A quick note before we begin: I envision this to be a mini-series, maybe ten or so episodes long. Please don't be put-off by the script-format as it gets easier to read after a while, especially if you've got a short attention span like me.

With that said, I've got big plans in my head for the characters featured in this story, so consider this an introduction to the world of Una Godfrey and Samantha Penderghast. I also recommend listening to the song above as The 1975 is my main influence for the girls' favorite band, Stillwater. 

Anyway, without further ado, I present to you: Episode 1 of One Night Only...

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FADE IN:

INT. WILMINGTON HIGH — DAY

UNA GODFREY is walking through the halls of her high school, Wilmington High, alone. Today is her birthday but she has nobody outside her family to celebrate it with.

UNA (V.O.): I don't think anyone ever really tells you about how much it hurts to lose a friend.

The camera pans to various groups of friends talking and laughing in school.

UNA (V.O., cont'd): Movies prepare us for heartbreak, often the romantic kind—the kind that apparently necessitates watching other movies in your pajamas while sobbing into an ounce of ice cream.

She passes by her former best friend, SAMANTHA "SAM" PENDERGHAST, whose eyes she catches briefly.

UNA: (V.O., cont'd): But nobody prepared me for how I would feel when I lost my best friend.

Una manages a small smile. Sam looks away.

UNA (V.O., cont'd): Nobody.

Una continues her way through school before finally making it out the doors and rushing to the bike rack where she puts on her helmet, unlocks her bike, and promptly hops on.

CUT TO:

EXT. DREARY — DAY

Una is now biking home, pedaling as fast as her legs would take her, rounding corners and taking side streets to cut her travel time short.

UNA (V.O., cont'd): I wish I could tell you how it happened, that there was a chronological order to how things ended up the way they are. But there's no method to our madness, no rhyme or reason for our drifting apart.

She arrives home and parks her bike in its rightful spot before taking off her helmet and hanging it on the handlebars.

UNA (V.O., cont'd): One minute we were best friends, and the next...

Una races up the front porch steps and unlocks the front door.

CUT TO:

INT. GODFREY HOUSEHOLD — DAY

The smell of goods being baked fills her lungs the moment she steps indoors. Following the delicious aroma, she finds her aunt, HILDA, surrounded by an array of pots and pans in the kitchen, clearly preparing for Una's birthday dinner tonight.

HILDA: There she is! The birthday girl!

Aunt Hilda rounds the kitchen island and uses her wrists to squish Una's cheeks and plant kisses on each one as her hands are covered in flour.

HILDA: I'm making your cake as we speak. Are we expecting anyone else tonight? I need to know so I can—

Una shakes her head.

UNA: Just us, Aunt Hilda. I already told you.

HILDA: Oh, but I thought—

Sighing, Una plops her bag down on the kitchen table and takes a seat.

UNA: Sam's not coming.

Aunt Hilda frowns.

HILDA: I don't understand. You two were like peas in a pod!

UNA: I don't think there's anything to understand. People drift apart. It's normal.

HILDA: But you had a blog together and everything!

Aunt Hilda waves dismissively.

HILDA (cont'd): I'm sure it's just a phase. You two just need space and then you'll be right as rain again. You two are like sisters; it's hard to break a bond that strong.

UNA: Look, Aunt Hilda, I appreciate the concern but I don't really want to talk about it right now, okay?

Aunt Hilda nods.

HILDA: Well, alright. Do you maybe wanna give me a hand on these macarons instead? I've got to finish the batter for your cake but I need to ice these first.

UNA: Is it chocolate macarons?

HILDA: Would I make anything other than your favorite on your birthday, doll? Of course they're chocolate macarons. What kind of question is that?

Una smiles and rises from the table, joining her aunt on the kitchen island and picking up the plastic bag filled with chocolate icing.

UNA (V.O.): You only turn sixteen once. Some girls throw a big party and celebrate it with all their friends and family.

Una picks up the first finished macaron and takes a bite behind Aunt Hilda's back.

UNA (V.O., cont'd): They get grand gifts, brand new cars, all that.

When she goes to pick up another, Aunt Hilda catches her and swats her hand away.

