High Times, chapter 4

"Where are we going?" I asked, squeezing into the backseat next to Ian and a random goth chick I didn't know.

"Our friend Tre lives out near the mountains in like... East Bumfuck, Cali, and every year around Thanksgiving his family throws this insane party," Mike explained.

"Everything's allowed, cuz there aren't any cops around for miles," Billie added.

"And you know what that means, don't ya Stace?" Ian laughed as he pulled a plastic baggie from his pocket.

"Hell yeahh!" I said, holding my hand out for a high five. Ian happily slapped his hand against mine and put the baggie back into his pocket.

"Are guys going to introduce me to your little friend," the girl next to Ian interrupted. She was rail thin, with dyed black hair and pale skin. Around her neck she wore a pink dog collar.

"Oh yeah, Stace this is my cousin Alice. Alice that's Stacy," Billie said, motioning toward us haphazardly.

"So you're the Catholic school girl gone wrong, eh?" she drawled. I got the impression she didn't think much of me.

"Uh yeah, I guess so... " She smirked and held out her hand for me to shake. I took it nervously, not wanting her nails—which she had filed into points—to scrape me.

"Sooo nice to meet you."

Ian leant down and whispered in my ear, "Don't mind her. She's fucking weird but harmless. We're just giving her a ride to the party." I sighed in relief. At least I wouldn't have to see her on a regular basis.

Forty-five minutes later (just as the sun was starting to set) we turned onto a dirt driveway. In the distance I could see the silhouette of a large farmhouse and a silo lying on the outskirts of a dense forest. Crimson mountains lined the horizon.

"Welcome to the Wright Farm Thanksgiving Fiesta!" Mike exclaimed, rolling down his window and taking a deep breath of the country air. "This party is gonna be fuckin awesome!" We pulled up in front of the house and exited the car. A short, stocky kid with green hair came running off the porch to greet us.

"WASSSUP FUCKERS!" he shouted, gathering Mike and Billie for a hug. He then ran over to Ian and proceeded to engage him in some crazy handshake involving snaps and spitting. "Haven't seen you guys since my last gig at Gilman."

Alice and I stood there, waiting for the boys to finish catching up. After two minutes, she sighed dramatically and began tapping her claw-like nails on her pleather mini-skirt. "Can we fucking join the rest of the party yet?" She snarled.

"Man Alice, I've missed you too!" the green-haired boy replied sarcastically as he made his way over to us. Despite her protests, he picked her up and twirled her around yelling, "My darling Alice! It's been so long!!!"

"Fuck you Tre," Alice growled when he set her down. She stormed off to the back of the house. Tre gave her the finger as she left.

"Ok guys, now who is this lovely lady?" he inquired as he blatantly checked me out.

"Back off Tre, she's ours," Ian answered, putting his arm around me protectively. I rolled my eyes at him.

"I'm Stacy."

"You may call me Tre—Tre Cool," he told me in a faux British-accent. "It's a pleasure to meet you Stacy. Now... who's ready to partaay!?"



An hour later I was high as a kite and dancing around a bonfire with Mike, Ian, and twenty of my new best friends.

"Dude we're like fucking Indians!" Ian declared loudly. Mike and I looked at each other and started giggling manically.

"I am Chief... uh...Smokes-A-Lot-of-Shit and you two are my loyal Indian Braves: Skinny-Boy-With-Bad-Hair and Pretty-Girl-with-Red-Eyes," he went on, pulling himself away from the fire that had held our attention for the past twenty minutes. "We have to have an Indian ceremony!" He began running off in the direction of the woods, grabbing Tre and Billie (who were standing around a keg trying to pick up chicks) with him. Mike and I trailed after him, tripping and stumbling the entire way. Finally we all arrived in a clearing.

"Why the fuck are we out here man?" Tre asked lazily, his bright blue eyes almost completely covered by his huge pupils.

"I was pickin' up chicks!" Billie whined, throwing the empty beer can he'd been holding to the ground. Mike and I leaned against a tree in silence, the darkness of the clearing was making us hallucinate like crazy.

"Ah, my silly Indian braves—it is the Festival of Thanks and Giving," Ian announced, rubbing his hands together eagerly. "We must all sit in a circle and say what we are thankful for, then give something to the person next to us."

"That sounds exciting!" I giggled, plopping down onto the ground. Mike joined me a few seconds later and Ian did the same. Tre and Billie glared at us through the gloom.

"I gave up getting ass for an 'Indian ceremony'?!" Billie roared, "I hate you E, I fuckin' hate you."

"Oh c'mon you know it sounds like fun," Mike countered as he pulled on Billie's pant leg like a five year old. "Just do it Beej." Billie grudgingly complied and took a seat next to Ian in the circle. We all turned to focus our attention on Tre, who was standing with his arms crossed pouting.

"If I wasn't so trashed right now I wouldn't even consider joining you guys. You're taking advantage of me!" We all laughed and pulled him down into the circle.

"Ok, so I'll start," Ian informed us, "I'm thankful to my drug dealer TJ for covering all my needs and making sure I don't have to go through school sober." He smirked and nodded to me, "Your turn."

