Moths to a Flame

Abigail attempted to quietly cough at the smoky aroma permeating off both girls. Her eyes stared at the pack on the wooden bench and then involuntarily coughed as the wafts of the potent smell of fresh cigarette smoke emitted off the two girls, she studied Olivia questioning her with her eyes before speaking, "Oh, yeah, why not that sounds good, as for last Saturday, you know, stayed in went to the library, messed around in the labs doing that study I am part of, but I had a really interesting weekend, how was your night out?"

"Oh, cool!" Olivia raised an eyebrow and looked at her inquisitively. "It was good fun, drank far too much, spent far too much time cleaning the house yesterday!"

"Well, I sadly I obs drank far less than you guys...but I still had lots of fun," she grinned, "it was really interesting I took one of your C-R...." As she was about to continue, and the lecturer marched into the front of the class clasping his hands together and the chatter around them went quiet as he started their introduction.

***

Madison licked her lips "Oh my God, fifty minutes is just sooooo long, I know Prof Eden was doing his best, and it was really interesting, but my god an hour is just so slowly?" She exclaimed pushed the swing door open as they made their way out of the building.

Abigail and Olivia looked at her with confusion. "What?" Abigail asked. "It's like less than an hour?"

"Yeah, I know, but you know Olivia, that growing need for a cigarette, these special ones that Ricky make you need to have one, like you had this morning, we both get it, the feeling builds up like layers and after such a short time until bang, yup you need one?" Madison grinned as she put the filter between her lips no sooner than they stepped outside.

Olivia's face jumped between embarrassment and confusion, "Well, yeah, but I am not sure I do get that feeling quite so quick as you!" She stated, she looked at Abigail and back at Madison and then back again, "don't get me wrong, and I am sorry Abby," she then looked at Madison "don't get me wrong since last week and your shared one with me, I do like the odd cigarette, but not that quickly!"

Abigail looked at her watch, "Well you two, nicotine and... yeah...or not we need to get on to our next lecture, I've got to get back to the lab before lunch." As Madisons cigarette and exhaled smoke engulfed them.

Oliva slightly leaned forward on the balls of her toes as she attempted to breathe in the smoke drifting off the tip of Madisons cigarette and followed it with her eyes as she put the filter back to her lips, the tip burnt bright orange as the air hurried into Madisons lungs, and they were soon again engulphed in exhaled smoke. She nodded to herself and then back at Abigail with the alarm on her face.

"It's okay, I can walk and smoke, I've practiced that, I look so good!" Madison smiled and nodded in the direction of the building on the other side of the courtyard.

"But...." Abigail interjected.

"Come on!" Madison stated strode off wiggling her slim hips as she walked, the cigarette down by her side and between her fingers, before bending her elbow and taking a hit on it after walking a couple of paces letting the smoke billow out behind her and into the girls faces as she moved forward.

***

The key in the front door rattled and it then opened to a grinning Ricky "Hey sexy Pink Lungs!" he called out loudly as he closed the door with his foot whilst carrying two large bright orange 'bags for life' carrier bags, bulging full of cartons of C-Rave cigarettes.

Sonia opened her eyes wide and gently coughed as she shuffled up from the sofa, "Stop it hon, look I am smoking!" She grinned waving her cigarette around before putting the filter between her lips and spreading her fingers wide in a Vee taking an exaggerated inhale, forcing the exhale all over him as he came past.

Ricky smiled, "I know babes, you are doing really well, and you must know you look sexy as fuck doing it, and just for you, your sister, and the girls, I got hold of more supplies from Bryan and Harte. I need your help in a bit with the labels, but Pinks, we will have to start charging your girls a little going forward, as what we do to them is getting expensive babes.

"We can't yet? Maybe after the party, Madison is still working on a couple of girls?" She stated as the smoke drifted out her mouth before finishing off with a couple of smoke rings, before reaching across for her can of coke and taking a gulp.

***

Abigail shook her head as she watched as Madison put yet another C-Rave cigarette between her lips no sooner than they had stepped out of the lecture theatre and shuffled to the left away from the door.

"You are so addicted to those things now, aren't you?" She grinned and pointed at the burning cigarette.

