Back and Forth, Part 5

This fictional account contains adult language and graphic sexual themes and
descriptions.  If such language, themes and descriptions offend you, please do
not read further.  The persons and events described in this work are purely
fictional.  Any similarity to actual persons or events is strictly
coincidental.  Copyright 2002 by SSTORYMAN.  All rights reserved.  Permission
is hereby granted to reproduce this story in any form and for any purpose as
long as this notice is reproduced and no financial remuneration is received,
directly or indirectly, by the person reproducing or using it.

BACK AND FORTH
by SSTORYMAN

5.	Settling In.

   Karyn was fuming.  "God, Kylee, I don't get it.  What the hell happened
to you?"

   "What do you mean, Karyn?"

   The girls were in the school lunchroom.  At Kylee's insistence they sat
in the smoking section.  Kylee just lit up another Benson & Hedges and was
exhaling a thin stream of smoke through her lips.

   "Something's different.  I can't put my finger on it.  If someone
changes her mind as fast as you did about smoking there's some explanation.
A new boyfriend, a new group of friends, something.  Something makes your
mind change.  But you're still with Josh and I haven't seen you hang out
with anyone new.  Even so, bang!  Out of the blue you smoke constantly and
spend all your time trying to win others to your new habit."  She frowned.
"Something's going on, Kylee.  What is it?"

   The blond manicured her cigarette in the ashtray.  She sighed deeply.
"Well, Karyn, if I told you, I promise you.  You wouldn't believe it."

   "Really?  Try me."

   Ever since coming to this strange new world, Kylee had a strong desire to
tell someone what happened.  Her sister accused her of being deranged when
she first found the portal in her bathroom.  But maybe Karyn was different.
Karyn might believe her.  She took a deep breath.

   "Karyn, don't think I'm unhinged.  I tried to tell Allyson about it a
few weeks ago and she said I was nuts.  She was sure I was kidding.  But I'm
not.  If I tell you, promise me.  Take me seriously.  Promise?"

   Karyn was all ears.  "Sure.  What is it?"

   "It's like a grade B science fiction movie," she began to explain
uneasily.  "A couple months ago I discovered something strange in my
bathroom at home.  It turned out to be an invisible doorway."  Seeing her
friend shake her head she raised her finger.  "No, wait!  You promised to
listen, to take me seriously.  I'm not out of my mind, I promise.  You
wanted an explanation?  I'm giving you one."  She paused to hit on her
cigarette.  "It was invisible but I could climb into it.  I began using it
as a hiding place, a place to get away if I was fighting with Mom or Dad."

   "Kylee, you're not shitting me about this.  Are you?"

   "No, I'm not.  I'm dead serious.  Anyway, a few days ago I heard
someone else inside my invisible hiding place.  It turned out it was another
girl.  But she looked, sounded and acted exactly like me.  Karyn, it was me.
Or rather it was `me' from an alternative, parallel universe."

   She waited for her words to sink in.  True to her promise Karyn sat there
stone-faced.  She didn't ridicule.  "Okay.  So what happened next?"

   "She _was_ Kylee Bergen.  She had my same clothes, my hair, my face,
everything.  At first I thought I was nuts; either that or that I was
dreaming.  It _does_ sound crazy.  We insulted each other for a few minutes
and then I left the hiding place to go back.  Except when I got back to the
real world, I was in _her_ world instead of mine.  She and I switched
universes, Karyn."

   A wry smile crept onto Karyn's face.  "Kylee, I promise I am taking you
seriously, as seriously as possible.  But how do you expect me to believe
this shit?"

   "Look, my world's almost the same as yours.  Almost.  In my world
there's no cure for cancer and no treated tobacco.  My world has the
negative attitude towards smoking that yours did till 1995 when the Sheridan
treatment and treated tobacco changed everything.  I don't know why those
things didn't happen in my universe but for whatever reason they didn't.
So in my world Kylee Bergen, that's me, I smoke.  My parents, the government
and everybody are totally down on people smoking, especially teenagers.  So
for us starting to smoke is rebellion, a way not to conform.  When I came
here I found a different world, one where attitudes about smoking are upside
down.  In your universe people are encouraged to smoke.  At first I couldn't
believe it.  But it's true and I suspect that's why you don't smoke,
Karyn.  In my world you do.  You smoke, you like smoking, because of the
rebellion aspect.  Here, you don't."

