Moths to a Flame

She opened her laptop and sat down and for the next thirty minutes focused on typing her neatly written notes from the day at university, she got to the bottom of one the pages, sighed and then got up and walked over to the window and looked out up over the back gardens of the houses, unsurprisingly there was no one she knew there. She watched as a cat balanced and walked along the back fence of a neighbour, before jumping down and hiding behind a tree. She sat back down at the laptop and continued typing for another five minutes, before she had to get up and go and make a cup of coffee. Olivia picked up her phone and headed downstairs to boil the kettle.

She sat at the kitchen table sipped at her hot coffee and put down and pushed the mug away from her and picked up the phone and quickly messaged Madison.

"Stuck on remembering what Prof G said regarding section 2a ."

"What's up? x"

"Just can't focus on silly Section 2a "

"☹ Shall I come over earlier and get ready at yours before we head out tonight? x"

"Yes please! 😊" she then typed out 'Oh pretty please, please remember to bring your pack cigarettes with you', but she shook her head and swiftly deleted that before hitting send, as she couldn't work out why she had typed it. She admonished herself 'I don't need a cigarette!' she said to herself and picked up and slurped on the cooling coffee as she thought. With a confident nod she typed instead "I know what, I can make us dinner!" as she smiled nodded to herself triumphantly.

The phone vibrated in her hand "Great see you in a bit x" came the reply.

Olivia smiled at the screen and then looked up and panicked as she then her eyes focused on the fridge and then the kitchen, but she was happy that she needed a distraction from the paperwork sitting upstairs.

***

Olivia opened the door and politely stifled a cough as she was faced with the dissipating cloud of a recently exhaled cigarette smoke, and she couldn't help but breathe it in as she watched Madison politely twist her feet as she stubbed the cigarette out on the pavement splattering the wasted tobacco and ash on the floor before making her way up the step to the front door.

"Hey Olivia." Madison beamed as she came up arms wide apart and gave Olivia a hug.

Olivia smiled whilst embracing as she took in with an exaggerate breath the delightful but potent aroma that filled her friends' hair and opened her mouth as to take as much of it as possible. As they released their grip on each other Olivia beamed "Hey Maddie thanks for coming over so quickly, but, oh, I thought we agreed that you were going to quit until we talked to Abigail?" Oliva asked taking a deep breath still taking in and almost enjoying the fresh smoky aroma emanating off Madison's body and hair and she hugged and then passed her in the door.

Madison shifted her weight from foot to foot nervously "Yeah, I know, I know, sometimes it is just nice to walk along the street in the sunshine with a cigarette between my fingers...I am a bit later as I did have to stop and take a breather at a bench in the park to finish it, and then whilst sitting there, I just had to a second whilst on the way."

Olivia's eyes widened in shock, "Hmmm, Oh, okay, I guess so." Olivia momentarily thought for a couple of beats "Did you, err br..."

"...Bring my notes? Yes of course I did!" Madison confidently smiled as she removed her rucksack off her shoulder and opened the zip revealing two packs of cigarettes stuffed in front of her folders.

"Oh, cool, do you want a drink before go upstairs?" Olivia asked staring at the packs and licking her lips.

Madison looked slightly disappointed "Are we doing work or getting ready?" She asked.

"I thought err, both?" Olivia suggested shrugging her shoulders.

"Oh, okay, great, have you got any beer or wine? Could murder a cold drink, it's so darn hot, and my throat is a little dry from...you know...the heat." She guilty smiled.

Olivia nodded knowingly "Follow me; I will look in the fridge." Olivia suggested as she welcome Madison into the kitchen. "I've definitely got some wine?" She suggested as she opened it.

"Ideal!" Madison smiled as she watched Olivia open the screw top of the white wine and then get two glasses out of the cupboard "So what's so difficult about section 2?" Madison asked as she was passed the glass.

"I just don't know" frowned Olivia "I spent like 20 minutes staring at my notes and couldn't understand it."

Madison smiled as she stared at glass in front of her and picked it up and sipped her wine and nodded as she continued thinking. "Okay, I know what, let me have another cigarette and then we can head upstairs and look at it?"

Olivia widened her eyes at the comment seeing as Madison had literally just stubbed one out less than five minutes ago and nodded "That sounds like a great idea Mads" she said over enthusiastically, she corrected herself "but you better go out into the garden though. As I don't want the housemates complaining of ou..your smoke in the house."

