When Mary Met Halley

Six

I hung back so she went first, then followed with an eye roll at him. He tugged my plain, boring, brownish hair and let the door shut behind us. Our footsteps echoed and we came out into the too-bright sun. 

I shielded my eyes and saw a shady spot on the lawn, not close enough to get bitched at for breaking the no-smoking rules. I pulled off my hoodie and sat on it so the grass didn't tickle my bare legs. Running shorts were all I'd felt like wearing, though the mornings were beginning to get chilly.

Leif already had a cigarette lit and lounged next to me, crossing and recrossing his ankles restlessly. "Any change?"

I swiped the cigarette. "Other than the color palette that is his face, no."

She had shrugged out of her own jacket and was digging in her purse for a lighter. Leif offered his. 

I gave him a subtle look. 

He touched his fist to his chest in an abbreviated ASL sign for sorry. One of our friends in school had been Deaf so we knew a lot of signs.

She lit her cigarette, handed him the lighter back with a nod of thanks, and crossed her legs. Her red tank top had tiny circles cut out through the straps and a little V missing in the front, showing a more-or-less modest amount of the tops of her breasts. The super light dusting of freckles continued on her arms and down her shirt. 

"I am smoking way too much," she said idly. She blew air out of her nose. "Like it matters."

"What's on head radio?" Leif asked me out of habit.

I ignored her quizzical glance."You Oughta Know," I said after I thought about it.

He shifted and pulled up some grass. "Are you chastising me or talking about the Alanis Morisette song?" He held out his hand.

I allowed him to smoke. "The latter." My phone buzzed.

Paramjeet. Any changes or murder charges?

No. Smoking with the enemy right now.

Whaaaaaaat???

I smiled. Yeah. As it turns out, she's done with him, too. He basically told her we were about to break up.

I hate him. I hope he dies. Sorrynotsorry.

I wasn't offended. She was right to be mad. Yeah, ikr. just neither of us feel right abandoning him to like, die alone or whatever.

Yeah right. You just want dibs on killing him first when he wakes up. I hope Leif is helping.

I glanced at him; he was touching the end of a blade of grass to the glowing cherry. He is, I told her.

Give him a hug from me. I miss his gloomy, emo, pretty face.

"Paramjeet says she misses your gloomy, emo, pretty face," I told him, smiling despite myself.

He handed me back the cigarette, the corner of his mouth quirking. "I'm sure she does."

I returned to my phone. I told him. He misses you, too.

I'm just on a snack break so I better grab a bagel or something so I don't turn into Mr. Hyde. Love you.

Good luck, Dr. Jeckyl. Love you too. I put the phone back down and gave him the last drag of the cigarette.

Halley was checking her own phone, her cigarette sitting in her fingers half-smoked. She raised it to her lips and inhaled, holding the smoke for a moment before letting it out. She put down the phone and her other fingers went to the bridge of her nose and pinched.