You're My Nicotine

Billie Joe knocked on his daughter's bedroom door lightly. "Sweetheart, are you decent?"

"Yeah, come in," she called through the other side.

When Billie opened the door and his eyes landed on October, his heart turned to mush. There she was, his seventeen year old daughter, standing by the window putting on her black dangly earrings in a dress. She wore a beautiful royal blue, silk, strap dress with a silver bow around it just above the stomach, her Doctor Martens on her feet. Her chocolate brown hair fell around her face in curls, sitting just under her bare shoulders with the bangs held back in a slide on top of her head, and her eyes were made up dark, bringing out their green more than usual. Her nails were painted black, her tattoo was on full show, and her nose ring gleamed pleasantly.

"Nearly ready, dad," she smiled up at her father.

He said nothing, just kept his eyes fixated on the stunning girl in front of him. Adrienne came in next.

"Are you...?" she trailed off and stopped in her tracks, "Oh, October..."

"What?" October questionned as her face dropped, "What's wrong?"

"You just look so gorgeous," Adrienne breathed.

"Oh..." A small smile reappeared on her glossy lips, "Thanks." She looked down at her dress, fidgeting with it a little, and then up at her parents. She gave them a confused smile as they both stared back at her like they had never seen a human being before. "What's going on?" she asked slowly, getting freaked out.

Adrienne shook her head and put a hand over her mouth as her eyes glazed over. "I just can't believe that is my little girl in there," she gasped.

"Oh, mom, you're not gonna cry, are you?" October asked worriedly.

"No, no, I'm fine," she sniffled with a smile and then walked back out of the room.

"It's not even my prom!" October laughed lightly to her father.

He smirked and said, "You look just like your mother when I first met her."

She smiled, "Really?"

Billie Joe nodded, "Spitting image."

The doorbell rang and October quickly grabbed her purse, putting it on her shoulder as she hurried downstairs to the front door. Opening it, she found Ethan looking back at her, his eyes moving down her body.

"Wow," he breathed.

"Hey," October grinned. "Nice suit," she complimented the black pants and jacket with a pale blue shirt underneath.

"Hi there," Billie greeted the boy stood at his doorstep, "You must be Ethan." He extended his hand, "I'm Billie Joe."

"Pleasure to meet you, Sir," Ethan replied, shaking it with his own.

"I'm trusting you to take good care of my daughter tonight," he said, causing October to roll her eyes.

"No worries, Sir, I'll have her back by 11."

Billie gave the younger boy an appreciative smile, "Good, and no getting drunk."

"Won't be a problem," answered Ethan, "I'm not into drinking much."

"Good for you."

October cocked an eyebrow. "Can we go now?" she asked her father.

"Yes, go, have fun," said Billie.

"Thank you, Sir," smiled Ethan.

"Bye, mom!" October yelled into the house before stepping out, "Later, dad."

"See you later," he said and watched the two stroll down the front path towards the road, where a parked car sat.

"You were very elegant back there," October smirked quietly.

"Well, it's your dad," Ethan replied, looking back at her.

October opened the passenger door of Ethan's Volvo C30 and heard a squeal come from Hazel in the back with Ben.

"Looking very sexual, October darling," she grinned as her friend got in the car and pulled the door closed.

"Thanks, sugar, you too," she said.

Hazel wore a fire engine red mini dress that was pulled up about three inches above her knee and black boots that went up to her knees. Her lips were painted an even brighter red than her dress and her raven hair fell just under her shoulders. In the seat next to her sat Ben in his black suit and red shirt to match Hazel.

"Looking very dolled up, Benny boy," smirked October.

"As yourself," he nodded in reply.

"Let's get going, shall we," said Ethan as he started the engine.

Once the car was parked outside St. Michael High, the four friends made their way up to the school, straight to the gym. What they thought was going to be a fun evening out, soon turned. Within the first fifteen minutes, they wished to be somewhere else.

Sitting on stools at the back, the foursome looked around the gym. There were horny couples grinding to the R 'n' B music blasting from the speakers, slutty girls re-applying and re-applying their make up onto their orange faces, each thinking they were going to become Prom Queen at the end of the night, and teachers ordering students to stop this and stop that.

"This blows," spoke Ben.

"You said it," agreed Hazel whilst Ethan nodded.

October soon asked, "You guys wanna fuck around at the mall or something?"

"Sure," the boys replied in unison as Hazel shrugged.

Stepping into the brightly lit mall, the four spotted a man in a hot dog costume, standing with a tray of free samples right by the entrance. Feeling peckish, Hazel led them over to him and instantly stuffed a sample through her shocking lips, but just as quickly took it out again and threw it back at the hot dog man.

"Eurgh," she winced, "What are you trying to do, kill people with that shit?"

October tried one and agreed with Hazel as the disgusting taste entered her mouth.

"Don't throw it at me, you little skank," he said.

Hazel gasped and picked up another, throwing it at his face just as October spat her own at him.

"Fucking bitch," he muttered.

"Who are you calling a fucking bitch?" Ethan demanded, hitting the tray with his hand, sending the lot to the floor.

"Hey, clean this shit up!"

"Clean it up yourself," Ben chimed in, shoving the hot dog man until he fell backwards, landing on the ground with a thump.

"Go, go," laughed October and the four ran for it, skidding round the corner and slowing to a walk again. "Oh my," she gasped, spotting the children electric cars on display outside the gadget shop. There were five of them, each a different colour with mini quadbike-like wheels. She immediately spun round to the others, a smirk across her lips, "We have to try them out."

"Um, I don't think we're allow-" Ben started.

"Come on!" Hazel cut him off, yanking him over to the cars.