Madison smiled, "Its great at home, I can literally smoke anywhere, but it's not a problem, I have a better idea, you could bring your laptop outside, and we could do the work out there?" She asked thoughtfully and sipped her wine again. "It is nice and sunny and then, you know it saves me having the hassle to keep popping outside for a cigarette!" she suggested.

Olivia's eyes widened even further "Keep popping? Oh...okay...I guess that sounds good!" she said as she opened the back door to the patio area. "Take a seat outside, and I will be a second, just to get the laptop and my notes. But can you wait for me befo... err...it's okay I will I'll be back in a second." She stuttered in a slight flustered state as she turned and gently jogged to the hallway and then up the stairs.

Olivia came through the back door with her laptop and folders, to see Madison sitting on the plastic garden furniture with her bare legs dangling from the cotton skirt crossed over, her face and eyes covered by her large dark sunglasses as her cheeks collapsed as she was drawing deeply on her freshly lit cigarette; Olivia placed the laptop down as Madison tilted her head back exhaled the smoke stylishly a large cone of smoke out of her mouth before picking up her wine glass and taking a sip.

"You okay Olivia?" Madison asked after swallowing her wine.

"Yup" she replied as she placed her folders on the table along with the laptop.

"Cool you are just gawking at me with your mouth wide open!" Madison smiled before she locked her lips around her orange filter and released the V of her fingers and exaggeratedly dragged hard on the cigarette before clamping the cigarette between her fingers and removing the cigarette from her mouth and exhaling an equally large cloud up into the sky.

Olivia nervously watched and quickly tucked her hair behind her ear, "Oh was I, sorry, didn't mean to. I am just not used to my very best friend smoking quite so much I guess."

Madison nonchalantly shrugged her shoulders "It's okay, I am good, so show me where were you stuck?" she asked as the smoke still poured out of her mouth as she glanced to the side causally flicked her cigarette on the arm of the wooden chair, the ash slowly tumbled to the floor carried in the gentle breeze, she uncrossed her stretched black legging covered legs and shuffled forward to look over the spread of paperwork on the table, making humming noises.

"I just got stuck after about 20 minutes of reading it; it all began to not make any sense!" Oliva raised her shoulders and her fingers to make an exaggerated W shape.

Madison nodded and smiled, "I will let you in to a secret..." she grinned and licked her lips and repeated the process of putting the filter between her lips pushing her fingers in wide vee as she pulled the smoke from her cigarette deep in the lungs. She paused almost teasingly before clamping her fingers like a vice around the filter, she removed the cigarette and forced the cloud of smoke out of her lungs. "...I have found that in the past few weeks or so these cigarettes from my sister and Ricky really help me really focus now, its almost like magic!" Madison affirmed, before again tapping the growing ash from cigarette. She wiggled her backside so she was sitting up in her seat and her face screwed up behind the large sunglasses as looked down at the laptop, twisting it slightly because of the sun line "So that's have a look shall we."

"Oh, good, err, that's what I maybe thought. Err, and as no one else is here," she made the point of looking around the empty small back garden, "do you think I could borrow another cigarette, just like at uni?" Olivia almost grovelled.

Slowly the corner of Madison's lips turned to a smile and she nodded slowly her eyebrow rising above her sunglasses "Is that what this is all about?" she grinned as the last entrails of her previous inhale slipped out of her mouth as she spoke and she put her arms out wide over the laptop, she smiled again and brought her hands together as she turned her pack around, so it faced Olivia. "You silly mare, go on, you should have asked!" She chuckled as she offered the cigarette pack to Olivia.

"Oh, you are so kind, thank you!" Olivia grinned like a Cheshire cat and pulled the cigarette out from the white pack with printed out label stuck across it and placed the filter between her lips.

Madison offered her lighter and Olivia leaned forwards and quickly inhaled deeply to get it alight, copying exactly the same as Madison had done on with her cigarette.

"Woo, watch out there with your inhales, you will definitely cough?" Madison suggested as Olivia released the stream of smoke from deep within her lungs.

Olivia smiled and shook her head "Nope, oh my god that was bliss, I have been walking around the house like I was looking for something, and I know I have now truly found it." She grinned at her friend and brought the filter back to her lips again and pulled the smoke into her lungs.

