You're My Nicotine

October walked up the front steps of St. Michael High on a hot June's morning. The loose-fitting jeans were worn at the bottom from being dragged along the ground, her white DCs sticking out from underneath, and her LeATHERMOUTH tee clung to her upper body. She hadn't had time to shower that morning so her dark, wavy hair was back in a messy bun but her make up made her look fresh enough, the kohl lines around her eyes covering the ones that remained from the day before.

As she started down the corridor, a blonde girl in her Chemistry class smiled at her as she stood by the first set of lockers.

"Hey, October."

"Hi," she replied with a smile and continued on, pulling out her cell phone after it had given out a loud beep. She realised her battery was almost dead and then looked up as somebody else called her name. She smiled back at Matthew from her language class, and by the time she had gotten half way down the corridor, a few more students had greeted her as she passed.

People at school seemed to be a hell of a lot nicer to her during the past four months. The entire school knew about Walker's suicide the day after it happened, and then rumours started flying around that October had lost another friend before she came to this school, even using the word 'boyfriend'. She had more people than usual asking her to 'join their group' or 'sit with them at lunch', but of course she denied them. Although she appreciated that people cared, she was happy with the two close friends she already had. She wasn't complaining about this new kind of popularity though, it was better than the whole school finding out she was a drug addict if Walker hadn't have died.

"Put the phone away, Armstrong..."

October rolled her eyes at the principal. He hadn't changed at all, still the same old, same old.

And as for the pills, she had cut down to one white pill a week, only took a blue one when she couldn't sleep, only had a yellow one if she hadn't had enough sleep, and hadn't needed to take any red ones.

For October, that was a huge improvement.

Her parents still didn't know about the medication, but was making her go to a therapist once a week, after she had come clean about the Cocaine and Heroin. They were both so worried and on edge about their daughter, Billie Joe had even used the words 'mentally disturbed' at one point.

So in the last four months, October seemed to be doing better, seeing her therapist, and of course Frank was always there supporting her.

"Hey, gorgeous..."

October turned from her open locker and grinned at Joshi.

"Hey!" She pulled him in for a hug.

"How was your weekend?" he asked, the platinum blonde hair straightened flat across his forehead.

"It was pretty awesome seeing the place I grew up again," she replied and opened her bag, ready to shove a couple books into it, "What did you do?"

"Well I worked, but it was cool because..." His lips curved upwards, "I met a boy."

October closed her locker and looked at the smile across her friend's face. "Oh yay," she gasped, "What happened?"

"He came in to buy 'Eat To The Beat' on Saturday-"

"You love Blondie!" she cut in.

"I know, right?" Joshi grinned, "And we exchanged looks across the counter, you know those 'looks'..?" He continued after she nodded. "We had 'looks' and then he left the store, and I was kicking myself that I hadn't asked for his number because he was hot, but then he came back yesterday and didn't buy anything, but he came up to the counter and asked me out! And it was so cute 'cause he was like all nervous, so adorable..."

"Aww, that's great, Josh," October smiled, happy for her excited friend, "So when do I get to meet this stud?"

"Well that's the best thing," said Joshi, "You'll be seeing him a lot because he's starting here at this school tomorrow!"

"No way!" she gasped.

"Way," Joshi smirked, "He came all the way from Italy, so his accent is a major plus."

"He sounds so yummy," October whined.

"That, he is, babe, that, he is..."

"OCTOBER!"

Both of them jumped a little at the sudden yell from a girl behind them. They turned to see the hyperactive kid that was Hazel quickly making her way towards them. Her dyed black hair was down like usual, the ends of her tight pants dragging along the floor behind her Converse. She flung her arms around October, making her stumble back a little.

"Oh I missed you so much!"

"I was only gone for the weekend," October laughed, hugging her friend back.

"That's too long," Hazel replied, "We always spend our weekends together."

That was true. The three friends had become so close recently that aswell as spending all their time at school together, they did weekends too.

