1982 Part 03 - A Night to Remember

Despite the teasing, Amy was determined, she knew this was going to take a lot of practice, but she was willing to put in the work. She picked up the cigarette again and held it firmly between her lips, determined to master the dangle. She continued to practice, her focus laser-sharp on the cigarette between her lips. She struggled at first, the cigarette falling out of her mouth every time she tried to speak, but with Emily's guidance, she slowly began to improve.

As she held the cigarette steady between her lips, she glanced at her wrist watch and let out a sigh. "I gotta head home," she said, her words muffled by the cigarette. "I gotta babysit David and Josh while you got that dinner to attend."

Emily smiled, "You're getting there," she said, taking one last drag from her cigarette before stubbing it out in the ashtray. "Just keep practicing and you'll master it in no time."

Amy nodded, determination etched on her face. "I will," she said, as she carefully removed the cigarette from her lips and handled it back to Emily, who took it from her hand using her mouth.. "Thanks for your help, Emily."

"Anytime," Emily replied with a wink. "Just don't forget to bring your own cigarettes next time.", she finished, lighting up her cigarette with a match.

Amy grinned, "I won't," she said, as she headed out the door.

DAY 7 - DUSK - AMY

As the sun dips below the horizon, Amy makes her way to the local convenience store at the gas station. The neon lights flicker, casting a blue glow over the parking lot and illuminating the rows of cigarettes in the windows. She's dressed in all black, her hair tied back in a ponytail, and her mind is focused on getting some cool snacks for the kids and her own pack of cigarettes.

She steps into the store, the bell above the door jingling, and makes her way to the frozen foods section. As she grabs a frozen pizza and ice cream, she notices her former best friend Jeann working behind the counter. Jeann looks up, her eyes meeting Amy's, and a feeling of unease washes over Amy. She approaches the counter, trying to act casual, and Jeann greets her with a forced smile.

"Hey Amy, what can I get for you?" Jeann asks.

Amy eyes scan the rows of cigarettes in front of her, taking in the variety of brands and flavors. She pauses at a display of Newports, the cork filtered menthols catching her eye. They were the same brand that Emily, her new neighbor and smoking mentor, preferred. It was as if fate had brought her to this pack. She picks them up and approaches Jeann.

Jeann looks at the pack of cigarettes in Amy's hand, her expression skeptical. "Are you sure you're old enough to be buying these?" she says, her tone judgmental.

As Amy approaches Jeann with the pack of Newports in her hand, Jeann looks at them skeptically and says, "Are you sure you're old enough to be buying these?" Her tone judgmental and condescending.

Amy bristles at the question, her teenage defiance rising to the surface. "What about the support of my choices, J? I can buy these cigarettes wherever I want," she snaps.

Jeann shakes her head, "I just worry about you, that's all."

Amy leans in, her voice low and menacing. "If you don't want to sell them to me, I'll just go somewhere else. I don't need your fucking pity."

Jeann recoils at the language, but she knows there's no reasoning with Amy when she's like this. She rings up the purchase, her hands shaking slightly, and hands the pack of cigarettes over to Amy.

As she takes her change and grabs her bags, Amy throws Jeann a sarcastic kiss and says "Thanks, J. I'll see you around. I'll definitely be back for more."

Jeann's heart sinks, feeling a mix of anger and sadness wash over her as she watches Amy leave the store. She knows she's lost Amy all over again, and it's all because of those damn cigarettes. But as she stands there, she can't help but feel a twinge of envy towards Amy's carefree attitude and her ability to rebel against societal norms.

Jeann wishes she could be that brave and bold, at least a little bit.

DAY 7 - DUSK - EMILY

The bathroom is filled with the thick, grey smoke of Emily's cigarette as she sits at the vanity, applying her makeup. She's dressed in a slinky black dress, her hair styled in loose waves. David, her son, sits on the closed toilet lid behind her, watching her with curiosity.

"Mom, who's this babysitter you talked about?" David asks, his eyes wide.

Emily glances at him in the mirror, a small smile playing at the corners of her lips. "She's a girl from the neighborhood," she says, her voice slightly muffled by the cigarette. "Her name is Amy and she's bringing her brother, Josh. You'll like them, I promise."

David's eyes light up at the mention of a new friend. "Can we play Atari while they're here?" he asks excitedly.

Emily nods, "Of course, honey. I'm sure they'll love to play with you."

