Page 1 of Baked

THE NIGHT IT ALL BEGAN

HAZE

“Oh, shit.”The sound of the overwhelmingly intense bass thumping could be heard down the street as I pulled up to the curb and parked my car the best I could. “Damn, these fucking people sure know how to party.” Shouting and cheering grew as lights flashed from the enormous sorority house in the middle of Greek Street, as people flocked from all directions to it. My nerves seemed to have gotten the better of me, my usual habit kicking in as I lit the tip of my blunt and inhaled deeply. My throat and lungs were immediately filled with earthy smoke. A little too much so.

There it is.It slowly hit me.

“Fuck,” I coughed, smoke filling the car as I took another hit. I watched countless college students rush in the direction of the sorority home, nearly tripping over the curb. I coughed a laugh, nearly choking. “Fuck dude.” I wiped my eyes with a grin and grabbed my leather jacket, tucking a rolled blunt from my pocket behind my ear. Always had to make sure I had a second handy.

Here we go.

I was already feeling more at ease as I stepped out of the car, taking one last hit before tossing the blunt down on the pavement and snuffing it out with my boot. A group of peopleran by, their hands preoccupied with spilling red solo cups as they rushed towards the same home. I brushed my black hair back and shadowed them, my nerves completely eased and relaxed. Normally, I didn’t like large crowds or going to parties, but I had to suck it up. I wasn’t here for me. And thanks to that blunt, I was starting to feel higher than a fucking kite.

God, I love weed.Without it, I don’t think I’d even leave my room, let alone be here.

The music was so deafening, shaking the ground and only getting louder as I approached the house. People were partying in every direction, spilling out from the house and into the front yard, drunken students tripping over each other, one even passed out in the bushes. I had to force my way through the crowd, struggling to move thanks to my wide shoulders and frame. Despite being the age of most of the people here, I felt like a giant towering over them as I stepped into the sorority home, instantly hit with a thick cloud of smoke that smacked me in the face.

“Well, that’s a pleasant fucking surprise.” I chuckled, taking a large whiff, welcoming the earthy courage as it settled in my lungs.

“Haze!” My head spun to see her running down the grand stairs towards me, nearly spilling her red cup as she smiled at me. “Oh my gosh, you fucking made it!” I couldn’t help but grin, cheesing like a kid to see her. “Ah!” Indigo slammed into me, knocking me back as I stumbled and tried to hold her. She just squealed and smiled, beaming to see me, her vibrant green eyes sparkling up at me. Indi had always been attractive, but seeing her blossom into this vixen before me had been a challenge. It was hard not to notice, even if I was just her brother.

“Well, hello to you too, Indi.” I hugged her back. I could tell she had been drinking for a bit, the smell of cheap alcohol and booze seeping from her small frame. But I was just happy to seeher. A small group of women joined her, their eyes all ogling me as they looked back between us.

“You guys, this is my brother, Haze!” Indi spun to face them, flicking her long black hair back as she gently patted my cheek. The women all shyly said hi. “See? Didn’t I tell you?” Indigo grabbed my face playfully, squeezing it as she spoke in a baby voice. “Isn’t he just the cutest little thing you’ve ever seen?”

One of the women grinned. “Nothing little from what I see.” She eyed my crotch and bit the edge of her cup. Her dark eyes contrasted with her long, vibrant red hair, and pale skin. Seeing her watch me in such a way didn’t exactly help my sudden erection, which I could feel becoming more noticeable each second. I tried to hide the size of my dick, tucked tightly along my leg thanks to my tight jeans.

“Easy, Indi.” I laughed, carefully removing her hand and repositioning myself. She swayed with the pulsating beat that ruptured through the house, giggling and bobbing her head. I wasn't sure if she was just drunk, or high from the constant smell of weed, or maybe even both, but she was definitely messed up. And now grabbing another cup from one of her friends.

“Hey.” I took the cup from her grasp. “Don’t you think you’ve had enough?” She eyed me, those emerald eyes burning into mine.

Her hand slapped mine, taking the cup back. “Relax! You need to learn to chill and just let go!” Her entire demeanor was one I hadn’t really seen before, least not since we fucked around in high school many years back, sneaking out to parties and finding ourselves getting high in the back of trailers with people twice our age, getting trailer park tattoos and driving around blaring music at three in the morning. Those were the days. My eyebrow flicked as I watched her, forgetting she was my sister for a hot minute. Indi tossed the drink back with little remorse, challenging me. The women all followed suit, taking drinks andcheering. “Oh my gosh, how rude of me! Haze, these are my sorority sisters, Ginger, Ash, and Mary-Jane.” The three women waved their fingers at me with eager smiles.

“Ladies.” I smiled with a silly wave. Man, this was awkward. “How’s everyone’s night going?” The women all giggled to themselves. It was fun watching them squirm and behave so bashfully around me.

Mary-Jane stepped forward, her long nails twirling a strand of her red hair as she eyed me closely. “You two don’t really look like brother and sister!”

“I know, right? Everyone says Indi is the pretty one, but I don’t know, I feel like I’m pretty cute!” I shouted over the loud music.

“Haze!” Indi whacked me again as we both laughed.

“Ah, I’m just playing! We all know you got the looks. Yeah, we’re brother and sister. Twins actually! But I’m older.” I winked, watching her cheeks blush.

“Do you go here?” Ginger asked over the loud noise. “Indi doesn’t like to share much about her brother—you’re like this giant mystery she keeps just for herself!”

“Oh, fuck off, Ginger!” Indi laughed. She moved closer, rubbing my arm. “I’m just protective of my big brother!” She made puppy dog eyes at me, quivering her lip. Something inside sparked as I watched her.

“Well?” Ash pressed. “Do you attend here too? ‘Cause I don’t think I’ve ever seen you.”

“Oh no, we’d remember him.” Mary-Jane’s lips curled as she watched me.

“Nah, I go to culinary school a few towns over!”

“Oooo!” The three friends exchanged a look.

“So you cook?” Ash asked.

I nodded my head. “I prefer baking.” Truthfully, my own college experience hadn’t exactly been the best, so I decided tocome see Indi and take the weekend to just escape. She told me about this party and swore it was exactly what the doctor ordered. The added plus was seeing her. We hadn’t really seen one another in a very long time, thanks to my social anxiety.

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