Moths to a Flame

The haze of the early morning she was sure that Madison almost teased her say that she really didn't want one, but she knew she did.

That was that at 1230 in the morning out in the smoking area of Paradox she had actually smoked a cigarette. She smoked it as if she needed it, yes, she coughed the first and second time, but soon enough she got the hang of it, she smoked the following second and third cigarette like she had really enjoyed the last half of the first, just as Madison had told her she would. There were more, a lot more throughout the end of the night too. This morning as her chest felt like bricks had hit her in the middle of the night, she was at the moment in time sure she was going to throw the pack that Madison had given her and was still in her little purse, away.

***

Across town the 24-year-old Sonia smiled as smoke drifted out of her nose as she reached across and flicked the cigarette above the growing mountain of squished and distinguished butts in the glass in middle of the kitchen table. No one had contemplated emptying it. "Afternoon sis!" She grinned and brought the filter back to her pink lips and her cheeks collapsed as she closed her eyes and pulled the smoke hard into her lungs as if it was her first of the day, not the twelfth.

"Fuck!" Madison growled as she flumped her not so light teenage frame down on the stool with a thud, and leaned across the centre island, her bed head mop of brown hair covered her face like 'It' from the Adams Family as her fingers walked along the counter like "Thing" almost reaching the nearly empty pack. She sighed loudly as looked through the mass of hair, her reach of her outstretched fingers reach was just a little too short.

Sonia smiled at her sister and pushed with her red painted nails the pack slid along the counter a little closer to her sister's hand and she grabbed and turned the open pack, so the lid was facing her. "Is that better?" She grinned as Madison's hand slowly outstretched and then delicately pulled the orange filter out the pack between her long nails, her hand almost shaking at the anticipation before securing it between her lips. She nodded with confirmation as Sonia grinned as her exhaled smoke still drifted out of her nose as she flicked the lighter and leaned across the countertop and offered her sister the flame, who clearly mimicked her in style as the cheeks collapsed around the filter as she pulled the smoke into her waiting lungs.

Madison exhaled and looked at her sister "I am never going out, ever again!" She grimaced, and her eyes focused on the filter between her fingers as she placed it between her lips, her fingers split to create a wide Vee as her lungs sucked hard pulling the smoke from the cigarette.

"You know you will be fine once you've smoked a couple!"

"Ugh" was all Madison could reply.

"How did you find your cigarettes last night?"

Madison closed her eyes as she held the smoke in her lungs before releasing it in a cone, her smoke mixing with the semi-permanent cloud above her sister. "Son, as you predicted, they were amazing, delightful, couldn't get enough of them!" She croaked as she grinned as the smoke continued to drift from her nostrils.

"Good! Did you, you know?" Sonia tilted her head as she enquired.

Madison nodded in silence as she heaved once again on the filter. As the wanted nicotine quickly flooded her bloodstream as Madison repetitively hauled the smoke from the cigarette, she slowly perked up a bit and smiled as shuffled and groaned and sat up a little straighter on the chair. Her bare feet firmly locked on to the cross bar of the white painted stool, she stretched the flick the cigarette and nodded as she grinned. Before finally replying. "Yeah, Olivia took to them like a duck to water, and my friend Jennie, she enjoyed a couple too!"

Sonia nodded as she listened and pulled the latest flood of smoke into lungs, before exhaling "Wonderful! How about, what's her name? Abigail?"

"Yeah, she is proving difficult, since I gave her that pack on Friday, as she is the nerdy one, it will take her longer, but I haven't seen her since!" Madison frowned and brought her hand to her mouth to cough, and then took another long gentle drag on her cigarette before shrugging her shoulders as she exhaled. "I guess she is smoking them, I should see her at class tomorrow."

Sonia nodded as her outstretched her hand again flicked her ash from her cigarette, "I was talking to Ricky, he was suggesting that maybe you should invite everyone round here for party..." she jiggled and bopped on her seat almost dancing "...I know we promised the 'rents we would be good, but one night of fun whilst they are still away wouldn't be a problem, we've got the pool, maybe we could get Ricky to do us all a barbeque?" Her hazel eyes sparkled as she grinned.

