Diamond S Ranch

19 Report Card

Meredith had convinced the others to take the long way back to their building after lunch, which meant going around the outside. It was a rather nice day, even for December. The weather there reminded Elle a lot like Georgia. During the fall and winter, it could be 70 degrees on day and 35 degrees the next. Today it was nice enough you only needed a heavy sweater.

As soon as they cleared the main courtyard, where some students where hanging out for lunch, Meredith reached into her bookbag and pulled out a cigarette and lit it up.

"Whoa!" Penny exclaimed as she watched Meredith stop and put the long white paper tube to her mouth then lit it up. The rest of them stopped, mouths agape. Well, not Elle's she was surprised, just not shocked.

"What are you doing, Mere?" Lillie hissed, lowering her voice.

Meredith took a long draw then blew it out, closing her eyes. The look on her face serene, like she just found her happy place. Elle reached over, taking it from her and did the same thing. She could feel the immediate warmth of the smoke as it pushed its way into her lungs. She found it calming and just like Meredith, closed her eyes capturing the moment, however brief. When she opened her eyes, she smirked, oh yeah, there was the buzz.

"Elle, what the hell?" Lillie was still standing there shocked.

Elle shrugged. "It's no big deal. I used to do it more back home." She explained. "Come on, try it." She urged, though her body did spasm up a cough, it had been a while.

Penny and Lillie stood there looking at them like they were crazy. Josh stood there with his hands in his pockets.

"If we get caught, we would get into so much trouble." Penny argued her eyes darting back and forth like she was expecting a swat team of police, with guns drawn, to descend on them at any second.

"Just take one hit, try it. It's not like you are out here smoking a whole pack. Besides, no one is even out here." Elle said as she looked around. There wasn't anyone around.

"Come on," Meredith urged, "just a one hit."

Lillie exchanged nervous glances with Penny and Josh. Penny shook her head no.

"I'm not doing it. I'm not going to get suspended." she announced, flipping her hair and turning her nose in the air as she whirled around leaving the others behind. Goody two shoes, Elle thought to herself, besides, she doubted cigarettes got you suspended.

Josh shrugged his shoulders, "l'll try," he said reaching out and taking the cigarette from Elle. He inhaled and then started coughing and handed back to Meredith who was laughing.

Meredith stuck her hand out offering Lillie the community cigarette. "Come on," she urged practically shoving it in Lillie's face, "hurry, before the bell rings."

Elle looked over at Lillie, "Hey, Lill, you don't have to if you don't want to." she said, not liking how Meredith was pushing her. The bell finally rang.

Meredith dropped the cigarette and grounded it under her foot. With Josh sputtering and coughing, Meredith laughing, Lillie anxious and Elle buzzing, they all hurried back to class.

Before they left for the day Meredith had given Elle the rest of the pack of her cigarettes. She had only asked for a few, but according to Meredith it's easy for her to steal more from her stepmother, her fourth stepmother, as she likes to say, so she gave her the rest of the pack. Elle stuffed them deep into her bookbag. She knew it was risky but once she got home and hid them, she would feel better.

Ever since Christmas day, Jake had let Elle off from her grounding, he didn't give her phone back but he did let her go and hang out with Lillie. And now with them being off for the holidays, they were finally able to get back to their rock cave hideout. They pulled everything out, and set it back up and for several days, after her stupid chores of course, they would meet there and hang out. Elle had snuck the cigarettes out and hid them out there, that had to be the safest place for sure.