Sleepless at 3 a.m.
New Cigarettes
It had been a few weeks since I had woken up at 3 a.m., the countless midterms kept me up well past 2 a.m. and had me exhausted and worn out by 3. I had just finished my last midterm- Biology for non-bio majors (which really means that if you don’t know anything about bio you spend an entire semester with your head up your ass) when I decided to head to my favorite spot on campus. The Quad.
I left my shoes in my dorm and decided on just sticking with the pj’s I was wearing – purple pants with hearts and a spaghetti strap camisole top. It was mid October but thanks to Texas weather it was still a cool 80 degrees out. I fiddled with my last cigarette while I walked to my isolated spot. I had smoked all my previous cigarettes in the heat of midterm stress.
When I finally reached my spot I lit my cigarette, creating a small engulfing world of smoke and flame for a few precious moments. I took that first drag and felt my face ease into a lazy smile. Gods nectar in a stick. All my stress and troubles seemed to twirl and dance in the smoke I exhaled. If only all of life’s troubles were so easily repelled.
I smoked my cigarette lying down against the cool drunken cobblestones. The stars twinkling at me, those flirtatious devils. I glanced around quickly- making sure no one was in sight – before I started to sing.
“ Oh darling, please believe me.” I started singing, my voice drawing out the exaggerated notes. Giving it that old southern charm to it. I started to sing the second verse when I heard another voice join. I stopped and looked around startled.
But the voice just kept on singing, the quad giving it an echo. It seemed to be coming from everywhere at once. My heart started to quicken against my steady breathing. I stood up and continued to sing. “ When you told me, you didn’t need me anymore ..” I sang into the dark shadows that circled me.
And the voice answered , “ Well you know I nearly broke down and cried.”
I smiled at the lazy draw of it too. The voice- the male voice- was trying to harmonize with mine.
“ When you told me, you didn’t need me anymore. Well you know I nearly fell down and died.” We sang.
We finished the song, my male echo and I. I laughed and clapped my hands. “ Do I get to see my duet’s face?” my heart still quickening but my voice remained strong.
I heard the strike of a match and the dull glow of a cigarette. It was my 3 a.m. friend. I walked towards him, a lazy smile on my face.
“ We meet again.”
He nodded, “ You sing well Cami.”
“ Thanks, you do as well.” I replied. I eyed him up and down once more. It had been a while since I had run into him. “ You know my name. What is yours?” I asked curious.
He took the cigarette out of his mouth and leaned into me, his lips pressing against mine. I felt his tongue part my lips and he breath smoke into my mouth. I broke the kiss exhaling his flavor on my lips. “ Jaren.”
I took a step back and looked at him, my eyes squinting. “ Why did you kiss me?”
“ It seemed like you wanted to be kissed, why? Do you have an objection to me kissing you?”
I frowned at his choice of words. “ I seemed like I wanted to be kissed? How so?”
He took a step towards me and wrapped his arms around my waist, my heart started to pound once more- but this time it wasn’t from fear. He took the back of his hand and traced the curves of my face and neck. “ Because we I touch you- your heart quickens and you get a look in your eyes.”
I laughed and pushed against his chest playfully. “ You are one cocky person.”
He smiled, “ actually I am quite shy. You seem to bring out another side to me.”
“ How you don’t even know me.”
He looked above my left shoulder then down. “ Maybe that’s why. In the time between night and day, when smoke dances above our heads and our skin glows in the moonlight …maybe it allows me to truly see you and for you to see me.”
I nodded in agreement. “ No pretenses. Just… us.”
“ exactly” he replied.
The clock clang four times in the distance. It was now 4 a.m. I groaned mentally. I had class in four short hours. I broke his hold on me and kissed him on the check. “ I gotta go.” I turned to walk away.
“ Hey Cami” he called after me. I turned around just in time to catch a cigarette. His phone number written on the sides. “ Be sure to call me before you burn it.” He smiled.
I walked away smiling at my new cigarette.
I left my shoes in my dorm and decided on just sticking with the pj’s I was wearing – purple pants with hearts and a spaghetti strap camisole top. It was mid October but thanks to Texas weather it was still a cool 80 degrees out. I fiddled with my last cigarette while I walked to my isolated spot. I had smoked all my previous cigarettes in the heat of midterm stress.
When I finally reached my spot I lit my cigarette, creating a small engulfing world of smoke and flame for a few precious moments. I took that first drag and felt my face ease into a lazy smile. Gods nectar in a stick. All my stress and troubles seemed to twirl and dance in the smoke I exhaled. If only all of life’s troubles were so easily repelled.
I smoked my cigarette lying down against the cool drunken cobblestones. The stars twinkling at me, those flirtatious devils. I glanced around quickly- making sure no one was in sight – before I started to sing.
“ Oh darling, please believe me.” I started singing, my voice drawing out the exaggerated notes. Giving it that old southern charm to it. I started to sing the second verse when I heard another voice join. I stopped and looked around startled.
But the voice just kept on singing, the quad giving it an echo. It seemed to be coming from everywhere at once. My heart started to quicken against my steady breathing. I stood up and continued to sing. “ When you told me, you didn’t need me anymore ..” I sang into the dark shadows that circled me.
And the voice answered , “ Well you know I nearly broke down and cried.”
I smiled at the lazy draw of it too. The voice- the male voice- was trying to harmonize with mine.
“ When you told me, you didn’t need me anymore. Well you know I nearly fell down and died.” We sang.
We finished the song, my male echo and I. I laughed and clapped my hands. “ Do I get to see my duet’s face?” my heart still quickening but my voice remained strong.
I heard the strike of a match and the dull glow of a cigarette. It was my 3 a.m. friend. I walked towards him, a lazy smile on my face.
“ We meet again.”
He nodded, “ You sing well Cami.”
“ Thanks, you do as well.” I replied. I eyed him up and down once more. It had been a while since I had run into him. “ You know my name. What is yours?” I asked curious.
He took the cigarette out of his mouth and leaned into me, his lips pressing against mine. I felt his tongue part my lips and he breath smoke into my mouth. I broke the kiss exhaling his flavor on my lips. “ Jaren.”
I took a step back and looked at him, my eyes squinting. “ Why did you kiss me?”
“ It seemed like you wanted to be kissed, why? Do you have an objection to me kissing you?”
I frowned at his choice of words. “ I seemed like I wanted to be kissed? How so?”
He took a step towards me and wrapped his arms around my waist, my heart started to pound once more- but this time it wasn’t from fear. He took the back of his hand and traced the curves of my face and neck. “ Because we I touch you- your heart quickens and you get a look in your eyes.”
I laughed and pushed against his chest playfully. “ You are one cocky person.”
He smiled, “ actually I am quite shy. You seem to bring out another side to me.”
“ How you don’t even know me.”
He looked above my left shoulder then down. “ Maybe that’s why. In the time between night and day, when smoke dances above our heads and our skin glows in the moonlight …maybe it allows me to truly see you and for you to see me.”
I nodded in agreement. “ No pretenses. Just… us.”
“ exactly” he replied.
The clock clang four times in the distance. It was now 4 a.m. I groaned mentally. I had class in four short hours. I broke his hold on me and kissed him on the check. “ I gotta go.” I turned to walk away.
“ Hey Cami” he called after me. I turned around just in time to catch a cigarette. His phone number written on the sides. “ Be sure to call me before you burn it.” He smiled.
I walked away smiling at my new cigarette.