Madison tried to think that through her hazy head and slowly nodded. "Sounds good, but I am not sure I can think about drinking right now...I just need to smoke!" She grizzled and croaked as she put the filter back to her lips, and closed her eyes as she dragged as much nicotine rich smoke into her lungs as she could.

***

Abigail stood back and watched as the cigarette tip fizzled and burnt, the stream of smoke rising quickly up to the ceiling, filled the room with the smell of burnt tobacco, whilst a cloud filled in the end of the coke can, the grey smoke filled the void and the bright white cotton wool started to darken and tinge yellower and yellower as the vacuum whirred pulling the air through the cigarette, it very quickly burnt down to the filter.

She repeated the process of pulling the tar and nicotine-stained cottonwool out of the coke can, she coughed again the putrid smell emitting of the wool as she stuffed into her waiting sandwich bag. She looked at the two bags side by side on the wooden lab desk and winced, she screwed her eyes up looking at them, was there any difference in them?

Abigail took a deep breath of air, there was still smoke drifting around the lab from the burning cigarettes, she bent down and dug around in her bag and pulled out her body spray and liberally walked around spraying it, hoping that no one could tell of her weekend experiments. She put the spray back in the bag and paused as she looked at the two packs of cigarettes in her bag, she shook her head as she spent the next few minutes dismantling her set up, tidying up as she went.

***

Jennie shuddered as she sat curled up against her bedstead as she gulped her coffee, she could remember sitting outside the taxi rank, smoking yet another cigarette with Olivia and Madison, she couldn't think why, but there were loads of others all smoking around her. She shook her head; it must have been the drink. She downed the rest of her coffee and picked up her book, then looked at a page, reading no more than a paragraph, she then put it down, as she got up and padded to the kitchen instantly boiled the kettle once more.

***

Olivia wiped her sweaty forehead with the damp tea towel she was holding and stood back and observed her kitchen, it was sparkling, her housemates had all gone out on a sunny walk, she couldn't face leaving the house, but was equally and incredibly antsy, she just couldn't sit down, she had gone up and down the stairs half a dozen times for no apparent reason, flicked through the television channels hundreds of times but couldn't find anything to watch, she decided after her stomach finally let her eat something that she just had to clean, she was proud at how clean the kitchen looked.

She made her way back up to her bedroom carrying a banana she peeled the skin back and stared at the tip, and then sat on her windowsill and looked out the grey sky above the back garden, and down at the two butts being buffeted in the wind, she looked back at the dark sky and knew it looked as if was going to rain. She chuckled to herself before bringing the tip of the banana to her mouth and almost sucked on it before taking a bite and then started chewing. It was the first time since last night she had thought about a cigarette. She frowned and looked out as the raindrops hit the window, she closed it to keep the water and the cool draft out.

***

Madison exhaled a cone out the side of her mouth and stubbed the cigarette out and grinned at Sonia and walked her fingers back along the counter towards her packs she pulled yet another cigarette out and rolled it along the worktop as if it was a log.

Sonia smiled at her sister, "Help yourself, if you had a good night, you should get used to this, you will definitely need them every morning! I know I do." She grinned as she pulled on her cigarette too.

With her eyes half closed Madison flicked the lighter and gently pulled on the cigarette to get it alight, bathing herself in the exhale exhaled smoke as it caught alight. "Definitely, I was so good, I was so pleased that I even managed to persuade tight arse Jennie to relax and light up!" she grinned, reached across to the middle of the counter, and flicked her cigarette, before bringing it back to her lips.

"You've done well!" Sonia grinned.

"Yeah, it was hard, she really had no interest, but with some gentle persuasion she eventually buckled, she smoked at least three maybe even four!" Madison laughed her hard and then groaned and held her head as she remembered her hangover as her body ached.

Sonia sympathetically shook her head looking at the sprawling mess of her sister, the stench of alcohol and cigarettes still emitting off every pore on her body sprawled against the large centre island. "Shall I get you some orange juice?" She said before placing the cigarette in the corner of her mouth and hopping off the stool as Madison gently nodded as she closed her eyes as she again pulled on her cigarette. "Yes please!" she stated again as the river of barren smoke started to pour out of her lungs.

"As Ricky says, just make sure you keep giving your friends these cigarettes!" She held hers aloft as she opened the fridge with her other hand.

