c'mon, man, we gotta go! Brianna needs help!" Pete urges.
"Don't worry about me!" Clark rolls under the door before it fully closes.
"Help! Help!" Miles runs with Chloe and Pete until they get outside.
"Miles!" Layton screams. "Brianna!"
"Help!"
"We got her." A medic takes Brianna from Miles and sets her on a stretcher.
"Oh, my God." Layton sobs.
"Where's Clark?" Martha grabs Layton.
"He's back inside, Miss's Kent. I tried to stop him. I'm sorry. I-I'm sorry." Pete tells her as Lana and Miles get into the ambulance.
"You have to open the doors." Martha orders.
"They're safety locked and can't be opened until the gas levels have gone down." Lionel tells her.
"My son is still in there."
"So is mine."
"Wait!" Layton runs into the ambulance, joining Lana and Miles.
"Hold on!" Pete now comes in with Chloe.
"Everyone relax, she's gonna be okay. She's gonna be alright." The medic start bandaging Brianna's bruised stomach.
•❅──────✧❅✦❅✧──────❅•
"How are you feeling, Brianna?" Nurse Ellen asks.
"Like I got shot." I weakly reply as I sit back against the hospital bed with a bandage around my shoulder and stomach.
"Well, you did extremely well with the surgery. Miles gave you a blood transplant for the blood you lost."
"Thanks, buddy." I half whisper and Miles cups my face before kissing my forehead.
"Hey, there she is." Chloe enters with Clark, Lana, Pete, Martha, Jonathan and Lex.
"I'll be right outside." Layton kisses my forehead before leaving.
"Layton." Lex follows her out.
"How you feeling, hero?" Chloe sits next to Miles.
"I'm alright." I nod.
"At least you'll have a cool scar." Pete sits next to Chloe.
"I'm a lucky girl."
"You said someone threw a football at her?" Nurse Ellen questions.
"Yes." Lana slowly nods.
"Why on Earth would someone do that?" Martha wonders.
"You didn't watch the movie?"
"What movie?" She furrows her eyebrows and I lock eyes with Jonathan.
"I took her to the school nurse and she was fine. We even went back to her house and I iced her bruise." Lana breaks the short silence.
"It must've gotten infected overtime." Nurse Ellen tells her.
"How?" Jonathan questions.
"The nurse should've suggested ice and some type of antibiotic." She continues writing on her clipboard and I look at the IV in my arm.
"Is Earl okay?" I croak out.
"Yeah. He, uh, he's getting help." Miles tells me.
"Good." I nod.
"Did the surgery go well?" Jonathan uncrosses his arms.
"It went great. She's strong, pulled right through." Nurse Ellen nods.
"I'm so sorry." Lana whispers through a sob as she grabs my hand.
"Hey, it's not your fault. And it's not Whitney's either. He was just trying to help. He's got nothing to feel guilty about." I shake my head and Lana lets out a cry with trembling lips. "Hey, no crying. Because I'm still here. I'm right here." I grin with glassy eyes. "Okay?" I raise my eyebrows and she nods while sniffing.
"What you did back there...you were fearless." Pete inquires. "And you saved Whitney."
"Nah, I was—I was scared." I nod to myself. "But not for me. For, uh, for you guys. But you're okay and that's all that matters."
"How is she?" Lex now enters back in with Layton.
"She's okay." Nurse Ellen assures. "She pulled right through the surgery. She did great."
"Lex Luthor." I grin at him. "Fancy seeing you here, huh?"
"I am so sorry." Lex walks over and places his hand on my good shoulder before tightly hugging me. "I'm so sorry, Brianna."
"Don't be. You're the one who made Earl let everyone go and I was able to get help. I believe I owe you." I nod.
"No, you don't owe me anything. Not even close."
"Brianna, I know you're emancipated, but should I call your mother?" Nurse Ellen asks.
"No, no. I'm fine. There's no need to scare her for nothing." I sniffle.
"Okay."
"Brianna." Officer West enters.
"Hey, I'm okay." I lowly chirp. "I'm okay." I nod with a forced grin.
"Are you Brianna's parole officer?" Nurse Ellen questions.
"Yes, ma'am." Officer West replies.
"Come with me." She leads him and Layton out of the room.
"You guys head on home. I'm not going anywhere." I slowly adjust myself and Lana and Miles quickly help me.
"We're not going anywhere." Lana shakes her head.
"I'm staying right here." Miles grabs my hand before giving me a nod.
I'm okay. I have to be.
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AUTHOR'S NOTE
🪐🌙✨🚀🌌☄️
another great episode! my boy earl was going THROUGH IT. clark was lucky brianna wasn't conscious for that kiss on the forehead 💀 5 seconds of summer in FIVE DAYS!!
whitney trying to play hero
my ass would've fallen
not a want a need
we all know damn well
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