Me, My Cigarette, and The World

7- Graham just wants to be home.

(Graham's POV)

"How about we get out of here?"

Jesus Christ this woman moves fast. She barely just learnt my name and now she wants to shag. It saddens me that sex can mean so little to someone. I feel like it's lost all meaning for the woman beside me. Wait, what's her name?

"I-I never caught y-your name." I guess this is an okay way to avoid the whole losing my virginity to a stranger thing that just might happen tonight because I don't have the heart to tell her that I'm not interested. I know she hasn't cared about how I react to the things she says but can put in the effort to be nice. It's the least I can do.

"Heather." She answers quickly and stares me down as she waits for my response to her question. I try to will my tears away again as I look around the room. It feels like there's a weight pushing down on my chest as I try to make it unnoticeable that I can barely get enough air in my lungs. She pays no attention to any of my actions though and continues to wait for me to answer. This is too much pressure. Too much. It's all too much.

I somehow manage to catch Damon's eye from across the bar where he was chatting up Heather's friends. His goofy smile fades as he realizes how panicked I am. If he can pick up on how uncomfortable I am, why can't she? He looks like he wants to get up, but one of the women sits on his lap and pulls him back into a conversation. He's not going to be any help to me.

"Graham? Hello?" Heather waves her hand in front of my face and I flinch in fear that she might catch my skin with one of her long finger nails. Being brought back to having her be the centre of my attention once again. It somehow makes it even harder to breathe. My face is probably turning red. People will stare. I feel like there's too much attention in me. I might just pass out.

"Oh. I guess- I um... well-" I try my best to stutter out a coherent thought but I cut myself off as Heather takes my hand and leads me off to the bathroom. No. I stop trying to hide my gasps for air and small cries the closer we get. She just complains about how sweaty my hand is as she pulls me along. I feel someone nudge my shoulder and a I look up to see Damon giving me a reassuring smile. I manage to stop and Heather turns around.

"Let's go home yeah? I don't feel too great." He takes my hand and squeezes it as he tries to pull me into the opposite direction from the bathrooms, to the exit. Heather tries to follow us to the door. "Mind if I come with?" She asks and I look up at Damon for help.

"I wouldn't mind love, but my mother is staying at our apartment at the moment and the walls are quite thin, aren't they Graham?" Just when I thought Damon would save me from more embarrassment he has to throw me back into the spotlight so I can make a fool out of myself. That was also the gayest excuse he could have given. She probably thinks he and I are dating now.

"Y-Yeah." I decide to go with a one word answer to minimize the chance of making it even more obvious that we just don't want Heather around. I hope she can finally take the hint. It takes another ten minutes of her finding a pen in her purse and writing her number on each of our hands before making us promise to call her. Damon promises and I just nod.

When we're finally standing outside in the cool night air, I break down and begin to cry as Damon watches on awkwardly. I try to hide my face away from him. I don't want to make him uncomfortable. But no matter how hard I try to stop crying, I can't.

"Are you okay?" Damon asks as he gently pulls my arms away from my face an stares at me with wide, concerned eyes. I just sniffle loudly and he wraps his arms tightly around me. "I'm so sorry I made you come out tonight. I'm sorry. You're safe now Gra. You're okay." He repeats himself over and over again as he runs his hand up and down my back.