Moths to a Flame

She nodded as she doused herself in body spray from the can on top of the chest of drawers, sniffed and nodded "Good, don't wake me when you come home, I am gone!" Sonia stated as she slipped her feet into the black work shoes and paused to pull on her cigarette before heading off out the bedroom.

"Oh, Pinks, are you getting the food in for this party?"

Sonia stopped in her tracks by the doorway, turned and looked at the naked Ricky on her bed and nodded. "Yeah, I will get some in tomorrow, I have got time."

"Cool Pinks...just remember you don't need to buy any ciggies!" Ricky cackled a laugh, as he flapped his flaccid penis against his stomach once more before taking a hit on his cigarette.

***

Abigail sat down at her desk and stared hard at the two open packs of cigarettes in front of her sitting on top of the latest tombs from the library. They had come out of her bag at the same time, the Marlboro Red and the C-Rave side by side. She took her glasses on her face and rubbed her tired eyes and groaned as she did so. With her glasses back on her nose she chuckled as the Avery style label had started to peel off the C-Rave pack. Her fingers she gently toyed with it until she had pulled it off, to be left with a completely white pack, the sticker remained stuck to her finger, she shook her hand twice and eventually it fell off.

The girls had spent the rest of the morning, not studying but sitting outside chatting with Madison, whilst smoking, as if they couldn't stray too far from Madisons lighter, they were like moths to a flame. After thirty minutes and the girls smoking two cigarettes each, she had made her excuses, and headed back to the library only to try and avoid them at the rest of the lectures as the day went on.

She put the packs to the side, took a deep breath and flipped open her laptop, wiggled the mouse and placed her fingers over the keyboard as she attempted to focus on her screen and attempt to finish her essay.

***

Olivia sat almost curled up in a defensive ball with one pert buttock supporting her as she perched on her little bedroom windowsill, the white cylinder protruding from her lips, the flame from her lighter reflected brightly back off the double glazed window as she brought her hand up and focused almost cross eyed as she watched as the tip of the flame hit the paper of the cigarette sitting on her windowsill, with a quick inward breath, she cigarette caught alight, she forced her exhale of smoke out the wide open top window and looked across to her desk, her laptop and light were on next to her relevant books, the word document was open, but whatever Abigail said, she really had to just have one more C-Rave before facing the work, as she hadn't had one since before getting the bus back to her digs.

***

Madison untied her hairband letting her brunette locks fall below her shoulders as she stretched her neck to the left and then to the right as she sauntered into the kitchen, flinging her rucksack to the floor with a loud thud as it slid along the tiles into the central island. She went straight to the fridge and studied the nearly empty shelves, smiled as she pulled out a can of coke to wet her rather dry throat, popping it open with her nails and then closing the door with her elbow as she poured some of the contents down her throat chugging as she went.

Within seconds she had hopped up and was sitting on one of the stool seats, extracting a cigarette from the pack that had been left in the middle. She closed her eyes as she pulled the creamy smoke into her lungs, and then kept them shut as she forced the smoke out.

As she opened them again, she jumped and loudly shrieked as Ricky as standing just in front of her.

"How's it going Mads?"

"Oh god Ricky, you scared me, you drift in and out of here, at least warn me!" She smiled and then brought her hand to her mouth and hurriedly pulled again on her cigarette and then forced the exhale teasingly into his face, "Don't creep up on girls like that, it's not good!" She stated as the smoke continued to tumble out of her lungs, before reaching across and flicking the ash into the ashtray.

Ricky chuckled, "Sorry, how is going with the cigarettes and the girls?"

"Amazing, they are doing just what you said they would!" She stated nonchalantly shrugging her shoulders.

"Do you need any more supplies?"

Madison nodded as she pulled on the cigarette "Yeah, they are all running out, so, I was, you know, going to ask Sonia and you for some more this evening anyway." She grinned as the smoke continued to drift out her mouth.

"Great, I will go up and get you a carton to share around tomorrow. That's no problem at all, it's good to hear that they are still using them."

"Yeah, I know they will be needing them." She grinned.

"Great, your sister is at work, and I am head out too, have fun!"

Her smiled changed from a grin to a pouty frown "You're not here for dinner?" Madison glanced back at the nearly empty fridge.

