Veronstone Senior Society Stories

Smoking

Smoking

"Ugh!" Nicolai choked, walking into his dorm after hours.

Glancing up from his spot at the window seat, Ivan tapped his lit cigarette to rid it of the ash buildup before he took another pull from it.

"You alright?" The warlock questioned, smoke trailing from his lips before he took a moment to blow it out altogether.

Nicolai shook his head and pulled open the window nearest to him.

"I can't take all this smoke all the time!" The mutant complained. "It's really strong!"

"It's just a cigarette." Ivan snickered. "Quit being a baby!"

"The smell is starting to stick to my clothes!" Nicolai continued. "And my lungs are flaring up! You're giving me second-hand smoke!"

"Oh, shut up!"

"No more smoking in here!"

"I'll smoke whenever and wherever I wanna smoke!"

Spitefully, Ivan pulled another drag from the filtered end of the smoke between his fingers. Nicolai's deep blue brows furrowed in frustration, but his expression shifted instantly when a thought came to his mind. 

"I heard a few of our friends say the same thing about the smoke smell..." Nicolai started, peaking Ivan's attention.

"What friends?" He questioned; a brow raised in the nightcrawler's direction.

The mutant sat at his desk and opened his textbook before responding.

"A couple of the cheerleaders on the Milkweed Varsity team."

"Who gives an elf what they think?! They're not my friends."

"Virgil and Mathieus, the popular upperclassman, hate smoke too."

"Again, WHO gives an elf what they think?!"

"Kyle told me he hates the smell of cigarettes too."

There was an obvious pause in the conversation and Nicolai smiled down at his textbook knowingly when he noticed Ivan's eyes looking over the lit cigarette between his slender fingers. Almost instantly, the warlock pulled the ashtray on the windowsill close to him and worked to put out the smoke.

"Okay? So what?" Ivan seemed to flush, standing from the window seat to pull the can of air-freshener off his desk.

Spraying vigorously, the warlock's expression was of clear concern.

"I-I don't care!"

"Just stop smoking already!"

"Yeah, sure, because it's that easy to do." Ivan's sarcastic tone responded. "It's not like it's a form of addiction or anything."

"Give me the carton." Nicolai demanded, holding his webbed hand out. "Try to go clean for a week! I'm sure you can do it!"

Ivan hesitated. His fingers hovered over the inner pocket of his leather jacket before he finally shoved his hand inside. Pulling the carton of cigarettes from the pocket, he quickly handed it over, doing his best not to second guess his decision.

"Fine! Here!" The warlock scoffed, shoving the smokes into the mutant's hand. "I don't need them..."

"I'm sure your lungs are thanking you!" Nicolai giggled. He quickly pushed the carton into the pocket of his uniform pants when he noticed the warlock eyeing the box. "And you'll smell at lot better too! Maybe our friends won't complain so much about it anymore~!"