Madison cackled "Welcome to the most amazing club in the world Olivia!"

"Oh, thanks..." Olivia looked a little nonplussed.

"Ricky and Sonia will be so pleased, enjoy! Cheers!" She offered her now half empty glass to Olivia, and they clinked their glasses and they both took a gulp.

Olivia gulped air "Cheers!" she said nervously holding a cigarette in one hand and her glass in the other.

She watched as Madison again pulled incredibly hard on her cigarette, the tip fizzed and with her chest full, she paused then let the smoke pour out of her mouth and nose. Madison smiled at Olivia as dropped the now short butt to the ground beside her and stepped her foot to the side and swished her foot back and forth stubbing it out with her black shoe. She then with a grin from cheek to cheek turned the pack back around and with an apologetic shrug of the shoulders took another cigarette out whilst the smoke was still drifting out of her nose from the last exhale and placed it between her lips and with the light quickly clicked she lit it with a cheek caving inhale.

"I know they are amazing aren't they!" She rhetorically asked after holding the smoke in her lungs for a second before exhaling. "I will have this one, the maybe we should go in and get ready for this evening?" Madison suggested as the smoke poured out her mouth.

Olivia nodded as she gently inhaled on her cigarette too. She released a large stream of smoke as a cone as she had briefly studied Madison do. She licked her lips and drank the last of her wine. "These cigarettes so dry my mouth out, but yes, I agree shall we head in after we have finished the cigarette?"

Madison nodded, "Of course, It should be a good night; the whole crowd will be there from uni!" She smiled almost evilly before the filter landed on her lips and her cheeks caved in deep as she dragged hard on the cigarette.

"Absolutely, I need something to distract me from the essay we need to write by next Tuesday so I can't get too wasted." Olivia guilty grinned and as they both inhaled again. As they both exhaled their cloud of smoke there was a coughing noise coming from over the wall behind them. Both girls looked slightly panicked towards the brick wall.

"Doreen!" He screeched clearly to his wife inside, "these bloody students are now outside fucking smoking and drinking and ruining our lovely neighbourhood!" He coughed again and growled on other side of the fence.

"Sorry Mort!" Olivia piped up and then took one last drag on her cigarette before dropping it to the floor. "Let's head in" she whispered to Madison with her exhale as she gathered up her paperwork and laptop "Before he gets too cross." She smiled as Madison picked up her cigarette pack, lighter and the two empty wine glasses and they both scurried into the house.

As they reached the back door, Madison took one last drag on her cigarette and then turned and flicked it onto the patio and watched as it rolled under the table as she exhaled.

"Christ, that was interesting, I feel sorry for you living next to them!" Madison said as they settled in the kitchen as Olivia went straight to the fridge to get the wine.

"Sorry, I really didn't expect that!" Oliva said as she poured the wine in to the glasses.

"Is he always like that?" Madison asked.

"No, he is normally very friendly, but I guess this house doesn't go out drinking and smoking normally in the back garden!" she screwed her face up thinking about it.

"It's only five in the afternoon? It's not like three in the morning?" Madison tried to reason.

"I know, anyway, do you want to head upstairs with our wine and get ready or we could have dinner? I'd distracted myself earlier chopped up some chicken and veg for a stir fry."

"Shall we have some food; the wine will soon go to my head if I don't have something to eat." Madison suggested.

Olivia nodded, "Take a seat; I will get some food ready." She took a deep breath taking everything in, and then busied herself in the kitchen.

***

"Olivia that was delicious thanks." Madison grinned as she grabbed and used a square of the white kitchen towel as a napkin to wipe the stray soy sauce that had splattered from the noodles in the corner of her mouth.

"My pleasure, it's nice to have some company, my house mates are all in either the debating or drama societies, so don't get back until late most nights!"

"No problem, but I am just going to have to pop outside for a couple of minutes, Ricky and Sonia always say the best cigarette is after food."

"Really?"

"Apparently..."

Olivia smiled knowingly, "I am concerned about you Mads, this is not good for you or me, as that means I will just have to come with you, if that is, okay?"

Madison nodded and smiled happily "Completely! But you know, I will talk to my sister tomorrow, as you will need to get your own pack at some point?" Madison grinned as picked up the pack from the kitchen table. "But if you remember I don't want the others to know yet. Okay?"

