Chapter Text
"Get em' Harrington! Come on!" kids scream. A dark-haired girl stands over a boy, fists pummeling his body. The girl, face full of rage, gives him a right hook to his nose, feeling the bone crunch against her knuckles.
A teen yells at her to stop, but she doesn't listen. She continues to kick the boy, his hands trying to cover his face. Two boys then pull the girl off of the bloody boy. She still tries to kick and punch him as they drag her away.
"Yeah! Take that fucker!" the girl spits at the boy. Tears and blood mix on his face as he relaxes from the torment on the cement.
"Lindsay Harrington wins again! Still the champion fighter of Hawkins Middle!" the teen says. He lifts Lindsay's bloodied hand into the air as the cluster of children cheer around him. He lets go of her hand and she walks over to a group of kids.
"Z, you're a beast!" a blond-haired boy says to Lindsay. Her nose leaks blood and she wipes it away with the back of her hand.
"Bitchin'!" she gleams, looking at the amount of blood staining the back of her hand. A taller girl with curly brown hair hands her a raggedy-looking towel. Lindsay takes it and wipes her nose once more.
"Dude, Troy's still not getting up," another boy says, putting his arm around the Harrington girl. She turns back to her opponent and smirks.
"Of course he isn't, pussy," the girl spits. She turns around and walks with her friends to a wooden park table. The West End park is where all fights take place. Lindsay's been fighting since fifth grade, quickly springing to the top. She's only lost a fight to two people, her friend Julia and Dean Turner. She's never been able to have a rematch with Dean cause he moved to Colorado when she was in sixth grade.
"Still having that party on Tuesday?" the blond-haired boy, Daniel, asks.
"I think so, gotta check with Steve," Lindsay answers. Lindsay and her six friends sit on the table, passing around a cigarette. Her tall friend, Julia, helps wrap her knuckles. Three cars pull up, red and blue lights flashing.
"Shit! Cops!" someone yells.
"Scram!"
"Fuck! We gotta get outta here," Daniel says, jumping up with the cigarette sticking out of his mouth. The other three friends take off for the field.
"Hold still!" Julia orders, Lindsay worries as the police start coming towards their table.
"Screw it, run!" Lindsay shouts, ripping her hands away from the girl. The wraps hang off her hands as she jumps off the table.
"Hey! Police! Stop!" an officer shouts as the kids take off. Lindsay runs across the field but trips over a rock.
"Oomf!" she grunts.
"Z!" Julia shouts, stopping for her friend.
"Just go!" the Harrington girl yells. Julia takes off and the police officer approaches as she tries to sit up.
"Don't move!" the officer orders. She lets out a huff and raises her hands. She feels cold hands grab her wrists and force them behind her back.
"Easy! Easy!" she grunts as the cold cuffs clink around her wrists.
"Let's go," the officer says pulling the girl to her feet. She watches as her friends disappear in the distance. She was about to be in so much trouble.
***
"Really Harrington? Again?" the chief of police asks as the an officer walks her into the station. She gives the chief a glare. The officer brings her to a holding cell, where she is released of her cuffs, "Parents?"
"Away," she blankly answers.
"Steve it is," the chief sighs picking up the telephone, "Hey Steve, Chief Hopper here... uh huh.... yup.... okay.... sounds good."
She sits on the hard bed in the cell, watching as the Chief lights a cigarette.
"Flo, Harrington's here waiting for Steve," the chief says as he walks out of the station.
"Oh joy!" she says sarcastically. She walks over to Lindsay's holding cell with a first aid kit. She opens the cell and comes in, sitting next to Lindsay, "All right, let's see the damage."
Lindsay takes the wraps off her knuckles and sets them on the bed. It's a regular occurrence for Flo to take proper care of Lindsay's injuries, even if she isn't in trouble for it. Since the Harrington parents are almost never home, Lindsay always stops in if she needs anything.
"Ow!" Lindsay groans as Flo takes some peroxide to her cuts.
"You ought to learn from the pain, Miss Harrington," Flo scolds her. She applies more peroxide, watching it bubble up and clean the cuts, "you know one day, you might not get out of here as easily."
Lindsay looks up at the woman, "I know."
Flo wraps her knuckles in clean gauze. Lindsay winces at the tightness of the bandages.
"Look up for me, sweetie," Flo instructs. Lindsay obeys and lifts her chin, dried blood covering her face. Flo holds a clean towel and splashes some rubbing alcohol onto it. She grabs ahold of Lindsay's chin and begins to clean the dried blood.
Just as Flo finishes, Steve Harrington walks in with his hair swooped up over his head and a frown on his face.
"Steve," Lindsay acknowledges as he turns to the holding cell.
"Lindsay," he says sternly. Flo packs up the first aid kit and stands up.
"She's all yours, sir," Flo says. She leaves the cell open, Lindsay following her out to her older brother.
"Thanks Flo, have a good night," Steve replies. She hums a 'mhm' to him before disappearing to the employee lounge, "let's go."
Lindsay follows her 5' 11" brother out of the station to his car. She gets in the car and he drives, not saying anything. They get back to the house and Steve gets out without saying anything. Lindsay's heart pounds as she makes her way to the house.
"Steve, I —-"
"Save it Lindsay!" he cuts her off, "I don't want to hear any excuses. You go straight to your room and straight to bed!"
"Steve, please......"
"Now, Lindsay! You're grounded!" he yells. She jumps when he yells at her. She looks down and walks down the hall to her bedroom. She closes the door lightly, knowing if she slammed it, it would only make it worse.
She sits down on her bed, shaking. She stares at her hands, the bandages on them. She lies back and takes a deep breath. The next week is going to be hell for Lindsay Harrington.