   "Why should I believe this far-fetched shit?"

   Kylee shrugged.  It was a good question.  But she had an idea.  She hit
extra hard on her cigarette and inhaled the smoke deep inside.  "Okay.
Three days ago your friend Kylee never could have done this."  She began a
flawless mixed mouth and nostril exhale.  Then she paused and released a
series of small absolutely perfect smoke rings one after another.  "Doing
this takes practice," she promised.  "A hell of a lot of practice.  I
couldn't possibly learn to smoke like this, or to do these tricks, in just
two days.  Think about it.  It's not possible."

   Karyn hesitated.  "Okay, I agree," she slowly muttered.  "But there
must be some other explanation."

   Kylee smiled.  "Okay then, genius.  Tell me what it is."

   "I don't know.  I admit I don't know how you learned to do it so fast.
But how do I know?  Maybe you've been smoking secretly at home for awhile.
Maybe you're trying to mess with me."

   Another idea popped into Kylee's brain.  "Hey, Karyn, remember the Tori
Amos shirt I bought at her last concert?  You were with me.  You bought one
just like it."

   Her friend nodded.  "So?"

   "No one else we know was at Tori's concert.  The shirt was only
available at the concert site.  Remember?  Your friend Jill tried to order
one later and found out she couldn't get it."

   "So what?"

   "So what if I show you that I have _two_ of those shirts?  When I
switched worlds with your Kylee I was wearing the limited edition tee shirt.
But the other Kylee, your Kylee, wasn't.  So I now have two of them in my
closet at home."

   "No you don't," Karyn scowled.  "You can't."

   "Come home with me after school and see," Kylee promised.  "I grant you
it doesn't prove my story.  But if you add everything up it makes it pretty
damn plausible."

   "Okay," Karyn finally agreed.  "I'll come over after school.  If you
have two limited edition Tori Amos concert tee shirts I'll think about
believing your stupid-ass explanation.  Wait for me a little bit after last
period and we can drive together to your house."

   Kylee wasn't sure why it suddenly seemed important to convince Karyn she
was from a parallel universe.  She just wanted someone else to know.  Or
maybe because she sensed it was her best shot at getting her friend to smoke
with her.  Either way, she was determined to do it.

   After school Kylee waited for Karyn.  With nothing to do but wait Kylee
smoked a couple cigarettes.  She couldn't get over smoking openly on school
grounds.  That could never happen in her universe.  It was too cool.  Karyn
had a car like in her world, meaning she could skip riding the bus.  Allyson
asked to ride along.  She had no marching band practice.  But Karyn was
delayed talking to one of her teachers.  Allyson ultimately decided to ride
the bus after all.  Kylee was relieved.  She didn't want to explain the
double universe shit to her little sister, too.

   At four thirty Karyn and Kylee got to her house.  They paraded into her
room.  Kylee went to her closet.  "Just a second," she announced.  "I'll
show you the two shirts."

   She fumbled in the closet for several minutes.  She put her hands on the
first shirt but the second one was nowhere to be found.  "God, I don't get
it," she mumbled helplessly.  "The second shirt was right here before."

   Karyn was about to lose her temper at Kylee for pulling this shenanigan.
But suddenly Allyson appeared in the doorway.  Kylee and Karyn turned.  The
fourteen year old Bergen girl stood there wearing Kylee's second Tori Amos
limited edition concert tee shirt.

   "I hope you don't care, Ky," Allyson smiled guiltily.  "I borrowed
your concert tee shirt for tonight.  You don't mind, do you?"

   Kylee jubilantly held up the first shirt, the one from the closet.  "See,
Karyn?  I _do_ have two of them!"

   Allyson interrupted.  "Hey, Ky, where'd you get a second shirt?  I
didn't know you had two.  I thought you couldn't find anyplace to buy
another one?"

   "Oh my God," Karyn gasped.  She shook her head.  "You weren't shitting
me.  Where in the hell did you get that second tee shirt?"

   Kylee grinned triumphantly.  "Thanks, Allyson.  Can you let me talk to
Karyn alone for a second?"

   The fourteen year old shrugged.  "Yeah, sure, I guess."

   "I hate to exclude you, Al.  Karyn and I have something we need to talk
about.  I'll fill you in later on if you want.  Okay?"

