“Just coming,” I answer bluntly. I don’t want to talk to Jake. I don’t even like the guy, and I just want to smoke a joint. I begin to walk away, but he grabs my shoulder again and pulls me back.
“Where areyougoing?” he questions, raising an eyebrow. He glances at Kaleb as he continues across the backyard, and then back at me. I think he already knows the answer.
“Where the fuck do you think I’m going, Jake?” I snap, shrugging his hand off my shoulder. God, I wish my friends would leave me alone sometimes. I’ve already been lectured by Rachael tonight, and I don’t need Jake questioning me too. It’s not like they don’t know I smoke.
“Alright, asshole,” he mutters, then finally walks away.
I head outside and stride across the yard after Kaleb toward the shed in the corner. Talk about a drug den. I can smell the weed in the air and hear the laughter before Kaleb has even opened the door. And when he does, I’m not surprised to spot Clayton and Mason inside. I’ve smoked with them before. I share some classes at school with them too.
“It’s about time you made an appearance,” Mason says. He’s stretched out on a lawn chair in the corner, his feet resting on the lawnmower, and he has an almost burnt-out joint in his hand. He looks scruffy, but whatever. He’s high as shit. They all are.
“I know.” I grab my wallet from my pocket, pull out fifteen dollars, and offer it to Kaleb. Usually, I prefer to buy from Declan directly, but he’s been laying low lately, so I will have to steal a gram off Kaleb instead. “Hook me up?”
“Maaan,” Clayton murmurs. He’s leaning against the wall, his eyes closed, exhaling a plume of smoke into the air around us. There’s not a lot of room in here, so it’s extremely cramped. “Blissful.”
Kaleb takes my money, fumbles around in his pockets for a minute, then presents me with two prepared joints. “Already rolled two for you,” he says proudly. “I knew you’d be game tonight.”
I take them both from him and study them in my hand. Then I think,Fuck it. “Light me up,” I order, and Kaleb pulls out a lighter and sets one of the joints alight for me. He watches closely as I press it to my lips, eagerly waiting for my approval, and I inhale, taking that first hit.
The smoke fills my lungs, the burning familiarity satisfying my desire. I haven’t smoked in a week, so it feels real nice. I hold the smoke in my lungs for several long seconds, and then I exhale, feeling the difference already. It’ll take me a lot more hits and another five minutes or so before the buzz truly hits me, but I can feel it, that weight on my shoulders losing its pressure.
“Hey, where the fuck did you get those cookies?” Mason asks, shooting upright in his lawn chair. He points his joint at Kaleb, and Clayton opens his eyes.
“Stole ’em from the kitchen. Munchies are kicking in,” Kaleb explains, and all three of them burst into laughter. I’m not high yet, so I don’t laugh, though I do crack a smile.
I lean back against the wall and close my eyes, taking another drag of the joint, focusing on my breathing.Just relax.
“Declan came through for us tonight, by the way,” Kaleb murmurs,nudging me with his elbow. When I open my eyes, he nods down to the small table next to Clayton. In perfect, neat lines, there is coke. I stare at it for a minute. “I told you it’s good shit.”
“Man…” I shake my head slowly. Tempting, but no. I’m not that desperate. I have done it before. I do it often, I guess. But only on the nights where I can’t take things any longer, and ever since I took a bad trip once, I’ve been more cautious. I hold up a hand in surrender. “Count me out for tonight.”
“Booo,” Mason drawls, rolling his eyes. “We were waiting for you!”
“More bumps for us then,” Clayton jokes, and again, the laughter continues. The three of them are so stoned, and I wish my own buzz would hurry up and kick in. That’s why I take another hit, holding the smoke in my lungs for as long as I possibly can before it burns too much, then I tilt my head back and release it into the air.
I am just about to close my eyes again, to relax into the warm sensation, when the door of the shed swings open. We are so fogged out in here that it takes me a minute to see who is here to join us.
Shit.
It’s Eden. Her hand is over her mouth and she coughs, stepping back, retreating from the door. “Is that weed?”
“No, it’s cotton candy,” Mason jokes, and Clayton and Kaleb immediately howl with laughter as though it’s the most hilarious reply they have ever heard in their entire lives.
I don’t join in again, not because I’m not high yet, but because there is panic running through me. I need Eden to know who Tyler Bruce is, but I don’t want her to know aboutthis.Not when she lives in the same damn house as me. Not when she can tell my mom. Quickly, I try to hide my burning joint behind me, hoping she doesn’t notice that I’m involved. “Are you serious?” she asks, staring at me wide-eyed.
Clearly, I am too late. She’s already seen it, and I know that there is absolutely no way I can deny it.
“Dude, get this chick outta here,” Clayton mutters, waving his joint at her. I don’t look at him though, because my attention is all on Eden. Her eyes are fixed only on me as they dilate with complete and utter disgust. “Unless she wants to come in here and keep us company.”
“Bro,” I murmur, turning to fire Clayton a look. I swallow hard.Play it cool. Be Tyler Bruce. You don’t care. “You really want that kid in here?”
Clayton and Kaleb chuckle while Mason starts coughing to death in the corner. Of course, this is amusing to them, but to me, it’s far from it. I am frozen in place, wondering how the hell I am supposed to get myself out of this situation.
“Who the hell is she?” Clayton finally asks, and I’m definitely not going to answer him. I can only imagine the number of jokes they would crack if they knew she was my stepsister. “Has no one taught her the rules?” He turns to Eden, and I don’t like the way he grins at her. “No interrupting, babe. Get the fuck out of here unless you’re here to ball with us.” He steps toward her and holds out his half-smoked joint, offering it to her as if she would actually take it.
Automatically, I step in between the two of them, facing Clayton, Eden behind me. “What the hell are you doing?” I quickly put out my own joint and shove it into my pocket, saving it for later, and then I narrow my eyes. “C’mon, Clayton, where’s your common sense?”
“Offering her a hitiscommon sense,” he says. He moves his joint back to his lips and takes another hit though I don’t think he needs it. “It’s called good manners. It would be rude not to. Am I right, new girl?” He looks at Eden again over my shoulder.