"Nah, got to do stuff down the club, will grab a burger with Jimmy I expect before hitting the decks."

"Oh, that's cool, I would so love to come down and dance, but have got work to do, deadline tomorrow."

Ricky laughed "Oh I remember those days, never managed once to keep to one!" He smiled "Good luck!" he turned and headed towards the door before turning back "Oh, yes the carton." And changed direction and padded up the stairs.

***

Jennie got herself comfortable on her back doorstep, she had brought a red cushion from the sofa with her, with much hilarity jibes from her house mates suggesting she was going to be out there all night. She flipped open the pack and stared at the five filters looking back at her, she swallowed with fear and concern at what she saw, before shaking her head to snap herself out of it, as she pulled one out between her fingers and placed it between her lips. She paused and bent down stared at yet another young weed growing between the paving slabs before chuckling to herself as she flicked the leaf with her finger before straightening up and firing up the lighter, the flame touched, and she pulled on the cigarette.

***

Madison lit her cigarette, and then poured a glass of wine, the last six months had been a whirlwind of change in their house. She plonked her bottom down on the stool in the kitchen and leaned against the counter as she waited for the oven to warm up.

Things had gone a long way in the last six months. Firstly, Sonia announcing that she had found this amazing guy, who whilst a little older than her, works at the local club and that she had been on a couple of dates with him, she was annoyed at first that he smoked, but on the next date he had given her a couple of cigarettes to try. Once he had flirted and battled away all her concerns, he then kept feeding them to her, she took his nickname as Pink Lung as an insult, and had to prove him wrong. Madison had been concerned about the amount Sonia was smoking, but if Ricky didn't care and Sonia was happy, then she couldn't worry, especially as he said that they were special cigarettes from a source he knew. At the time Madison knew was that their house was beginning to smell very smoky.

They had been sitting there one Sunday afternoon sharing a bottle of wine after another portion of fishfinger and oven chips lunch, Ricky and Sonia were sitting on the sofa all cute and cuddly his hands were down deep within her jogging bottoms or resting on her breasts in her top as they lay there hugging each other sharing the ashtray, after a while their constant irritating smoke had begun to drift across the room and tickly Madisons nose. She couldn't help but to keep coughing, and she wasn't even trying to be annoying to the couple.

Ricky had then causally suggested that Madison should have one too, as once she had got the hang of it, and that she would then stop the coughing. After much debate and egging on by both Sonia and Ricky, she had tried one, coughed her guts up, refused to do such a stupid thing ever again, to then ten minutes later, Ricky suggesting that she does try again, and eventually after another glass of wine that evening the three of them sat there smoking cigarettes. Madison tentatively, to Sonia and Ricky powering there way though theirs.

It had taken Madison by surprize that during the week, every time she saw Ricky, he would flip open a pack from his pocket and offer her a cigarette, whatever time of day, and she would apologise and reluctantly accept. It was strange for her, by the following Sunday she was actively asking for one.

The first downside to smoking she discovered was when Sonia and Madison had both gone out for dinner, Ricky was working and neither of them could be bothered to cook. Standing outside the front door of KFC hiding under the shelter in the pouring rain whilst Sonia had a cigarette before going in was painful. Out of kindness and solidarity she had joined her outside for one before they had the ice cream dessert.

With Ricky teaching Sonia the tricks, and Sonia teaching Madison the ropes the three of them got on well in what was now a very smoke-filled house. Ricky was forever praising both girls for their smoking style and their consumption, he was forever making both women feel amazing, which only increased their consumption.

Madison stubbed her cigarette out and hopped off the stool and opened the freezer and shivered as her nipples popped through her thin summer top as she rummaged for some food, eventually finding a frozen fish and a handful of oven chips. She threw them on a baking tray, put them in the oven, making sure it was on and then sat back on the stool, and lit yet another cigarette to help pass the time as she waited for them to cook.

Part Five A -Following Day

Jennie hopped off the airconditioned bus and took a deep breath of warm air and then started to powerwalk across campus, the early summer heat was building, and it was hot, she moved as quickly as her long pencil denim skirt would allow her, she just had to find Madison. She had been so happy finally finishing her essay at two this morning, as she had been fuelled by coffee, she was awake enough that she had decided to celebrate with a cigarette. Unfortunately, it meant her last three had gone that evening and as of this morning her pack was very much empty.

