Moths to a Flame – Smoking Fetish Story

Option A- Highly Addictive Additive

“Well, this is really interesting…” she then lowered her voice making sure no one could hear her “…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, heads turned 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 then frowned.

“That’s the whole point, Madisons sisters’ friends are trying to hook everyone to their laced cigarettes.”

“Shit Abigail!” Olivia 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. “I have a plan…”

***

“Oh, that was a surprise babe, a nice one, I wasn’t expecting afternoon sex,” she took a couple of deep breaths 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 chest, before kissing him on the lips “Rick, I now need a ciggy babe!” Sonia panted with her arms crossed over on his chest, her head on the crux.

“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 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 bored of being in here.” She grinned as she fiddled with her pack.

Olivia grinned “Oh, we could do…” she mooted. “Madison is down 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, 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 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 a 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 grizzled 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, right I need to go, where the hell are my shoes and I 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.”

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 laughed, as he flapped his 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 diet coke to wet her 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 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 sat 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, and once he had battled 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. All 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 a fishfinger and 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, 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. 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 in the pouring rain whilst Sonia had a cigarette before going in was painful. Out of kindness and solidarity she had joined her 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 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 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 air and then started to powerwalk across campus, the early summer heat was building, and it was warm, 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 this morning her pack was 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 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.

“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, 2 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; 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 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 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 laughed 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 it 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, its all part of the study!” as she went on to explain 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 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 once even known to have 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?”
“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. “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 stripe 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 “I am now!” and shuffled up in her single bed, adjusting her pyjama straps as 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 underlying smell of tobacco.

“I just wanted to say thank you!” Leanne grinned her tipsy Welsh dulcet tones almost singing.

“Pardon?” Abigail looked on confused.
“Meredith babes, she says thanks you for the cigarettes!”

Abigail nodded. “Oh well, I am glad she liked them. I don’t really want anything to do with them.”

Leanne nodded in the darkness, “Abi babes?” she asked. “Yeah,”
“Please don’t smoke.” She stroked her knee through the duvet. “Lee, I don’t want to!” Abigail shuffled her weight in the bed.

“Good, please don’t, my mum doesn’t mind me drinking, getting tattoos or dying my hair green if I want to, but after her parents both died of cancer, due to years of smoking cigarettes, when I got old enough, she said she would disown me if I smoked.”

Abigail’s eyes widened in the darkness “So sorry to hear that.”

“Yeah, my mum then spent years herself trying to quit, those cigarettes are evil babes, they tie you in knots.”

“I know they do Lee.”

Leanne sniffed “She only managed to properly quit herself a few years ago. Bloody nightmare it was, I tell you, emotions were running high for my sister Carly and me in the house. It was like walking on eggshells some days, think the menopause had kicked in too,” she chuckled to herself. “She took up running as health kick afterward too. Made me feel bad for my sloth like movements, oh, you never guess what?”

“What Lee?”

“Back then her mum actually helped her start smoking, like when she was like twelve or something awful”.

“Wow?” Abigail stretched a yawn.

“Yeah, she loved Granny, but boy was she conflicted, and she certainly hated her for her nicotine addiction.”

“Is your mum okay now?”

“Yeah, cycling 10 or 20 miles a day, and loving life, wishing she could have done it sooner.”

“Oh bless, that’s brilliant.”

“I know, but it’s now time for bed’s babes!” Leanne said and groaned as she got up padded across the room and then closed the door, the light disappearing and then in the complete darkness, the low-level moonlight seeping through the thin curtains crept back in the darkness towards the bed.

Abigail smiled and shuffled her back against the cold outside wall making herself as small as possible as to make room for Leanne in her bed.

Part 7 A – Friday afternoon

The arms pulling through the blue chlorinated water which splashed as she reached the wall the bare buttocks glistened in the afternoon sunlight as a perfect tumbled turn was produced and then they continued to through the water towards the other end, the repeat was conducted, the pool was small, a few strokes could get you from one end to the other. But a private swimming pool it was.

The tall evergreen trees surrounding the large back garden ensured no onward looking neighbours.

Madison’s head broke the surface of the water with a large gasp, and a cough, the ripples spreading across the pool as she again wheezed for air and then bouncing across the pool, her mouth wide open for oxygen, as she hauled herself out of the up the three short steps, flicked her wet hair over face and stared at Ricky who sat grinning on the green plastic garden chair and laughed around his cigarette as she walked towards him dripping as he offered her his half smoked filter.

“Eh, don’t you think towel would be more useful first?” she looked around to check the cost was clear and shivered shaking the water from her fingers at him, before

taking the filter from his and then pulling the smoke into her lungs as the water droplets continued to drop off her naked body on to the floor around her.

“Nah, you look fucking sexy Mads!” Ricky grinned as he pulled the towel out from under his bottom and threw it at her, she caught it in her spare hand.

“Thanks Rick.” She smiled as she started to rub her body dry.

“You have fun in there?”

“Glorious torture, it’s not been sunny or warm enough far this year to warm it up and, I am way out of practice!” she stuck her tongue out and panted like a dog, before shaking her head and rubbing her lips together before taking another drag.

“Practice makes perfect with everything!” Ricky replied. “You are doing an amazing job with your cigarettes.”

She nodded in agreement as she pulled again on her cigarette. “Thanks…” she replied letting the smoke tumble out of her mouth. “I love them!” She instantly pulled hard again whilst holding the towel close to her chest as possible.

Part Eight A – Saturday.

Sonia tucked her hair behind her ears and bent down so hovering over the large bowl of orange liquid, with four oranges floating on the surface and put a spoon in her mouth and swallowed, then recoiled and coughed “Ricky, babes, how much vodka did you put in the punch?” She coughed again.

“Why?”
“As it’s, err, got a punch!” she laughed cutely at him.

Ricky shrugged his shoulders “Only what you and Mads had left in the bottle Pinks!”

“That explains it, we only opened it yesterday!” she laughed as she put the spoon back in and took another sip. “Where is Mads?”

Ricky looked up from his phone and shrugged “Choosing her bikini last time I checked.”

Sonia tilted her head “Rick babes, yes you have two girls living here, but can you stop perving on her!” Sonia scolded as Ricky grinned as he put both arms up defensively.

“Babes, I wasn’t, and she was practically fully dressed. I love you, and only you!”

Sonia blushed and took a gulp of the punch again, “Hmmm. Have you got the barbeque warming up and the firepit ready?”

“Yes ma’am, the coals will be ready for three thirty when they start turning up. “Good, we can get dad’s fire pit when nightfall happens, can I have a kiss now?” “Yes, on one condition?”
“What?”

“Light a ciggy of course!” He coughed as he got up off the sofa and made is way to the kitchen as she flicked her lighter inhaled, and as he got alongside, she conducted a French inhale before forcing the smoke in his face, within second their fingers and hands travelled across their bodies and hugged and kissed.

He removed his hand from within Sonia’s shorts elastic as they slowly stopped to a polite cough.

Madison was standing there in a barely-there thin strappy top over her bright pink halter neck bikini, along with ripped shorts flashing the crutch of bright bottoms, she brough her latest cigarette to her lips, inhaled, and then forced the exhale.

“Son, Ricky, is everything ready for everyone?”

As Ricky spun round so, they were both facing her “Yes, music is primed, beers are in the ice bucket, the punch is ready, and the cigarettes are out.” He grinned.

Madison nodded as she headed towards the punch, pulled a red plastic cup from the stack, and then used the large ladle to scoop up and pour some into the cup. She looked at the couple, then took a sip. She coughed. “Crikey that’s strong!” she grinned and took another gulp, licking her lips afterwards.

“Ricky was in charge of the portions…”

“It will be fine once the girls are filled with my cooked large sausages.” Ricky joked.

As both Madison and Sonia looked at each other, tried to stifle a giggle and then burst in to a fit of laugher.

Once the laugher calmed down, Madison flicked her cigarette in the ashtray and took a pull on it. “I am going to blow up the two lilo’s from the shed for the pool” she stated with her exhale.

Ricky looked at Madison and to Sonia and back to Madison and shook his shoulders. “Good luck, Dad used to just blow them up!” Sonia stated as Ricky squeezed her.

Madison nodded, “Oh right, yeah, okay see you both in a bit.” She sauntered towards the bifold doors as Ricky and Sonia passionately locked lips.

***

Olivia sat perched on the edge of her bed and studied her hand mirror one last time. She rubbed her lips together with her nicely pink lipstick, she had tried to make an effort with her makeup, not 100% sure what you do for a pool party. She glanced at her phone beside her, the instructions were to be there from three thirty, so she was aiming for four, it was now just gone two fifteen. Plenty of time. She was nervous as to what Abigail was going to do, was she going to ruin the fun, and be all investigative or was she going to chill and go with the flow?

Olivia still had no idea what Abigail wanted her to do.

Her phone vibrated on the bed beside her sliding her pack of C-Raves down the screen off to the side. She laughed as she picked up the phone and smiled it was a WhatsApp from Jennie.

“What do you wear to a pool party? X” Oliva laughed.

“Either something or nothing # , see you later x” “LOL! x”

“Do we bring our own ciggies?”
“Yes, enough for the walk there, Madison has said there are hundreds of packs

there ! ?”

“Should we bring a bottle?”
“Oh, we can go via the Co-op on the way?”
“Yes, good thinking, Ok! See you in half an hour xxx”

Olivia smiled as she picked up her pack and bounced off the bed, stepped across her room, pushed her window wide open again and sat back down on the windowsill, she paused and enjoyed the afternoon heat bathing down on her, she looked out across the gardens and grimaced at the large number off butts now piling up on the gravel of the flat roof below her window, she shrugged her shoulders, as she importantly placed a fresh filter between her lips and flicked the lighter.

***

Abigail looked at herself in the mirror in her all-in-one blue striped swimsuit, she twisted her hips and studied her cute bottom in the mirror and then flicked the hem a bit further up her buttocks, the suit wasn’t sexy, but it was practical, and all she had. When leaving home at the beginning of term, she hadn’t thought about anything other than lane swimming, nor had she thought about ordering anything online, she had platted her blonde hair, so it was out of the way. She turned to her bed and pulled up her very much not her style summery flowery dress which covered the suit and then looking behind her in the mirror slowly pulled the zip up the back.

She looked at the pack of C-Raves still on her desk and shook her head, she pulled open the drawer and placed them in there, closing the drawer with a successful bang, she took a step back put her hands on her hips for a second, before taking a step forward and opening the drawer and taking them out again holding them in her hand. She looked towards the partition wall and contemplated giving them to Leanne to give to Meredith before putting them in her bag.

***

Madison grizzled as she put the clear plastic knob back in the hole, and took a deep breath of air, she sighed, shook her head licked her lips, took a gulp of the punch from the cup beside her, sighed and then grabbed her pack of cigarettes and lighter, with the flame touching the cigarette she inhaled, and took a deep drag on her cigarette, she sat with her legs dangling in the pool, the first lilo was complete floating adrift in the pool bouncing off the sides in the gentle breeze, and it had been easy to quickly inflate, the second one was half done, and two cigarettes later was still not finished, it was a lot harder, Madison had run out of puff, the afternoon heat was building, and it was getting hotter, she determined after that next cigarette, it would be easier to finish the job. She brought the filter back to her lips and took a lungful of smoke.

***

Leanne stood in the doorway and looked at Abigail as she applied her bright red lipstick. “You look gorgeous babes.”

“Thanks” she smiled back looking at her over her shoulder in the mirror. “Are you sure you don’t want to come?”

“What to a drunken smoke-filled party?”

“There is a pool?”

“Babes, look at me, I am more seal lion, no chance of me being by a pool!”

Abigail frowned in the mirror, whilst looking a Leanne, “Come on babes?”

“I will go to the library this afternoon. You just stay clear of those cigarettes.”

“You know I am not smoking but can’t say no to the drink and a bit of dance!” Abigail smiled in the mirror.

Leanne stepped forward and wrapped her arms around Abigail’s slim waist “No babes you can’t, it’s my turn to wait up for you tonight.” She smiled, flicked the blonde hair out the way and kissed her neck.

Part Nine A – Saturday Afternoon.

Sonia stood with one hand on her hip as she exhaled her cone of smoke, she rubbed her smoke-tinged lips together, then flicked her ash from her cigarette on

the into the ashtray beside the large punch bowl, with whisps of smoke drifting out her nose as she gently breathed in and out, she calmly scooped up another ladle full of the orange liquid and poured into her cup and swiftly took a gulp. She then swayed in her short denim shorts and crop top to near the bifold doors and looked out over the garden.