As she finishes her sentence, Emily takes a final drag of her cigarette, the embers glowing bright orange. She reaches for a new one from the pack, only to realize it's empty. "David, sweetie, can you grab me a new pack of cigarettes from my purse?" She asks, her eyes scanning the room for her purse.

David quickly scurries off to fetch a new pack of cigarettes for his mother, Emily.

She glances up at him, a small smile playing at the corners of her lips. "Thanks, David," she says, her voice slightly muffled by the cigarette sub in her mouth. She, in a manner completely opposite from what she's dressing, spits the spent but in the sink. "Can you open this for me? I need to patch myself up before I go out."

David nods, carefully opening the pack and sliding a cigarette out. He hands it to her and she takes ii with her lips. As she reaches for the nicotine patches, she pauses and looks at him. "Are you a gentleman, David?" she asks with a smirk.

David pulls out his father's old zippo lighter, feeling a sense of pride as he flicks it open and sparks the flame. He holds it steady as Emily leans in, her cigarette hanging from her lips, and lights it with a steady hand.

She takes a deep drag, the tip of the cigarette glowing brightly in the dimly lit bathroom. Smoke curls around her face, and as she speaks, some of it accidentally blows towards David. But he doesn't say anything, he's used to it.

"Thanks, David," Emily says, a hint of a smirk on her lips. "You're such a gentleman.", smoke kept coming out of her mouth and meeting her son's face while the cigarette danced in her lips with each word. "Looks like you're already a pro at lighting more than just cigarettes, watch out ladies.", she adds with a wink.

"Haha, thanks mom," David says, trying to play off the comment about ladies. "I'm just glad I could help you out.", he finishes, pride and embarrassment washing over him as Emily continues to patch herself with the nicotine adhesives, placing them in secluded areas on her body.

The bathroom is filled with the thick, cloying scent of smoke and the sound of Emily's steady inhales and exhales as she finishes her cigarette and gets ready to go out. David watches her, feeling a sense of awe and admiration for the strong, confident woman she is, smoke and all.

As Emily steps out of the bathroom, smoke trailing behind her in thick plumes, she expertly chain-lights another cigarette, igniting it with the cherry of the previous one. She takes a deep drag, smoke curling around her face. She looks at David, who is sitting across from her, and clears her throat.

"David, honey, I need to talk to you about something serious," she says, her voice slightly muffled by the cigarette as she exhales.

David looks up at her, his eyes wide with curiosity. "What is it, mom?" he asks.

The cigarette bobbed up and down as Emily speaks. "It's about your babysitter, Amy," she says, inhaling deeply before continuing. "She's a smoker, and I need you to keep that a secret."

David's face scrunches up in confusion. "I don't care if she smokes," he says.

Emily takes a deep breath and let's out a long sigh, smoke following her exhale. "I know you don't, sweetie," she says, her cigarette still hanging from her lips. "But I need you to keep it a secret, okay? It's important."

David looks at her for a moment, considering her request. "Okay," he says. "But can I have something in return?"

Emily smiles, a hint of amusement in her eyes. "Of course, David," she says. "What would you like?"

As Emily finishes her sentence, David thinks for a moment before speaking up. "Mom, can we go to the park this weekend? Just the two of us?" he asks, his eyes shining with excitement.

Emily nods, a smile on her face. "Of course, David. That sounds like fun," she says, taking a deep inhale from her cigarette as she speaks.

David's excitement grows, but he can't shake off a nagging feeling. "And, can you not have the cigarette in your mouth the whole time we're there?" he asks, looking up at her with a hint of hesitation in his voice.

Emily's smile falters for a moment before returning. "David, we've talked about this before. I know smoking isn't the best thing for me, but it's a part of who I am," she says, her words muffled slightly by the cigarette hanging from her lips.

David nods, understanding. "I know, mom. I'm not telling you to stop smoking. Can we make a compromise, mom? While we're at the park, can you not have the cigarette constantly dangling from your mouth? Just for that day." he says, his words coming out in a rush.

Emily nods, her smile returning. "Okay, David. I understand. I'll do my best to keep the cigarette out of my mouth while we're at the park," she says, taking another deep inhale from her cigarette.

Just then, there's a knock on the door, interrupting their conversation. Emily stands up, stubbing her cigarette in a clean ashtray at the coffee table ─ a rare sight, but she did it for Amy to use.

"That must be Amy and Josh," she says, a hint of excitement in her voice and a powerful wave of smoke coming out of her mouth. "Are you ready to meet your new babysitter, David?" David nods, standing up beside her.