   Allyson smiled.  "Okay, sure," she nodded, her momentary hurt feelings
now assuaged.

   Kylee turned toward Karyn as soon as her sister left.  "See!  I told you.
Now answer your own question, Karyn.  Where in the hell could I have gotten a
second concert tee shirt unless it came from a parallel universe?"

   Karyn sat on the bed confused.  "I don't know," she admitted.  "But
all this alternative universe bullshit makes no sense."

   "Add it up, Karyn.  My sudden expertise as a smoker.  The second tee
shirt.  Your own intuition that something's different.  You're very
perceptive; you always have been.  You can sense there's something
different, that something's changed about me.  Well, I'm telling you it's
because I'm not the same Kylee."

   Her friend shook her head.  "This is one of your stupid tricks," she
murmured.  "It can't be true."

   "Oh, it's true, Karyn.  Believe me, I was as freaked out as you are when
I first realized what happened.  I switched universes.  I went inside my
hiding place and came back the day before yesterday.  I found myself in a
very similar but in some ways completely different world.  It was like a
dream come true in one very important way.  Here everyone smokes and is proud
of it.  Back in my world you and I are secret smokers, rebels.  But we love
it, Karyn.  More important _you_ love it.  You love to smoke!"

   Karyn found herself almost actually believing Kylee's tale.  "You're
not shitting me, are you?"

   Kylee smiled.  Her friend was slowly beginning to accept her story.  "No
bullshit, Karyn.  Seriously.  You and I've been smoking for six months where
I come from.  That's why it was so cool for me to wind up here.  I love to
smoke."

   "And I love it, too?  Really?"

   "Yeah, you sure do," Kylee gushed.  Reaching in her purse she slowly
withdrew her gold pack of Benson & Hedges 100s.  Unhurriedly she put one in
her mouth.  It'd been awhile since she last smoked.  She hadn't had a
cigarette since she waited for Karyn to leave school.  She lit up with no
apology.  "That's why I know you'd love it, too, damn it, if you'd just
give it a try."

   Karyn was so malleable.  Kylee saw her resistance soften before her very
eyes.  She released a thick stream of smoke from her lips.  "What do you
say, Karyn?  Why don't you join me?  Just give it a try!"

   "But it's so mainstream," her brown-haired friend objected.  "It's so
- God, I don't know what.  It's so contrary to my image; to our image,
Kylee!"

   "Not true.  Karyn, think about Tori's `Strange Little Girls' CD.
Remember?  She recorded it in '95 long before everything changed about
smoking.  And right there on the cover of the CD is a picture of Tori with a
burning cigarette in her hand.  Remember?"  Her friend nodded.  She did
remember.  "Tori was saying something important on the cover of `Strange
Little Girls.'  She was saying smoking's definitely _not_ mainstream."
She raised her cigarette to her mouth.  She hit on it and did an open-mouth
inhale.  "The other day I reminded you about Sharon Stone, Jodie Foster and
other movie characters where smoking's part of their rebellious persona."
She paused to exhale.  "Smoking's still wicked and totally non conformist.
Trust me."

   "God, I don't know, Kylee," her friend hesitated.  "You really think
so?"

   She gave her friend a self-satisfied smile.  "I don't think so, Karyn.
I know so!"  Kylee confidently withdrew an unlit cigarette from her gold
pack.  She handed it to her.  Without a word her friend took it.  "This will
turn out to be the smartest thing you ever did, Karyn.  I never steered you
wrong before."  With that Kylee readied her lighter.

   Karyn raised the cigarette to her lips.  She hesitantly grinned
halfheartedly.  "I guess you're right, Kylee.  You never steered me wrong
before."

   With that affirmation Kylee went on to add Karyn to the growing list of
those whom she'd introduced to the joys of smoking in the alternative
universe.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

   Karyn's first cigarette went well.  Before Karyn was done Allyson came
in.  She happily joined Karyn and Kylee by smoking herself.  Karyn seemed
reassured to have both Kylee and her little sister smoking with her.
Meanwhile Kylee was delighted.  Her friend's anger toward smoking was
replaced by a willingness to give nicotine a fair shot.  And that, Kylee
knew, ultimately meant Karyn would become a smoker as well!