Her parent’s house was now full of smoking paraphernalia, six months ago, sweet wrappers and wine glasses were the most mess you would have found in this house, their mum Angela was normally so house proud, Dad Rodger was always away, but seeing as the house was occupied by two young women, she did now cut them some slack when they come to visit them from their house in Spain, however Sonia was sure when she gets back she will be horrified to find both Sonia and Madison smoking inside her house,

When their parents came back in March to check up on them and the house, Sonia was sure there wasn’t that much tidying to do, she did manage to keep Ricky away, as it would have caused too many questions. They were due back in September for another visit before Madison started her new term.

Sonia gulped as she took in what she was looking at, it was still a shock to for her that there she was standing next to an ashtray, cigarette in hand, with several butts stubbed out already just from this morning in it, she was still actually smoking, and actually needing to smoke, how she used to grizzle at her friends when out, taking her to the smoking area, and here she is, in her own house, practically tied to an ashtray. She stared at the ashtray, and then tutted to herself as she picked it up and opened the cupboard under the sink and then tipped the contents into the black bin bag, which already stank of extinguished cigarettes.

Everything around her stank of their smoked cigarettes, her hair did, the house, the sofa, their washing basket. Emptying it into the washing machine was practically a biohazard, both Madison and her clothes reeked after a few days of stale cigarette smoke. She sighed closed the door hiding one source of the smell and put the ashtray back on the counter before flicking her cigarette above it yet again.

Now that Ricky had got Madison smoking properly, there were now what seemed even more lighters and ashtrays with extinguished butts and ash reeking ash in every room, Ricky said it was far less stressful and convenient and cleaner if they were there in easy reach wherever they were in the house. Saves ash falling on the floor he had explained. As such he also had gone around and insured that there were also packs everywhere, in the car, bedrooms, kitchen, and living room.

It was obvious that it was going to happen and when he had finally persuaded Madison to join them, it seemed that there was always at least one cigarette being smoked in the house at any one time. Especially when all three of them they sat together, when one lit up, the others followed, it was as if they kept feeding each other the desire for more nicotine.

Sonia was still, even now, surprised how Madison had taken the offer on that Sunday afternoon and then run with it, should she be concerned, was she was smoking far too much? Madison almost always now had a cigarette between her fingers, just like Ricky had said was ‘sexy as fuck look’ for both women. She looked to her hand and the burning cigarette between her neatly painted fingers, she looked outside at Madison, yes, both of them were practically always smoking.

For Sonia working shifts and balancing her blossoming smoking habit was hard, she had to go three to four hours without one, breaktimes she just had to sit in the car and smoke and smoke some more. Madison claimed she was only smoking a couple on campus a day. Which Sonia knew to be lie, as the other evening, she opened a fresh pack just after dinner, yes, she was potentially sharing them with the girls, but as Ricky had made sure she had packs for her friends but that was a dubious excuse it was obvious she was smoking over a pack a day.

And here she was assisting Madison and her friends with pushing fuelling her addiction…and her own, it scared her she put the filter to her lips and pulled the delightful creamy smoke in to her wanting lungs holding the smoke feeling it in her chest and the evil chemicals do their work, then slowly let it drift out as she opened her mouth and exhaled.

In five minutes, there would be half a dozen probably half-dressed girls that Madison had shuffled towards addiction, turning up to sunbath and smoke because of … because of what?

She looked out the window towards the oil drum barbeque they had dug out the shed yesterday, it had been only twenty or so minutes since Ricky and her had amazing smoke filled sex, and she smiled fondly at the slightly older, still skinny, and gorgeous Ricky in his shorts and wife beater vest, the bare shoulders highlighting his upper body tattoos, his manly paunch pushing against the vest, he stood there with can of lager in one hand, cigarette dangled between his lips all manly behind the barbeque poking the coals randomly with a stick, which she had hoped was slowly warming up. He was slowly bopping to the music blaring from the speaker Bluetooth linked to his iPod.

She smiled across the room and took another drag on her cigarette as they caught each other’s eyes, she exhaled and grinned at Ricky across the garden, she took yet another long gulp of the punch, again pulled a face as it went down, before being snapped out of her daydream by the doorbell. She took one last drag on her current cigarette, before stubbing it out as she exhaled.

“Oh, Mads, I think your friends are here?” she called out through the bifold doors, before turning to head to the door as Madison attempted to paddle back to the side of the pool with her cigarette clamped between her lips and then ungainly climb out onto the side, trying not to drop either the cigarette, the punch or herself into the pool just yet.

***

Abigail pressed the white button doorbell again, she could hear the music coming from behind the large house, she wondered if they could hear the bell, took a polite step back wiping the growing line of sweat on her forehead in the mid-afternoon heat taking in the full modern façade of the building as the modern varnished wooden door with a brass door handle flung open.

“Welcome!” Sonia stated as her inhale before opening the door billowed out her mouth.

“Oh hi, err, is Madison in?” Abigail asked taking in Sonia in her white denim shorts and crop top, cigarette between her fingers.

“Yeah of course, she is by the pool, come on in. Drink and cigarette?”

“Oh, just a drink for me!” Abigail stated before coughing as she followed Sonia and her drifting cigarette smoke into the vast house.

“Wine, beer, or punch, are you sure you don’t want a ciggy?”

Abigail took in the kitchen with the large central island with a dozen unopened C- Rave packs lined up on it, behind them, large glass bowl with oranges floating in it, the punch looks good.” she suggested ignoring the cigarette question as they got into the kitchen. Her eyes widened as the dozen packs of C-Rave cigarettes stacked on the central island counter, as she looked around there were ashtrays everywhere.

“Hey Abi!” Madison grinned as she swanned in from outside in just her tiny pink bikini.

“Come out for a drink and a dance, the others will be here soon, I can then give the tour!” she grinned and brought her filter to her lips, her cheeks collapsed as she pulled the smoke into her lungs.

“Cool…thanks!” Abigail grinned at Sonia as she handed her the red plastic cup full of orange punch. She took a gulp and then coughed.

“Oh, Ricky made it a little strong!”

Abigail gulped nodded “Christ he did!” and licked her lips. “You will have us pissed all falling over if you’re not careful.”

“Yeah, I had thought that, maybe Just take it easy!” Sonia replied taking a gulp herself. “Do you want a light?”

Abigail sighed “No, no thanks, honestly I am okay thanks, maybe later” she deflected “Mads shall we go outside?” Abigail replied stifling a cough from the smoke drifting from both their cigarettes.

“Yeah, the food isn’t ready yet, but I will introduce you to Ricky come one!” Madison grinned as she led the way casually wiggling her pink bikini covered buttocks as she walked.

***

Jennie rang the doorbell and stepped back beside Olivia, they both looked at each other nervously giggled and then brought their hands towards their faces as the filters went back between their lips as they inhaled on their cigarettes. Their exhales went out beside them as they looked at the front door. They then dropped and stubbed the cigarettes out with their shoes as they waited.

Sonia, dressed in her white denim shorts, her braless breasts bulging against her tight yellow crop top pulled the door open, she removed her cigarette from between her teeth and greeted them. “Maddy is by the pool with Abigail come in!” She grinned and instantly put the cigarette back between her lips to drag on it, as they made their way through the front door.

She got their drinks offered them more cigarettes which they eagerly accepted and then led them outside to join Abigail, Madison and Ricky.

“Hey, great to see you both!” Madison loudly stated. “How you doing?”

“Other than hot and sweaty, fine!” Jennie stated flapping her t-shirt above her black leggings.

Sonia laughed from behind them “Tell me about it far too hot, now I’ve finished opening the front door, sorry girls!” she grinned and pulled her top off, her pert naked tanned breasts flumped and jiggled back down as the top went the other way. “That’s better!

“Relax girls, drink your wine, and then undress as much as you like for a swim the water is so nice and cool!” Madison interrupted before taking a large drag on her cigarette.

“Yeah, I will do in a minute.” Jennie replied, “but, err, not that undressed!” she giggled and watched as Sonia swayed her way over to talk to Ricky.

“How about you Olivia?” Madison asked.

“Oh, you know, okay. Thanks for the cigarettes!” she grinned holding the lit one between her fingers up.

“Oh, don’t thank me, thank Ricky our chef for the afternoon.” She pointed though the bifold doors and Ricky surrounded by billowing hot coal smoke.

***

Madison and Sonia had both taken their tops off and were strolling around the garden, cigarette in one hand drink in the other topless without a care in the world. Ricky was smiling as he watched them as they moved around offering cigarettes to everyone. Side by side you could tell they were sister, similar noses and jaws, but Sonia was a little skinnier than Madison, who carried a little more weight on her breasts, hips and thighs.

Once they had eaten a burger and hot dog each, they had topped up their glasses again, lit fresh cigarettes and settled out on the loungers and seats, lit up their cigarettes and enjoyed the rest of the afternoon.

Abigail was however restless. She tapped Olivia on the arm. “Liv’s, it’s so hot, shall we go in get another drink?”

“You could go for another splash?” Olivia replied.

“I know I could, but it’s not and I’ve drunk too much to even think about swimming.”

Olivia sighed “Abi, cop on, we are meant to be having chilled fun this afternoon, drunken swimming is one of them, it’s not doing the Olympics, or anything remotely stressful?” She grinned and closed her eyes behind her sunglasses as she again pulled on her cigarette, forcing the exhale out, smoke mixed with the smoke from the tip of the cigarette as she moved her hand meant it was drifting across Abigail.

“I am, honestly having fun!” she said waving the cloud away from in front of her face as if she was trying to swot a fly. “But I’ve just finished my drink!”

“Come on then, let’s go inside, I could do with a top up.” Oliva grumbled as she shuffled up on the lounger adjusting her swimming costume around her buttocks as she got upright.

“Hey you two, okay?” Madison shrieked as she unsteadily made her way across the side of the pool.

“Yes, Mads, just going to get another drink!”

“Oh, okay, lets mes knows whens you want more cigarettes!” she grinned and took a lazy gulp of her punch.

“Don’t stress Mads, I’ve got plenty left in my pack!” she grinned.

The girls turned and arm in arm headed through the bifold doors “How many have you smoked Livy.”

She chuckled “Not that many, only half a pack, please don’t stress about me, you are so paranoid its if you are smoking weed!” she grinned.

“Livy, that’s not fair, I am the one not smoking, just surrounded by a constant cloud of bloody smoke!”

Olivia shrugged her shoulders and grinned “Then join in!” she stated as they reached the kitchen counter, she picked up one of the numerous open packs next

to the now empty punch bowl, placing the filter between her lips. “Smoke with us?” Olivia stated around the filter tightly wedged between her lips as she picked up yet another Bic lighter and produced the flame, and then inhaled the smoke. “It’s fucking easy!” she said with her exhale.

“You know the evil stuff that’s in those, I’ve explained it.” Abigail growled in frustration.

“And?” Olivia dragged again on her cigarette, forcing the smoke out to the side. “They are highly enjoyable.”

Abigail tutted “They are highly addictive, especially with whatever they are putting in there?”

“Calm down, we are not like we are smoking loads, plus once the exams are out the way, we are bound to all quit!” Olivia riffed back, flicked her ash off above the ashtray and then pulled on the filter again, forcing the smoke out as a cone on the corner of her mouth.

“Hmmm” Abigail replied.

Olivia put her spare hand on her hip and looked around “Shall we go for an explore?” She suggested changing the topic.

“Yes definitely, we might see what Ricky and Sonia are up to?”

“Come on let’s go upstairs.”

They found the family bathroom, that was easy, Olivia suggested that she used it, seeing as the door was wide open and it was there, she sat on the toilet and did her business whilst Abigail perched on the bath as they chatted, she then flushed and washed her hands, all whilst dangling the cigarette between her lips. She took a drag, and removed it from her lips as she exhaled, she then looked around to remove her ash and chuckled as she moved Abigail out the way as she found and then used the green plastic ashtray wedged in the corner of the white bath. “They think of everything!” she grinned as they swapped over.

They then continued to look around. All the doors were open, the first door was clearly Madisons room, there were her uni textbooks stacked up on the desk next to the laptop, the bed was unmade, her pink pyjama bottoms were scrunched up on the pillow, her matching camisole top on the floor, she had left an open cigarette

pack with a lighter and ashtray next to the bed, the wicker basket next to the beside unit has tissues and two empty packs of cigarettes in it, the floor was full of more scattered clothes. The next room should have been Sonia’s the double bed had been cleared of bedding the room was clearly half used. Makeup scattered across on top of the dresser, some clothes on the floor, they took in turns at looking into the airing cupboard full of blankets and duvets, before looking at the master bedroom. The room was twice the size of the girls’ rooms, and even they were large, a huge king size bed again with ashtrays either side on the large bedside units, to the side of the bed with large windows looking over the back garden and the hills in the distance.