DAY 7 - EVENING

Amy and Josh walked down the sidewalk towards Emily's house, the smell of freshly cut grass and blooming flowers filling the air. Amy couldn't help but feel a sense of excitement and longing as they approached the house, her thoughts fixated on the cigarette she knew she would soon be able to smoke.

"Remember, Josh," Amy said, glancing at her little brother, "when we're in there, you gotta play it cool. I don't want Mom or Dad finding out I smoke, okay?"

Josh nodded, his eyes wide and curious. "But you already told me you smoke," he said, his voice filled with confusion.

Amy's heart skipped a beat as she realized her mistake. "Yeah, I did," she said, trying to play it off. "But you never saw me actually do it, right? So you gotta act like it's normal for you. Like you don't care, you know? Don't stare, don't comment, just act like it's nothing."

Josh nodded, still looking a bit unsure. "Okay, I can do that," he said.

"Good," Amy said, a small smile on her lips. "Now, let's go knock on that door."

With that, the two siblings walked up to Emily's front door and knocked. They waited for a moment, the sound of their own breathing and the distant chirping of crickets filling the silence. Then, the door opened, and Emily greeted them with a warm smile.

"Hey there, kids," she said, gesturing for them to come inside. "Welcome to my home."

As soon as they entered Emily's house, Amy and Josh were met with the familiar smell of cigarette smoke. Emily led them into the living room, where David was already seated on one of the makeshift beds, playing an Atari.

"Hey kid," Emily said, a cigarette already dangling from her lips. She chatted with Amy for a moment, her hands gesturing animatedly and the cigarette bobbing up and down frantically as she spoke. With a flick of her trusty zippo, she lit the cigarette and took a deep drag, blowing a perfect set of three smoke rings.

Amy couldn't help but feel a sense of fascination and longing as she watched Emily smoke, her hands steady and her movements graceful. Josh, too, seemed intrigued, his eyes wide and curious as he watched his new neighbor. David, meanwhile, looked up from his game with a sense of pride, clearly proud of his mother's smoking skills.

As they chatted, Emily made sure to emphasize that there were no bedtimes in her house. "You kids can stay up as late as you want," she said with a grin. "No bedtime until I get home"

With that, Emily gathered her things and kissed her son goodbye, leaving Amy in charge. As she watched Emily leave, Amy couldn't help but feel a sense of excitement and longing, eager to learn more from her new neighbor and her smoking skills.

"Hey there, David," Amy said with a smile, introducing herself to Emily's son. "I'm Amy, and this is my little brother Josh. It's nice to meet you."

David grinned, his eyes lighting up with excitement. "Nice to meet you too," he said. "Mom said you guys were coming over to play Atari with me. That sounds like so much fun!"

Amy smiled back at David, her own excitement growing. "Yeah, it does," she said. "So, what do you say we get started with? I'm ready to kick your butt in Space Invaders."

Amy smiled back at David, her own excitement growing. "Yeah, it does," she said. "So, what do you say we get started with? I'm ready to kick your butt in Space Invaders."

As they settled in to play, Amy couldn't help but feel the familiar craving for a cigarette. She excused herself for a moment and dug into her pocket, pulling out her pack of Newports. As she dangled one from her lips and searched for her lighter, she noticed both David and Josh watching her intently.

David didn't seem to mind, but Josh's gaze was filled with curiosity and a hint of concern. Ignoring him, Amy lit up and took a quick drag, the strong menthol flavor of the Newport hitting her taste buds. She exhaled, the smoke curling upwards in a small cloud.

"Is something wrong, Josh?" she asked, trying to sound casual.

"Wow, sis," Josh said, his eyes still fixed on Amy as she smoked. "I've never seen you smoke up close like this. It's kind of cool, but also a little weird."

Amy shrugged, taking another drag from her cigarette. "It's just something I do, Josh," she said, blowing out a stream of smoke. "Don't worry about it, it's not a big deal."

David, meanwhile, was completely focused on the Atari game in front of him, completely unfazed by Amy's smoking.

Josh nodded, still looking a bit unsure. "Okay, I guess," he said. "But don't do it too much, okay? Mom and Dad will be mad if they find out."

Amy rolled her eyes, but didn't say anything. She knew Josh meant well, but she couldn't help feeling a bit annoyed by his constant worrying. She took another drag from her cigarette, trying to push the feeling aside and focus on the game and the fun night ahead with the boys.

