bitchin'

Chapter 26

Lindsay lays on her side on Max's lap. Max stitches her head up from where the porcelain plate cut her. She keeps her mouth shut, not saying anything after her attack on Billy.

She winces at the needle piercing her skin. Max looks down and notices, "sorry."

She doesn't answer, just stares at Max's shirt in front of her. Max finishes the stitches and wipes the blood away with a towel.

"All done," Max sighs. Lindsay sits up as she cleans up. She wasn't expecting the girl to talk to her, seeing as the brunette ignored her for most the night. She stands up to put the first aid kit away.

"Max?" Lindsay calls. She turns, Lindsay stretching her hands out, her scabs torn open and bleeding.

Max frowns and sits back down. With the boys all outside preparing to go down into the tunnels, Max could talk about what she said earlier.

"Lindsay, will you just talk to me?" she asks, beginning to clean the blood from Lindsay's hands.

"About what?" she asks quietly.

"Us," Max says as if it's obvious.

"What about us?" she fires back.

"I like you, all right?!" Max exclaims, "I'm sorry about earlier, I just... I don't know why I didn't say it, but I do! I do like you."

Both girls pause, the tension between them snapping like a rubber band.

"Oh, well... I like you too," Lindsay shyly smiles. Max rolls her eyes.

"Yeah, I know dingus," the Mayfield girl jokes. Lindsay's face turns red, feeling dumb, "...... will you dance with me at Snow Ball?"

"Uh, yeah... yeah of course," she smiles. Max finishes wrapping her knuckles, gently securing them. The two look up at each other. Lindsay leans in slightly, waiting for Max to do the same. They lean forward until their noses are almost touching.

"Are you done yet, Max? We're ready to go," Steve bursts in, making the girls jump.

"Uh, yeah... yeah we're ready," she says slightly flustered. He ignores the new tension in the room and turns to go back to the car. Steve drives Billy's car with Lucas in the passenger seat giving directions. Dustin, Mike, Max, and Lindsay have to cram in the back seat.

"Okay, you're gonna keep straight for a half a mile, then make a left on Mount Sinai," Lucas instructs.

"Can you scoot over? I'm squished against the door," Mike complains. Dustin moves over, pushing Max who squeezes Lindsay against the other door.

"Ow! Mike! We're all squished back here!" she argues.

"Stop fighting!" Steve scolds, "Linds, sit on Max's lap."

"What?" the four ask.

"So you have more room, Lindsay's the smallest, so she can sit on Max's lap. We're almost there anyways," he suggests. Lindsay turns red, looking at Max. The redhead doesn't object and the Harrington girl climbs onto her lap. This allows Max to scoot over and give the boys their own seats. Lindsay reaches for something to hold onto but accidentally grabs Max's arm instead.

"Oh! Sorry," she apologizes, feeling unsteady on the girl's lap.

"Here," Max replies, placing her arms on the brunette's lap. She holds her own hands, seatbelting the smaller girl into place, "better?"

"Uh, yeah," she answers.

***

"All right, let's move out," Steve orders. The kids get out of the car as he pops the trunk. Everyone puts on goggles along with a bandanna to cover their mouth and nose.