They stood side by side and looked down through the windows and there was Madison floating on the pool whilst the other dangled their legs in the water. Olivia turned around and smiled, tapping Abigail on the shoulder, she turned, and her jaw dropped in surprise, there stacked against the wall was what seemed like hundreds of packs of cigarettes, all neatly against the wall.

“Fuck, that is a lot of cigarettes!” Olivia swore out loud and licked her lips remembering the cigarette between her fingers brought it back to her lip and as she exhaled,

“Fuck” indeed Abigail replied.

They then both took a step closer and inquisitively picked up a couple from the top of the stacks, there were packs with C-Rave and others with C-Rave + stuck on them.

“There are two types?” Olivia suggested.

“Yeah, which one are you smoking?”

“Dunno, I think the plus, I haven’t studied the packs that closely, and my bag is downstairs?” Olivia shrugged and brought the filter back to her lips and took a nervous tug of smoke into her lungs. “Which ones did you test?” she asked after exhaling.

Abigail studied and inquisitively shook both packs, I think the plus ones…the same ones you are smoking, I am not sure.”

“Are these the modified ones that you were worried about?” She held up her hand, the smoke swirled of the tip.

“I guess so.” Abigail shook the pack of C-Raves. “These must be the normal cigarette?”

A big grin crossed Olivia’s face “You going to smoke one of these instead?” She asked.

“Oh, Livy don’t start please. I guess we need to speak to Ricky?” Olivia mused.

“I think we just ride the wave, Ricky is buying these things in,” she pointed to the wall of cigarettes “and giving them away. If you like them, keep them?”

“But are you going to smoke one?” “No!”

***

Ricky looked over on at the pool, took a large bite out of the last sausage and licked his lips satisfactorily, Madison, Jennie and Sonia were in the pool. Abigail and Olivia on the side but between drags on their cigarettes were constantly chattering and staring at him.

He smiled and rubbed his chin winced, he watched as Sonia stagged around in the corner of the pool in the direction of a pack of cigarettes she had left safely away from the water, it was clear she was overly drunk, but was amazingly pretty.

He smiled as he watched the girls and nodded to himself.

It hadn’t been the plan, there wasn’t a real idea. He met Sonia one night as she was having a quiet drink with some girls after work, she caught his eye, and after some egging on from her friends, they had swapped numbers, the first date had gone well, she had wanted to see him again. The second time he had only teasingly offered her a cigarette, as he had to go outside, full well knowing that she would refuse. She did, but at the second date, she had followed him outside to continue the conversation and with nervous inquisition had actually asked him to try one.

He laughed at the thought, looking at her now elbows leaning against side of the pool as she focused on trying to flick the lighter to get her cigarette alight which with wet fingers was difficult. Especially as everyone else was still shrieking and splashing behind her. Ricky contemplated going to help her, but with the third

attempt the cigarette was alight. She looked up at him and grinned tipsily and he smiled back as she fluttered her eyelids which instantly made his crotch move as then pulled the smoke through the cigarette deep into her lungs.

He had been discussing with Bryan and Harte their little money-making scheme where they import on hidden on the back of a lorry, cheap knock off cigarettes, repackage them and flog them on to their friends.

For a few hundred quid, he could get literally thousands of cigarettes. With the cash passed over he now acquired his own supply.

With him out of his dingy one bed flat and now living in the large bright and light house with the girls, life was better for him, closer to the club, Sonia would feed him and the bonus was that both of them walked around wearing very little for most of the day, which was sexy as, this was further improved when they had both learnt to smoke for him, and it seemed just loved to smoke. It hadn’t taken long in the conversations with Sonia and Madison in the evenings to realise Madison had a load of university friends who all could easily smoke his supply of cheap cigarettes.

He was living with two attractive smoking hot girls was hard work, he as for ever having to adjust his crotch as either girl strutted past, they both loved to strut and flirt. He was looking across the garden at half a dozen practically undressed smoking hot girls. His life really couldn’t be better. However, he soon discovered that Madison loved to tease him, dragging on a cigarette whilst fluttering her eyes, just out of sight of her sister. It drove him mad.

Yes, Sonia smokes and clearly enjoys smoking, but Madison is like a rocket fuel has been lit. It surprised him how much she loves to devour the nicotine.

He looked across from Sonia who, with her dark hair slicked back from the pool water was again pulling hard on her cigarette as she leant against the pool edge and smiled to himself. As the sensible adult, he considered that he ought to be stopping them drinking quite so much. Ricky flipped open the pack as he got closer to the pool, he kneeled down and briefly glanced at Madison as stared on, before he kissed Sonia on her smoky lips and gently groped her naked breasts tweaking her nipples between his fingers, she giggled and moaned and then drunkenly slapped him away.

He stood up “So girls, who wants another cigarette?” he grinned as they all turned and stopped messing around, and like fish chasing food bounced and wiggled their way across the pool to the side all saying yes, please.

***

Leanne shuffled back on the sofa and used her short historically nervously bitten nails to flick open her second can of supermarket lager, she watched it pop, as the metal seal was broken, for two seconds it fizzed and as the gasses were released, then she quickly brought it to her lips slurping the escaping foam trying to reduce the mess by taking two large gulps of beer before burping loudly in the empty room.

She took another sip of the frothy top and then wedged the can in between the sofa cushions trying to keep it up right before she looked at her lap, the single white cylinder, the last cigarette she had managed to pinch from Abigail’s pack, there it was balancing on her knee contrasting against her black leggings. She wiggled on the chair again to get comfortable before putting the cigarette between her chubby fingers and placed it between her lips. She then picked up the match box on the arm of the sofa, that was meant to live in the kitchen to light the gas oven, pulled the wooden match out, stroked it against the red sand edge and smiled around the filter as the flame appeared, she quickly brought the flame to the tip and with a good tug of air into her lungs got the cigarette alight. With smoke billowing from the tip and out of her mouth, she waved the match around in the air to put it out like she had watched her mum do countless times before dropping the blacked wood stick into the glass along with two other matches and extinguished butts in it that was leaning against the sofa cushion.

Leanne sealed the filter between her lips and pulled the smoke into her lungs, letting her shoulders relax as her chest rose, the closed her eyes and let the smoke drift out, she tipped the ash into the glass and then picked up her mobile to see if Abigail has messaged to say she was coming home. She hadn’t yet, Leanne then pulled the smoke yet again in to her lungs.

***

Across town as the evening quicker drew in and the light faded, the girls had long got out of the pool, they were now dressed, wrapped in blankets and were sitting by the fire pit, smoking and drinking hot chocolates and coffees attempting to sober up a little before going home. Sonia was snuggled up in Ricky’s arms whilst

Madison chatted to her friends. In between consuming their cigarettes, they were chewing on melted marshmallows that had been skewered and held above the hot coals.

Abigail looked at their burning red cherry tips of their cigarettes that were dancing like fireflies in the darkness, around the burning flame of the firepit, said her goodbyes, giving everyone a kiss on the cheek, picked up her bag and headed for the door, there was consternation about taxi’s but she needed the fresh air and walk. It was still bright, the sun hadn’t entirely set.

She glanced up at the street light at the end of the road, and watched a couple of romantic moths dance by the bright light, she shook her head, picked her phone out of her bag to message Leanne and in the process she dropped her a pack of C-Raves on the floor, she paused and stared at the white pack on the grey concrete path, smiled, picked it up and then and started to trudge home texting Leanne that she was on her way.

THE END- of A

Option B- Nicotine

A smile crept across Abigail’s face “This is the interesting bit…” she wiggled her buttocks forward on the chair then lowered her voice whilst keeping her voice low making sure no one could hear her “…there is no difference between them and a Marlboro Red.”

“What?” Olivia almost shouted, heads turned in their direction down the hallway.

Abigail bit her bottom lip. “They are indicial, I studied them under the microscope, tested them both lit on cotton wool, I spent hours in the lab at the weekend. I stank like one afterwards!”

Olivia smiled and nodded knowingly “I know that smell, but Crikey you were busy but it’s worrying that they are just bog-standard really evil, highly addictive, occasionally rather nice tobacco?”

Abigail wryly smiled as she nodded.

“But Madison is there telling us all that it’s this amazing new safe product her sister has found?”

Abigail shrugged her shoulders and then nodded again. “Have you actually smoked one?”

Abigail initially looked confused, before her face changed to be more sheepishly at Olivia and shook her head.

“You should, as after a glass or two they are actually rather nice!”

Abigail raised an eyebrow “What did you just say?”

Olivia smiled back “Its fine, if they are just cigarettes maybe you can try one this evening, they are free after all?” she grinned “But, I don’t get it…” she said as she pulled the white pack with the badly stuck on white label with C-Rave printed on it out of her bag and placed it on top of their closed folders. “What are they?”

“Listen to yourself Olivia? They are highly addictive nicotine, tar, chemicals, and goodness knows what else is in those cigarettes, I have looked for most things!” she looked on sternly.

“Yeah, I know, I know but, look, they are free, they are not costing us anything, everyone complains about the cost?”

Abigail snorted “True, but it’s not just the financial cost, its liker, duh the cost to our health, they also are stinking, evil, cigarettes? Listen to yourself?”

“Abby, if you are going to lecture me on my smoking, it would have been easier and quieter to sit outside with Maddy and actually enjoyed calmly smoking cigarette!”

Concern flooded Abigail’s face she sighed loudly “Oh sorry, I didn’t mean it, I’ve been so wrapped up thinking about this all weekend, sorry, I thought…”

“It doesn’t matter, come on let’s get some reading done before we go to sleep listening to Dr Orr before lunch.

“Oh, yes, good idea…” she picked up her book, huffed before closing it again “…I was actually thinking…”

“Thinking what?” Oliva looked crossly at her.
“Well, Madisons got her party at the weekend.” “Yeah…you going?”
“Yeah, as, well, I think I have a plan.” Abigail grinned.

***

Whisps of smoke drifted out Sonia’s mouth as she sat cross legged on the bed, a several cigarettes filled ashtray balanced on her bare knee. “Just how many packs?” she asked looking at the cartons scattered on the floor.

“More than enough for you Pink Lungs!”

Sonia rolled her eyes “Go on, what’s the plan?” She asked before bringing her filter back to her lips, she momentarily closed her eyes as the smoke hit her lungs.

“Well, Pink, we keep getting these packs dirt cheap, sell them to Madison’s friends and anyone else under market rate and make loads of money.” He stated as Sonia’s cloud of exhaled smoke barrelled past him.

“But Rick babes, that’s like illegal?” She stated before focusing on flicking the ash from her cigarette into the ashtray, one of the many he had brought home and scattered around the house for them the other day.

“Yeah, who will know?” he shrugged his shoulders. “I don’t know, the police?”

“We will be fine, what I am hoping that this barbeque this weekend, the one you are now planning, we can get all her friends, like really wanting them?”

“Babes you can’t force feed them cigarettes, that’s like cruel, however nice they are?”

Ricky chuckled “Oh god no, but you know, keep them interested, have lots of them around, they will have been smoking them most for the last couple of weeks?”

Sonia nodded as she pulled on her cigarette before releasing a cloud of smoke in front of her. “Yes, Maddy has at least!”

“That’s great Pink, I need a quick piss, then we must get sticking!” Ricky stated as he leaned through her smoke and kissed Sonia on the forehead and then hopped off the bed and nakedly padded across the room stepping over and around some of the scattered cartons that they threw off the bed as he headed into Sonia’s parents en-suite bathroom.

As he left the door open and noisily aimed for the bowl, Sonia shook her head, took one last drag on her cigarette, exhaled, and then stubbed the butt out next to her previous nights, and couple from this morning in the ashtray on her knee, before placing the ashtray back under the white porcelain lamp on the bedside table. She climbed off the bed and groaned as she bent down, picked up and then pulled on a t-shirt and then and started to pick up the dozen or so scattered white cartoons off the floor.

***
“What are we going to find?” Oliva tapped her fingers on her pack in front of her.

Abigail shrugged her shoulders, “I don’t know, a factory, or something interesting, there will be clearly something mischievous going on?”

“But how are we going to find it?”

“It will be in the house somewhere Maddy’s parents are away, her sister and that boyfriend will be up to mischief?”

“But how does my, you know, smoking the cigarettes play into that?”

“Oh, err, well I was thinking that can easily ask her how they do it?” Abigail smiled hopefully. “I bet the boyfriend will boast about it?”

Olivia laughed “But you can do that anyway? You will be smoking too?”

