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After the third one, a guy who’s rumored to be on his third time as a fourth-year reaches into his pocket and pulls out a bag of something purple and shimmery. “I brought the good stuff.”

Bash catches my eye and nods his head toward the house.

Intrigued, I turn my attention back to the shimmery stuff. “What’s that?”

A few people chuckle and giggle.

“I grew up on land, remember?” I cross my arms. “I’m sure there’s plenty I know that you don’t.”

The dude shrugs. “It’s tristle.”

Bash gestures toward the house again. “Come on, Marra.”

One girl leans closer to the baggie. “How’d you get so much?”

“I have my ways.” He turns to me. “Want to try some, land princess?”

“I’m not princess of the land.”

“Whatever. Want it or not?”

“What does it do?”

He smirks. “It’ll make you forget all your problems.”

“Hand it over.” I reach for it.

Bash rises. “Sorry, but we’re leaving.”

“Doesn’t look like she wants to,” someone says.

I lean closer to the bag.

“Marra, you don’t know what that stuff does.” Bash pulls me from my seat.

“I know it’ll make me forget all of my problems. That’s enough for me.”

His nostrils flare. “If you trust me at all, you’ll come with me. Tristle isn’t something you want to mess with.”

Someone snickers. “You’d know, Bash.”

Laughter moves around the circle.

“Come with me.” His mouth forms a straight line. “We can find other ways to make you forget your troubles.”

A guy whistles and waves his hands in the empty space between all the chairs. “There’s plenty of room here for that.”

Bash doesn’t break our eye contact. “You don’t want to do this.”

“You gonna let him tell you what to do?” a girl asks.

A guy laughs.

“Is he your new parent?”

Bash’s eyes narrow.

“It’s good enough for you, but you won’t let your girlfriend give it a try?”