I've always inhabited dark alleys and leaned on the side of dingy buildings, invisible to the naked eye.
It was when I was in the middle of my fifth cigarette when I saw you.
You stood under the glow of a streetlamp, clutching a polka dot umbrella over your head. It was raining.
But how could no one notice someone like you; with your bright presence in your yellow coat and red boots that immediately caught my attention, leaving me to wonder how I had caught yours, as I hid in the shadows with a glowing ember hanging from my mouth.
You asked for my name.
I told you I was Levi. I asked yours.
You said your name was Mia.
I took another couple puffs before you said something again.
"That will kill you, you know."
I did know that, but it didn't matter that much to me. We would all die at some point; I'm just shortening the wait.
I told you all this, but you just smiled softly in return. Why, I didn't really know. Most people would shake their head or scorn at me, but you just smiled.
"Do you want a coffee?"
You tilted your head slightly to the side at my question. Yes, we barely spoken any words to each other; yes, we've only just met; and yes, I didn't know a single thing about you. But I wanted to know every little insignificant thing about you; what makes you tick, what makes you laugh, what makes you cry.
So you said yes to coffee and I tossed what was left of my cigarette, before we went into the café just next door.
YOU ARE READING
Nicotine
Short StoryAbout a boy who smokes, And a girl who doesn't want him to, But mostly about how she seems to save him. © by Sydney Druckman 2022. Early matters subject to change.