Abigail sucked her inner cheek and gurgled on it as she contemplated the answer, “I know, but Madison knows you, like, properly smoke.”

Olivia’s eyes widened with confusion “Pardon?”

“You know what I mean, you said you like them.”

“Yeah, but I am not a smoker.”

“Olivia, cop on, are you going to walk down those stairs in twenty or so minutes, get outside light a cigarette?”

Olivia bit her bottom lip and contemplated the question for a second and whilst looking at the pack in front of them, then nodded “Probably, yeah,” she shrugged her shoulders “but so are you!” she stated.

“Hmm, we will see, have you seen Jennie this morning?” “No, why?”
“She was out with you on Saturday night?”
“Yeah?”

Abigail tapped the pack in front of her. “Was she smoking with you?”

Olivia thought for a moment and then nodded “Oh, err, yeah by the end of it she was, yes definitely?”

“Well, I guess knowing these cigarettes, she will be potentially wanting a smoke too?”

“So where is she?” Olivia questioned. ***

“Hey Mads!” Jennie waved and grinned as she made her way across the grass to the large oak tree Madison was leaning against, denim skirt up her thighs as she maximised the morning hot sun on her bare legs, whilst flashing her bright white knickers between her legs, her dark sunglasses were firmly on her nose, and a lit cigarette was burning between her fingers as she head was down in the textbook from the library.

Madison casually pulled on the cigarette, and as she rose her head as she exhaled looking across the grass and then smiled as pushed her sunglasses on top of her forehead and waved her. “Hey Jennie, how you doing?” She grinned as she looked down and then tugged her skirt down her legs.

“I guess I am all the better for seeing you.”

“That sounds like good news?”

“Well, firstly Mads,” she pointed her finger at her “I am really angry that you gave me these cigarettes on Saturday night, they are everything everyone ever says is bad about them, I don’t know how many showers, and chewing gums I had yesterday, but conversely I am really happy that you did, as they are remarkable!”

Madison chuckled as she brought the filter to her lips and pulled hard on it, holding the smoke for a second before releasing it. “I know, they make you look so bloody hot and feel amazing. The number of guys clocking me as they walked past in the last twenty minutes has been impressive, plus, they make you feel a million dollars, I just love them, I wish I had found them earlier!” She grinned then licked her lips and placed the filter back between them and pulled the smoke in to her lungs.

Jennie nodded as Madisons exhaled smoke soon drifted in her direction as she looked around “Where are the others?”

Madison laughed and flicked the cigarette, her ash floating on the wind before settling in the cut grass. “They are inside being boring and studious; bet they are

inside still talking about smoking these though!” she smiled as she held the burning butt up before putting it back between her lips and taking one long drag. She exhaled her lungful of smoke again and then patted the grass beside her, “Are you going to join me for one?”

Jennie looked around, then studied her watch, nodded, grinned and then sat down, crossed her legs over as she settled down beside Madison, she wiggled a bit before opening her rucksack to get out her pack of cigarettes as she wriggled and adjusted herself to get comfortable.

***

Sonia counted with her head those which had already by stuck, and then looked at the pile to do and sighed loudly “Oh my god this is so boring!” She grizzled took a deep breath and attempted to blow her fringe away from her eyes and fidgeted before sighing again as she then tucked her hair behind her ears so she could see to try and see as she lined up the sticker on the blank pack.

“Pinks, the sooner we get it done, the sooner we can chill until work. Just make sure the right stickers are on the right pack”

“Yes sir, I need to get to work earlier than you!”

“What shift you on?”

“I told you, 4-10”

“Ah yeah, so I will be at the club before you finish?”

Sonia looked up “Oh babes, you are coming back to me tonight?” She looked with puppy dog eyes.

Ricky tapped his chin “Let me think about that one for …of course!” he grinned.

She stuck her tongue out at him “Good, don’t want some drunken groupie stealing you.”

“Pinks don’t get jealous of them; you know I am yours!” he grinned as he flipped his pack open and extracted two cigarettes placing them between his lips before flicking his lighter and getting them both alight before passing one to Sonia.

“I’m yours too.” she flirtatiously grinned “Oh thanks, I was just thinking I needed one!” She smiled at him and took the filter and placed it between her lips, her cheeks concaved as she stared with admiration at Ricky as she pulled the smoke into her lungs.

“Goody, let’s get these packs finished.”

Sonia with a wide grin raised her hand and saluted him and then with the cigarette between her fingers set about peeling off the next C-Rave sticker off the A4 sheet and focusing as the slowly put it on the pack ensuring it was a straight as possible.

***

Oliva sighed and closed her book with a thud, “I am sorry Abby, I err, can’t ready any more, my head will explode, I don’t know about you, but I have long night ahead of me with this darn essay, and I, err think we should head downstairs now.”

Abigail rolled her eyes with a grin, “Guess you’ve also had enough of us talking about cigarettes, you think it’s time to smoke one?”

“Abs, I didn’t bring that up, so no, well, seeing as you haven’t mentioned them for about half an hour maybe, but I think we ought to head to our lecture now?”

Abigail looked at her wrist and then span her watch around so she could see the time, “Oh, yes, we’ve got fifteen minutes.

“Yes, then I’ve enough time for maybe a ciggy!” Oliva cheekily grinned. “See you are smoker, just as I thought.”
“So will you.”
“We are not having that conversation again.”

“Come on, let’s get going.” Oliva stated putting her books back in her bag. Keeping the pack of cigarettes out on the table until last.

***

Madison took one last longing drag before joining Jennie as she exhaled in stubbing out their cigarettes out into the brown mud beside them, below the old

tree, they giggled naughtily as they left the six butts there, four had been Madisons and two of Jennies and they got up brushing the grass of them before picking up their bags and off to their next lecture.

“That was strangely nice…who would have thought it?” Jennie stated as she licked her teeth as they walked along the quadrangle.

“I know, sun was out, having a gossip with you and of course a smoke, I really didn’t know I would like it quite so much.” Madison stated.

Jennie nodded in agreement “Will I, you know, be able to get another pack from you, you know like tomorrow?”

“Yeah, I am sure that will be fine, in fact they have told me it will be fine, we’ve got like hundreds of packs in the house, and more keep turning up daily by the truck load at least it feels like it.” Madison grinned.

“Crikey…who is going to smoke all of them?” Jennie replied looking down at her nearly empty pack in her hand.

Madison shrugged her shoulders “Us, its great fun?”

“That’s a lot of cigarettes babes?”

“I know, but it’s not like we will smoke them all at once…will we?”

Jennie laughed and shook her head, before flipping her hair out of her face, over her head with her hand “God no Mads, are you mad, we can’t and will not!”

“But it would be good fun trying, especially finishing that essay.”

Jennie rolled her eyes, “Yeah I have nearly finished that. Got a load done last week, before going out on Saturday night.”

“Oh, lucky you. I’ve got hours to go and like a million words. I am going to need lots of coffee, and plenty of cigarettes tonight, got to get it in by ten tomorrow morning!” Maddison grinned.

“You will be fine, think you are the lucky one in this situation, I can’t smoke in my house, and the back doorstep is really uncomfortable.”

“Yeah, maybe, but you are not living at home with your horny sister and her boyfriend.”

“Granted…but from you have said he is quite cute” Jennie smiled, and they both paused and looked up at the grey building looming up in front of them.

“She is so lucky.”

“Let’s do this!”

“Yes, once done we can smoke some more cigarettes.” Madison declared.

Jennie shook her head in disgust “Oh Mads, you are so badly addicted already, what has your sister done to you, I was literally just thinking of the essay to write.”

“Ricky likes Sons and I smoking…” she grinned. “He says we both look as fit as…” ***

Abigail avoided everyone for the rest of the day, she slipped out the other door at the lecture theatre and shunned meeting any of her friends as she ran for the bus. She had got home, once there she had been polite to her housemates, and even helped with the pile of dishes that had grown up over the last few days in the kitchen. She had made her excuses regarding her essay that she needed to write, she had been so focused on cigarettes over the weekend, she had forgotten to write more than a paragraph or three for the five-thousand-word essay that she needed to get into tomorrow.

She sat there at her computer the packs beside her open, the clean white filters staring at her almost temptingly. She opened the textbook, so the front page went over the packs, hiding them from her periphery view and stuck her pen between her teeth and with a deep breath, she started to type.

***

Olivia had briefly looked for Abigail before walking the short distance from campus to her house, she didn’t need to the take bus, even though with her pass it was free, but as it was sunny and still, and it was a nice walk, she had taken the opportunity to calmly smoke a cigarette as she slowly made her way home. She even apologised to the old granny who coughed as her smoke drifted from her cigarette into her face.

Once home guzzled a pint of water, her throat was seriously dry, from the heat from the walk home she determined, and then as she had no real food, put a couple of slices of bread in the toaster for dinner, and then carried them up the stairs chewing on one as she went.

She had a long night of typing, and a loaf of bread for company. ***

Madison untied her hairband letting her brunette locks fall below her shoulders as she sauntered into the kitchen and flung her ruck to the floor with a loud thud as it slid along the tiles colliding into the central island. She went straight to the fridge and studied the nearly empty shelves, smiled as she pulled out a can of diet coke that needed to wet her smoked 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 a couple of mouthfuls before burping up the mixture of pop and tobacco. She grimaced at the taste and hopped up and was sitting on one of the stool seats on the central island quickly leaning over and extracting a cigarette from the pack that either Ricky or Sonia had 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 shrieked as Ricky as standing just in front of her.

“How’s it going Mads?”

Madison shrieked “Oh god Ricky, you scared me, you drift in and out of here like a ghost, a nice one, but still, at least warn me!” She smiled and fluttered her eyelids as she brought her hand to her mouth and attempted to cutely pull on her cigarette and then forced the exhale teasingly into his face.

A smile crept across his face, “I just love it when you do that to me.”

“Good, but don’t creep up on girls like that, it’s not good, I practically wet myself!” she stated as the smoke continued to tumble out of her lungs, before twisting and reaching across and flicking the ash into the ashtray.

Ricky chuckled, as he took a step towards her “How are things with the cigs and the girls?”

Madison widened her knees a little further allowing Ricky into her personal space “Amazing, they are doing just what you said they would!” She stated nonchalantly shrugging her shoulders taking another gulp from the can.

Ricky dropped his left hand on to the tip of her bare knee “Do you or the girls need any more supplies?” he asked as smiled as he took her cigarette with his right hand from her hand pulled on it himself, before exhaling back in her face as he gave the cigarette back to her.

Madison smiled nodded, seductively and slowly licked her lips as whilst keeping her eyes on Ricky, she placed the filter between her lips and took a short drag on the cigarette, before exhaling again up straight back into Ricky’s face “Yeah, they are all running out, so, I was, you know, going to ask you for some more this evening anyway.” She grinned as the smoke continued to drift out her mouth.

“Great” he put his other hand on her other knee and his fingers crept up her thigh, “In a minute I will go up and get you a carton with a load of packs to share around tomorrow. That’s no problem at all, it’s good to hear that they are still using them.”

Madison shuffled her buttocks on the chair, as the legs squeaked on the tiles as she widened her skinny thighs invitingly further apart, a slither of moisture wicked on to the front of her knickers, “Yeah, I know I need them, so will they.” She purred.

“Great, your sister is at work, and I am head out in a minute too” Ricky replied as his fingers moved a little further up her thigh.

Her smiled changed from a grin to a pouty frown “That’s not fair, that not here for dinner with just me like last few weeks?” Madison glanced back at the nearly empty fridge.

“Nah Mads, normally I would be here, but tonight I have got to do stuff down the club, will grab a burger with Jimmy I expect before hitting the decks.”

“Oh,” she frowned as Son is out, we normally have fun here, but I would normally so love to come down and have a smoke and a dance with you, but have got uni work to do, deadline tomorrow.” She frowned before bringing the cigarette back to her lips.

Ricky laughed as he slid his hand moved even further up her thigh. “She is definitely at work, but oh I forget how young you are sometimes.”

As Ricky’s fingers stroked and tickled her inner thigh teasingly millimetres from the hem of the gusset of her knickers, she wiggled closer on the stool until she touched his finger and smiled brightly thought the cloud of smoke between them, “But I am very much old enough to know some stuff.” She put the now short cigarette between her teeth, just as she had watched her sister do several times, then attempted to cutely smile back and then stretched out and casually ran her hands down both his hips and around to his jeans before as she dragged yet again on the cigarette letting the smoke drift out of her nose, almost hiding from him that she was in the process of undoing his fly.

***

Jennie got herself comfortable on her back doorstep, she had this time 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.