As she wiggled herself across the past the tall looming lecture theatre, with her head up she moved as quicky as she could, as she rounded the corner she smiled as there standing side by side was Madison and Olivia in the process of lighting a cigarette each.

"Oh, thank god I found you before class, I got the earlier bus on the off chance!" Jennie excitedly exclaimed as she got within ear shot.

Madison cackled "Hey Jennie!" before placing her cigarette between her teeth and opening her rucksack. "I guess you need this?" She asked handing the fresh pack over.

Jennies' shoulders collapsed in relief. "You are a life saver!" She grinned as she flipped open the lid, removed the top protective layer and got her fingers on a filter.

"Late night?" Olivia asked as she casually flicked her ash from the cigarette.

Jennie nodded silently as she leaned forward as Madison offered her a flame from a lighter. She soon exhaled, "Yeah, two am this morning I finally hit send!"

"Yeah, two thirty for me, I so needed a coffee this morning, so glad that one is over and done with, so we can go to Maddy's this weekend." Olivia stated before bringing her filter to her lips.

"I so needed a coffee and a cigarette this morning and didn't have any ciggies!" Jennie laughed before instantly pulling again on her cigarette. "Partly the reason I got here early; I was restless." She grinned as the smoke tripped out from between her lips.

Madison chuckled as she opened her bag and rummaged around again, before handing Jennie yet another pack. "Girls, we don't want to ration, or run out, that would be a disaster wouldn't it!" she grinned. "Ricky said he can get loads more, so just let me know."

"Mads, are you sure about this, how is getting so many free cigarettes?"

Madison shrugged her shoulders I don't know; and I don't care, the house is practically full of cigarettes."

"So, you know, how many are you smoking?" Olivia queried.

"I don't know...I just smoke them when I want one, as Ricky says..."

"Yeah, we know what Ricky says..." Olivia laughed. "I look forward to meeting this Ricky guy at the weekend."

"He is amazing, it doesn't hurt that he looks sexy as hell!" Madison grinned.

"Roll on Saturday!" Jennie grinned and brought the cigarette back to her lips.

"Hell yeah!" Olivia chimed in. "The weather is going to be far too hot for studying!" she grinned and pulled yet again on her cigarette.

"It's going to be one last blast for the revision starts proper for the exams!" Madison beamed.

Part 6 A Wednesday Evening

Abigail sat with her legs tucked under her buttocks on her tatty green sofa in the drab lounge of her shared house, the wallpaper was peeling off the walls in one corner and there was a concerning damp patch on the ceiling in the other. She had needed to read something other than science journals and was sitting there quietly reading her romantic novel nursing a glass of wine, it had been a long day at uni, and she needed some quiet. All her other housemates had either gone home or out, but Leanne was annoyingly thundering around on the creaking floorboards upstairs after getting out of the shower and in the process of getting ready for a night out with her class friends.

"Abby!" She shouted down the stairs.

Abigail looked up from her book and stared at the bear light bulb hanging from ceiling "Yeah?" she called back wearily.

"Where's the house hair drier, you had it last after your shower?"

"Oh," paused and her face screwed up as she thought, her blue eyes tracked her room in her head for a moment as she looked for it before nodding "Lee, it's on my desk!"

"Thanks Babes." The voice boomed through the ceiling and almost echoed down the stairs.

Abigail smiled as she followed the footsteps above her head into her bedroom, she picked up her glass of wine, took a gulp, before settling down into her book again. A few seconds of reading a paragraph she looked up again the whirr of the hairdryer kicked in, she smiled and then settled her back into the sofa and continued to read.

A few minutes later Leanne appeared in the hallway all a fitted low cut black dress swallowing and hugging her Welsh curves. "Abby!"

Abigail tutted and looked up as the wafts of sweet perfume filled the room and smiled at her friend "Oh, wow you look stunning, the guy won't be able take their eyes off you!"

"Oh, thank you!" she, twisted her body a little, then grinned and ran a hand down her body.

"You do look gorgeous."

"Oh, thank you, I do scrub up well." She proudly grinned back before tugging at and adjusting her black lacey bra around her large breasts a little. "But there was one thing Abby,"

"Yeah?"