Madison almost violently shook her head. "No way, I just really enjoy having one every now and again, and of course Saturday night was fun!" She grinned before flicking the lighter and shaking her head and groaning as the wind swirling around blew it out, she then tried cusping her lighter between her hand to get it alight. "That's better," she stated as the inhaled smoke escaped her mouth.

"I see!" Abigail stated.

"I see you haven't smoked one yet this morning, how are you doing with the pack I have you on Friday."

Abigail snorted "I had fun yes, I..." as Oliva shouted as fought her way out to join them.

"Sorry for taking longer than ever, got talking to Dave about the play, then I had to pop to the loo." She grinned as she stared at the Madisons lit cigarette.

Madison tilted her head slightly watching where her eyes were going, "Oh Olivia, do you want one now?" She asked putting the cigarette between her lips and flipping open her bag,

Olivia guilty looked towards Abigail and then licked her lips, gulped, and wavered her head before nodding "One now won't hurt would it, we've got an hour until Prof Merced, so yes please!" she grinned as she pulled the filter from the pack, placed it between her lips and as her face lit up and shone briefly golden yellow the reflection as she accepted the sheltered flame from Madison.

"What's your plan for the next hour?" Madison asked as she turned to Abigail.

"Oh, I am going to hide in the library or labs for a bit." She smiled sweetly as the two girls in front of her almost mechanically then placed their cigarettes back between their lips nodding as the quickly pulled on the cigarette.

"If, you're sure?" Madison asked as the smoke tumbled out of her lips. "I was thinking of heading over to the green, and reading in the sun, before it rains again." She stated pointing in that direction as she grinned and tapped her cigarette, letting the ash fall to the floor before bringing the filter back to her lips.

Abigail nodded, "is that so you can carry on smoking?"

Madison chuckled looked at her hand and smiled almost proudly at the burning cigarette between her fingers and nodded "Maybe" she continued grinning. "Honestly it's not raining and It's a great book!"

"What about you Olivia?"

She stretched her arm forwards and nervously looked at the cigarette burning between her fingers as if was scaring her. "Err, maybe I should come with you to the library, I do need another book for that essay." She stated before bringing the filter back to her lips and briefly pulling some smoke in to her body.

"It's up to you?"

Olivia exhaled and then looked at both Madison and Abigail torn as to the decision, the two streams of smoke rising from the tips of their cigarettes drifted on the wind into her face, she waved it away with her hand and looked at Madison again.

***

Sonia turned her head at the thuds coming from the bedroom, she shook her head, pulled hard on the short butt of the filter between her fingers, then exhaled, and stubbed her cigarette out. Then with a gentle cough, shuffled off the sofa and quickly ran and headed up the stairs and followed Ricky into the bedroom. She smiled as she stepped to the side and took in the display of white cartons spread out across their unmade bed.

"So, babes, I have got all the C-Rave labels, we need to open the carton, get them all out and get sticking." He grinned and wrapped his arm around her slim waist and pulled her in for a kiss. "Or we can have lunch first!" He grinned before kissing her again. "Or..." he smiled, and their lips and tongues locked together again.

As they broke for air, Sonia wiped her lips of saliva as she fluttered her eyelashes, "You're addicted to me, nicotine and food, in any order, aren't you?" She shook her head before tilting it back as she grinned and squeezed him harder. "But with you they are all equally nice..." she grinned... I love you!" They kissed again.

"Love you too Pink Lungs," they kissed again. "Pinks, please, but we need to clear the bed..." they kissed again, "before we...you know, we can't squash the produce." Ricky mumbled between passionate kisses and gasps for air as his thumbs firmly wedged in the elastic moved Sonia's shorts down below her pert buttocks. They grunted and with a squeak fell back on to the bed.

***

Abigail and Oliva made their way to far corner of the library where there is a little window looking out across campus. They settled down getting all their college folders and files out of their bags. Olive paused sniffed the air loudly, then dug out of her bag a pink body spray can and ducked under the table and doused herself in the aerosol. They both coughed as the fine particulates circulated around in their space.

"That's better, they are nice, but boy do they make me reek!" She sniffed overly loudly as she grinned.

Abigail pursed her lips together and looked at Olivia "Why do you smoke them?" she said without missing a beat.

"You know why!" Olivia said dismissively. "Mads gave them to us!" She smiled happily.

"Yeah, I know, she gave me some too, I spent the whole weekend playing with them as part of the study."

