ciggy ➳ l.p au

one

Isabelle was annoyed by now.

Her roommate would not let her leave because she kept bugging the fuck out of her about paying half of the electricity bill. Of course, that was something they both contributed to, but she needed to understand that Isabelle needed time.

Money was always hard for Isabelle to earn. In fact, the most she had earned was a few years ago when she would let men have their way with her body, and during that time she had gained a couple hundred euros. It disgusted herself that she would even consider doing that, but she had to make money somehow.

When she dropped out of Uni, there wasn't any other option than to move in with her parents. And when she stayed there for quite a few nights in a row, even her parents were sick of her. Eventually, she ended up here in this apartment with her good friend Tony- although she was a pain in the arse most of the time, she claimed. Tony was a good friend, though, overall. She helped Isabelle out on many occasions, and sometimes even took her shopping when she knew she needed a new pair of jeans.

Despite how good Tony was to Isabelle most times, she had her moments where she'd snap and go off completely. It wasn't like she had been bipolar or anything, it was just that Tony herself had rough things going on in her life, and she struggled to control her anger problems.

Isabelle, honestly, was similar. She had been struggling financially, lately. Pockets all empty besides one pack of cigarettes that she would buy every time she ran out of the previous one. They were only six euros anyway, so she might as well buy them. And besides, Isabelle so strongly thought, they relieve the anger; the sadness, the feeling. If numb is the only thing she can bear to feel, then so be it.

And it just so happened to be the time of the day where she was supposed to be having a smoke.

"Tony just leave me the fuck alone!" Isabelle yelled at her friend, ready to run out of the front door. She just wanted to get away for a while. If she didn't have her smoke, she'd go insane.

"I'll leave you alone when you get a fucking job!" Tony yelled back just as harsh, annoyed of Isabelle's lazy precense. To her, it seemed like she thought that Isabelle could never take life seriously- and she didn't.

Without another word to her fuming friend, Isabelle grabbed her coat harshly from the rack and stormed out the front door. She made sure to slam it as she went out, too.

Huffing out cold puffs of the crisp air, Isabelle shoved her hands in her warm pockets and made sure to walk far from here. Of course she'd come back, but walking always helped her cool down. After coming across a few stop signs, followed by a long and thin sidewalk, Isabelle sat along the side, shuffling around in her pockets for the twelve pack of cigarettes.

Taking one out, she ran her pale fingers over it like she always did. She examined it for a while, tossing it in between her fingers and twirling it slowly.

Isabelle was just about to place it between her lips, before she heard someone manly abruptly clear their throat.

Snapping her head to the direction of the sound, she found a boy- in his early twenties maybe, looking at her. His brown eyes were focused on her fingers, and he had thick eyebrows that shaded them. Isabelle thought he was being a bit creepy by staring at her like that, so she snapped at him.

"It's weird to stare."

As if being caught, the boy quickly looked to the cement. "Sorry."

"Who are you, and why are you here?" Isabelle was acting like she owned the place, and she didn't. She couldn't help being a jerk right now though, because she had still been pissed at Tony.

"This is a bus stop," the boy said with more confidence. "I can be here if I want."

Isabelle felt embarassed, but refused to show it as she only nodded and took out her lighter. "You still didn't tell me who you are."

"Name's Liam," he nodded his head, and sat on the side where the bus stop sign was. "You?"

"Two names," Isabelle spoke. "Izzy, or Belle. I'm fine with both."

Liam nodded, fully aware that this girl had drugs in her hand. He wasn't the biggest fan of them because he knew just exactly what they could lead to, and he didn't like that at all. Now, it wasn't that Liam was a prude. Not at all, actually. He had done many sinful, and shameful things in his twenty two years of living- but he believed that you didn't need drugs to have fun.

He watched her blow out puffs of toxin after toxin, and cringed at the smell. How could she do this to her body? He thought. Why did she want to smoke anyway?

Isabelle loved his reaction to her smoking, and she knew how he had been staring this whole time. She managed to hold a smirk on her lips while taking out her ciggy, realizing that she'd probably need a new one now since it was used up.

It was quiet while Isabelle fished for her pack in her pockets, until Liam decided to clear his throat and speak up.

"You know that shit's not good for you." He eyes Izzy- or Belle, whatever- watching her light up another, before grinding the previous cigarette against the cement with her boot heel.

"Remind me why I care," she places her deadly friend in between her crimson lips, and didn't hesitate to blow a gust of grey smoke in his direction.

"Because it could kill you," Liam narrowed his eyes.

"Maybe I want it to." She shrugs.

And just then, it was like the world knew it was time for them to go their separate ways as the bus pulled up in front of a very annoyed and upset Liam.

He furrowed his eyebrows in disbelief and without hesitation, stepped onto the bus. But of course, he didn't leave fully until turning around to tell the rude girl one last thing.

"Nobody deserves to die. Not even you."

Just like that, the bus doors closed with Liam inside as it rolled off down the street- leaving Isabelle in shock at what the stranger had just told her.

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liam is cute byE