   Kylee was especially pleased with Allyson's enthusiastic contribution to
convince Karyn to smoke.  In spite of her prior opposition her little sister
now seemed to eagerly embrace the idea of becoming a smoker.  Her next
concrete step toward that goal was just around the corner.

   Karyn left when Mr. Bergen arrived home.  Kylee and Allyson went
downstairs for supper.  Conversation around the table was ordinary until
after the plates were cleared Vicki and Bob were ready to light up their
usual after dinner cigarettes.  It was Allyson's pre-arranged cue.

   "Mom.  Dad.  I have some news to tell you."

   Vicki just accepted a light from her husband for her B&H.  "Oh?  What's
that, honey?"

   The fourteen year old cleared her throat.  She was visibly jumpy but at
the same time excited.  "Uh, well, Kylee and I've been talking about
smoking a lot since she started a few days ago," she began nervously.
"I've been thinking.  I, uh, well, I finally decided I'd like to start
smoking, too; if that's okay with you guys, that is."

   Vicki exhaled an almost unending deluge of smoke through her open mouth.
As she did she grinned from ear to ear.  "Okay with us?  My God, Allyson!
Of course it's okay!  Wow, dear, that's wonderful news!"  She unashamedly
beamed at her elder daughter while continuing her exhale.  "I hardly need to
tell you how pleased we are by this fabulous news, Allyson!  I'm sure you
both know that!"

   "Mom's right, girls," her dad quickly corroborated.  "We're
absolutely delighted.  And thank you, Kylee, for talking to Al about it!"

   Kylee had readied a cigarette for herself.  "Allyson's been practicing
with me," she said proudly.  She paused to put a Benson & Hedges 100 in her
mouth.  As she did her dad reached out his lighter without being asked and
lit her up.  Kylee adroitly caught the light and did a modest double pump.
She went on.  "Thanks, Dad," she grinned at him.  She purposely paused long
enough to let the early beginnings of an exhale emerge before sucking the
smoke back in her body.  "Allyson already really likes it.  Don't you, Al?"

   The fourteen year old blushed.  She nodded.  "Yeah, Kylee's right.  I
really do like it," she confirmed with a smile, clearly pleased with
herself.  "In fact, I like smoking a lot!"

   Vicki promptly shook out an unlit B&H from her gold pack.  She held it out
to her younger daughter.  "Honey, nothing would make me happier than for you
to show me!"

   With a nervous blush Allyson graciously accepted the B&H.  She glanced at
her sister.  Kylee simply nodded.  Allyson raised the 100 millimeter
cigarette to her lips.  This time Vicki did the honors.  She held out her
lighter to enable her younger daughter to light it up.

   Allyson performed flawlessly.  The times she smoked with Kylee before now
stood her in good stead.  She caught the flame from her mom, got an even
light, and then performed a modest but nonetheless effective cheek-hollowing
drag.  "Thanks, Mom," she sighed demurely, intentionally and quite
expressively inhaling the smoke deep inside her chest.  "Yeah, it tastes
real good," she added with an impish calculating smile before pursing her
lips to release a long strong exhale through her mouth.

   Kylee beamed with pride.  Just like in her world, her little sister was
smoking but this time it was along with her and right in front of their
parents!

   Vicki wiped a tear from her eye.  "Oh my God," she sniffled gratefully.
"I hardly believe it.  Both my daughters are smoking!  Finally!  God, it's
a dream come true!  It's an answer to my prayers!"

   Kylee grinned.  "Yeah, it sure is, isn't it, Mom?  It answers my
prayers, too!  Now nothing can stop us anymore."

   Bob frowned.  "Honey, what are you talking about?  What do you mean, stop
us?  Who in the world would ever want to stop you girls from smoking?"

   Kylee startled.  "Um, I mean, stop us from smoking as much as we want in
our house, Dad," she vainly tried to explain.  She hadn't meant to say it
quite like that.  "What I mean is, now that Allyson and I both smoke, just
like you guys, there's no reason for any of us to ever be shy about lighting
up and smoking in our house ever again.  No one will ever be upset about it
anymore.  Right?"

   "Of course, dear," Vicki smiled.  "That, plus knowing finally both you
girls are taking good care of your lungs.  It makes me so happy."  She drew
again on her long B&H.  "You'll soon learn, girls, that being around others
who smoke naturally makes it easier for you to smoke more.  With both of you
smoking it'll be easier for your dad and me to consistently reach our target
level of two packs a day."  She giggled and winked at Bob.  "And who knows?
Maybe we can even do better!"