***

Oliva sat there and typed, typed and typed some more, but after a while, she had to stop, her focus was drifting, she smiled to herself, she glanced across to the darkness of window of her back bedroom, with the yet covered by curtain, got up picking her pack up as well, and pushed the top window open as far as it would go, before settling down on the windowsill. She flipped open the pack of C-Raves and placed the filter between her lips. Yes, Abigail had said it’s just nicotine in these cigarettes, but at that very moment in time as the hot flame tickled the paper and caught the tobacco alight, as she pulled the putrid smoke in to her lungs, just as Madison had taught her, she very much needed that evil nicotine in her body.

***

Madison coughed again and shook her head and coughed once more as climbed off the sofa, she had spent what she thought was ten minutes, but had actually been more like an hour asleep on the sofa. She had no idea when Ricky had left, but the house was now dark. She coughed again and grabbed the cigarette from

the pack on the table and with it firmly wedged between her lips, flicked the lighter instantly flashing light around the room, reflecting off her naked body, before pulling on the cigarette. She held the smoke, just as Ricky had explained for maximum enjoyment, and then exhaled and her body started to relax.

Things for Madison had changed a long way in the last six months. Firstly, Sonia announcing one evening that she had found this amazing guy, who whilst a little older than her works at the local night club a few evenings a week and that she had been on a couple of lunch dates with him, she explained that whilst he was amazing, she was annoyed at first that he smoked, but on the next date he had given her a couple of cigarettes to try, and then once she got over the awkwardness he had kept feeding them to her, she almost took his nickname as Pink Lung as an insult.

At some point a few weeks later Ricky had practically moved in. There was evidence of him being there, whether it was it was one of his packs of cigarettes, shoes, or clothes scattered in their house, but mainly the lingering smell of cigarette smoke and his cheap Lynx deodorant hanging in the lounge air as Madison had got up for Uni in the morning.

It had been a Tuesday night after film club; Madison had come home in high spirits after a couple of drinks with the girls to find Ricky sitting alone on their sofa calmly smoking yet another cigarette whilst loosely watching telly whilst on his phone, Sonia had left earlier to do her shift at the supermarket.

As Madison was very relaxed and happy, and if was to admit it slightly horny, she really couldn’t fight his persuasive offer of a cigarette that she really didn’t want or need but was offered, so with drunken enthusiasm layered with bravado she confidently accepted the fresh cigarette from Ricky, that self-assurance soon disappeared with a puff of the smoke to be replaced with pure embarrassment of coughing her guts up, almost ruined the end of a pleasant evening, but his gentle persuasion and another glass of wine helped the situation and also helped with another couple of cigarettes that were eventually smoked.

He stated he would tell Sonia, and that everything would be fine. Neither of them mentioned it for another week.

The following Tuesday the same thing happened again after film club, she had tipsily come home after watching a romantic comedy, which had finished a little earlier, to find Ricky yet again all alone on the sofa. He had a cigarette burning in

one hand, can of lager in the other, they joked that they were making a habit of this. She declared she hadn’t had the opportunity to smoke anything in the last week, but readily accepted the offered cigarette as she sat down right beside him on the sofa.

Madison wasn’t again sure why after the glass of wine, that she really didn’t need that they had snuggled up together on the sofa a cigarette each in their hands, or that once she had finished that cigarette, why after she had stubbed her cigarette out a few moments after him, she had tilted her head back so that their lips collided in a kiss, or why she let his strong manly hands firmly explore her body, and she still could come up with a valid reason that when she had come back from the toilet she had stood there in front of him and purposely taken her clothes off and then had climbed on to his crotch for sex with him on the sofa that night, but after all, they had.

Yes, the guilt was large, she had shagged her sister’s boyfriend. The cuddle and cigarette they shared afterwards all snuggled up naked and warm on the sofa had been the most amazing feeling ever at the time even if once in bed that night the guilt soon wracking her wasn’t.

The following morning, whilst eating her breakfast in a very dreamy but guilty state, Sonia had sat down beside her, and given her a hug, Madison at first felt something was going to go horribly wrong, before Sonia pulled a cigarette out of the pack and rolled it along the counter pushed along with her lighter, explaining the Ricky had told her that night, once she had got back from work, that, he had tried to get her smoking. For Madison relief filled her body, the guilt drifted away as she apologised and whilst still saying sorry for smoking, she had accepted that cigarette and since that morning the two of them had not looked back once.

Madison bent over and turned the oven on, and then shuffled to the side singing happily to herself as she opened the freezer and shivered as the cold air blasted her naked body her hand instantly covered her breasts as she rummaged around with the other hand, eventually found a piece of frozen bread covered fish and some oven chips she noisily banged them down on the oven tray and then took a step back from the heat as she opened the oven door and placed the tray in the middle of the oven.

She then sat on the stool, pulled a cigarette from the pack, lit it and then as she exhaled a cloud of smoke, she shivered so hopped off the stool, bent down to put her white knickers back around her toes and then huffed through the cigarette

billowing a cloud of smoke out around her as she wiggled her hips as she pulled them back up slapping the elastic against her thighs. She paused as flicked the growing ash, and then pulled her skirt up and did the zip up at the back, she rested the cigarette on the edge of the counter as she pulled her t-shirt over her head ignoring the white bra on the floor, before putting the cigarette back between her lips, and settling down on the stool, she picked up her phone to check her messages just as Sonia opened the front door.

Part Five B – Wednesday

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 in the other. She was sitting there quietly reading her romantic novel, it had been a long day at uni, and she needed some quiet. Her housemate 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 swimming yesterday?”

“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 “Li, it’s on my desk!”

“Thanks Babes.” The voice boomed through the ceiling and 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 later she looked up again the whirr of the hairdryer kicked in, she smiled and then continued to read.

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

Abigail looked up as the wafts of sweet perfume filled the room and smiled at her friend “Oh, wow you look stunning, the guys 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 soft breasts a little. “But there was one thing Abby,”

“Yeah?”
“When did you start smoking?”

Abigail folded the corner of the page over and closed her book and laughed 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 it 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, I can actually imagine you with a cigarette, is that what happened?”

Abigail laughed loudly “God no!” as she went on to explain 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.”
“Maybe tonight when I get back you can share one with me?” “What?”

“I was thinking…” and with that the doorbell wrang “…oh, maybe later, my chariot is here, I’ve got to go.”

“Oh, okay, bye, I will wait for you!” Abigail replied and then watched as Leanne then lobbed the pack of Marlboro’s across the room towards her and just about caught them and then sat there on her lap as the lid flapped open and a few of the filters started to shift out, she pushed the 17 filters with an orange Bic lighter back into the pack at her as the door slammed shut.

***

Madison flicked the lighter and 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, where they really didn’t count how many they smoked, or how many packs they consumed 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?”
“No Mads he is not, otherwise I wouldn’t be asking you.”
“Oh,” Madison sounded disappointed, “I would have come shopping with you?”

“Yeah, I know, but I went early as you were at Uni.” She smiled warmly. “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 heading to the front door join her sister with her cigarette smoke drifting off behind her.

***

“Cheers” Olivia clinked her glass on Jennie’s as they sat outside on the concrete paved veranda of the student union bar enjoying the last of the summer warmth whilst still on campus. Sharing a wobbling tiny metallic round table missing one of its rubber legs with just enough room for two pints of beer and a tin foil ashtray already with two stubbed out butts on it. After taking a drink, they both giggled at each other for the beer froth mistouches before wiping their faces with the back of their hands.

“Thank you for meeting me without the others.” Olivia continued.

“It’s okay, it’s nice to see you. Is everything okay?”

Oliva nodded and pushed her pint glass around for a second before picking it up and taking another gulp. “Yeah, I guess so, but it is, you know, I am just seriously conflicted.”

“Let me guess with the smoking thing we all seem trapped in?” Jennie asked as she put her pack on the table beside her drink.

Oliva quietly nodded as she looked at the pack, she then grimaced as she bent down and got her C-Rave pack out her rucksack and put it on the table too. “My two of best friends here are like fighting each other about it, and I don’t like it.”

“What do you mean?”

Oliva picked up her pint a gulped two fingers worth before sighing and putting the drink down. She then picked up her pack and pulled out a cigarette and then her lighter “On one hand we have got Maddy and her sister’s boyfriend Ricky banging on how wonderful they are handing these things out to us like they are candy” she waved her cigarette “and then on the other I have got Abigail who is being ultra- worried for us all.” She waved the lighter to reference the other side.

“Yeah?”

“Well, I feel stuck between the two!” she grinned as she placed the filter between her lips and then flicked the lighter and brought the flame to her lips. With a shallow inhale she got the cigarette alight and then let the smoke drift out of her mouth.

Jennie nodded in understanding as she then too picked a cigarette out of her pack, sliding it towards her then fiddling it so it was between her fingers “We have to be sort of grateful to Maddy, she is sharing these things to us?”

“I know, couldn’t get over the coughing, but, once I did, they are not that bad, I just think that she is like a drug dealer or something, as she keeps handing out packs to us.”

“Oh hell, yeah, didn’t think of it like that, I am so worried what my mum and dad are going to think of me coming back with a smoking habit.”

“Yeah, me too, I haven’t mentioned anything about it yet, they are coming up next month, after the exams to pick me up.”

Jennie brought her cigarette to her lips and gently pulled on it, her lungs inhaling all the smoke, and then exhaled to the side. “Yeah, less talk of exams please.”

“Sorry, but you know what I mean?”

Jennie nodded “But Olivia, we have a problem, don’t we?” She stated as she knocked the growing ash off into the ashtray.

“What?”

Jennie looked at the cigarette burning between her fingers and then back at Olivia, “I have a real problem, and that is, for all the awful smell of them and on me, I think I actually rather like them?” she smiled and brought the filter back to her lips and the tip burned brightly in the dusky light as she pulled the smoke through it into her lungs.

Oliva nodded and rolled the tip of her cigarette on the ashtray knocking her ash off. “Yeah, I know what you mean. I so needed them to help me write my essay.”

Jennie nodded “Me too, exactly, I don’t think I could have finished it without them.” She grinned and picked up her pint and took a couple of gulps.

“So, you’re not quitting?”

Jennie shook her head “Whatever Abigail says is wrong with these things, I don’t think we are going to quit just yet, especially as they are free, not until the exam and revision is done, don’t you agree, before going back home?”

Jennie nodded in agreement “But what are we going to do about Abigail?” ***

Abigail stood in front of her mirror unlit cigarette in one hand glass of wine in the other, she looked at herself in her slim fit jeans, and white crop top, as she took a gulp of the wine, and then again as she brought the unlit cigarette to her lips. She took a step closer to peer at the white cylinder protruding from her lips and then leaned back. She put the glass down next to her laptop and picked up the orange Bic lighter that Madison had given her.

She stood back in front of the mirror, she frowned at herself before nodded and then put her hair up in a ponytail using the black hairband around her arm and focused in on herself again, this time she flicked the lighter and watched the flame both in her hand and in the mirror, and then slowly and nervously moved her arm, subsequently coughed out the smoke grabbing her wine glass and gulping the majority of contents as quickly as possible.

***

Jennie stubbed her cigarette out as Olivia nodded before she flicked the lighter and inhaled yet again on her fresh cigarette, before letting the smoke drift off with the wind. “Yes, that’s the best thing we can do, let her do her own thing.” She smiled as she picked up, her nearly empty glass and poured the contents down her throat.

“I am sure by Saturday and Maddy’s party things will have been sorted.

“She won’t turn up and so will not be sitting there grumpily not smoking with us all?”

Olivia shrugged her shoulders “Who knows, she could run around with fire extinguishers putting our ciggies out?” She laughed “I am going to have this one, then head home?” She waved her filter to Jennie.

Jennie smiled in agreement, “Yeah, that’s fine, I just thought it wise for us two to have a catch up. I’m going to pop to the loo can’t walk home on a full bladder…” she started to push the chair back and then smiled as she looked at Olivia, “… actually, are you sure you don’t want another drink, it’s my turn?”

“Oh, are you sure?”

“Yeah, why not, I am only cooking pizza tonight, even I can do that after a couple of drinks!” she giggled as she picked up her bag off the floor. “Another pint?”

“Oh, go on, you’ve twisted my arm, can I be cheeky, maybe a white wine spritzer?” Olivia grinned and flicked her cigarette again.

“Not a problem, actually I might join you for one of those.” Jennie grinned as she pushed her chair back.

***

Madison stretched across from the white sofa and dropped her butt out amongst several dozen of its extinguished friends in the ashtray and picked up her glass of water and took a gulp sighing afterwards, and as she licked her lips of the water droplets she then smiled at Sonia “I think I might have an early night, there is really nothing on telly, I will go have a shower and get some sleep.”