"Uh... ," I began, "My mind is completely fried and all I can think is 'I'm so fucking wasted', so I guess that's what I'm thankful for: Being fucking wasted!" I sniggered and poked Mike, who jerked in surprise.

"Oh dude its my turn!" He grinned stupidly and started to rock back and forth. "I'm thankful for my bestest friends in the whole wide world. Without you guys I might just pass for normal."

"Haha fuck you," Tre mumbled, "I would like to thank all the lovely ladies who help fulfill my manly needs." He looked at me and winked, "Just think Stacy. You could be one of them."

"Puh-leeze, Tre," Billie snapped, "the only action you get is from your grandma at Christmas." Tre stuck his tongue out at Billie.

"That doesn't even make sense."

"Oh yeah? Screw you! Uh...I'm thankful for my guitar, Blue. Without it I would be dead."

"Don't be such a drama queen Billie," Mike snickered. Bill flicked him off angrily.

"I'm serious man!"

"Break it up guys.," Ian broke in, "its time for the next part of the ceremony." He clapped his hands together enthusiastically, "So e next you have to give the person next to you a present." He positioned himself so that he was facing me, "Stacy, I'm gonna give you a kiss on the cheek, ok?"

I laughed and nodded my approval. He leaned in, lightly brushing his lips against my cheek causing me to blush ten shades of red. Thank god it was night.

"Gross!" Billie shrieked as he watched us.

"Fuck off," I teased him. "Mike what would you like?"

"How about a new car? Yeah that would be nice. Something better than the piece of shit I drive now," Mike answered.

"K here ya go!" I pointed to a nearby rock, "isn't it great?!"

"Gee thanks Stace! You're the best!" Mike gushed, playing along. He threw his arms around me and enveloped me in a trademark Mike bear hug.

"God stop the lovefest with Stacy guys," Tre complained.

"Fine Mr. Poopy-pants. What do you want?" Mike grumbled, untangling his arms from mine.

"A blow job."

"EW! Fuckin A' man!!" Mike screamed, pummeling Tre with his fists.

"I'm just playing," Tre chuckled, "a nice cold beer will do just fine."

"That I can do," Mike replied getting up to retrieve Tre's drink. "If I get lost its all your fault."

"Whatever. Bill what 'present' do you want?"

Billie pretended to look thoughtful, stroking his imaginary beard. "Find me a sexy lady and I'll love you forever."

"Fuck that, I'm not moving," Tre replied, leaning against a tree and closing his eyes. Ian took this to mean the ceremony was over and stood up. Billie and I did the same and we headed out of the woods towards the party

"You fuckers better not leave without me," Tre bellowed after us, forcing himself up to follow us. We met Mike on our way out. He looked confused for a second, but then just simply handed Tre his beer and walked back to the fire with us.

We spent the rest of the night lying close to the bonfire, joking around and musing about life. Sometime around one or two we all fell asleep in a giant pile. I was curled up against Ian, with Mike lying in my lap. Billie rested at our feet, cuddling with some blonde girl he had hooked up with earlier. Tre had gone inside to sleep in his own comfy bed.



I woke up to the sound of Mike and Billie arguing.

"How the fuck did Alice get your car keys?" Mike shouted, jabbing his finger into Billie's chest.

"She fucking took 'em out of my pocket during the night somehow! Don't yell at me man," Billie retorted.

"God Beej you're such a douche! You know she's been trying to get you back since we ditched her in Berkeley that one time. How are we going to get home?!" Mike shouted, pacing nervously.

"Are we stranded out here because Alice took Billie's car?" I questioned them, getting off the ground and brushing myself off.

"Pretty much," Billie replied glumly.

"Can't we get a ride with someone? I mean there are still a bunch of people here."

"We'll have to try."

After about twenty minutes of searching we finally found someone willing to give us a ride back to Rodeo. Tre came out to hug us all goodbye.

"Great seeing you guys again," he told Mike, Billie, and Ian. He walked over to me and gave me a hug, his hands awfully close to my ass. "Nice meeting you Stacy. We should chill again sometime," he whispered in my ear—his attempt at being seductive.

"Don't even think about grabbing my ass," I whispered back, smiling. He laughed and took his hands off of me.

Billie, Mike, and Ian all squeezed into the backseat of the car we were riding in.

"Where the hell am I going to sit?" I asked them bitterly, "The trunk?"

"Oh shush," Mike scolded, "Just sit on our laps." I laid across them all, bending my knees to fit. My head ended up on Billie's lap and my feet on Ian's. Our driver looked at us and laughed.

"This is going to be an interesting trip," she told us. We pulled out of the grass and onto the dirt driveway.



I had the girl who was driving (Rachel) drop me off on the corner of my street. I waved goodbye to everyone and ambled home, which was a few houses down from the corner. I pulled out my compact from my pocket and made sure I looked okay. I had washed up a bit and Tre's so I didn't look like I had spent the entire night getting wasted. I reached my door and got my keys out to open it. Just as I was sticking the key in, the door swung open, revealing my mother's furious face.

"Where the hell have you been?!"