   Kylee let out a contented sigh.  Her counterpart would be furious!  She
completely fucked up her home life for her.  Now that her parents expected
her to smoke, and with Allyson smoking, too, it'd be difficult for the other
Kylee to resist when she came back home!

   She paused.  What did that mean, _when_ she came back?  She suddenly
realized what she was thinking.  She was assuming that eventually she and her
counterpart would switch back.  But why in hell would the other Kylee ever
want to come back to her world?  They'd both simply stay switched and live
in each other's worlds from now on.  Wouldn't they?  After all, what
possibly motivated either of them to want to return home?  She didn't want
to go back.  She loved it here.  Didn't she?  Suddenly she wasn't so sure.
She felt an abrupt, unexpectedly strange longing to see her own parents and
be in her own universe again.

   Suddenly she was jolted back to reality.

   "Kylee, honey, did you hear what I just said?"

   "Uh, no, Mom, I was daydreaming, I guess.  What was it again?"

   Vicki frowned.  "I said Dr. Keith's office called.  Your blood work came
back.  Everything was fine except one very strange thing."

   The teenager cocked her head and looked at her mother.

   "Suzanne called from Dr. Keith's office.  For some reason she says your
blood work doesn't show that there's any evidence of the Sheridan treatment
working in your system."

   The seventeen year old continued to stare.

   "Every time they test anyone's blood they check to make sure the
anti-cancer inoculation is working.  For some weird reason, honey, yours
doesn't seem to be.  Suzanne says it's almost like you never had the
treatment.  Dr. Keith is concerned.  He wants me to bring you back as soon as
possible so he can give you another inoculation."

   Kylee nodded.  She knew why the test came back that way.  "Fine with me,
Mom," she said almost too casually.  She paused for a long hit on her Benson
& Hedges.  "I don't mind having it done again," she smiled as she inhaled
more smoke.

   "That's what I told Suzanne," Vicki confirmed.  "I said we'll stop by
first thing tomorrow before school.  Dr. Keith can give you another
inoculation.  The Sheridan treatment only takes a second, of course.  You
shouldn't miss more than your first class."

   Kylee exhaled a plume of smoke.  "That sounds fine, Mom.  I guess you
can't be too careful when it comes to the cancer thing, can you?"

   Vicki nodded.  "God no, honey!  Especially since now you smoke all the
time."  She smiled and paused to watch residual exhales continue escaping
from her teenager's lips.  "You've turned into quite a little nicotine
fiend the last few days, haven't you, dear?" she giggled contentedly.
"And just think; now Allyson's on her way to being a smoker, too," she
sighed with a quick glance at her other daughter.  "But the good news is
everything else in your blood sample was perfect, Kylee.  According to
Suzanne Dr. Keith says you're just fine.  And you do seem better.  You
haven't had any more of those memory lapses since that first day, have you?"

   "I feel perfectly acclimated again, Mom," she answered happily.  She
tapped an ash from her B&H in the ashtray.  "And now it seems like I want to
smoke constantly," she added before dragging again on her cigarette.
"It's why I wanted Allyson to try it with me.  I feel certain that she'll
follow in my footsteps quite enthusiastically."  She looked at her sister.
"Right, Al?"

   Allyson smiled.  "I guess I will," she confirmed shyly.  "God, I don't
know why I was so against it before."  The fourteen year old raised her
cigarette to her lips.  She hit on it.  "Kylee was right.  Smoking makes me
feel really good."  She turned her head to expel another plume of smoke.

   "That's why I don't understand why so many kids refuse to join in and
become smokers like you girls have," their father interrupted.  "We tell
them they should but far too many of them ignore our advice.  It frustrates
me and I know it frustrates you, Vicki, and all the others on the
Commission."

   "You know, Dad, I have a theory about that," Kylee offered.  "I've
seen the public service announcements they run on TV.  And I saw the posters
in Dr. Keith's office.  I think they all miss a very important point."

   "What's that, honey?"

   "Rebellion," the seventeen year old said straightforwardly.

   "What do you mean?" Vicki wanted to know.