"Oh yeah, you said, what did you find out?"

*There are two options- you chose what she found out below*

Option A- Highly Addictive Additive Option B- Standard Nicotine

Option A

"Well, this is really interesting..." Abigail then lowered her voice making, flicking her eyes to the left and right, just to make sure no one could hear her "...at first we thought it was a parasite or something, making them incredibly addictive, but these C-Raves haven't, they been lagged in something mightily addictive, but nice."

"What?" Oliva almost shouted as confusion reigned; heads turned and tutted in their direction from down the hallway.

"What makes these special is that they have been dipped in something. I analysed both on the ICP-MS in the lab this weekend the tobacco is lightly sprinkled in mephedrone, tiny, tiny amounts." She squeezed her fingers together to emphasise how small they are.

"But that's like amphetamine?" Oliva looked at her with her eyes wide in disgust.

Abigail nodded. "Why do you think I have not really smoked one. I just had to know what was different."

Again, Olivia's eyes widened. "You have tried one though, haven't you?"

Abigail looked sheepishly at Olivia and shook her head.

Olivia smiled "That must be the reason they are called C-Rave...the problem is that they are quite nice..." she thought about the cigarettes as she then frowned.

"That's the whole point, Madisons sisters' friends are trying to hook everyone to their laced cigarettes."

Everything then dawned on Olivia "Shit Abigail!" She shouted loudly. There was a loud rustling of papers and coughs of indignation from the other side of the library, she waved to apologise before looking intently at Abigail again.

Abigail looked across and lowered her voice. "But I think you can help me find out if this is true."

"How?" Olivia asked quietly.

Abigail smiled wryly. "I have a plan..."

***

"Oh, that was a surprise babe, a nice one, I wasn't expecting afternoon sex," Sonia panted as she took a couple of deep breaths and sighed as she flipped her sweaty hair stuck to her face, "but do you know what?" She smiled at him and ran her hands across his shaved chest, before kissing him on the lips "Rick, I now need a ciggy babe!" Sonia chuckled as she rested on her arms crossed over on his chest.

"It was amazing as ever, as for the ciggy, that's great Pink Lungs, as I am not going to stop you." Ricky replied with a smile as kissed her ruffled hair before turning and stretching as he pulled two cigarettes from his pack, placed the filter between his lips and flicked the lighter, taking two quick puffs, the smoke drifting across both of them before handing the second cigarette to her.

"We still need to do those stickers don't we?" She asked before placing the filter back between her lips, her naked chest rising as she took another long smoke-filled hit on the cigarette.

Ricky looked to the white cartons randomly scattered on the floor covered in their clothes beside him "Yes babes, we do! But first...." He paused as she forced the smoke from her lips and then leaned in for another passionate kiss.

***

"What do you mean I keep smoking them? They are like illegal?"

Abigail twisted her lips as she thought about it for a second "I need to find out what is going on, we can't let Madison know we are on to her sister and what they are up to until we have proof?"

"True, I mean I do like them and all..." Olivia nodded her head weighing up her options. "But on one condition."

"What?"

Olivia smiled, "You smoke them too!"

"But..."

"Yeah, Mads, she gave you a pack too, didn't she?"

Abigail made a guttural noise and looked down at her open rucksack by her sandal covered feet. There were two packs in her rucksack, the white C-Rave and the very expensive Marlboro Red pack side by side in the front pocket. She bent down and then pulled the pack out and placed it on top of her folder, then raised her head and looked at Olivia and nodded.

"Well, you are going to have to join in too, I can't be the only one smoking these things." She stated pointing at Abigail's pack.

"You're not, Mads, Jennie, I guess, there will be others." She tried to deflect. "You will be fine..." She suggested almost putting the pack back in her bag.

Oliva grimaced, "Should we let the others know?"

Abigail shook her head "No, not yet we need more proof. Don't let the others know, and that's where you come in?"

Olivia shook her head, "If I am going undercover, for you, then you will have to smoke them too, it's just not fair on me."

Abigail audibly gulped in the quiet library, she looked at Olivia with a pained expression across her face and with one last glance towards her feet she sighed "I don't think I should."

Olivia looked at her sternly.

"I guess I could..." she stated dejectedly.

"Good, anyway" Olivia smiled "we are meant to be reading, all this talk of smoking cigarettes keeps me thinking about them."