“Is everything okay Mads?”

Madison gulped her water again and nodded “Yeah, just had a late night yesterday finishing the essay, and busy day at Uni. And to be honest…” she frowned and looked down at her pack “…to be honest I probably smoked a couple too many…” she shrugged her shoulders at Sonia.

“I know what Ricky says, but he also says you will find your happy place with them, so please, as your sister, and a friend, please pace yourself, I am also trying to do what he says, but it’s sometimes hard!”

“Yeah, I know I am, but I am genuinely really enjoying them, and it’s great to have such positivity around us both. But I can’t lie, I sort of feel it in my chest tonight, I am sure I will be alright in the morning.”

“Mads, one thing?”

“Yeah?”

“Mads” she coughed to clear her own throat “talking of doing what Ricky says, but you do know it, you are really flirting with Ricky!”

Madisons eyes widened with concern tinged with guilt again, “Really, oh sorry Son, I don’t mean it. There is nothing going on, I promise.” She grinned.

“I know It’s cool, we have got testosterone in the house, but please just calm it down”

Madison guilty nodded “I will do, I really don’t know that I am doing it!”

“Thank you, as it should be a good weekend with Ricky and girls over, plenty of food and drink in. A bit of a dance.”

“Oh, Son have you looked at the pool recently?”

“No, I will do tomorrow” she grinned.

Madison nodded and grinned “I really can’t wait, only a day or so to go, it’s great that he has got Saturday night off to be with us” Madison grinned and bopped dancing a little on the spot before bending over as she picked up her pack and lighter and then shuffled off towards the stairs. “Night, night.”

“It is, mind the bed bugs don’t bite!” Sonia replied as she smiled and then pulled her own cigarette out of her pack on the armrest and with the filter between her lips flicked the lighter.

***

Abigail sat crossed legged on the grey industrial student proof carpeted floor of her room in front of the floor-based mirror, the open pack on her lap, her empty wine glass beside her had two half smoked butts stubbed out in it.

“Come on girl you can do this, everyone else is!” she shouted at the mirror and herself as she pulled yet another filter out of the pack, placing it between her lips, she flicked the lighter and with a gentle breath in, tried again.

***

“It’s dangerous sitting with you with a drink and an open pack of cigarettes.” Jennie loudly cackled and laughed.

“Hey, I am not that bad, its, worse when sitting with Madison, I can tell you that, she is like a machine!” Olivia chuckled. “The cigarettes don’t seem to end!”

Jennie nodded in agreement. “I can imagine”

“But is more comfortable here with the heat lamps on, than sitting on my bedroom windowsill or being shouted at by my neighbours!” Oliva chuckled.

“Yeah, I am sitting at home outside on the sofa cushion.” Jennie laughed too. “My housemates and probably landlord are far too anti to let me inside!”

“Understandable, I would normally be too!” Olivia again focused on the cigarette between her fingers and flicked the ash off.

“So, why are we?” Jennie asked before bringing the filter to her lips.

“I don’t know, but we both know, if we were at home right now, we would probably be smoking, right?”

Jennie nodded though her exhaled cloud of smoke and winced at the thought “Yeah, I guess so…”

“All I know, sitting here the contents of the pack goes down quicker than you think, it was only like Saturday that Madison started this all?”

“Shh, we can’t be sliding that quickly?”

“To answer the questions, I think we are smoking these things because we can, rather than because we want to?”

“That’s highly philosophical” she giggled trying to get her tongue around the word “after a couple of glasses of wine, I am not sure; and goodness knows what is going to happen after Madisons party this weekend?”

“What do you mean?”

“Well think they are practically going to force us to smoke!” Jennie grinned and brought the filter to her lips.

Olivia focused on the table as she nudged the ash off her cigarette again next to the six other butts in the ashtray. Before taking one last inhale, she exhaled beside her, “I don’t know, I haven’t thought about it….I guess because it depends?” She stated thoughtfully stubbing it out.

“I haven’t been to someone’s house with their own pool before.” Jennie stated.

“Neither have I really, last time I went to Maddy’s yes it stank of cigarettes from Ricky and Sonia, but it was dark and raining so didn’t even see the pool.”

“Oh at least you’ve been there…so, maybe one last cigarette and then a really should go home!” Jennie stated as she picked up the nearly empty wine glass and took a gently sip.

“Oh, one thing for Saturday, are you a swimsuit or bikini?”

Jennie laughed “I know it’s going to be hot again, but have you seen my belly, swimsuit!” she grinned and pulled again on the cigarette before stubbing it out.

“You would look stunning, I am sure! Olivia tried to be positive as she pulled another filter out of the pack.

Jennie bashfully smiled and shook her head in disagreement, “You do realise that Maddy will get drunk and start prancing around topless?”

“What?”
“Remember that house party at Jonny’s last month?”

Olivia opened her mouth wide, “Oh god yeah, she was showing herself off, wasn’t she?”

Jennie laughed “All good fun, think she was horny as hell, she was like a honeypot for all the guys, they couldn’t stop ogling her!”

“It is, you can’t blame the boys though, she was writhing around on the floor topless with her hand in her knickers moaning and groaning! Olivia laughed and turned her head as she inhaled on her cigarette, she exhaled and looked over Jennies shoulder.

“Yeah, didn’t Doug all shyly and embarrassed like, pick her up and carry her home?”

Oliva nodded as she continued looking over Jennie’s shoulder, “Talking of guys, I am sure those guys over there keep trying to catch our eyes.” She smiled as she placed the filter between her lips flicked her lighter and pulled the smoke into her lungs.

“That’s because with these cigarettes, we will look as foxy as!” Jennie grinned and pulled hard on her filter between her lips.

***

Abigail exhaled the smoke towards the mirror and smiled, perseverance she finally had inhaled without coughing.

Both her and the room stank of cigarettes, and she felt incredibly woozy, but reckoned that could have also been the wine, but she had done it.

She got up and waited for the world to stop spinning and slowly made her way down the stairs even holding on to the handrail as she needed to get a glass of water, her mouth tasted disgusting and her throat like gravel.

Abigail leaned against the sink as she gulped the fluid down as if her life depended on it, and then sighed, and shook her head, trying to determine if she was doing the right thing.

As she swirled the water, the key in the front door clicked and then banged open as in swayed Leanne and meandering down the hallway, before stopping and turning and slamming the door shut again.

“Hey babes!” she giggled.
“Good night out then?” Abigail chuckled as she gulped her water.

“Of course, Abs, but I didn’t want to stay out and dance, I wanted to come home to be with you!” Leanne almost sung with her Welsh drunken voice.

Alarm crossed Abigail’s face, “How come?”

“I just wanted to err, be with you, you know, I’ve been thinking about it, I wanted to have a smoke with you before bed!” she smiled sweetly as she let go of the wall and walked towards the sofa.

“Oh, what, right okay, but I don’t really smoke?” Abigail stated thoughtfully as she picked up her water and took another gulp.

“That’s bullshite Abs!” she grinned as sat down beside Abigail.

Abigail shrugged her shoulders “I really don’t okay, but let’s go up to my room, you will need a drink!” She suggested.

“I’ve drunk enough!” she giggled. “Of water?” Abigail replied.

***

Madison lay on her bed, all undressed for bed, her makeup washed off her face, teeth scrubbed, mouthwash gurgled twice, she was ready put on her pyjama shorts. But, as she lay there on the sheets contemplating just climbing under as it was so warm, she glanced at the pack she had brought up with her for the morning, she smiled to herself as she reached across and pulled just one more cigarette before bed. She flicked the lighter, the flame both lit up the room and the cigarette, as it touched. She lay her head back on her pillow in the darkness as the cherry burnt brightly as she pulled the smoke back into her lungs, before pushing the barren smoke back towards the ceiling.

Part Six B – Friday afternoon

The arms pulling through the blue chlorinated water which splashed as she reached the wall the bare buttocks glistened in the afternoon sunlight as a perfect tumbled turn was produced and then they continued to through the water towards the other end, the repeat was conducted, the pool was small, a few strokes could get you from one end to the other. But a private swimming pool it was.

The tall evergreen trees surrounding the large back garden ensured no onward looking neighbours.

Sonia’s head broke the surface of the water with a gasp, the ripples spreading across the pool as she again wheezed for air and then slowly swam to the steps

using breaststroke, her mouth wide open for oxygen, as she hauled herself out of the up the three short steps, flicked her wet hair over face and stared at Ricky who sat grinning on the green plastic garden chair and laughed around his cigarette as she walked towards him dripping as he offered her his half smoked filter.

“Eh, don’t you think towel would be more useful first?” she shivered shaking the water from her fingers at him, before taking the filter from his and then pulling the smoke into her lungs as the water droplets continued to drop off her naked body on to the floor around her.

“Nah, you look fucking sexy Pinks!” Ricky grinned as he pulled the towel out from under his bottom and threw it at her.

“Thanks Rick.” She smiled as she started to rub her body dry.

“Have fun in there?”

“Glorious torture, it’s not been sunny or warm enough far this year to warm it up and, I am way out of practice!” she stuck her tongue out and panted like a dog, before shaking her head and rubbing her lips together before taking another drag.

“Practice makes perfect with everything!” Ricky replied.

She nodded in agreement as she pulled again on her cigarette. “I know I used practically live in there…” she replied letting the smoke tumble out of her mouth.

Part Seven B – Saturday.

Abigail came down the stairs to the living room looking sheepishly at Leanne who was sitting on the sofa in her breasts bulging in pyjama top and thighs squish in the shorts holding a mug of coffee.

“Hey morning, you got up early?” Abigail stated taking the situation in.

“Oh, couldn’t sleep, and didn’t want to wake you, I have been waiting for you babes.” She grinned and took a gulp of coffee.

“Why?”
“As you will have brought the cigarettes down with you?” she grinned.

Abigail looked down to her hand and smiled “I have but is this now a thing?” she said holding the pack out in front of her.

“I hope it can be!” she grinned happily.
“I’ve known you for what two years, it’s never been one before!”

“I know, but us having those cigarettes like a couple together the last couple of days has been nice?”

Abigail nodded “I guess so, I’ve also been thinking, whatca doing this afternoon, do you want to come with me to my friends Madisons house?”

“When were you going to say you were having fun with out me?” Leanne asked.

“I got all wrapped up my investigation, wasn’t thinking about it…”

“Am I house mate or couple?” She grinned and took a gulp of her coffee.

“Whatever Lea, it will be a bit of a party, I know its last minute, but I bet Madison would love to give you, your own pack!”

Leanne looked surprised for a second. “I can’t see why not!”

“Great, I will let her know. I need a coffee to wash my throat before having another cigarette…”

“What…?”
“Just one…” Abigail grinned.

***

Ricky walked out the bathroom whistling to himself happily as he finished doing the fly up on his shorts.

“Hey, is that you Ricky?” Madison called out from her room. “Yeah Mads?”
“Come in here a second!” she bellowed.

“Okay…if I am allowed”

“If she is downstairs?” Madison emphasised the ‘is’ part of the sentence.

He looked around then nodded as he walked in to see Madison sitting on bed completely naked in front of him a bottle of coconut flavoured tanning lotion in her hand, she cheekily smiled, and then slowly and teasingly squirted the lotion on to her bare chest before teasingly spreading it over. She looked up and smiled at him as she squeezed and massaged her now overly glistening breasts, twisting her nipples, before wiping her fingers dry on her bare inner thighs to remove the excess lotion, and whilst still smiling at him, she then twisted her body and picked up and held up a yellow and pink bikini top. She stood up from the bed and grinned at him “Which one do you think, if any?” she offered both options to her shimmering D cup breasts and attempted to model each one before just jiggling her naked breast at him.

Ricky glanced at the door desperately checking the coast was clear and then back at her “Oh…err…what…about the pink one?” he tried to avoid the gaze.

“Thanks, its tiny, but sexy as!” she grinned and dropped the yellow set on the bed and sat back down on the bed and then with her thighs wide apart highlighting her recently neatly shaved pubic area, started to get her feet in the leg holes of the pink bottoms.

“Err, great, you will look stunning in it, see you downstairs.” He stated as he hesitantly turned and left.

“Cool” Madison grinned as she pulled her bottoms up to her thighs before standing up as he made his way down the stairs.

Sonia tucked her hair behind her ears and bent down so hovering over the large bowl of orange liquid, with four orange slices partly submerged on the surface and put a spoon in her mouth and swallowed, then recoiled and coughed “Ricky, babes, how much vodka did you put in the punch?” She coughed again as he made his way down the stairs.

“Why?”