"Oh, I hadn't thought about that, but you are right, but I will keep it a secret as long as possible!" Olivia said thoughtfully as Madison then passed her a cigarette out of her pack.

They both headed out the door with a cigarette perched between their lips, Madison offered the lighter as soon as they stepped outside. "We are going to have to be quiet and stand against the other wall" suggested Olivia as they walked into the patio area.

"Good thinking!" suggested Madison as her cloud of smoke exhaled her mouth as she walked over the other wall and then pushed her sunglasses down over her nose as the two girls stood enjoying the sunshine taking their occasional long and hard drags on their cigarettes.

"This is nice, a friend, the sunshine and a cigarette and four minutes not thinking about work." Olivia smiled and then exhaled her latest cloud.

Madison pushed her sunglasses back up her nose "I can say one thing from my experience last weekend with Sonia, is that it is not much fun smoking outside in the rain," Madison chuckled, and then made an exaggerated frown as the flicked her long ash of her cigarette before instantly putting the filter back between her lips and dragging again. "But hey, that's my sister for you." She stated whilst exhaling and then dropping and stubbing her second cigarette out with her shoe.

"True, I can imagine," Olivia said taking a long studying look at the white paper cylinder burning black at the tip and quietly crackling between her fingers as the breeze swirled the smoke around the back garden. What was between her digits should be for intents and purposes a foreign object, but for now was producing surprising comfort, delightful but now rather short cigarette between her fingers. With pride burning inside chest, she took one last drag as it was close to the filter as she could dare go for now and dropped it to the floor as she exhaled. "Shall we get ready?" She asked as twisted her foot on the butt as she headed to the door with her last exhaled smoke trailing behind her.

***

"Shall I wear the blue or green summer dress?" Olivia asked as she stood in her plain white bra covering her 32B chest, and the nonmatching simple black cotton knickers. "The green one is a little shorter." She mused as an afterthought twisting herself in front of the mirror.

Madison grinned "It's got to be the green one!" Madison said as she gently swirled her white wine in the wine glass in a dreamy state before taking a sip as she sat on the windowsill her large breasts bulging from her size too small blue lacey bra which matched her equally tight fitted lacey thong.

"Thanks, Mads. I totally agree." Olivia readily agreed as she stepped into the green summer dress and wiggling her hips pulled it up and put her arms through the right holes. "Can you do the honours?" She asked pointing towards the zip on the back.

"Oh, yeah, of course." Madison said as she snapped herself out of her daydream and finished her wine with a gulp, placing the wine glass on the windowsill and got up, her index finger flicking the elastic that had dislodged and moved on her buttocks, and then standing there quickly did the zip up on the back of the short green dress. She looked Olivia up and down, "You look gorgeous will make heads turn this evening, Olivia."

"Oh, thanks sweetie." Olivia happily grinned.

Madison pulled at the zip and the looked over Olivia's shoulder at back yard below them "Do you think, you know, we could smoke out your window?" Madison asked licking her lips in anticipation.

"Eh?" Oliva raised an eyebrow at Madison as in her distraction she had unfortunately left Olivia's zip half done up.

"Well, I can't go outside in my underwear like this, as your neighbour Mort will have far too much fun or even a heart attack," she laughed as she squeezed her own breasts. "You see, as you probably know, somehow, I am what as Sonia told me is called a craving. Olivia, yes, I am craving another cigarette. All I can say is that this "Thing" that Abigail has discovered certainly is powerful!" She giggled.

"Mads, nicotine is like an octopus surrounded by smoke, it has lots of long tentacles that reach and grab you and will never let you go! I am not sure we should." Olivia mused as her eyes flicked across the room and she saw the pack poking out of Madison's bag on the floor. She gulped for air as she focused in on it.

"Go on, I am not a bloody octopus, come one, let me have just the one, it won't hurt us honestly." Madison replied, "I got loads of packs for everyone tonight. Your housemates will never know, the window will be open, all the smoke will go outside, I am sure!" She said as she bent down and had to pause her movement. It was at that moment she had to bring her hand to her mouth as she screwed her face up as she sharply barked a cough as her hand reached for her pack in the bag. She dismissively shook her head and an attempt to style it out she tucked her hair behind her ears in the process and retrieved the pack and then as she sat up straight, her face had concern of guilt etched across it.