bitchin'

Chapter 30

"This is Gold Leader, returning to base, do you copy? Over."

"This is Gold Leader, returning to base, do you copy? Over."

"I repeat: this is Gold Leader, returning to base, do you copy? Over."

"I repeat! This is goddamn Gold Leader —-Dusty!"

"Was that his mom?" Lindsay asks. The Party members wait in the hallway, crowding around Mike's walkie as they wait for Dustin's return.

"They must be getting close," Lucas suggests. Not a moment later, Will and Max come running from around the corner.

"They're pulling up, everyone get in place!" Max orders. Mike, El, Lucas, and Lindsay stand up. They join Max and Will, backing up against the wall to keep themselves hidden.

The door opens, Dustin storms off to his room with his bags, sliding the door shut. His mom has to return to work, which is perfect for the Party's plan to surprise him.

"Go ahead," Mike whispers, turning to El. She closes her eyes and uses her powers to control Dustin's toys. After a second they hear a bunch of noise coming from his room. Robots beeping, cymbals crashing, aliens making alien noises.

Dustin slides his door open, the toys moving 'magically' down the hall, past the Party members. Mike peers around the corner, waiting until the toys lead Dustin out far enough to where they can jump behind him and surprise him.

"Now!" Mike whispers to El. She opens her eyes, a small trail of blood runs from her nose. All the noises stop. The Party members sneak around the corner as Dustin inspects his toys.

The members stand behind him, Lucas and Will holding up a 'Welcome Home' banner. Max holds up her hand, counting down from three with her fingers. The teens blow noise makers, making Dustin jump.

"Ahhh!" he screams, turning around and spraying his Farrah Fawcett hairspray at an unsuspecting Lindsay. The hairspray goes directly into her eyeballs. El and Mike jump back as she begins to scream too.

"Dustin!" Mike and Will yell. The curly-haired boy releases the pressure, making the mist stop.

"Jesus! What the hell!" Lindsay curses as she brings her hands up to her eyes.

"Oh shit, I'm so sorry," Dustin apologizes dropping the can.

"Don't touch, don't touch," Max instructs, grabbing Lindsay by the arm and blindly leading her to the sink, "here."

"Ouch!" she yells. Max holds her head under the water as it begins to rinse the hairspray away.

"Welcome home?" Lucas sighs. Dustin gives the rest of his friends hugs.

"How was camp?" Mike asks.

"Oh, it was so cool! I made a bunch of stuff, wanna see?" he asks.

"Sure."

"It's in my room, come on," he instructs. The four teens follow Dustin to his room, leaving the other two at the sink.

"Ow, ow, ow, ow," Lindsay groans. She pulls her head up from under the stream of water. The surrounding skin around her eyes is red and puffy.

"Better?" Max asks, wincing at the thought of the pain.

"Still stings," she replies, carefully rubbing the water away, "out of all the injuries I've had, this is the worst."

Max grimaces, "well the eyes are super sensitive, so."

Lindsay opens her eyes to look at Max, "is that a new zit?"