PAIN KILLER [DISCONTINUED]

004. IGNITE ME

004.

――― CHAPTER FOUR ―――

IGNITE ME

JANUARY 25TH, 1986

📍THE MADISON HOUSE

7:02 PM

I HEAR A VOICE TALKING as I put on my earrings. I pull out my walkie-talkie from the shoe box under my bed. I pull out the antenna.

"Hey, Henderson? Madison? Max?" I hear is static from the walkie-talkie.

"Earth to Dahlia! Lucas? Any of you around?"

"I'm here," I finally say.

I hear a relieved sigh from the other side. "Good," Mike says. "Can you come over tonight? I'm supposed to watch Holly because my parents are out."

"What about Nancy?" I ask.

"Nance is at a journalism paper thing. Wait, aren't you supposed to be there? You're co-chair of paper."

I run a hand down my face. "Oh. Right. It's been a long day, sorry."

I hear a loud crash from the other side of the walkie-talkie, and I immediately pull the phone away from my ear, wincing at the impact. After a few seconds, I pull the phone back to my mouth. "What the hell, Mike? What the fuck is going on ove—"

"It's me!" I hear Dustin's voice. "It's Dustin!"

"Way to introduce yourself," I say sarcastically. I can practically hear Dustin frowning at the walkie-talkie as me and Mike share a laugh.

"Well, all I wanted to say, is, please, both of you, kindly, respectfully, shut up. I'm trying to talk to Suzie."

To get on his nerves, I continue talking to Mike. "Okay whatever, but, Mike, I can't come over. Chrissy told me there's a party at Troy's place. Want to come with?"

"Are you serious?" Dustin and Mike speak simultaneously. "Troy's place?" Mike says. "He literally bullied us all in the 6th grade!"

"That was 6th grade, Mike," I say. "He's not that bad now."

"Dahlia, are you out of your mind? He told me to jump off a cliff, and I would've died unless El wasn't there to save me!"

"He had a knife to my throat!," Dustin pipes in.

"He knocked you out with a stone, Dahlia. You were out for 10 hours!" The moment comes flashing back to me— that day on the cliff. When he threw a stone at my head— and before I knew it, the world had gone a brilliant white before going black.

"That's not the point guys," I say. "You wanna come with?"

"I can't with you, Dahlia," Dustin finally says. "I'm out. Gotta get back to Suzie."

"Yeah, go swap spit over your Cerebro," I snort. Dustin huffs before I hear the click of his antenna shutting off— and then I know he's gone.

"So, Mike, please tell me you can come with?"

"I can't, remember I have to babysit Ho- oh, Nance! Can you babysit Holly? I'm going out to a party!"