“As it’s, err, got a let me think about this, it’s got a punch to it!” she laughed cutely at him.

Ricky shrugged his shoulders “Most of the bottle, but only what you two left behind from the other night!”

She licked her lips “That explains it!” she stated as she laughed and then put the spoon back in and took another gulp. “Where is Mads?”

Ricky looked up towards the stairs “Err, she was trying to choose which one of her many bikinis to wear last time I checked. I didn’t realise it was going to be that hot today.”

“Rick, it’s meant to be scorching, I was thinking of wearing this?” She grinned and flipped up her top to reveal her naked chest.

“Great, and I approve, I guess am going to be barbecuing all day…”

“Oh, yes babes, please babes, oh Rick, oh one thing for me, can you please stop finding excuses to perve on Mads!” Sonia scolded as she readjusted her top back over her breasts, her nipples now hard against the soft cotton fabric as Ricky grinned as he put both arms up defensively.

“Pinks, I wasn’t, you’re my gorgeous smoking pink lung girl and…and…and she was like almost fully clothed.” He stuttered.

“Hmmm I bet… Have you got the barbeque warming up and the firepit ready?”

“Yes ma’am, the coals will be ready for three thirty when they start turning up. I also managed to fish all the leaves out from the pool again!” he grinned.

Sonia nodded “You are amazing, and I am making you in a good man, can I have a kiss now?”

He nodded “Yes, of course Pinks, any time!” and Ricky made his way closer and soon their fingers and hands travelled across their bodies and hugged and kissed pulling her shorts down her buttocks as their lips interlocked.

He delicately removed his hand from within Sonia’s shorts and pulled them back up as they slowly stopped to a polite cough from behind them.

Madison was standing there in a barely-there thin strappy practically translucent white top stretched over her bright pink halter neck bikini, her skin still glistening from the lotion she had covered herself in, along with a ripped denim shorts, so

short the fabric of the pockets hung down her thighs, they were so ripped that they were flashing most of the crutch of her bright pink bottoms, she smiled at both of them as she brought her latest cigarette to her lips, inhaled, and then forced the exhale towards them both.

“Ricky just thinking, I can’t reach, can you put some suntan cream on my back?” She asked in a cutesy way.

“Mads what did we say the other day?” Sonia responded curtly, as Ricky spun round quickly with fear in his eyes so they were both facing her grinning like guilty couple “Mads, I will do that for you, Ricky can do mine later!” Sonia glared.

Madison nodded “Cool, is everything ready for the girls, Abigail has said her housemate is coming too, which is good?”

“Yes of course, more the merrier, music is primed, beers are in the ice bucket, the punch is done, and the cigarettes are out.” He grinned.

Madison nodded “Can I take a cup of punch out to the pool and wait for the girls and Sons; can you do my back?”

Ricky and Sonia looked at each other giggled and nodded as Sonia pulled the red plastic cup from the stack beside the large bowl and then using the ladle poured a scoop into the cup and handed it to Madison.

She took a gulp, swallowed and then coughed “Wow that’s good. Thanks.” And then took another large gulp. “See you outside!” she grinned, wedged her cigarette between her lips and swanned in the direction of the now open sliding doors on to the garden trailing the smoke behind her.

As soon as she was out of earshot, Ricky turned Sonia back around, so they were hugging and slipped his hand back inside Sonia’s shorts pushing them down around her buttocks, and gently caressed her now bare behind. “Shall we take a drink go back upstairs?” Sonia grinned as Ricky’s fingers got to work.

“What about her back?” Ricky smiled as he leaned in for a kiss.

“She can tan her front first!” Sonia said between kisses.

Madison again pulled on her cigarette as she swanned though the open bifold doors and out on the patio, she exhaled and smiled as the sun hit her arms, she

then glanced back into the darkness of the house and watched as Ricky pulled down Sonia’s shorts down round her knees and started caressing and stroking her backside. Madison took a gulp of her punch, and screwed her face up as it went down, she brought her cigarette back to her lips to recover and pulled on the filter, exhaling as she shuffled out towards the pool, it was going to a be a long afternoon.

***

With Leanne happily singing along to the radio in her room next door, Abigail brushed her clean hair in front of her mirror, her makeup was done, and for the first time in a couple of days both her and the room was smelling fresh and sweet, the window was wide open and air freshener had been sprayed around, there was no longer having the lingering potent smell from ‘testing’ cigarettes. She had made the conscious effort this morning not to smoke too much in her room.

She then put her hair up in her ponytail, grabbed and hurriedly pulled on her flowery summer dress up over head, and down over her blue one-piece bathing costume, from being way too early she was in danger of being late, she checked her bag of a cheap bottle of white wine, a bottle of water, a towel, and a folded pair of clean matching black knickers and bra in case they really went swimming.

Abigail glanced at her desk and screwed her lips up as she looked at the two open packs of Marlboro Reds and C-Raves her hands hovered over both packs, and she determined to pick up the white pack dropping them on the top of the towel, and then calling out to Leanne she was going down for a…she paused bit her lip and headed downstairs.

Part Eight B – Saturday Afternoon.

Sonia stood with one hand on her hip as she exhaled her cone of smoke, she rubbed her smoke-tinged lips together, then flicked her ash from her cigarette on the into the ashtray beside the large punch bowl, with whisps of smoke drifting out her nose as she gently breathed in and out, she calmly scooped up another ladle full of the orange liquid and poured into her cup and swiftly took a gulp. She then swayed in her short denim shorts and crop top to near the bifold doors and looked out over the garden.

Her parent’s house was now full of smoking paraphernalia, six months ago, sweet wrappers and dirty wine glasses were the most mess you would have found in this

house, mind you they were still there, their mum Angela was so house proud, when she gets back she will be horrified to find both Sonia and Madison smoking in her house, it was still a shock to Sonia that there she was standing next to an ashtray with several butts stubbed out already in it, she and of all things in the kitchen, actually smoking, actually needing to use an ashtray to dispose of a stinking cigarette. She tutted to herself as she picked it up and opened the cupboard under the sink and then tipped the contents into the black bin bag, which already stank of extinguished cigarettes. She sighed closed the door and put the ashtray back on the counter.

There were now lighters and ashtrays in every room, Ricky said it was far less stressful and convenient if they were in easy reach wherever they were in the house. He had gone around and insured that there were packs everywhere, car, bedrooms, kitchen, and living room. When he had finally persuaded Madison to join them, there was always at least one cigarette being smoked in the house at any one time.

Madison had taken the offer and run with it, even Sonia was concerned, was she was smoking far too much? Madison almost always now had a cigarette between her fingers, just like Ricky had said that it was” sexy as fuck look” for both of them. The couple of times she had seen herself with a cigarette in the mirror or selfie, she just had to agree. She looked to her hand and the white cylinder with the tinged black end busily burning away between her neatly painted fingers, she looked outside at Madison, she rubbed her lips together they were practically always smoking.

Working shifts was hard, she had to go three to four hours with one, breaktimes she just had to sit in the car and smoke and smoke some more. Madison claimed she was only smoking a couple on campus a day.

Here she was assisting Madison with fuelling her addiction…and her own, it scared her she put the filter to her lips and pulled the delightful creamy smoke in to her wanting lungs holding the smoke feeling it in her chest and then slowly let it drift out as she opened her mouth and exhaled.

Yesterday her swim was hard work, she only done a twenty of so lengths, it was nice to use the pool, but she had noticed that she was getting unfit.

In five minutes, there would be half a dozen probably half-dressed girls that Madison had pushed towards addiction, turning up to sunbath and smoke because

of Ricky. She looked out the window towards the oil drum barbeque they had dug out the shed yesterday, it had been only twenty or so minutes since they had sex, and she smiled fondly at the slightly older, still relatively skinny, and gorgeous Ricky in his shorts and wife beater vest highlighting his shoulder tattoos, can of lager in his hand, cigarette dangled between his lips standing all manly behind the barbeque poking the coals randomly with a stick, which she had hoped was slowly warming up. He was slowly bopping to the music blaring from the speaker Bluetooth linked to his iPod.

She took another drag on her cigarette as what annoyed her was that Ricky wasn’t staring at the coals, he was absent minded just poking them whilst watching Madison in her tiniest bikini as she was floating on the inflatable in the middle of pool, her eyes hidden behind her sunglasses, cigarette in one hand and her drink in the other.

Sonia shook her head, and took yet another long gulp of the punch, again pulled a face as it went down, before being snapped out of her daydream by the doorbell. She took one last drag on her current cigarette, before stubbing it out as she exhaled.

“Oh, Mads, I think your friends are here, are you going to answer it?” she called out through the bifold doors, before turning to head to the door as Madison attempted to paddle back to the side of the pool with her cigarette clamped between her lips and then ungainly climb off the inflatable, whilst trying not to drop either the cigarette, the punch or herself, she just about manged to do it.

***

Abigail pressed the doorbell again and stood back next to Meredith fanning her hand to get some cool air against her face, before stopping to again straighten her dress as they both took in the large front of the house.

“It’s a biggun isn’t it?” Meredith stated in usual blunt way.

“Yeah, Mads parents are not short of cash” Abigail grinned. “They are also away, he works in oil or something, got houses everywhere!”

“Wow, it’s probably so bloody large, they didn’t hear the doorbell?” She suggested chuckling to herself.

“I can’t press it for a third time, they are definitely in, we can hear the music.” She grumbled as she swapped her bag to her other shoulder.

They both jumped a little as the door swung open as Sonia stood there in her short white denim shorts and her little blue crop top highlight that she was clearly braless as it hugged her figure, her feet were in golden flip flops. “Oh, hey Abi and err?”

“This is my housemate Leanne” Abigail pointed in her direction and Sonia concluded the introduction and invited them both in.

“So, can I offer you both a drink?” Sonia asked as they reached the kitchen and stood between the punch and the fridge. They both made their selections, the wine for Meredith and punch for Abigail. As Madison finally joined them, topped up her punch.

“Cheers” they all clinked the plastic cups together.

“Help yourself to the ciggies, don’t be afraid to light up, this is very much a smoking household and there is literally plenty to round, so light up, drink up and have fun.” Sonia stated as she pulled a cigarette from the pack beside her, retrieved the lighter, making sure it was the right way around and soon had it alight with a couple of deep pulls.

Confusion reigned across Madisons face “But you don’t smoke?” She questioned before taking a drag on her own cigarette.

Abigail and Leanne briefly looked nervous at each other before laughing as the took the pack from Sonia and then extracted a cigarette each, placing the filter between their lips. Sonia flicked the lighter and then they both took very tentative tugs on the filter to pull the smoke into their lungs.

Madison excited bounced on the balls of her toes, clapping her hands together forgetting that she had a cigarette between them spreading smoke everywhere, her oiled breasts loosely contained in bikini top and flopped and jiggled around in the fabric as she jumped. “Oh, wow Abigail, you actually are smoking! Yay! This is so exciting!”

Abigail nervously and tentatively reached across towards the ashtray and flicked the growing ash from her cigarette over of it. “Yeah, Leanne here has helped us!” she grinned and smiled at Leanne as they all brought their filters back to their lips.

“Come outside both of you, let me introduce Ricky, then you can strip off and chill, its gorgeous out there.” She grinned.

Leanne and Abigail looked at each other whilst keeping their cigarettes down by their sides “Okay are we the first?”

Sonia, nodded as she swirled her cup and then watched as Madison wiggled her body as she made her way over towards Ricky, she looked down at her drink, brought it to her lips and quickly chugged the contents.

***

Jennie and Olivia sat on the first green park bench closest to the entrance just down the road from both their houses, they took in turns with the lighter, sheltering their cigarettes from the wind as they lit them.

“It’s so warm today!” Jennie stated as she then rummaged around in her bag and pulled out a bottle of water twisting the cap off.

“I know, don’t know if this pool is heated or not!” Olivia questioned before bringing her cigarette back to her lips.

Jennie shrugged her shoulders and guzzled some of the water, before offering the bottle. “I have no idea, its so hot out, the cold pool might be nice?”

“I am alright thanks, if I drink any more, I will burst, I drank like two pints of milk before coming out.” Olivia stated, “I will need a wee before we do anything else!” she grinned.

“Why?” Jennie asked with confusion.

“To line my stomach.” Olivia grinned “I can’t go on afternoon bender without it!” she grinned.

“Oh, I just had a load of boiled rice for lunch”

“Does the same thing, but I just wanted to leave room for the burgers!” Oliva laughed and brought the filter back to her lips.

“I’ve always got room for beer and burgers!” Jennie responded with a chuckle. “Which might explain a few things!” she giggled and patted her slightly extended belly under her top.