Ethan turned to October. "I really don't think this is a good idea," he told her, looking around at all the people doing their night shopping. His eyes went back to October and he only recieved a cocked eyebrow, the smirk still on her face. "Okay, okay," Ethan smiled, "I'll stop being a pussy."

October grinned and headed over to the gadget shop, Ethan in tow. Hazel had already gotten into a bright orange car and Ben in a green. Hazel bumped straight into the side of Ben purposely.

"Hey, I'll get you back for that!" Ben exclaimed as Hazel turned her car around and started driving in the opposite direction.

"You'll have to catch me first!" she yelled back at him.

Ben quickly sped off after his girlfriend in the car that was way too small for him, just as October steered off in a blue car in the same direction.

"Yo, wait up!" Ethan called from a red car and began after them, oblivious to the shoppers looking over and security guards heading their way.

The smartly dressed teenagers drove down the row of shops, laughing and joking around. They were having too much fun to really care about how annoyed the people they had to dodge around were becoming. As they came to a sports store, Ben wasted no time in driving into Hazel's side, pushing her straight into a tower of empty shoe boxes and sending every one of them toppling over.

"Oh shit," laughed October, watching Hazel glare at her boyfriend with shoe boxes in her lap.

"Told you I'd get you back," Ben grinned cheekily.

"Guys!" Ethan cried, pointing ahead.

Their heads turned to the front to see a couple of security guards jogging over, some other staff behind.

"Split!" shouted October.

The foursome hurried out of their cars and ran in another direction. Ben grabbed Hazel's hand as they both continued behind the other two.

"Have you done this before?" Ethan asked October, running alongside her.

"Nope," she giggled as they turned down more rows of shops.

It was a dead end at the bottom, only an esculator, but it was coming down from the next floor. The friends turned back, only to find the security guards and staff closing in on them. Having no other option, Ethan pulled October by the hand and they started up the down esculator as Ben and Hazel followed.

"Excuse me, sorry," Ethan apologised as he and October dodged their way around pissed shoppers stood in the opposite direction, both giggling to each other childishly.

"Come on," October cried to the remaining two once they had reached the first floor.

All four continued to run, Ethan in front, then October, and the lovebirds behind.

Ethan turned his head round to the other three and called out, "Where the hell are we gonna go?"

"Just keep running!" Hazel answered.

"Bro, watch out for the pool!" Ben suddenly warned his brother.

"What?" Ethan said and the next thing he they knew there was a loud splash as he fell straight into the full kids swimming pool outside a gardening store.

October had managed to stop herself in time from tumbling in after Ethan, and stared down wide-eyed at the teenage boy now underwater. Ethan stood up in utter shock, his suit soaked to the skin and water dripping from his hair onto his face. The not-so-warm water went up to his mid-section, he spat out the small amount he had taken down with him and looked at the others, laughing hysterically, dry as stone.

"I'm glad you find this highly amusing," he told them sarcastically.

"You're an idiot, Ethan," Ben laughed, "I did warn you."

"Oh, like I warned you about this," he fired back and yanked his brother into the water.

"Ass," Ben mumbled after coming to the surface, causing Hazel and October to laugh even more. "Come on, girls," he said to them, "Your turn."

"Fuck right off," Hazel told him as they both took a step back from the pool.

"Shit, they're catching up," said Ethan, spotting the angry staff, and pulled himself out with his brother.

The fourseome were on the run again as they sprinted to the other side of the floor and raced down the up esculator, landing back on the ground floor. They made it to the front entrance and wasted no time in getting out of there, laughing with one another as they ran down the street.

A half hour later, the four friends had got some ice cream and were walking along the bay as the moonlight shone from above.

October took a spoonful from her small tub of mint choc chip and looked up at Ethan walking beside her. "You must be freezing," she told him, "You're outside, soaked, eating ice cream."

Ethan shrugged. "Good thing it's a warm night," he smirked.

She laughed lightly and watched on at Hazel and Ben strolling together ahead, chatting and giggling with each other. October and Ethan stopped at a trash can and dropped their now empty tubs and plastic spoons into it. October then leaned against the railing, placing her hands on top. She looked out at the night time ocean, shimmering back at her gracefully. Ethan stood next to her, but his focus was not on the landscape in front of them, it was on a view he found more beautiful.

Her.

She was standing there, her glossy eyes looking out into the distance, and he couldn't do anything else but take in the sweet smell of her hair.

"I really enjoyed tonight," he said.

She looked at him, "Yeah?"

"I haven't had this much fun in fuck knows how long," he answered, causing her to smirk. "It wouldn't have happened if it wasn't for you, though, I mean, only you could start something like that, you know?"

October smiled at him, glad she was a fun friend for Ethan.

"You're crazy, but in a good way," he continued, "Has anyone ever told you that before?"

She shrugged, "A couple times."

Ethan grinned, still feeling the adrenaline pumping through his veins. He felt he had the confidence to do anything at that moment, she had caused that confidence. Taking advantage of it, he slowly leaned his head closer to hers, ready for what he had been waiting to do for around a month now. Just as he was less than inches from feeling the softness of her lips, October pulled away. And his heart sank.

"Ethan..." she breathed, closing her eyes.

He looked at her wide-eyed, "What's wrong?"

October's dark eyelids fluttered open again and his eyes searched hers for answers. She eventually shook her head gently and took a few steps backwards.

"I'm sorry, I can't," she whispered and turned away.

"October," Ethan called, "October, wait!"

But it was too late; she had already started walking back down the street. Ethan ran a hand back through his hair and kicked the trash can harshly. "Fuck it!"

October paced her way down to the end of the road and jumped on a bus, her heart aching in guilt. Sitting on the cross hatched seat, she recieved some stares from other passengers, but simply ignored them.

She didn't want to go home, she didn't want to hang out with friends. There was only one person she wanted to see, and she got off just outside his apartment building.