"Oh, I handed out all the packs you gave me on Friday!" She struggled to grin.

"Very, Ricky is adamant that you do," She smiled, "and out of interest Mads, with you in the smoking area all night, did anyone else get intrigued, want to unexpectantly bum a cigarette or two from you?"

As Madison thought the corner of her lips slowly crept upwards to create a smile as again removed the cigarette from her mouth and looked across at her sister through a grey curtain of smoke pouring out of her nose and from the cigarette between her fingers in front of her as she tried to think through her thick heavy hungover head.

The toilet flushed somewhere in the house, and they both looked towards the stairs.

"Is Ricky actually here?" Madison asked, as she pulled her fallen down pyjama shoulder strap up in an attempt to protect her modesty, before shaking her head as both sides fell down.

"Yeah, of course he stayed over again, why wouldn't he?" She grinned and her eyes sparkled at the thoughts as the floorboards creaked as he made his way down the stairs.

He appeared down the stairs in just his black boxers, his toned chest and arms covered in black and blue tattoos. His eyes briefly glanced down at Madison, her buttocks split by the purple thong and then at Sonia.

"Moring my gorgeous Pink Lungs." He smiled ignoring as he got closer the half-dressed Madison sprawled out, her t-shirt sitting on her hips as he spun around the central island as his hands caressed Sonia's neck before dropping down her chest and in Sonja's top and groped and jiggled between his manly hands her large braless breasts as he leaned in for a kiss.

The kiss broke, she placed the filter between her lips and pulled on it, "You know full well you can't call me that anymore!" She grinned as the exhale of grey smoke drifted out her mouth, she grabbed his boxer covered arse and then again pulled again on the cigarette.

He smiled shrugged his shoulders, "You can always smoke more; I've got loads of cartons arriving Monday!" He smirked and then finally looked at Madison spread out across the counter as she focused on her cigarette between her fingers, her eye lids fluttered as the smoke filled her lungs once again. He took everything in and chuckled, "As can she, oh Babes, what's for lunch?" He asked as he stole Sonia's cigarette from between her fingers and walked over to the fridge as he dragged on it.

***

Abigail took a deep breath of air forcing it out of her nose as she picked up the white cylinder and rolled it backwards and forwards several times between her thumb and index fingers and studied it once more, there was nothing strange about it, she picked up her standard cigarette in the other hand, rolling it between her thumb and forefinger, it was identical, she shook her head and pushed her safely glasses up on top of her blond hair as she sat down in front of the microscope and shuffled the stool closer so she could have a look at the yellow stained cotton wool a little closer.

***

Jennie sat on the back doorstep sheltering under a small overhanging roof of her shared accommodation house, she hugged her knees for warmth as she looked to the darkening sky and grimaced. She picked up and flipped open the pack and stared at the sixteen white tips of the filter and the pink lighter that Madison had given her wedged beside them. She looked to the side and toyed between her fingers the long leaf of the weed growing out of the uneven grout of the paving slab, flicking it between her fingers a couple of times before successfully ripping it and the root out of the ground in almost anger. She sighed as the soil dropped to the ground, she flung the dead plant to the ground before looking back at the pack and then placing the filter between her lips, she shuffled her weight uncomfortable on the cold slab on her buttocks before getting the confidence to flick the lighter. Her eyes focused on the flame, as she tried to pull the smoke into lungs as it touched the dark brown tobacco tip, it took a couple of nervous attempts before the creamy nicotine rich smoke into her very much waiting lungs.

Part Four Monday Morning

Olivia has a deep sigh of relief as she hurried her way onto campus, firstly she was happy that the overnight rain had finally stopped. It had been almost impossible to sleep with it thundering and rattling against the window. The quickly rising sun was pleasantly warming her back up nicely. She was taking great care to dodge the puddles on the path even though they were slowly drying up. Secondly as she looked ahead, she clocked in the far corner of the courtyard the obvious and rather important cloud of the exhaled stream of smoke drifting up towards the now blue sky. Olivia was happy, she smiled to herself. She could tell exactly where Madison was, it was like a homing beacon rising into the sky. Her bat signal to get to a cigarette. Olivia desperately needed to see her, she quickened her pace, across the courtyard. After waking up far too early she had determined this morning that she very much needed another one of her cigarettes before her lecture. It had been all she had been thinking about for most of the morning.