Olivia glanced at where Jennie’s hand went and the shook her head, before glancing at her watch on her wrist, “Nothing wrong with that.” She pulled on her cigarette once more, then exhaled, “Two more minutes, then we should really head there, don’t want to be too far behind the food and drinking curve!” she grinned, flicked her cigarette, and then brought the filter back to her lips.

“You decided to sit down for a smoke?” Jennie tried to riff.

“Okay, I know, it too hot, come on, lets walk then!” Olivia huffed as she stood up, straightened her dress out, Jennie followed and they then proceeded to walk across the park in direction of Madisons house, taking occasional drags on their cigarettes as they walked.

***

Madison walked the girls in the direction of Ricky by the barbeque, he waved the swirling smoke away from his face as the sausages and burgers sizzled on the grating. She introduced them and explained who they were.

“How are you finding the cigarettes?” He asked as he took a gulp of his beer.

Abigail and Meredith looked at each other giggled “Good, we are only just starting.”

Ricky chuckled “Don’t stress, everyone here has been there!” he grinned taking another squig.

“But yeah, nice!” Meredith stated. “Don’t you agree Abi?”

“Oh yes, we got there together didn’t we!” Abigail grinned as she looked at the cigarette between her fingers.

“I promise you will find your happy place with them, don’t stress!” he grinned.

“Cool, and err, thank you for giving them to us!” Abigail replied taking another gulp of the punch, swallowing and then shaking her head at the strength.

“No problem, glad to help you girls out. I know how expensive smoking can be, so I thought, hey why not help Maddy and her friends out.

“Wow, thanks, you are so kind!” Meredith stated as Abigail looked on with a confusion across her face.

He proudly nodded “Anyway, the food will be another five minutes, I don’t want to give anyone food poisoning from my sausage!” he grinned at his attempt at humour as he turned the sizzling sausage over, and the girls took a step back as the fat popped.

“There is nothing wrong with your sausage.” Madison winked as she joked back “We will go and sit by the pool, smoke, drink and wait, the others should be here soon.”

***

“Hi Jennie and Olivia, great to see you both!” Sonia greeted them with a slightly tipsy smile as she opened the door.

“Sorry we are slightly late; we got the wrong road!” Oliva explained sheepishly. “And then stopped for a ciggy!” Jennie responded almost proudly.

“Well, you are here now, that’s all that counts, Mads is out with Abigail and Leanne and the foods ready! Come in, grab and drink!”

“Cool.”
“Sorry, can I use the loo first?” Olivia replied jiggling on the spot.

Sonia giggled and pointed to the downstairs toilet and led Jennie to the kitchen got her a glass of wine and then led her outside.

Over the next hour the girls once they had got over that Abigail had actually tried smoking and was smoking and was enjoying it, they also quizzed Leanne to the nth degree about her history all whilst eating, drinking and importantly for Ricky and his mission, they all of the smoked. Sonia and he were the dutiful host, as they would ensure that as a cigarette was stubbed out, at least a fresh one was offered.

Olivia accepted the latest flame from the lighter thanking Ricky who was just now wearing his red Baywatch style swimming shorts and explained to everyone that she was just going to the toilet. She then swanned into the living room heading for the downstairs toilet, she tried the door and Madison shouted through the door she was in there, use the upstairs one Olivia nodded in agreement and headed up the stairs.

She found the family bathroom, that was easy, the door was wide open, she sat on the toilet with her cigarette and did her business, then flushed and washed her hands, all whilst dangling the cigarette between her lips. She took a drag, and removed it from her lips as she exhaled, she then looked around to remove her ash and chuckled as she found and then used the green plastic ashtray wedged in the corner of the bath.

A wry smile crept across her lips as she unlocked and opened the door, she shrugged her shoulders and decided to look around. All the doors were open, the first door was clearly Madisons room, there were her uni textbooks stacked up on the desk next to the laptop, the bed was unmade, her pink pyjama bottoms were scrunched up on the pillow, she had an open cigarette pack with a lighter and ashtray next to the bed, the wicker basket next to the beside unit had tissues, a empty cigarette and an empty blue box of Tampax, on the floor was full of more scattered dirty clothes. The next room should have been Sonia’s the double bed had been cleared of bedding the room was clearly half used. She poked her head into the airing cupboard before looking at the master bedroom. The room was twice the size of the girls’ rooms, and even they were large, a huge king size bed was against the wall, with large windows looking over the back garden and the hills in the distance.

She looked down through the windows and there was Madison floating on the pool whilst the other dangled their legs in the water. Olivia turned around and smiled, there stacked against the wall was what seemed like hundreds of packs of cigarettes, all neatly against the wall.

“Fuck!” she swore out loud and licked her lips remembering the cigarette between her fingers brought it back to her lip and as she exhaled, she then got closer and inquisitively picked up a couple from the top of the stacks, there were packs with C-Rave and others with C-Rave + stuck on them. She studied and inquisitively shook both packs, the ones she had been smoking had only been C-Raves, she put them both back and then headed back to the bathroom, stubbed out her cigarette in the ashtray and then headed down the stairs to find the others.

She got down to find Madison and Jennie floating on the lilos on the pool still drinking and smoking, whilst Abigail and Meredith on the sun loungers. Sonia and Ricky were passionately snogging leaning against the shed behind the barbeque.

Olivia dragged her chair closer to the two girls and sat down and smiled “I still can’t get my head around you are having a cigarette!” she grinned pointing at it between Abigail’s fingers.

Abigail shrugged, “Like you all said, they are free!” she grinned and brought the filter to her lips, she took a short drag and quickly exhaled.

“Great, you do remember how you asked me to investigate?”

Abigail looked at her cigarette and then looked at Meredith who had shuffled closer “Yeah I did?”

“Well, I went for a wee, then I have had a look in the house.” “Oh, wow, what did you find?”
“Err, cigarettes and lots of them!” she grinned.
“Was that it?”

“Yes, stacks of packs and stickers. There is nothing strange going on at all…”

Abigail sighed and relaxed. “Great…” she looked at her burning cigarette between her fingers “…at least it’s just normal.”

“But…”

Leanne shifted her weight in the chair the plastic creaked beside them and leaned in to listen.

“What?” Abigail questioned.

Olivia smiled “There are two different types of C-Raves, I think we are smoking the normal ones.” She picked up the pack and studied the label.

“Right, what do you mean?” she whispered.

“Well, there are also C-Raves + up there.”

The three of them looked blankly and confused at each other. Whilst Abigail nodded thoughtfully “Oh, right. Well, lets keep away from the other ones enjoy these ones then?” Abigail said unconvincingly as she thought about it, “Could you ask them about it?” She suggested. “They could be the modified ones I was looking for?”

Olivia bit her bottom lip and nodded “Yeah, I guess so.”

“This is serious girls…” Abigail said looking again the cigarette between her fingers, she hovered it over the ashtray before changing her mind and bringing it back to her lips, taking a short inhale before then stubbing it out.

“There is not a lot we can do about it?” Leanne chipped in. “I’ve only just started.” She licked her lips and took a gulp of her drink.

Abigail looked at both girls and nodded.

“All of you come in for a swim!” Madison shouted from the lilo in the pool at the top of her voice.

The girls looked at each other and nodded, both Olivia and Meredith stubbed their cigarettes out shuffled off the chairs and then the three of them headed to the pool.

***

Ricky looked over on at the pool, took a large bite out of the last sausage and licked his lips satisfactorily, all the girls were dancing, bouncing, and splashing each other, generally messing around in the pool.

He smiled and rubbed his chin winced, he watched as Sonia stagged around in the corner of the pool in the direction of a pack of cigarettes she had left safely away from the water, it was clear she was overly drunk, she had clearly cottoned on that he was doing something with Madison.

All the other girls were still giggling, bouncing, and splashing around to the music behind her. He patted his pocket and pulled out the pack of C-Rave +. He smiled as he watched the girls and nodded to himself.

It hadn’t been the plan, there wasn’t a real idea. He met Sonia one night as she was having a quiet drink with some girls after work, she caught his eye, and after some egging on from her friends, they had swapped numbers, the first date had gone well, she had wanted to see him again. The second time he had only teasingly offered her a cigarette, as he had to go outside, full well knowing that she would refuse. She did, but at the second date, she had followed him outside to continue the conversation and with nervous inquisition had actually asked him to try one.

He laughed at the thought, looking at her now elbows leaning against side of the pool as she focused on trying to flick the lighter to get her cigarette alight which with wet fingers was difficult. Especially as everyone else was still shrieking and splashing behind her. Ricky contemplated going to help her, but with the third attempt the cigarette was alight. She looked up at him and grinned tipsily and he smiled back as she fluttered her eyelids which instantly made his crotch move as then pulled the smoke through the cigarette deep into her lungs.

He had been discussing with Bryan and Harte their little money-making scheme where they import on hidden on the back of a lorry, cheap knock off cigarettes, repackage them and flog them on to their friends.

For a few hundred quid, he could get literally thousands of cigarettes. With the cash passed over he now acquired his own supply.

With him out of his dingy one bed flat and now living in the large bright and light house with the girls, life was better for him, closer to the club, Sonia would feed him and the bonus was that both of them walked around wearing very little for most of the day, which was sexy as, this was further improved when they had both learnt to smoke for him, and it seemed just loved to smoke. It hadn’t taken long in the conversations with Sonia and Madison in the evenings to realise Madison had a load of university friends who all could easily smoke his supply of cheap cigarettes.

It also hadn’t been his intention to sleep with Madison, yes, her walking around in skirts that just reached the lower corner of her cute buttocks flashing her underwear- if she was wearing any- at him as she moved around the house, had teased him rotten.

Sonia had picked up extra shifts on Tuesday evenings, and as the club was shut, he had chosen to stay in the house rather than head out. He hadn’t expected later

that evening for a drunk Madison to throw herself at him on the sofa in a fit of passion.

As she was drunk, as almost a joke he had only asked if she wanted to try a cigarette. She had accepted and then coughed and spluttered, as expected, he only put his arm around her to support her, she had then leaned in and kissed him. Just like her sister the sex was amazing.

He was living with two attractive smoking hot girls. He was looking across the garden at half a dozen practically undressed smoking hot girls. His life really couldn’t be better. However, he soon discovered that Madison loved to tease him, dragging on a cigarette whilst flashing him body parts naughtily here and there around the house, just out of sight of her sister. It drove him mad.

Yes, Sonia smokes and clearly enjoys smoking, but Madison is like a rocket fuel has been lit. It surprised him how much she loves to devour the nicotine.

He looked across from Sonia who, with her hair slicked back from the pool water was again pulling hard on her cigarette as she leant against the pool edge and smiled to himself. As the sensible adult, he considered that he ought to be stopping them drinking quite so much. Ricky flipped open the pack as he got closer to the pool, he kneeled down and briefly glanced at Madison as stared on, before he kissed Sonia on her smoky lips and gently groped her naked breasts tweaking her nipples between his fingers, she giggled and moaned and then drunkenly slapped him away.

He stood up “So girls, who wants another cigarette?” he grinned as they all turned and stopped messing around, and like fish chasing food bounced and wiggled their way across the pool to the side all saying yes, please.

They lined up along the side of the pool, their elbows supporting them on the concrete side, as if it was a fashion parade, each shook their fingers to remove the excess water and then took a cigarette from the pack, and then Ricky went back down the line offering the flame from his lighter. Leanne at the end had her large breasts literally resting on the pool side practically spilling out of her costume, her huge cold nipples protruding through the black fabric like top hats, he couldn’t help but have a lingering look down as he crouched with the lighter. They all excitedly inhaled on their cigarettes.

Abigail looked at Olivia and then looked at Ricky as he pushed the pack in his red swimming shorts pockets attempted to whisper, “These are the plus ones, aren’t they?”

“Oh, fuck, are they?” She looked at her wet fingers and the burning cigarette, and then brought it to her lips and pulled the smoke into her lungs, she exhaled and ran her tongue around her lips. “They don’t taste any different?”

***

As the evening drew on and the light faded, the girls had long got out of the pool, they were now dressed wrapped in blankets and were sitting by the fire pit, smoking and drinking hot chocolates and coffees attempting to sober up a little before going home. Sonia was snuggled up in Ricky’s arms whilst Madison chatted to her friends whilst keeping one eye on Ricky. In between consuming their cigarettes, they were chewing on melted marshmallows that had been skewered and held above the hot coals. Abigail pulled the blanket over her shoulders and accepted the unsteady flame from Madisons lighter as she pulled the smoke into her lungs.

Their burning red cherry tips of their cigarettes were dancing like fireflies in the darkness, around the hot burning pit, like the moths to a flame.