Abigail nodded as she almost death stared the pack, before something caught her eye, she looked up across the library and down the narrow hallway and waved, she nudged Olivia "Look its Jennie!" she grinned and waved again.

Jennie strode towards them her hands full of heavy books, her hair up in a ponytail swishing behind her as she walked in her flipflops. "Hey girls" she whispered. "How you are doing, it great night out Saturday wasn't it!"

Both Abigail and Olivia nodded. "Yeah."

She grinned as she looked at the pack of cigarettes on the desk as she pulled the chair out and sat down. "Oh, Madison has been clever, I think I can play snap with that!" she grinned as she shuffled her folders and then reached into her bag and pulled out the pack of C-Rave's. "I can't believe that Madison was handing these packs out like they were candy?"

Olivia and Abigail looked at each other and giggled and then nodded solemnly to Jennie.

"Go on, what do you know?"

"Nothing, we know nothing, we were just saying the very same thing, she is handing these things out like sweets to everyone!"

"Ah, yes they are, err, rather, err, nice?"

"Jen, how many of them have you actually smoked?" Abigail asked.

Jennie smiled as she flipped open the lid and almost proudly showed off the ten white filter tips remaining. "Between not many and too many, Sunday was hard for some reason I just had to have some, and again I just had to have a couple this morning. If I keep going, I will need another pack from Maddy on like Thursday..." she bit her bottom lip "or even tomorrow."

Olivia nodded and looked to Abigail, "That is impressive, see Abby they are nice!"

Abigail rolled her eyes "Yeah you have made your point, I thought I had too, anyway, we are meant to be here to read?" and she shuffled her books in front of her.

"Girls, as its hot outside, and we have got time, do you three want to go outside for a ciggy?" Jennie asked. "I could do with one now, I am bored of being in here." She grinned as she fiddled with her pack.

Olivia grinned "Oh, we could do..." she mooted. "Madison is still down there in the quad under the oak tree."

Jennie nodded in approval "That's great, we can come back here and read after lunch." She suggested, and the others nodded.

***

Sonia rushed out of the bathroom with her green towel wrapped around her head to dry her hair.

"Fuck!" She swore loudly as she rummaged around in the drawer of the chest of drawers and retrieved a clean pair of knickers studied the bright blue pair for a second before shaking her head and choosing a dark black pair.

"You okay Pinks?" Ricky asked looking on from the bed before taking another drag on his cigarette before exhaling at her.

"No, I lost track of time sticking these darn cigarettes," she glanced at the neatly stacked cartons against the bedroom wall all labelled up, "and I am now going to be late for work!" She grimaced as she tugged her black cotton knickers up her still damp legs, as she removed her fingers the elastic slapped against her slim hips, then rummaged around in another drawer tutting to herself as she pulled out an almost matching black bra. "It will have to do." Before attaching the hooks, spinning it around her waist and getting her arms through the straps and positioning the lacy cups. "Don't just lie there do something?"

Ricky chuckled "I am!" and stroked his flaccid penis a couple of times before taking another drag on his cigarette.

She sighed loudly "Ha, ha not now!" She grizzled. "Where is my work skirt?"

"I don't know Pinks?"

"Oh, you threw it over there yesterday!" She huffed as she crouched down in the corner and picked up her scrunched-up skirt. Sniffed and grimaced, "Fuck, it should need a wash it stinks of cigarettes, shit, I haven't got time."

"You will be fine."

"I will need to be!" She smiled and leaned across the bed and took the cigarette from between his fingers and took a short drag, exhaled, and then handed it back to him "Oh that was nice. Right, my top and I need to go, remember to lock up?"

"Oh, will Mads be back before I go?"

"No idea, probably?" She stated as she unravelled the towel on her head and threw it on the floor.

"So, I don't need to lock up?"

"Rick, I don't know!" She again stressed her grizzle as she ran her hands through her hair before focusing on doing up the buttons up on her branded blue work shirt before running her hands down her legs to attempt straighten her crinkled dress out. "Fuck it, right I need to go, where the hell are my shoes and I now really need another cigarette, shit, shit..." She flustered as she pulled one out of the pack on the bed side table and with two attempts on the lighter got the tip to flame, she then as she exhaled, she held on to the pack and lighter in her other hand.

"Chill pinks, I will see you later."