"Sorry to but in, and I am not being judgemental or anything, but babes when did you start smoking?"

Abigail folded the corner of the page over and closed her book and tutted whilst shaking her head "I haven't!"

"Bull shite!"

"Why?"

Leanne revealed from behind her back the Marlboro red pack "I moved the hairdryer and found this on your desk." She held the incriminating evidence delicately between her fingers.

Abigail laughed and waved her hand dismissively "Oh, those, it was part of an experiment. Do you want it, I was going to give them back to Madison tomorrow?"

"Do you know what, funny thing, I can actually imagine you with a cigarette, that's weird, anyway is that what happened?"

Abigail laughed loudly "God no, I don't smoke, it's all part of the study!" She then went on to explain in great detail what was happening with Madison and then her tests and experiments.

"So, you have two packs?"

"Yeah, the C-Rave pack was up there too."

"Oh, you don't want them?"

"Nah, I really don't smoke, does any of your friends want them?"

"Oh, I think Meredith smokes these ones?"

"Great give them to her!"

"What?"

"I am done with the reds!"

"Oh, I was thinking..." and with that the doorbell wrang "...oh, maybe later, my chariot is here, I've got to go."

"Oh, have fun, okay, bye, I will try to stay awake for you!" Abigail replied and then smiled as she watched as Leanne then stuffed the cigarette pack inside the side of her bra. Abigail was used to seeing her do that. As Leanne used her bra to carry most things around like money, keys, pens and even paper, it saved her taking a bag as her cups are so large. She is known on a night out to have a couple of vodka miniatures and a condom or two squished against her large soft breasts.

***

Madison ran her hands through her hair, and rubbed her lips together as she picked up and then flicked the lighter as focused as she brought the flame to the protruding white cylinder, and with two big pulls through the filter she inhaled the smoke yet again into her waiting lungs, she forced the exhale across the room and then smiled as she crunched up the empty pack that she had opened this morning dropping into the ashtray full of butts. She took another drag and then calmly exhaled as she flicked the ash and watched as it skidded down the outside scrunched-up pack and mixed with the rest of the black ash buried within.

If Ricky had been there, it would have pleased him, she mused as he had said several times a pack a day was a good benchmark for smokers. Other than nights out with Sonia, or the girls where she really didn't count how many they smoked, or how many packs they consumed, to her it didn't matter, they always had more in their bag, but she determined this was probably the first pack all by herself, and it was only six thirty.

She pulled on the cigarette as the front door lock clicked and then banged open and in came Sonia carrying two large shopping bags cigarette wedged in the corner of her lips.

"Ah you're here, help us get the stuff in!" She grinned as she dropped the bags and removed the cigarette from her lips as she exhaled.

"Is Ricky with you?" She asked hopefully.

"No Mads he is not, otherwise I wouldn't be asking you."

"Oh," Madison sounded disappointed, "If you had told me, I would have come shopping with you?"

"Yeah, I know, but I went afterwork this morning as you were at Uni." She smiled warmly, nodding towards the door. "Come on, we've got enough food to feed the five thousand and we need to get it in the fridge."

Madison pulled yet again on her cigarette, "Yes ma'am," she stated as she exhaled and then saluted. She then enthusiastically jumped off the sofa and stopped once upright and took a deep breath of air before she just had to bring her hand to her mouth to gently cough before shaking her head and taking another hit on her cigarette before heading to the front door join her sister with her smoke drifting off behind her.

***

Abigail was lying in bed, not quite asleep, not quite awake, when she heard the knock on the door. "Yeah, I'm still awake Leanne." She said world wearily.

The door flung open, and Abigail blinked a couple of times the hallway light shone brightly a narrow strip of yellow light from the door across her bed with the exception of the silhouette of Leanne's large figure in the frame. "Yay babes, your still awake!" She giggled.

Abigail stretched and yawned, "I am now!" and shuffled up in her single bed, and peeled off her pyjama top and dropped it on the floor before she wiggled to the wall side of the bed as Leanne walked into the room and settled on the edge of the bed in just her large pink knickers. Abigail sniffed and got the aroma of perfume and alcohol permeating from the sweat off Leanne's skin and the obvious underlying smell of tobacco.