As they continued to play, Amy couldn't shake the feeling of self-consciousness as she struggled to hold her cigarette in one hand and the controller in the other. She took a drag from her Newport and let out a sigh.

"Man, this is harder than it looks," she said with a chuckle.

David noticed her struggle and grinned. "My mom doesn't have that problem," he said with a hint of sarcasm. "She dangles, so she doesn't lose as often."

Amy felt a surge of embarrassment and quickly took another drag, trying to hide her discomfort. "Yeah, I'll have to learn how to do that," she said, smoke escaping from her mouth.

Josh, who had been watching her intently, now had a look of confusion on his face as he tried to understand what David meant by "dangling."

Amy noticed his confusion and grinned. "It's a technique, little bro," she said. "Watch and learn."

Determined to master the technique, Amy placed the cigarette between her lips and tried to relax her hand, letting the cigarette dangle from her mouth. But as she took a drag, the smoke stung her eyes and caused her to cough uncontrollably.

"Shit," she muttered, trying to wave the smoke away from her face.

Josh watched his sister with a mix of curiosity and concern. He had never seen her smoke like this before and wasn't sure what to make of it.

Despite her initial struggles, Amy persisted, determined to master the art of dangling. She watched Emily closely, studying the way she held the cigarette and the way she exhaled the smoke. And after a few more attempts, she finally got the hang of it.

"Wow, sis, you look cool like that," Josh said, his eyes wide with admiration.

Amy felt a surge of pride as she saw the look on her little brother's face. "Thanks, Josh," she said with a grin, taking a drag from her cigarette as the tip danced and bobbed with her every word.

David couldn't help but be impressed as well. "You're getting the hang of it. You look just like my mom," he said with a chuckle.

Josh could only watch in awe as he saw his sister smoking with ease, the cigarette effortlessly dangling from her lips as she played and chatted with David. The cigarette bobbed as she spoke, and she seemed to be in control of the smoke, unlike her first attempts.

With a sense of newfound confidence and pride, Amy lit up her second cigarette, the end burning bright as she took a deep drag. The two young boys couldn't help but stare in awe as she effortlessly lit her second cigarette with the first, her hands steady and her movements graceful.

"You guys hungry?," Amy said, her cigarette bobbing up and down in her lips as she spoke, her voice a bit muffled around the orange menthol flavored filter. "I'm gonna heat a pizza for us, you dig?"

David and Josh eagerly nodded, their mouths watering at the thought of a warm, cheesy pizza.

As she made her way to the kitchen, Amy couldn't help but feel a bit self-conscious as she struggled to keep the cigarette dangling from her lips. But she persisted, determined to master the technique.

In the kitchen, she managed to heat the frozen pizza in the oven while still holding the cigarette. David looked at her with a sense of admiration, seeing a young version of his mom in her actions. However, he kept quiet, respecting her privacy.

The pizza was heating up and the smell of the cheese and pepperoni filled the air. Amy couldn't help but feel a sense of accomplishment as she took another drag from her cigarette, the smoke curling upwards in a small cloud.

As she pulled the pizza out of the oven, she couldn't help but feel a sense of pride and satisfaction. She had managed to heat the pizza, all while keeping her cigarette dangled. She cut the pizza into slices and served it to the boys who were waiting in the living room.

"Here you go, guys," she said, a small smile on her lips, and a quick last inhale from her cigarette. "Dig in." she finished, exhaling and stubing it out in the ashtray.

DAY 7 - NIGHT

The adults sat around a sturdy wooden table, the smoke from their cigarettes and Howard's cigar dancing and mingling in the air above them. The clinking of chips and the low murmur of conversation filled the warm summer night as they played their game of "truth or dare poker". Emily, with her Pall Mall reds, took a drag and let out a sigh as she laid down her losing hand. "Truth or dare?" asked Howard, the ringleader of the game.

Emily thought for a moment, her cigarette held between her fingers as she weighed her options. "Truth," she said finally, with a hint of hesitation in her voice.

"Alright," said Howard with a grin. "What's the wildest thing you've ever done?"

"Well," Emily began, taking a drag from her cigarette, the tip glowing brightly as she recounted her story. "I once spent a semester abroad in Amsterdam during my college days. I immersed myself in the party scene there and let's just say, I tried a lot of things I never thought I would. From smoking weed in coffee shops to trying different types of psychedelics, it was quite an experience." She exhaled a thick plume of smoke, a hint of a smile playing on her lips as she remembered those wild days.