Cigarettes and Jigsaw Puzzles

Lead Bubbles

Drew climbed into Henry's bedroom window at approximately two in the morning. He sat on the windowsill and looked between Henry and me with a smug grin on his kisser. He pulled the tiny butt of a barely hanging on cigarette out of between his teeth and blew the smoke out the window before crushing the lit end on the windowsill.

"Well, assholes," Drew laughed, landing with a soft thud on Henry's floor. "You shall now all refer to me as 'The King'."

Henry threw a pillow, which Drew skillfully dodged, "Why's that?"

"Why's that, The King," Drew corrected, smirking to us and sitting on a navy bean bag opposite mine. Henry rolled his eyes and looked at me, telling me something I didn't understand. Drew continued speaking with Cheetos in his mouth, "You guys are aware of the hot masterpiece who is Jocelyn Downey, correct?" Henry and I nodded at him. I sure know Jocelyn Downey. She's only the hottest girl around here, and she does get around. Every girl is envious of her.

"What about Jocelyn?" Henry asked stupidly.

Drew laughed, "Well, I was just with her. She's sweet. Real sweet."

"Did you guys..." Henry drifted off, but Drew knew what the rest of his question would be.

"Why would I do that?" Drew put a hand to his heart, pretending to be offended. His eyes burned into Henry's, "Don't be stupid, Henry. Of course I got it with her."

"What about Andro-"

"Don't talk to me about Andromeda right now," Drew huffed, licking his fingers free of Cheetos dust. "She doesn't have to know, does she?" he snorted. Drew didn't give us any time to respond, "We aren't even dating yet. Can't a guy have a little fun?"

Henry and I looked between each other. He opened his mouth to speak, and I knew exactly what he was thinking.

No, Drew. Fun is fun, but she's an actual human with actual feelings, asshole.

Or something along those lines.

I always fall asleep relatively early on weekends because all week I am up until four in the morning doing homework or watching television shows or doing something else I shouldn't be doing at four a.m. I woke up shortly after Drew came in, mostly because I don't give a shit about the details of his little outing with Jocelyn Downey.

That morning, I told Drew I didn't want to go home because of my family problems. He knows just about everything about my home life, since our mothers work together. A lot is said and kept pinkie-promise secret. What happens in the break room stays in the break room.

I stayed at Drew's house for the whole day and even over the night. I told my mother that we had a project to work on, but school is not even in session until Monday, but she sounded like she understood why I didn't want to be at home. I was never at home lately. I mostly went home to eat and sleep, not much else. I just stick around for my little sister. If she wasn't in the picture, I would've been in an apartment by myself by now. It's not like I don't want her, Cassidy is my favourite person in my whole family. She keeps me going. My older brother, Greg, is the opposite. He is the definition of a douchey sexist pig. Stanford junior, 3.95 GPA, track star, heart breaker. Asshole.

For what I lack, he makes up ten-fold. It's depressing, really, to be the family idiot who isn't getting anywhere because they'd rather design movie posters than find the hypotenuse of a right triangle.

"Chips?" Drew asked while I shot down an imaginary enemy in some Xbox game Drew put in for me. I held up my hand and he tossed the bag which missed my hand and landed on my lap after hitting my shoulder.