UNA (V.O., cont'd): In comparison, my sixteenth birthday was small. Barely a blip in other people's day.

The scene changes to show Una and her aunts, Hilda and FRIDA, gathered around the dining table, laughing and chatting over the most scrumptious feast prepared by Aunt Hilda.

UNA (V.O., cont'd): But with all things considered, it was a good birthday. I couldn't have asked for anything more.

CUT TO:

INT. UNA'S BEDROOM — DAY

Una wakes to the sound of her phone buzzing incessantly. Groggily, she unlocks her screen, eyes still heavy with sleep, and reads the notification.

STILLWATER: BACK FROM HIATUS FOR ONE NIGHT ONLY

Una sits up, eyes wide, heart hammering in her chest.

UNA: No...

She taps open the notification and her phone's browser opens to a website with a dark background. Stillwater's logo fades into view, followed by the question:

ARE YOU READY?

UNA: Oh my God.

Una taps 'Yes' and the site loads a new page.

To gain access to ticket-selling, you must first solve three riddles. You only get one chance to answer. Opening a new tab or a new app will trigger a self-destruct mode to prevent cheating.

Una's thumb hovers over a button that says LET'S GO! But just as she's about to click it, a new notification appears on the top of her screen.

SAM (text): Did you see the new Stillwater announcement?

Una eagerly taps on the notification from Sam. Their last conversation was from months ago.

UNA (text): Yes!!! I was about to start the riddles when you texted.

SAM (text): I failed. L In my defense, I took too long to figure out the second clue.

Una bites her lip.

UNA (text): No spoilers, but... in case I solve it. Want to get tickets together?

SAM (text): DUH!

Beaming brightly, Una re-opens her browser and starts the quiz. This could be her chance to make things right—or if not, at least figure out what went wrong.

Spell me out and I am the number of a month in which I also match the number of letters exactly of this month. What am I?

Una's eyebrows raise. Below the question, there is a box to type your answer in with the question 'When?' on it. On the top right corner of the screen, a clock ticks, counting down the seconds.

UNA: Okay, breathe, Una. You can do this. January has seven letters, but it's the first month of the year. That rules out February, March, April... June? No, June has four letters and is the fifth month. July also has four. August?

Una counts the letters of August on one hand.

UNA: A-U-G-U-S-T. Two letters short. September...

She tilts her head and counts, eyes widening as she lands on the ninth number.

UNA: September! Nine letters, nine months.

She begins to type her answer but pauses.

UNA: Wait. But I need a day.

Una glances at the calendar hung on her wall then grimaces as she enters her answer.

SEPTEMBER 9

UNA: Today.

The screen loads then flashes green. Una lets out a breath of relief as the new question flashes on screen.

THE CLUE IS IN THE SONG

UNA: OH MY GOD.

Una hurriedly grabs her earphones when she realizes that the next answer is hidden in a brand- new Stillwater song. A brand-new, seven minutes long song, in fact. Una clicks play. A scratchy guitar plays over springy basslines, like if Joy Division turned synth-pop. Una sits there, listening, the biggest grin on her face. Stillwater had brought her and Sam together when they were twelve, back when they were too young to attend any of their shows or even be listening to the elusive band's music. Una considers their hiatus announcement her first heartbreak.

Three minutes into the song and it ends. Una blinks, shocked by the abrupt end. She skims through the last few minutes and it's nothing but absolute silence. She plays it again, listening more keenly to the lyrics, but there is no indication to what the clue could possibly be.

Una looks at the answer box. It reads: 'Time?'

After her third play-through, it clicks. If the song is three minutes long and they've made it appear to be seven, perhaps that was the actual time? Una types her answer and bites her lip as it loads.

UNA: Please, please, please.

The screen flashes green and moves on to the last question. Except, it isn't a question. It's a photo of the front-man, Mathieu, at age nineteen—their first gig ever. Una recognizes the photo instantly.

The answer box below the photo asks, 'Where?'

Una smiles.

UNA: Easy.

She keys in the venue's name.

THE BOWERY

She clicks enter and the screen loads for a few seconds before flashing green.

UNA: Yes!

She hops up and does a little happy dance. However, when she looks back down on her screen, her face falls.