Hazel pulled back from October and said, "The next time you're visiting relatives in Oakland, I'm coming."

"Yeah, me too," Joshi agreed, "The last two days did kinda suck without you."

"Aww, guys, don't start me off," October pretended to sob as she wiped away an invisible tear, making the other two laugh.

"Shut up," Hazel said and hit her lightly on the arm as the three of them headed to Homeroom.

"So... tonight's Monday night," Joshi stated with a cheeky grin.

"Yeah, and?" October questionned, though there was a small smile emerging on her plump lips.

"Oh, come on," Hazel giggled, "Don't act like you haven't been thinking about this night for the past week."

"Just because you're right, doesn't mean you can make fun," she pouted.

"Oh you're so cute, October Armstrong is in love-"

"Woah, hey!" October cut her off, "I am not in love, it's just a little crush..."

"Little?" Hazel questionned her understatement, "This is Frank we're talking about, you're crazy about him."

"That doesn't mean I love him," October pointed out as she smiled at another student who did first, "I'm just a teenage girl with a stupid crush, it'll go away, right?" She looked from Hazel to Joshi, "Right?"

"Yeah, totally," Joshi nodded, but added, "Or it'll get bigger and turn into luuurve..."

"Oh, screw you guys," October said as he and Hazel laughed.

"October, you look great today," came a compliment from yet another student.

"Thanks, uh, you too," she replied as the three friends walked past.

"Wow," Hazel muttered, "This school is really starting to kiss ass."

Once school was over for the day, October wasted no time in heading home and jumping in the shower, the nerves beginning to build up inside her stomach. She never used to get like this whenever she knew she was going to see Frank, but the more their friendship grew, so did the crush that she knew was there.

Billie Joe and Adrienne had invited Frank over for dinner to show their appreciation for what he has done to help their daughter get her life back in shape. Although she felt she didn't have to feel embarassed by anything in front of Frank, she was a little nervous about things going wrong.

This was the rollarcoaster that was October Armstrong's life after all.

She opened her underwear drawer to find a normal every day bra, but the only clean bottoms in there were the 'Happy Feet' boxer briefs Aidan had gotten her for her sixteenth birthday as a joke, after the two had lamely gone to see the movie.

"Mom, where's all my underwear?" October called down the stairs, holding the rest of the clothes she would change into from the shower.

"At the launderette," Adrienne called back from the kitchen, "The machine broke, remember?"

Sighing, October grabbed the embarassing 'Happy Feet' boxers and locked herself in the bathroom, she would be the only one who saw them anyway. The sliding lock on the door had been dodgy for a while and was nearly coming off the door, she noted, before stepping underneath the hot water.

Once dressed and hair was dry, October re-applied her make up as she sat at her dressing table, just as Joey strolled into her room. He noticed she was wearing her skinny denium jeans with a dazzling white strap top that had a pretty black design down one side. She had put in black dangly earrings and straightened her hair.

"Why are you getting all dressed up?" Joey asked as he came and stood next to his big sister at the dressing table.

"Frank's coming over," she smiled to her now eight year old brother, and quickly realised how obvious that sounded, "And, well... sometimes it's good to look nice."

"Why do you need to look nice for Frank?" the short, dark haired boy asked curiously.

"I don't need to," she replied, finishing the last of her mascara, "I just... thought it'd be nice, you know?"

Joey had a quizzal expression on his face, but then blurted out, "Can I look nice for Frank?"

October giggled and said, "If you want to."

When she felt she was dolled up enough, the seventeen year old made her way downstairs and into the kitchen, where her father was helping her mother make the dinner. She had contemplated on whether to have an extra white pill, but thought against it.

"What are we having?" she asked as she peered over Billie Joe's shoulder to see what was in the stove.

This caused him to spin around in shock at the voice in his ear and bump into his daughter, causing the liquid in his glass to spill down her front. October gasped loudly, staring down at her white top now covered in red wine.

