Before the city knew about slugs.
Before names like O Corp meant anything at all—
There were routines.
Baseball practice. Family dinners. Texts you didn’t answer.
This is what life looked like before the clouds rolled in.
The sun sets on the baseball field of Westside High. Caleb Johnson, Collin Lee, and other teen boys in Westside High Warriors baseball practice uniforms run laps around the field.
Some boys swing at balls in the batting cage. Others stretch together in the outfield. Coach Z watches his team from the dugout.
Coach Z blows his whistle as he exits the dugout.
“That’s practice!” he shouts.
The boys rush over to the bleachers, change out of their cleats, and exit the field.
Caleb slowly paces to the front of the school, where a row of cars waits in the pickup/drop-off zone. His eyes shift to his phone screen as it buzzes.
DAD:
Your mom is picking you up today. Be nice!
Caleb squints and sighs as he scans the row of cars. His eyes land on Lou Lee’s red pickup as Collin hops into the passenger seat. A car horn breaks his focus.
“Caleb!” shouts Danielle.
Caleb struts over to the waiting tan Lexus. He removes his baseball backpack and gets in the passenger seat.
“Hey,” says Caleb.
Danielle starts the car and pulls away.
Caleb’s eyes are glued to his phone screen as his thumbs glide over the touchscreen.
“How was your day? You have a good practice?” Danielle asks.
Caleb glances up from his phone. “Fine.”
Caleb stares ahead—not at his phone, but at the white lines in the road. Danielle slows to a red light and glances over at him.
“Just fine?” she asks.
Caleb’s phone buzzes. A group chat lights up the screen.
Caleb, you coming to the kickback? Mellisa won’t stop asking about you ;)
A small smile grows on Caleb’s face.
“Caleb?” Danielle says as she presses down on the gas.
“Can I go to my friend’s house tonight?” Caleb asks.
Danielle frowns. “I rented your favorite and got us takeout.”
Caleb rests his head on the window. He knows that’s a no.
“What, you don’t like the Percy Jackson movies anymore?” Danielle asks.
“Not since I was seven,” Caleb mumbles.
“Is that Mellisa girl gonna be there? When do I get to meet your girlfriend?”
Caleb huffs. “Mom, stop. She’s not my girlfriend.”
“Does she know that?”
The car falls silent.
“Tonight will be fun. I really wanna spend more time with you and TJ now that the trial is over,” Danielle says.
Caleb doesn’t reply. He just stares out at the city lights as they blur by.
Danielle turns onto a residential street and pulls into the driveway of a one-story pearl-white Spanish-style home.
Caleb is out of the car before Danielle can put it in park.
He storms into the house. She follows slowly. TJ is already eating out of the carton of chow mein and watching Percy Jackson.
Caleb sits at the edge of the couch. TJ’s in the middle. Danielle sits on the other end. TJ fights to stay awake. Caleb checks his phone every five seconds. Danielle pokes at the last of the chow mein—it’s cold now.
The movie credits roll.
Danielle wipes a tear. “It gets me every time.”
“I’m going to bed,” Caleb says as he stands and heads down the hallway.
The front door opens. Terrence Johnson and Gina Johnson enter.
“Hey, hey!” Terrence shouts.
Danielle stands to greet them. TJ doesn’t fight it anymore—he falls asleep on the couch.
Caleb stops at the end of the hallway, just before his bedroom door.
“You going to sleep already, little bro?” Gina asks.
“Yeah. Coach Z is making us do morning practices now,” Caleb says.
“Well, rest up,” Gina says.
“Goodnight, Caleb,” Danielle says.
“Make sure you’re icing your arm,” Terrence adds.
“I will… goodnight,” Caleb says. He enters his room and shuts the door behind him.
Moonlight spills across Jackie Robinson posters on the wall. A signed baseball rests on the dresser. Shower water hisses in the bathroom. Steam flows from under the door. Caleb sits in the dark, his phone screen illuminating his face.