CONGRATULATIONS

YOU HAVE BEEN WAITLISTED FOR ACCESS TO TICKET-SELLING.

DUE TO THE VENUE'S CAPACITY...

Una doesn't even bother finishing reading the apology.

UNA: Are you kidding me? No! No!

She taps impatiently on her screen, willing it to load something else.

UNA: Come on!

Just then, Aunt Frida barges into her room.

FRIDA: Una? What's wrong?

UNA: I'm waitlisted!

FRIDA: (confused) What?

Una groans and flops back down on her bed.

UNA: Stillwater's having a concert but they had this stupid quiz thing that you had to answer before you got to buy tickets. I solved it, but I guess I took too long because now I'm waitlisted.

Aunt Frida frowns and sits on the edge of her bed.

FRIDA: Oh, doll. I'm sorry. I'm sure there'll be a next time.

UNA: That's the thing! I don't know when there'll be a next time because they said they're coming out of hiatus for one night only!

Aunt Frida places a comforting hand on Una's leg. Una turns around and sits up, hugging her knees to her chest.

UNA: Sam and I were going to watch...

FRIDA: Sam? As in, Samantha?

UNA: Yes! She messaged me this morning saying she didn't pass the quiz but I asked her, on the off chance that I would—and I did—if she wanted to buy tickets and watch together.

FRIDA: And she said yes?

UNA: (exasperated) Yes!

Aunt Frida bites her lip, thinking.

FRIDA: Maybe someone will back out. Sell their ticket or something.

UNA: The concert is tonight!

FRIDA: (shocked) Tonight?

UNA: Yes! At The Bowery.

FRIDA: That's all the way in the city! How do you intend to get there?

UNA: I'm sure there's a bus we can take.

FRIDA: Yes, but we haven't even given you permission yet, young lady.

Una pouts.

UNA: Aunt Frida, please? This is my chance to make things right with Sam.

FRIDA: But I thought you didn't do anything wrong!

UNA: I didn't! Or at least—I think I didn't? But the point is, something went wrong and this is my chance to fix it.

FRIDA: Can't you just invite her over and talk it out? Why do you have to go all the way to the city to catch some band?

UNA: They're not just some band, Aunt Free. They're Stillwater—the whole reason Sam and I even became friends! We haven't spoken in months and she just texted me today asking if I heard the news!

FRIDA: I don't want to be the devil's advocate or anything, but how sure are you that she's not just using you to get tickets?

UNA: Aunt Frida! This is Sam we're talking about.

FRIDA: I know, I know. But you just said so yourself: you haven't spoken in months and now she texts you?

Una gives her a blank stare.

FRIDA: Alright, alright. You can go. But on one condition.

UNA: Anything.

FRIDA: I want updates on the hour, every hour.

UNA: Easy.

FRIDA: If you get tickets.

Una deflates.

UNA: When I get tickets. There's no way in hell I'm going to miss this.

FRIDA: Right, well, watch your language, missy. Come downstairs when you're ready for breakfast.

UNA: Thanks, Aunt Free.

Aunt Frida smiles.

FRIDA: You're welcome.

When she exits the room, Una turns back to her phone, disappointment washing over her. She opens her text messages with Sam to tell her the bad news, but stops right as she's about to send it. If she tells Sam, that might be it for them. There might be no more chances to fix their friendship in the future, and Una wouldn't dare risk that.

Biting her lip, she opens a new tab on her browser and searches an online marketplace for tickets. Only one person is selling tickets for two—perfect!—and it was listed online just two minutes ago.

UNA: (excitedly) The gods of music are in our favor tonight, Sam.

Glancing at the piggy bank on her desk, Una hits 'BUY NOW.'

* * *

You have reached the end of episode one. If this were an actual series, the credits will begin to roll here. Thank you for making it this far! As always, I'd love to know what you think; you can comment down below or follow me on Twitter @nortlaneswp! Plus points if you found two of my pop culture references in this chapter. Aunt Hilda and Mathieu (Matthew), anyone?

Please don't forget to vote, as every vote counts! It lets me know you like my work and encourages me to keep going.

Much love,

Nina.