𝐇𝐈𝐓𝐒 𝐃𝐈𝐅𝐅𝐄𝐑𝐄𝐍𝐓 - 𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐯𝐞 𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐭𝐨𝐧

35. the piggyback

The field was muddy, wet dirt covered Aubrey's cleats and lower legs.

She wishes they would've just postponed the game. It's too cold out and all of her teammates have slipped at least ten times over.

It was Coach Howard, Beatrice's dad. He didn't care, getting dirty and playing on with the game would be good for the girls, he told them. "Some of you need to let loose." he eyed 12-year-old Carol Perkins.

There was less than a minute left and the score was tied. Robin had just passed Aubrey the ball and she was dribbling it down the field, she kicked with her right leg, trying to shoot it into the goal.

Instead the ball went right to the keeper and Aubrey slipped, coming down on her elbow, hard, now covered in mud as well.

She let out a scream in pain just as the coach blew the whistle. The game was over and her elbow felt as if it had just snapped in half. She can already hear her father screaming at her.

"Aubrey!" Rue, Robin, Bea, and the rest of the team ran over to her, gathering around her as she laid on her back, clutching her elbow. "Are you okay?!"

"Back up! Back up, girls!" Coach Howard kneeled beside her, "Oh Jesus, Aubrey. You're gonna need to go get that checked out." he looked at her elbow, her expression dropped. She had never broken any bones before. She was a healthy kid her whole life, she'd never even been in a hospital. "Hey, it's okay, let's get you up." he helped her sit up as her parents ran over, a worried Jonathan and little Will trailing behind them.

"Oh, honey!" Joyce helped her up, "It's okay, it's okay."

"Are you fucking kidding me?" her dad's voice rung through her ears, "You had one shot Aubrey! One fucking shot!"

"Lonnie!" Coach Howard yelled at him, "Is now really the time?!" he said as he helped Joyce help Aubrey up she was sobbing and covered in mud.

"Where's it hurt, sweetheart?" Joyce asked her as Coach Howard inspected her arm, "Where?"

"It doesn't look good." He told them, "You guys need to go get it checked out."

"Yeah fuckin' right, she's just being dramatic!" Lonnie scoffed.

"Watch your damn mouth!" Coach Howard yelled at him again.

"Honey, we're gonna go get you some help." Joyce tried to comfort Aubrey. "Okay?"

"I'm scared, mom." she cried.

"You're gonna be alright, Bea and I will go with you." Coach Howard offered.

The Byers all piled into the car, Lonnie cursing up a whole damn storm on the drive to Hawkins Emergency Department. Joyce sticking up for Aubrey when she could, but she was overwhelmed with stress and fear for her daughter now.

Jonathan tried to chime in when he could, Lonnie quickly shutting him down. Aubrey just stared out the window, holding her arm to her side, trying to tune everything out. The yelling, her father's remarks, her wet socks, the pain she felt in her elbow, the failure she felt for losing the game.

It was on fateful days like this those memories haunted her.

They were parked in front of Eddie's trailer, "Okay. I wanna run through it one more time." Nancy turned around to them, "Phase one."

"We meet Rue and Erica at the playground." Robin spoke, "They'll signal Max and Lucas when we're ready."

"Phase two." Nancy spoke again.

"Max baits Vecna. He'll go after her, which'll put him in his trance." Steve replied.

"Phase three?"

"Me, Dustin, and Eddie draw the bats away." Nick told her.