Alone.

21

I clear my throat.

“Hi,” I say again, a little more loudly.

“Well…hello.” the taller boy says.

I smile, looking up at him. “Can I have a smoke?”

He looked around to his friends, giving them all confused looks. They shrug. He looks back to me, reluctantly holding out a small carton of cigarettes. I take one, and he lights it for me.

I had never smoked a cigarette before and, until today, I never planned on it. I had always thought it was disgusting. I still did. But instead of walking away from this drug, I bring the bring the cigarette to my mouth and inhale a long, deep breath.

My lungs burned. My nose burned. My throat burned. Everything burned. It was so gross. It tasted like dirt in my mouth.

I coughed at first, taking a couple breaths of fresh air. Kile chuckles, shaking his head, sucking on his cigarette with no problem. I roll my eyes, before taking another swig of the cigarette. The second time wasn’t so bad, and by the fifth and sixth, I had gotten the hang of it.

“So what’s your name?” The tall boy asks.

“Mathai.” I reply

“What?”

“Mat (pause) hi.” I sigh. This feels all too familiar.

“Ah.”

Awkward moment.

“Name’s Eric.” He says after a moments pause. He extends his arm for a handshake. And I take it. “Nice to meet you.”

“You too.” I say.

He goes back to smoking his cigarette and looks at his friends.

The girl with the all black hair and green eyes, drops her cigarette on the sidewalk and steps on it. Then she turns to me and introduces herself. “I’m Daniela. Call me Dani though. If you want.” She smiles.

The red haired girl didn’t step up to introduce herself. I guess she doesn’t like meeting new people. But Dani does it for her. “This is Michelle.”

I wave. And she glares.

“And this is Kile.” Dani finishes. I knew that already. He just looks at me. I could tell he’s trying to place me. He knows he’s seen me before. I guess he doesn’t remember me quite as I remember him.

We walk through the cafeteria doors, walking all the way to the back corner. I take a seat in one of the red chairs. Dani takes a seat in a chair across the table from me. The other three sit on the large grey round table.

“So,” Eric starts. “What brings you to the dark side?” he says jokingly.

I smile. “I need change.”

“And you would rather join stoner outcasts than the preps?”

“Fuck yes.”

He laughs. “Whoa now, don’t get too frisky. It was just a question.”

Dani giggles, Kile smiles, and Michelle just glares.

Dani reaches into her coat pocket and pulls out a small bag of marijuana. She keeps it in her hands just in case some student happens to walk by.

“Where’d you score that?” Eric asks, snatching the bag and opening it to take a sniff.

“I know some people.” Dani smiles.

“Awesome,” Kile says, jumping off the table to sit in one of the red chairs beside her.

Everyone is all smiling now, even Michelle smirks as we all look around at each other.

“You know what this means…?” Eric says excitedly.

“Party!” Dani yells.

“Wait, what about her?” Michelle says, glaring at me again.

“Well, if she wants…” Eric says.

“Why do you want to join us? Elaborate.” Michelle says to me.

All of a sudden, everyone was staring at me, waiting for my answer. What was I supposed to say? Every thought running through my head sounded stupid. Pathetic. I was pathetic. I sigh.

“I need something new this year,” looking up at them. I laugh slightly. “I probably sound stupid, but I need new friends. I need a new life.”

Dani smiles. “I know exactly what you mean.”

“I still don’t see why us.” Michelle mutters.

Dani elbows her. “You can hang out with us if you want to, I don’t see why that would be a problem.”

“Why don’t we all hang out tonight? Go to somebody’s house? And have that party!” Dani says practically jumping up and down

“Okay” and “Sure” Everyone says in unison.

“It’s settled then. Who's place?" Dani says smiling.

"I think it's my house this time." Eric offered.

“Uh,” I say quietly, holding up my hand. “I have no idea where that is.”

“Nobody said you were invited…” Michelle mutters, trailing off.

Dani just rolls her eyes, taking my hand. “Just stick with me and you’ll be fine,” she says, tugging me out of the cafeteria.

I turn back to wave at everyone. Eric gives me a warm smile, Kile just starts texting, and Michelle is still glaring with what I was quickly learning was her signature glare.

Nice group of people, I thought as the cafeteria doors closed.
♠ ♠ ♠
SORRY FOR THE LONG LONG WAIT ON
THIS UPDATE :$ NO I SERIOUSLY MEAN
IT. I JUST HAVE A LOT GOING ON AND
I NEEDED TO TAKE SOME TIME. SO
AGAIN, I APOLOGIZE. ENJOY!!!! :)