Life Decisions- Laura's Route 01

"Yes, mum we have, then after that its, just the bed to get up the stairs and the wardrobe." Laura stated as she squatted down beside a box with Kitchen written on it down and opened a box and smiled as she picked up the kettle, two mugs and a glass to use as an ashtray and flicked the ash into the glass, before dangling the cigarette as she handed the glass to her mum and carrying the kettle and mugs.

"Great, I brought some milk with me; we've got time for a cup of tea!" Trisha smiled as she headed towards the kitchen walking on the threadbare carpet.

"There is always time for a tea and a cigarette!" Laura grinned "I still can't believe I am doing this," she smiled brightly looking around her house before taking another drag. "I have got my own house."

"I am really pleased that we are doing it!" Trisha grinned. "Bit of positivity for us all. My Laura all grown up in a house of her own!"

Laura nodded as she dragged "Definitely!" she smiled as she exhaled before Trisha looked concerned at Laura at the sink.

"Hang on Law, just let the water run for a second...we don't know how long the water has been in there!" Trisha scolded as she held the kettle up to the tap.

"Oh, yes sorry mum!" Laura mumbled through her cigarette as she emptied the kettle back into the sink.

Trisha shook her head and flicked her cigarette above the glass on the counter and folded her hand across her chest. "It will be fine now." As Laura blinked in confusion and dutifully filled the kettle again.

***

Laura sighed and lifted up wiped her forehead with her top leaving the dust and sweat marks on the bottom third as she dropped it again "Mum, I think I'm done!" she grinned as they moved back into the living room full of empty boxes and instantly placed her cigarette between her lips. "I am gagging for a lovely glass of wine and a ciggy!" She grinned as she sheltered the cigarette and flicked the lighter and inhaled deeply.

She exhaled and passed the lighter to Trisha who followed suit in lighting up. The smoke drifting up from the burning ends creating a smoky shadow against the bare wall from the single lightbulb in the ceiling.

"Well Law, before we open the wine, I will need to get the empty van back first!" she grinned and flicked the ash into the now very full glass of butts and ash in the middle on the room.

"I will make sure I get the wine in the fridge!" Laura grinned and then placed the filter back between her lips.

Chapter 11 Baby its cold outside.

Laura shivered and then sheltered her cigarette from the whisking autumnal wind circulating the smoking area outside her office. She flicked the lighter twice to get it into flame before her cheeks collapsed twice as she pulled hard to get the warm smoke into her waiting lungs.

She dropped the lighter into her handbag as she exhaled and turned to look at Karen as she lit her cigarette.

"So Kaz," she continued speaking with her exhale, "You are coming over to see the house tonight?"

Karen winced, "Oh Law, it's a school night?" She grinned as she manicured her ash on the edge of the bench and placed the filter back between her lips and inhaled again.

"Yeah and?" Laura grinned, "I am sure Zoe will be up for it?"

Karen winced again, "Maybe on Friday it would be better, we could come around to yours then go out on the town?" She asked and then tilted her head back as she her cheeks collapsed around her cigarette.

Laura nodded and chewed the inside of her mouth as she thought before taking another deep drag. "Maybe you are right. I do have got some more boxes to unpack."

Karen smiled and waved over Laura's shoulder as Zoe hustled along the path towards the benches wrapped up in a bright red woolly hat and brown winter coat, cigarette already between her lips. She sat down on the edge of the bench and promptly lit her cigarette as she exhaled, she shuffled along the bench and got her feet underneath.

"Hey, you two," Zoe smiled and took another desperate drag. "How's your new place?" She asked with her exhale.

Laura smiled "It's great, amazing I am so happy with it, but I just ran out of time unpacking, it's still upside down and back to front. I sat last night without the telly with a wall of boxes, think they could see them from space, if I see another full cardboard box, I think I might kill it!" She giggled, and the others politely laughed as she manicured her cigarette and took another drag.

"Laura has kindly invited us over on Friday night for a drink or two!" Karen grinned.

"Excellent count me in!" Zoe said as her latest desperate lungful of smoke drifted out her mouth.

Laura shrugged her shoulders widening her eyes flashing her whites of eyes against the grey sky, "I guess we've got ourselves a party then!"

***

Laura bit her bottom lip as topped up again her glass of wine and took a gulp before sitting back down and pensively looked at the time on the phone. She stretched her light feeling head from side to side as she thought for a moment before agreeing with herself by pulling the filter out of the pack in front of her and placing it between her lips. Her cheeks soon collapsed as she lit the cigarette and pulled the smoke in to her waiting lungs.

The exhale was a forced cone out in front of her mouth as she picked up the wine glass took another gulp before studying her phone again. She looked across and manicured her cigarette and looked up with an uncertain smile and grinned as there were three louds knocks on the front door. She put her cigarette in the ashtray on the middle of the kitchen table that she had got from the charity shop when she bought the table, sofa, and chairs as she headed off towards the hallway. She pulled her black shirt a little down her over her hips and then rubbed her sweaty palms on the skirt before opening the door.

"Hey, you two!" she smiled and gave Zoe and Karen each a hug as they came down the hallway, she pointed them off to the left to go into the lounge. "Anyone want a drink?"

"Hell yeah!" Zoe replied as she followed Karen into the lounge.

"Wow, the place is amazing! You are so lucky." Karen stated as she stood and spun around the small living room.

Laura shrugged "I like it, is white, okay?" she grinned hopefully as she made her way back into the kitchen retrieving the burning cigarette in the process.

"That will be great!" Karen called out from the living room as Laura stood in the kitchen dragging hard on her cigarette.

She exhaled and stubbed the cigarette out, "Good, I will get the menu out for the Chinese too." Laura grinned as she turned and opened the fridge and quickly poured the wine.

"I am so jealous; your place is amazing!" Zoe stated.

Laura handed the Chinese menu she had picked up earlier in the week to Karen. "I am happy with it, right choose away, and then we can go out to town afterwards.

***

The house was again silent, it had been hours since Zoe and Karen had left and Laura staggered back down the stairs just wearing her sexy blue satin knickers, she flumped down on the sofa and groaned as she reached across and pulled a cigarette out of the nearly empty pack, and after a couple of unsteady flicks she brought the lighter to the cylinder protruding between her lips and dragged twice once to get it alight and a second time to deeply inhale. She dropped the lighter on the occasional table beside her and as she exhaled a cone up to the ceiling, she tucked her legs up under her bottom she picked up her large wine glass and took another gulp and smiled as she took in her own living room, she felt happy and balanced with life on her own, with her glass of wine in one hand and cigarette in the other.

Across town Trisha tucked her feet up under her satin pyjama bottoms, picked up another mug of steaming decaf tea, and took a sip, she flicked off the television put down her mug and grinning excitedly pulled out a cigarette, she picked up her pink Bic lighter. She concentrated as the flame struck the end of the cigarette and took a deep drag, just has she had done countless times that evening, she exhaled the smoke leaned forward placing the lighter back on the table and picked up her mug. She was happy sitting there with her mug of tea in one hand, and the burning cigarette in the other.

The end of the Beginning Route 1

This continues in Life Decisions Laura Trying to be an Adult.