As I entered my home, I sighed, preparing myself for what was to come. Upon entering the vicinity of my property, I'd caught the odious scent of cigarette. That foul stench alerted me to its owner, who was likely standing out back, smoking and awaiting my return.

I glanced out the front window, watching Kevin's form fade as he entered his own domicile. I squeezed my hand, and again, sighed.

I let myself outside once more, though the back door. She was leaning right next to it, and blew a puff just as I walked out. I coughed as a show of my distaste.

"So what didja ditch me for, huh?"

I rolled my eyes at her, mirroring her pose on the opposite side of the door, "I did no such thing; I declined your request to walk home with me, and that is all."

"Yeah, but it had to be for a reason," I only blinked in response, but that told her enough, "was it him?"

"It is none of your concern, Marie."

I heard her signature snort, "It's him alright. So what've you been up to all day? I couldn't even find you after school. Spill."

"Again, it's none of your-"

"Knock it off black-eyes before you earn your namesake. I love you to death but God you're like a broken record over here! I'm not gonna tell anyone, jeesh! Just say it already!"

I cringed at the squeaking heights her voice reached in her irritation, and grumbled, "He desired to talk, and thus, I told him to meet me after school. That is the gist of it."

"Yeah, but you wouldn't be hiding it if that was it. Spill, spill! I want all the gruesome details: blood, guts, assorted bodily flu-"

I snapped my finger, "Enough, Marie." She was silent as I held my head, organizing my mind into something that would allow me to speak without interruption by my own...meddling thoughts. The snap was a sign for her that I had to fix myself in some way, and to wait. I've few faults, but occasionally speaking is difficult, when certain people pry for certain things. And they actually do deserve answers.

"He inquired about the kiss. I told him little. He insulted my future, and I wove him a tale. He..." my eyes flickered down, and my throat hushed itself. Closing my eyes, I breathed deeply.

"He...? What, did he...?" And there she went, "EEEEE!" Her girlish shriek was frustrating, but I was glad she could read my unspoken words. Even if she didn't know exactly what it was that happened, she was apparently excited about what had transpired, no matter the level of intimacy. She dropped her cigarette, crushing it under her shoe before reaching down to pick it up and stick it in a paper towel in her pocket. Father would have my head otherwise, and I was thankful for her gestures.

"Yes...quite," my cynical tone just made her giggle.

"I just can't believe it. He made a move! An actual move! Oh, oh you gotta tell me. Or, better yet, show me!" She smiled too wide, then frowned in an overly-exaggerated manner, "Or not. But come on, I need to know, pleeeeeeaaaaaaa-"

"Hands..." My traitorous voice closed itself off once again, as I found myself remembering the incident. I bit back the blush, but Marie's enthusiasm was embarrassing in its own right.

She smirked gleefully, "Awwwwwww!" Her hands were clasped together as she pouted cutely, and I rolled my eyes.

"Yes, certainly, now may we move on from the topic now?"

Her eyes rolled in return, "Yeah yeah...lighten up, bright eyes, things are looking up!"

I snorted cynically, "Hardly. They're simply..." I turned my gaze away, my voice crackling out weakly, "not looking down..."

Ironic, since down was exactly where I was staring.

I heard the knock on the front door, and recognized Nazz's melodic tone down in the living room. I finished up the sentence I was working on, setting my pen down before going down to greet her.

"So then I was like- oh hey, look who decided to show up!" She had a mocking grin on her face, whilst my mom was smiling pleasantly. They must have been discussing something while I finished up, but it didn't seem to be that important, because my mom turned around and waved us off.

I smirked at Nazz, "Yeah, had to finish something up, you know me n' schoolwork," she smiled knowingly and followed behind me as I went upstairs, "so what's up? Did we have plans that I forgot about, or..."

"Don't worry about it, let's just get up to your room."

And so we did. As I closed the door and walked over to my desk, I heard the click of the door locking. My eyebrows shot up as I turned around. There stood Nazz, arms folded, tapping one foot on the ground as she gave me a disappointed glare. I withered under it, gulping as my shoulders fell before it. It was rare she gave anyone that look, so I wasn't exactly prepared for it.

"You didn't call."

Oops. "I forg-"

"What are you hiding?" The words whipped out, striking at me as fiercely as her eyes. Her sweetly dimming voice did nothing to lighten the mood.