Ultimately, she really needed a cigarette before she did anything else. She really urgently needed to smoke a cigarette. That was all she could think about since waking at six that morning. She would actively admit that to anyone who asked. She took a deep breath of fresh air and with her head up high she made her way across the courtyard as quickly as her legs would move.

"Hey, Mads!" She grinned as she reached her, they kissed each other's cheeks as Madison held her cigarette in her left hand wide away from them as not to burn her.

"How are you doing, it was great night on Saturday, the music was amazing!" Madison grinned before placing the filter back between her lips.

"Oh, yes it was, feeling it yesterday, you know." Oliva winced as she shrugged.

Madison nodded as she pulled the white pack out of her little bag. "I guess you want one?"

Olivia's eyes widened, she paused, as to contemplate pretending that she did not... then smiled, "Oh, god, yes please!" She stated licking her lips in anticipation as the pack was offered in front of her fingers grabbed the filter quicker than she really should have.

"I so needed one or two of these this morning, they do their thing, don't they?" Madison grinned as the smoke poured out of her nose.

Olivia nodded and looked almost guilty at Madison "Well, you know, that I know, that I now need one!" She grinned before putting the filter back between her lips as Madison beamed as she flicked the lighter and with a gentle tug on the filter soon Oliva bathed her desperate lungs and bloodstream in the nicotine rich smoke.

"Has anyone seen Abi yet?" Madison asked before taking a final drag on her cigarette and dropping the filter to the floor and using her white trainers to stub the butt out, blackening the grey paving in ash below them.

Olivia looked around and shrugged her shoulders, "I guess she could be inside already; she is an early bird?" She questioned and the instantly brought the filter back to her lips.

"Oh, before I forget as the weather is meant to be actually like summer on Saturday, do you want to come over in the afternoon? Ricky and Sonia will do a barbeque?"

Oliva looked a little shocked "Oh, wow, yes of course!"

"Great, there will be food, drinks and..." She held up her pack, "smokes!"

Oliva looked a little bewildered taking it in, "That's sounds excellent."

"Oh, I guess we better go and find Abigail, we don't want to be late for class!"

Olivia exhaled as she looked at the door and to her cigarette, and then back at Madison "Can you wait for me first?" Olivia asked holding the cigarette up.

"Oh, of course!" grinned Madison. Her eyebrows raised a little "How fast can you smoke it, Ricky likes to test Sonia and I?" She grinned.

Olivia twisted her lips, nodded, and smiled at Madison as she egged on, as the wind gusted and swirled in the large courtyard and the steam of smoke from her cigarette between her fingers drifted across in front of them "I am desperate...probably pretty quick!" Olivia giggled and brought the filter to her lips again, her eyes flickered briefly as her cheeks concaved, and the tip burnt bright orange as the next delightful lungful of smoke rushed into her body.

***

Oliva wobbled on her feet, "Oh my god Mads, that is amazing, I am really buzzing now, that was way too quick!" She brought her hand to her mouth and gently coughed, she licked her teeth and shook her head and then laughed as they made their way down the long hallway to the lecture theatre.

"But enjoyable right?"

"Err yeah, of course?" She agreed like a nodding donkey.

"Cool, my sister was right!"

"What about?"

Madison grinned "Needing and enjoying a cigarette in the morning. We only have an hour until we can have another!"

"What, oh, I see..." really don't think I will need one then."

"We shall see..."

"Cool, I think we are in here?" Olivia said pointing the lecture theatre sign C10.

"Yes, perfect lets, see if Abigail has turned up!" Madison stated as they made their way into the large lecture theatre.

They followed their fellow students and made their way up the steep wooden steps, waved at the blonde Abigail who waved back, she was dutifully sitting there with glasses on, prepared with her notepad and pens ready for the lecture to start.

"How was your weekend? So, gutted you didn't come out Saturday night to partaay with us, it was a great night." Madison stated as they shuffled up towards her and then proceeded to get her pens, and papers out, she then positioned her pack beside them as Olivia followed digging into her bag getting out her note pad and pens. "Talking of Saturday, Abs do you want to come over to mine, sister and Ricky will do a barbeque?"