He scrolls through the O Corp employee page, past corporate smiles in lab coats. He reaches the bottom. Puzzled, he scrolls back to the top and tries again—slower this time.
Nothing.
He didn’t find who he was looking for.
His phone buzzes.
Javier:
You up for some slug busting tonight?
Caleb stares at the text, thumbs hovering.
He doesn’t reply.
The screen goes black. He sets the phone down and steps into the shower.
The sky bleeds orange as the tip of the sun peaks over the Westside hills. Street cleaners hose down the train platform. The gardeners head to their first client.
Caleb sprints up the hill incline, rising with the sunlight.
He slows to a jog as he reaches the peak of the hill. He catches his breath, the morning air appearing with every exhale. He rests his hands on his head as he approaches a gated house at the end of the cul-de-sac.
He approaches a balding man in his late 40s who sits at the guard tower.
“Morning, Bernie!”
Bernie swivels in his rolling chair.
“You know if Mellisa’s awake?” asks Caleb.
Bernie buzzes the gate. It creaks open.
“She and Camilia were up pretty late last night, so I doubt it,” replies Bernie.
Caleb rolls his eyes as he passes through the gate. He makes his way up the driveway, past the main house, and approaches a pool guest house in the backyard.
Caleb gently knocks. No response. He makes his way to a window on the side of the guest house and lightly taps.
“Mel? You awake?” whispers Caleb.
Caleb stares at the window as a groggy-eyed Mellisa appears in the frame. She slides the window up.
“Did you forget?” asks Caleb.
“No, I was hoping you’d be there to tell me when to stop,” says Mellisa.
“Well, this run’s about to get it out of you,” responds Caleb.
Mellisa did not sign up for this. “Do you have any idea what time it is?”
Caleb whips out his phone and eyes the screen. “Yeah, I’m gonna be late for practice if you don’t come on.”
Mellisa disappears from the window frame.
“Unlock the door, I gotta pee!” shouts Caleb as he makes his way to the door of the guest house.
He pushes the unlocked door open and enters. Caleb tosses his phone on the bed and rushes into the bathroom. “I’ll be quick!” he shouts.
Mellisa quickly changes into running gear and the latest Nike sneakers.
Caleb’s phone vibrates on Camilia’s bed. She makes her way over to it.
The screen reads:
DAD:
You make it to school yet?
“Your dad texted you!” she shouts.
From the other side of the door, Caleb shouts, “What’d he say?”
“Are you at school,” replies Mellisa.
“Tell him yeah!” shouts Caleb. The toilet flushes. The sink water runs.
Mellisa types in Caleb’s passcode and goes to his text messages. She quickly responds yeah to Dad and goes back. She sees Javier’s text.
The words pierce her.
You up for some slug busting tonight?
The bathroom door swings open and Caleb exits. Mellisa quickly locks his phone. The silence is deafening.
“Ready?” Caleb asks.
Mellisa nods, grabs her keys, and leads Caleb out the door.
The two run in silence down the sidewalk toward Westside High. Early morning traffic fills the streets. They slow their pace as they come to a crosswalk. Caleb and Mellisa catch their breath.
Mellisa stares straight ahead, avoiding Caleb’s gaze.
“Are you okay?” asks Caleb.
The walk signal comes on. Mellisa bolts across the street. Caleb sprints after her.
“Mel!” shouts Caleb. He catches up, matching her speed.
She dodges a morning delivery man. They round a corner, and Westside High appears in the distance. Mellisa runs faster, really pumping her arms. She’s ahead of Caleb by inches.
The two of them stop at a side gate leading to the school’s baseball field. Collin, Coach Z, and other boys are waiting.
“It’s about time, Johnson!” shouts Coach Z. He tosses Caleb a glove.
Caleb catches the glove with one hand. He turns back to where Mellisa was standing and sees she is making her way to the girls’ locker room. Caleb quickly joins his team.