"...I can't tell you." Great, Kevin. You coulda just, you know, said 'nothing.' You know, like a smart person would. Now you've opened a whole new can of worms...

Her eyes narrowed, looking down angrily at the carpet as she mumbled, "Sarah saw you, you know..."

"Saw what?" My eyes locked on her, and I felt my heart leap from my chest.

"You and Eddward, walking home together. I didn't believe it at first, but...but that look on your face, it's totally true!"

I stumbled out, "It's not what you-"

"What's he making you do, Kevin?"

"I..." I gathered my courage, "nothing! Absolutely nothing, I swear!"

Her eyes seemed to lighten, but her body was showing her breaking a little, "Please, Kevin...I'm really worried about you. I know we've been falling apart a lot lately, but...but I care. I'm scared for you. He's...he's really scary, alright? And I just..."

"Nazz..." I walked towards her, placing my hands on her shoulders. Tears welled up in her eyes.

"I just...I want to be sure you're okay...you're my best friend, Kev. For real. And I...I feel like I'm losing you..."

I squeezed her shoulders, "You're not. I just...I just can't talk about it yet. There's...so much going on, Nazz, and I just can't."

She looked down, distantly, and we held our position there for little over a minute.

"P..." her voice was weak, but she straightened up, looking me dead in the eye, "promise me he's not hurting you, at least? I can't..."

"I swear on it, Nazz. I promise, if he does, you'll be the first to know."

She let out a half-hearted, scoffing laugh, "Ha...you know, like when he twisted your wrist."

"Hey, I totally had it coming!"

"You did?" Me and my big mouth.

"Uhh...complicated. But...kinda, yeah, I did."

Nazz cast an analyzing glare over me for a moment, thumbing her chin. Then, she smirked.

"You're such an idiot."

I laughed breathily, feeling the weight in the room slowly lessen.

"A smart idiot," I pointed out.

She smiled, "But an idiot nonetheless."

We'd never left our positions behind the house. The odd bathroom break aside, we had remained dormant as statues keeping watch on our post. Marie was barely visible, the glow of her cigarette signalling her position, the gibbous moon casting an ethereal glow over her. I wished to blend in, but my white shirt shone in the moonlight. I was half-tempted to rip the thing off.

I wrinkled my nose as a soft gust blew the smoke in my direction. I rolled my eyes, gazing upon the red-lined, scarlet clouds in the muggy sky.

"You know, I wish you'd stop that disgusting habit," my voice growled into the night, met by a playful cackle.

"Well, I wish you'd take those damn wristbands off!" I could hear the mockery in her voice, but ignored it. This was a normal conversation for us.

I was intrigued by her proposition, however, "And how do you expect me to pull that off, Maria?"

I heard her take a puff of her smoke, and I growled internally, "I dunno...tattoos for something?"

I scoffed.

"Hey, look...if you ever stop wearing them...I'll quit," the silence emphasized what she'd said, "Cold turkey. Swear to God on it."

I turned her way, "That doesn't mean much."

"...Alright, how about, swear to Cthuhlu?"

She had her hands out in a 'come on, accept it' sort of pose, and I couldn't help the smirk teasing at my lips. It, in turn, caused her to grin back quite widely. I bit my lip to still my mood.

"You're outrageous...you do know that, don't you, Marie?"

The blue-dyed fringe shone in the moonlight, as her eyes looked to its beauteous amber. I wondered, at that moment, what she could be thinking. She looked peaceful. But I never asked; for I did nothing but disturb her peace.

A smile accompanied her chuckling sigh, "You're glad about that, though, aren'tcha? You're glad I'm here, even if I'm a trailer trash artist who won't surpass you in this whole 'game of life' thing..."

I didn't respond to her, but I knew she heard my answer. Some part of her was forever linked to me, and I was thankful for her. It was...frightening...to allow someone other than her into my life. Someone who didn't know my secrets, or the games I played. Who just thought I was a sadistic, venomous creature lurking in the unseen corners of the hallways...as if that has any sort of use in the real world. I blinked the thoughts away, because she was staring at me.

I nodded to the moon, "...To solace."

An echo, "To companionship."

We sighed out the same breath, and I'd forgotten all about the smoke that was slowly suffocating me. Like the comforting hug of something familiar, deadly thought it may be. The addicting poison, when one forgets how it is to simply be.

Without pain.

Perhaps, funnily enough, the smoke was an allusion to my life, I thought, as my smile shone twisted in the sepia glow of the moon.