"Dad!" she half yelled with clenched teeth.

"Oh dear," Adrienne mumbled, biting her lip.

"Well, you shouldn't sneak up on me!" Billie tried to argue, but knew he was going to be the bad guy in this.

"What is your obsession with dropping things down me?" October angered.

"Calm down, sweetheart," Billie laughed, "Just put it in the laundry basket, you can wear something else."

"Dad, this is red wine on a white top, it'll stain!"

"No, it won't," Adrienne told her, "Go change and give me the top, I'll put some 'Vanish' on it, it'll be fine."

October gave out a frustrated groan as she glared at her father, before hurrying back up the stairs.

Billie Joe looked to his wife with his brow creased in worry, "Oops..."

The doorbell rang and Joey came racing down the stairs, shouting, "I'll get it!"

"Hey, buddy," Frank grinned after the little boy had opened the front door, noting his small button up shirt, "Don't you look spiffy..." He, himself, was wearing a black button up shirt and his good jeans with a brand new pair of Converse.

"Thanks, Frankenstein, come in," Joey said sweetly.

Frank gasped as he closed the door behind himself, "Now you're calling me Frankenstein?"

"Yeah, FRANKENSTEIN!" mocked Joey with a cheeky grin across his young face.

"Ooh, you are in for it," Frank said and instantly lunged at the younger boy, picking him up.

Joey shrieked in laughter as Frank tickled him all over, squirming in his grasp. Adrienne came out into the hall and laughed at the two of them.

"Mom, help!" Joey laughed.

Adrienne put her hands up and shook her head, "I'm not getting involved."

"Well I think you've had enough torture for now," Frank stated as he put Joey back onto the floor, "But this isn't over, Joseph."

"How are you, Frank?" Adrienne asked, the smile still on her face.

"I'm pretty good," he nodded, "How was Oakland?"

"Great," she replied, "We all had a good time."

"Awesome."

"Joey, come help your mom lay the table, would you?" she told her son, leading him into the dining room.

Just before Joey followed, he stuck his tongue out at Frank, and Frank stuck his own right back at him before heading to the kitchen.

Upstairs, October quickly found another outfit and rushed to the bathroom so she could change and check herself out in the life size mirror. She closed the bathroom door, shoved the lock to the side and watched as it came off in her hand.

"Oh, fucking great."

Frank wandered into the kitchen to see Billie Joe at the stove.

"Hey, good lookin', what ya got cookin'?" he said, thinking he would sound camp if he had sung it.

"You need some new lines, Iero," Billie replied, "You can't pick me up with that cheese."

"Damn, I had a whole night planned full of 'em..."

Billie Joe laughed and said, "We've made one lasagne and one veggie lasagne for yourself and the young one. Although not a vegetarian himself, Joey prefers the veggie version."

"Why's that?" Frank asked as he folded his arms across his chest.

"God knows..."

"Fair enough," shrugged Frank.

"Can I get you a drink?" Billie asked as he went over to the refridgerator, "We have red wine or beer..."

"Uh, I haven't had wine in a while so I'll take some of that," he replied, scratching the back of his head, "I'll be back in a sec, I've been dying for a piss for a while now."

"Alright," smirked the older man.

Frank jogged over to the stairs and went up them, turning left. He quickly walked down to the bathroom and opened the door, stopping dead in his tracks.

October looked back at him, frozen, in nothing but her underwear.

"Frank!"

"Oh my God, I'm... I-I'm sorry," he stammered.

"Don't you knock?" she cried.

"Don't you lock the door?" he shot back.

"The lock's broken!" she informed him.

"Oh..." he said and then realised he hadn't walked back out yet. "Sorry," he mumbled and closed the door again.

Feeling her cheeks getting very warm, October threw her head in her hands and bit her lip, cursing over and over in her head. Frank had just walked in on her in her underwear. How humiliating.

Suddenly realising something, her eyes flew down to the briefs she wore and slapped her hand against her forehead.

"Shit..."