bitchin'

Chapter 3

"One! Two! Three!"

"Stop it, Tommy! No! Don't!" Carol, a redheaded girl shrieks. Tommy, a dark haired boy with freckles, drops the girl. She smacks his chest, "you're such an asshole, Tommy!"

Lindsay sits on a pool chair next to Nancy Wheeler, Mike's older sister. Since she is still grounded, she is not allowed to have anyone over. Not like she wanted anyone over anyways, since it got pretty heated at lunch. She watches Steve pop a hole in his beer can and shot gun it. He takes out a cigarette and lights it.

"Is that supposed to impress me?" Nancy asks him sarcastically.

"You're not?" he mumbles. Lindsay rolls her eyes, playing with the tattered bandages on her hands.

"You're a cliché, you do realize that?" Nancy laughs.

"You're a cliché," he fires back, "what with your... your grades and your band practice."

"I'm so not in band!" she scoffs, laughing.

"Okay, party girl," he huffs, "why don't you just, uh, show us how it's done then?"

He hands her a can of beer and the knife.

"OK," she smiles. She stands up with the can in her hand.

"You gotta make a little hole..." Steve instructs.

"I got it," she cuts him off. Tommy gets a smug smile on his face.

"Yeah, she's smart, you douche!" Tommy drunkenly shouts. Lindsay smiles slightly at the insult. Nancy makes a hole and opens the tab.

"Chug, chug, chug," Steve starts.

"Chug, chug, chug, chug," Carol and Tommy join in. Nancy's friend, a redheaded girl with glasses, looks to Lindsay. Neither of them join in on the chants.

"Whooo!" Tommy hollers as Nancy drops the empty can. She turns to her friend.

"Barb, you wanna try?" she asks. Barb gives her a death glare, as if it's obvious.

"What? No," she answers, "No, I don't want to, thanks."

"Come on," Nancy urges.

"Come on, yeah," Steve joins in.

"Nance, I don't want to," the girl says.

"It's fun, just give it a try!" Nancy pressures her. Nancy gives her the knife and a can, "just... just give it a shot."

Barb gets up reluctantly and sighs. She goes to make a hole in the can but ends up slicing her thumb instead.

"Gnarly!" Tommy comments as Barb's skin turns red.

"Are you okay?" Nancy asks her. Barb brings her thumb to her face, hiding it from Nancy.

"Yeah," she answers.

"Barb, you're bleeding," Nancy says going up to her friend.

"I'm fine," she assures Nancy, "where's your bathroom?"

"Oh, it's.... It's, uh, down past the kitchen, to the left," Steve says, pointing to the house.

"I'll show you," Lindsay offers. She walks inside her house. Barb follows. Lindsay walks into the bathroom and opens the vanity cabinet. She pulls out a first aid kit and sets it on the counter.

"Use that a lot, do you?" Barb jokes, referring to her bandaged hands. Lindsay grins slightly.

"Uh, yeah, kinda," she replies. She gets out an alcohol swab and begins to clean Barb's hands. She winces when it gets in the cut, "sorry."