They finally had a chance to breathe. They watched as the two tanks on the dock burned in a raging gasoline fire and faded into the distance.
"How you folks doen'?" Virgil asked spiritedly over the speaker.
"You guys hang here, I'm going to go talk to our savior." Rochelle smiled.
The three boys nursed their wounds quietly for a moment until Ellis chimed in with an offer of ketamine and wine.
"I can't believe you kept that wine." Nick remarked as Coach popped some pills.
"I figure I'll save it for a special occasion."
"Like what?"
"I dunno. Loosing my virginity?"
"What was that?"
Ellis drank heavily from the wine bottle.
"Hey guys." Rochelle leaned over the boats upper deck. "Virgil had some cigarettes laying around. I hate to offer because I can't stand the damn things but…anyone want a butt?"
"Throw em' here!" said Nick all too enthusiastically.
"Seriously?" She asked, though she tossed them to him anyway. "Didn't you just puncture a lung?"
"I just got the wind knocked out of me." He pulled a cigarette out of the pack between his lips.
Rochelle tossed him the lighter.
"What about you Coach?"
"I made my players all quit. I'd feel bad if I went back on that deal now. But I will take some more of them pills though. My ankle is killing me."
"What did you coach?"
"Sports."
"Still not gonna give us a name?"
"Yea, sure, I'll give you a name… Jacob Lebowits." He read off the bottle.
"Careful Coach, or we may just start calling you that." Ellis smirked at him.
Coach bit down on a couple of pills and scowled at him.
"What about you kid? You got the black lung?" Nick offered him the pack.
"I've been drinking since I was thirteen but I've never smoked." Ellis smiled nostalgically. "My mom always hated it." He rubbed his chin contemplatively looking at the offer in Nicks hand.
"No time like the apocalypse kid."
Nick took the cigarette from his mouth and held it out to Ellis. The young man looked at it in wonder for a moment. The filter still glistened with signs of Nicks lips. The reflection of saliva illuminated by the soft glow of ember captivated him for a moment. He blushed. Taking the cigarette between his fingers he put it between his lips and inhaled deeply, hypnotized by the rising smoke in the thick humid air. He lifted his head and slowly exhaled the cloud of smoke from his lungs. He returned the cigarette to Nick coughing lightly.
"Welcome to the end of days kid." He inhaled. "At least you aren't a virgin to cigarettes anymore." He exhaled, a cloud of smoke billowing from his mouth.
Ellis tipped back the bottle of wine relishing in the stale taste of smoke being washed from his mouth.
"Easy kid. Don't drink it all."
"Whats' it to you?"
"You're saving it for a special occasion right?" Nick made eye contact and winked. Inhaling once more he burned the cigarette down to ash. He held it for a moment looking down at his feet. Ellis watched, captivated by the spell of alcohol and ketamine as he gently let the smoke escape from his lips wrapping around his face and floating off into the night air.