Caleb and the boys run warm-up laps, then break up into groups of three to run drills. Caleb dives on the ground, leaps at rolling balls, even climbing the gates.
“Stop showing off for your girlfriend,” shouts a boy.
Caleb scans the field. His eyes land on Mellisa, who’s now in the bleachers, hair still wet from the shower. He smiles at her. She doesn’t smile back.
“Focus, Johnson!” shouts Coach Z.
Caleb catches a fly ball and gets it home.
Mellisa sits on the bleachers. The field is empty now. Some crows pick at the grass in the outfield. Mellisa watches them. Her eyes drift back to the phone screen in her hand. The screen is open to a text thread with Javier.
Mellisa types I miss you in the text box. Her thumb hovers over send.
The boys’ locker room door swings open. Caleb rushes toward the bleachers. He sits next to Mellisa. She locks her phone and slides it into her pocket.
“You gonna tell me what’s the matter or keep me guessing?” asks Caleb.
Several boys exit the locker room, teasing Caleb and making kissing sounds. “Caleb and Mellisa sitting in a tree…” “Peace out, lovebirds.”
Mellisa rolls her eyes. They land back on the crows in the outfield. Even they fly away. It’s empty now.
Caleb can’t take his eyes off Mellisa as she stares off into the distance.
“Mel, please.”
“I thought you told me you weren’t gonna do it anymore,” snaps Mellisa.
“What are you—” Caleb is cut off mid-sentence.
“Don’t play dumb. I saw the text from Javier,” says Mellisa.
Caleb’s mouth drops. His eyes sink. His mouth goes dry; no words come out.
“Mel, I’m—”
“Don’t say you’re sorry…” Mellisa stands and makes her way off the bleachers.
Caleb follows. “Please, wait.”
“No! I told you I didn’t want you doing that stuff anymore. And instead of being honest with me, you’re out here helping my brother risk his life!” Mellisa steps off the bleachers. Caleb is at her side.
Quieter now, almost a whisper to herself, Caleb leans in.
“I can’t lose you and Javi,” she mumbles. “You’re all I have. I can’t lose you…” she whispers.
Caleb embraces her tightly. “I’m not going anywhere.”
“Why do you guys do it?” she asks, words muffled by Caleb’s chest. “Alonso is gone. We don’t have to do it anymore.” Mellisa slowly pulls away.
The two lock eyes.
“See, but I don’t think he’s gone,” responds Caleb.
Mellisa fully pulls away, taking several steps back.
“I was on the O Corp site last night, and Alonso was nowhere to be found on their employee page,” Caleb stammers. “Don’t you think it’s odd? Because if he worked at O Corp, then he’d be on the page. Maybe they took him off so he could get away with whatever he’s planning to do with the slugs.” Caleb exhales.
“Do you hear yourself?” asks Mellisa.
Caleb stares at Mellisa blankly.
Students flood the school grounds now. The sun sits high in the sky. The first bell for breakfast rings.
Mellisa turns and heads toward the school cafeteria.
“Mel! We can stop whatever Alonso’s planning,” says Caleb.
Mellisa doesn’t stop walking. “No, not me. I’m done letting him have a hold on my life. I hope you and Javi get to that place too.” Mellisa enters the cafeteria.
Caleb stands alone at the field, his eyes staring out toward the horizon. Clouds roll in from the ocean.
At the edge of the campus, near the tree line of Wild Oak Forest, a hooded figure stands—almost blending in with the shadows of the trees. Too far to make out a face. Close enough to know they’re watching him.
Caleb’s jaw tightens. He doesn’t move.
The clouds keep rolling in.
Ready for whatever’s coming.
Thanks for reading!
Nothing ever starts when you think it does.
By the time Caleb noticed the clouds, the storm had already been moving for a while.
If you want to know what set all of this in motion—
the friendships, the lies, the first time the Westside cracked—
those stories are waiting in Season One.