Bloodstained Fur, A Bluey Story 3

12. Hiding An Addiction

Wednesday, September 20

Jean-Luc was taking a walk outside, by himself. The night was slowly starting to fade in and he was walking back from Mackenzie's house which was about half an hour away from his own. 

He paused and reached into his jacket pocket and pulled out a cigarette and a lighter. He placed the cigarette in his mouth and lit it, inhaling in the smoke. 

He began waking again, holding the cigarette between his fingers, taking long drags every few seconds. 

He soon arrived home, extinguishing his cigarette on the pavement before walking inside. He was greeted by his mother who seemed to catch on immediately to the smell of smoke. She asked about it but Jean-Luc denied the claim by saying he walked in front of a smoker. She didn't fully buy it and searched his hoodie pocket but there was nothing in them but some lint and five dollars. 

Jean-Luc had a habit of hiding things in the yard or in places no one would really suspect and he had placed the cigarettes and the lighter underneath a bush so they couldn't be seen.

He was let off the hook and headed upstairs to get into bed, not really caring that he smelt like smoke and tar. He had become practically blind to the smell of it but it Dan was right, it served as a distraction. Even with everything that had happened in the past he seemed to forget about it all when he had a cigarette between his fingers. Everything in grade seven, and eight and the current stress of grade nine, not to mention the new drama with Honey-Cake. 

His mother was still concerned, she knew he was smoking, her father was a smoker and she recognized that smell anywhere. She walked into the living room and sat down beside her husband. Her husband noticed her demeanour quickly and placed his beer down on the table. 

"Êtes-vous d'accord? Tu as l'air stressé." (Are you okay? You seem stressed.) He asked her, turning his attention toward her. "Est-ce que c'est juste moi ou Jean-Luc s'est comporté bizarrement ces derniers jours?" (Is it just me or has Jean-Luc been acting strange the past few days?). Jean-Luc's dad thought for a minute before speaking up again; "Laissez moi lui parlé" (Let me talk to him). 

Despite the fact they had moved to Australia their family still spoke French in their home, mainly due to it being their first language, therefore easier than have to think a little extra in just a basic conversation or bother with translation.

Jean-Luc's dad stood up from the couch, heading up to his son's room. He knocked on the door. "Je peuvent entrè?" (Can I come in?). "Oui" Jean-Luc replied, turning to face the door, putting his phone down against the covers. His Dad noticed the particular smell of smoke and the slight nervousness of his son. He was losing some of his sense of smell due to an injury a while back but he smelt the smoke right away. "Jean-Luc, Je veux que tu se rend honnête avec moi; est-ce que tu fumes des clopes?" (Jean-Luc, I want you to be honest with me; are you smoking cigarettes?), the older Labrador firmly asked him. "Non, Je ne fumes pas les clopes, pourquoi?" (No, I don't smoke cigarettes, why?), Jean-Luc tried to lie. "Je ne sais pas, ta mère est fou." (I don't know, your Mom is crazy), Jean-Luc's dad chuckled a bit, brushing it off. 

Jean-Luc explained what he had told his mother to his Dad and he was off the hook. His dad headed out of the room and as soon as the door closed Jean-Luc exhaled. He managed to fool his dad, but his mom was a different story. He knew he would have to keep on his best behaviour and maybe invest in something to keep the smell of smoke and tar off his fur. 

Otherwise he was safe for now and at least one of his parents had bought the lie so, he would just have to use that as a way out for now.