Bad Habits

Party Time

When you where a kid, some of us remember walking past a person who is smoking and end up you gagging as silently as possible.

I used to be like that, now I crave the smell of nicotine.

Every time I see somebody smoking, I wish I could be. I wish to know the feeling it gives you. To learn the feel of the smoke rising out of your mouth.

Instead I'm on my front porch, listening my family fumble around inside our house as I just listen to my music and watch the neighbor guy, across the street from us, blow a long string of smoke from his mouth.

Sooner or later the old man goes inside, so I'm left with no choice. I get out my homework and turn down my music a little.

I finish my Geometry homework and start writing my English paper, "A description of your life". Oh, joyous.

I wrote about two paragraphs when I decide to give myself a break. I quickly and quietly sneak my bike out of the garage and walk about ten feet away before getting on it.

"Sneaking out again, are we?" Ask's the Nathan. Nathan was my neighbor and former catcher of our schools baseball team. He had light brown hair and hazel eyes. He had muscles here and there that I noticed from time to time, because we had windows across from each other.

"Caught me." I laugh, rubbing the back of my neck as pink slowly colors in my face.

"So I have." he says. Even though he's about 20 feet from me, I can practically feel the smirk forming of his face.

"What's it gonna take for you to keep your mouth shut?" I ask, positioning myself a little more comfortably on my bike seat.

"Who said I was gonna tell?" He says while grabbing the handle bars to his bike. He then swiftly hops on and starts peddling down the street.
"Come on." He yells back at me.

Now I'm confused. He caught me sneaking out and isn't going to tell? Or will he tell if I don't follow him.

Taken against better judgment, I follow him. Catching up at a steady pace.

"Where are we going?" I ask, when we turn down an unfamiliar road.

"Just follow me." He objects. I shrug my shoulder and keep following him, as faint party music tends to get louder.

"What the -" I say as we approach a party booming with just about everyone in my high school. Even some freshmen are here. I swiftly stop my bike and look around.

"Are you just going to stand there or join the party?" Nathan asks, handing me a cup filled with an unknown substance.

I quickly hop off my bike and let it fall to the ground. "What is this?" I ask, sniffing the cup to investigate.

"Beer." I go to object from drinking it but Nathan starts speaking again. "Just drink it, have some fun with your life."

I stare at him in complete and utter shock. "I do have fun with my life." I defend myself.

"Then prove it." He says, taking a sip from his cup which I'm assuming also has beer in it.

"Fine." I spat. Chugging the contents of the drink, then wiping my lips off with my sleeve. My throat burned with a sensational heat.

"How do you feel?" He asks.

"That was, amazing." I whisper, pushing my glasses up my face. The taste of the alcohol reminded me of the smell of nicotine. It leave me wanting to try more.

He laughs at me, than says "Let go have some shots." I follow him inside, interested in how the next alcoholic beverage will make me feel.

**********
I wake up with a splitting head ache.

"Ugh" I groan, rolling over to reach for my glasses on my night stand. Except, my hand doesn't land on the night stand.

I feel around for awhile, expecting to find my glasses soon, when a small moan erupts from somewhere next to me.

I flutter my eyes open instantly and find my hand on Nathan's bare stomach, showing me his abs and my head leaning on his shoulder, his arm draped over me.

I was so paralyzed with shock, all I could mutter was a silent, "Fuck."