In Over Her Head by Elsie Russell - Parnasse.com

SERAGLIO
Night hung over the house and the kitchen and pantry lit and
bustling with dinner preparations as she snuck back in.
The piece blared from the stereo in Sandro's room. Her own
room was empty, but the doors between her room and his were wide
open and voices and the heavy sweet smell of marijuana wafted
through.
She unloaded her gear and walked through the library to see
what was going on. He reclined into his pillows, his eyes shut, inhaling
deeply. Max sat cross legged on the mattress next to him. Ula was there
too, sitting at the edge of the bed but turned away from them, her
fingers making shadow puppets dance on the wall in the light of a
candle.
"Mind if I crash the party?"
"Where have you been?" Sandro demanded.
"Field experiment," she snapped.
Max smiled to himself, humming the Hendrix's Purple Haze as
Penny plunked herself down in the lion chair facing them. He extended
the peace offering, of which only a sputtering red ember remained. She
ignored it. Ula, still playing with the shadows, formed a snapping wolf
with her hand, and extended her free arm for the roach, gazing
dreamily back at Penny.
"Purple haze yourself. Voodoo Child blows that away any day.
Hey gang, I think they're about ready downstairs, bet you're famished."
"Whatever it is, Whatever it is, that girl."
"Oh, shut up, Max."
They got up to go downstairs.
"Purple Haze was in my brain, lately, things don't seem the
same." The song followed her down the stairs.
"You've got me blowing, blowing my mind, is it tomorrow?"
"You gonna shut up?"
Downstairs, the atmosphere was tense. Signora had them
staring into their spaghetti. Even Sandro slipped as he twirled it around
and around on his plate.
Penny dove through the ice with "Beatrice, (she pronounced it
the Italian way) how was your soiree with the minister?"
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