bitchin'

Chapter 18

Dustin and Lucas walk home together from West End park, leaving Lindsay and Max alone.

"So, what is it you need to tell me?" Max asks impatiently.

"Well, there's this fight club. It's called the Hawkins Hit List. There's one for the middle school and the high school..." Lindsay explains, "and I'm in it."

"Ok," she answers, still not comprehending the seriousness of it all, "and what about it? It's bad?"

"Well, yeah. Kids fighting other kids. The police have busted me a couple times during fights," Lindsay explains. The two walk side by side, flashlights trailing light along the ground.

"If we called them, you would've gotten in trouble," Max pieces together.

"Yeah, but also, the thing about the Hit List is once you join, you aren't supposed to leave. The other kids will literally beat you up anytime, anywhere," the brunette continues, "and I'm planning on leaving. If we would've called the cops, it would give it away."

"How are you going to 'leave' if you don't tell them?" Max questions.

"I am going to tell them, it just isn't the right time yet," Lindsay explains.

"What happens when you tell them?" she asks, her tone sounding worried.

"They'll probably beat me up then. But I know the chief of police and he promised to keep me safe when I leave," she explains. Max looks at her with disapproval, she doesn't like the idea of Lindsay getting even more hurt.

"How do you know?" she asks. The Harrington girl shrugs.

"He will, I know it," Lindsay assures her. The two reach the end of the sidewalk at a street corner, "my house is over there. Do you want me to walk you to yours?"

She nods her head 'no', "can I come over to your house for a little bit? I don't wanna go home just yet."

"Uh, yeah, of course," Lindsay answers. Max smiles in response and the brunette leads the way to her house, "hey, Steve."

"Hey, how was—— Jesus Christ, Lindsay! What happened to you?" her brother exclaims at the sight of his younger sister. He was used to seeing her with bandaged knuckles and the occasional bloody nose, but wasn't prepared for her eyebrow to be split open and her nose to be crooked.

"Uh, I fell," Lindsay horribly lies. Max turns to her, confused.

"Fell, my ass, did you lose tonight or what?" Steve rambles, looking over his sister's face.

"Ow! No, I...I just..."

"She got beat up by some dude named Joel," Max blurts out. Steve looks to the random girl in his house and then at Lindsay.

"Joel," he repeats, "Joel, the Joel?"

Lindsay nods disappointedly. Steve sighs.

"I think you're going to need stitches, kid, let's ——"

"No!" she objects, "not stitches!"

"Lindsay, your eyebrow is busted open, it's gonna get infected," Steve reasons. Lindsay nods her head no, "fine, but when it hurts don't come crying to me, Champion."

Steve walks upstairs to his room, leaving the two girls alone. Lindsay looks down, disappointed in herself. Max takes her hand.

"Where's your bathroom?" she asks. Lindsay, still holding hands with Max, takes her to the bathroom. The redhead checks under the sink and finds the first aid kit, "sit down, it will make this easier."

Lindsay gives Max a blank look, not really wanting to do as she says.

"Come on, I know what I'm doing," Max reasons. Lindsay reluctantly gets on the counter of the vanity. This makes it easier for Max to clean her face since she is taller than the girl, "this is gonna sting."

She cleans the cut with peroxide, the liquid bubbling up in her cut.

"Ah!" Lindsay winces as Max wipes away the liquid. She moves around on the counter, trying to avoid the pain.

"Hold still," Max instructs, grabbing the back of Lindsay's head. She stops moving, making direct eye contact with the redhead, "close your eyes."

Lindsay does as told and feels a slight prick in her face.

"Ow!" she exclaims. Max hushes the girl as she strings thread through the girl's skin. With her eyes closed she could feel Max's fingertips against the back of her scalp. They grip the girl's head lightly, "ouch!"

"I'm almost done," the redhead hushes her. Lindsay remains still for the rest of the stitching, "there, that wasn't so bad, was it?"

Lindsay opens her eyes. She turns around to look in the mirror at Max's handiwork.

"How'd you do that?" she questions turning back to the redhead.

"I skateboard, remember?" Max smiles. Lindsay hops off the counter, "wait I'm not done yet."

"What?"

"Your knuckles," Max says. Lindsay looks down at the off-white torn bandages around her hands. She sighs and lifts herself back onto the counter.

"You don't have to do this you know?" Lindsay asks. The Mayfield girl starts to unravel the bandages

"I know, I just figured... while I'm here," Max answers. She puts anti-biotic ointment on Lindsay's knuckles. She massages it gently onto her hands, rubbing her thumbs over the top of her knuckles. Lindsay watches as Max holds her hands, both of them silent.

Max, who doesn't see Lindsay's gaze, stares at the girl's knuckles. She stops rubbing her thumbs over her hands, realizing she likes the feeling of Lindsay's hands in hers.

Max then puts Lindsay's hands down in her lap and begins to rewrap them.

"That boy, the other day, is he one of them?" she breaks the silence. Lindsay snaps her head up to Max's eyes.

"What?"

"The boy at recess, and the girl. They said I should stay away from you," Max explains.

"Oh... oh, yeah. Yeah, they are my old friends. They're not very happy about me choosing the boys over them," Lindsay explains.

"Why do they all call you 'Champion'?" she inquires.

The brunette sighs, "because I'm ranked number one on the Hit List. I have won almost all my fights, so I'm 'The Champion of Hawkins Middle."

"Really?"

"Yeah."

"Why did you start fighting?" Max questions as she finishes wrapping Lindsay's hands.

"When the boys and I went into middle school, I got jumped by some older kids. After that I wanted to learn how to defend myself cause my parents are never really home. And Steve isn't either, being on the basketball and swim team. I joined the Hit List and soon I was winning fights. I guess I let it go to my head, winning," Lindsay explains. The two stare at each other for a moment. The brunette studies Max's features, her freckles especially. How they are scattered across the girl's face like stars in the sky. Max studies Lindsay face; the cuts, the faded scars, and her eyes. Her dark brown eyes, significantly different from any others that she had seen before, something about them made her heart flutter.

"I, uh...should probably head home now," Max says.

"Right, yeah," Lindsay agrees. She gets off the counter and walks Max out to the front door, "see you tomorrow?"

"Yeah, bye."