Dangerous Liaisons [✗]

𝟎𝟑 | 𝐡𝐢𝐠𝐡

𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐏𝐓𝐄𝐑 𝐓𝐇𝐑𝐄𝐄 | 𝐀𝐔𝐃𝐑𝐄𝐘

I HAD GOTTEN HIGH BEFORE.

The first time was most memorable, due to an overabundance of edible jolly ranchers that had me singing the lyrics of AC/DC songs backwards, within the confines of the common room at my private prep school. It hadn't been my choice the first time.

Another unforgettable incident involved me consuming laced brownies that I stole from my sibling's room, leading me to turn the sprinklers on and give my elderly neighbours a show. My act of public indecency enraged my Bengali mother to the point where she threw a shoe at my head and threatened to put me on a one-way plane to her native land.

Amina Khanum was so terrified that she tried to persuade my father, of all people, to help me puke it out, and I didn't realise how much trouble almost-seventeen-year-old me was capable of getting myself into after my end-of-term exams, in agreement with my self to try different things in life starting that night, just to feel different.

"You brought drugs into work? Mind you, the 'love' drugs?"

Tia's voice was high and alarmed at best. I pressed my lips together, trying to calm my nerves, knowing that my morning had started off rocky as it was.

Adam's car wasn't anywhere in sight when I emerged in the marbled foyer —which was great, because I planned to find out exactly why all of a sudden there seemed to be sign of life over at the Thayer house.

I was still reeling from the shock of seeing the lights go out last night, that I kept peering through my fogged up glasses and the drapes of my living room every now and then, sipping my steaming latte.

Before I could stop myself, the curiosity floored me and I found myself leaving in my slippers, still clad in a pair of plaid shorts and a pastel-pink tank top, a container filled to the brim with freshly baked muffins as I ran the distance from my house. I fully intended to knock on the door and make my presence known, except the door opened, while I had my fist raised.

It was as if time had stopped and my breath, or any logical thought, had been sucked out of me. I was stunned into silence for the first time in my life, not having thoroughly considered the possibilities of who I would face after so many years. To keep my whole face from falling apart and perhaps my glasses from shattering, I let my jaw drop a little and swallowed hard.

After all, I was staring right at Blaze Mavros Thayer.

My brother's childhood best friend, who was older and bigger than me, not just in size and age, but in ways I couldn't quite put my finger on, an individual who I had the displeasure of meeting perhaps twice in my entire existence, but had constantly heard of.

The man I disliked since the beginning, a vessel to whom I had no intention of bringing baked goods to, not when he was a known arrogant individual who had made me feel like I was chewing gum stuck to the bottom of his shoe on the occasions we had interacted whether directly or indirectly.