   "Look, Mom," Kylee went on.  "It's simple.  Most kids our age don't
like to do what their parents want.  They want to rebel.  We teenagers want
to be different.  So if you sell smoking as being something that makes
parents and teachers happy, well, it's no wonder nobody listens."  She
paused to draw on her cigarette.  "You should make smoking seem edgy,
wicked.  Till the last few years everyone always thought a teenage girl
smoking meant she was a bad girl, a rebel.  That's why so many of us smoked
even though it was bad for us.  Appeal to the dark side in your ads and I
think you'll see a flood of kids jumping on board and becoming smokers."

   Vicki slowly nodded.  She crushed her B&H and silently took another from
her pack.  "God, I never thought about that," she confessed.  She paused to
light up again.  "So you say we should feature rebellious kids in our ads?"

   "That'd help," she grinned.  "And there's another thing.  Sex."

   Vicki and Bob looked at her confused.

   "Mom, think about it a second.  What's the one thing every teenager in
the country has on the brain constantly?  Sex, of course.  Advertisers
understand.  They use sex to sell every product from perfume to hair products
to beer."  She, too crushed out her cigarette and like her mom reached for
the pack on the table to get out another.  "Look at the commercials for
beer, for example.  They're full of nubile young girls and studly guys
cavorting around, shamelessly flirting with each other, having lots of fun,
and drinking.  If you can use sex to sell beer then why not smoking, for
God's sake?"  She lit up her next B&H.  "The subliminal message in beer
commercials is obvious:  If you drink their beer you'll get laid.  You can
do the same thing to promote smoking.  I guarantee you that if we girls think
smoking will help us be more attractive to guys, we'll light up all the
time."

   "But we don't want to promote teenage sex," Bob began to object.

   "Dad, don't be stupid.  Kids are gonna screw around.  Even those who
don't wish they could.  So if you connect smoking with sex and seduction in
our heads we'll fall all over ourselves to take up this delicious nicotine
habit."  She tipped her head to triumphantly release a thin stream of smoke
above her head.  "And of course once we try it you got us!"  She showed a
wicked smile.  "All the nicotine in these cigarettes?  God!  Nicotine makes
sure we won't ever want to back out once we start.  We can't stop even if
we wanted to, which we don't.  Because smoking's so incredibly and
addictively yummy!"

   Vicki turned eagerly to Bob.  "Know what, honey?  Kylee's right!
Remember all the Coors, Bud and Miller commercials on the football games we
watched last weekend?  All of `em used sex to sell kids on the idea that
drinking beer's the key to popularity with the opposite sex.  God, it does
work!  There's no reason we shouldn't do the same thing with smoking!"
She put her cigarette in her mouth and stood up.  She walked over to pick up
her briefcase, opened it, and pulled out a legal pad.  She began writing
notes with her cigarette dangling the whole time.

   Kylee looked at Allyson and nodded.  "What do you think, Al?  Don't you
agree?"

   "As usual Kylee's right again, Mom and Dad," the younger girl
confessed.  "I know you hate to hear it but it's true.  All kids our age
think about sex all the time.  All us girls want guys to think we're cute
and sexy.  So if you can make us feel like smoking makes us cuter and sexier,
well, then -."  She giggled self-consciously.  "Every single non-smoking
girl I know will line up to volunteer to take it up!"

   Vicki was busy furiously writing on her legal pad.  Her burning cigarette
continued to dangle from her lips.  "God, this is great," she muttered.
"Damn, I think we're really on to something here!"  She looked up and
smiled while letting out a big sigh.  As she did smoke flowed out around it.
After doing a quick hands-free drag she raised her fingers to her mouth to
remove her cigarette while at the same time she inhaled.  She quickly tapped
a long ash in the ashtray.  "God, wait till I share this with the men and
women at the Commission," she went on excitedly while smoke literally burst
through her smiling lips.  "Thanks, girls!"

   "Don't mention it, Mom," Kylee sighed.  "Hey, I'm gonna go upstairs
to call Josh if you don't mind.  I need to see how he's doing."  All the
talk about sex and smoking reminded her of her effort to permanently connect
those two things in Josh's mind.  Perhaps it was time for gratuitous phone
sex to further cement that connection in her poor victim's thinking.

   She left Allyson smoking with her parents and went upstairs to her
bedroom.  Closing the door she dialed Josh's number.  He answered.

   "Hi, Josh," she gushed.  "How are you tonight?"

   "I'm fine, Kylee.  What's up?"

   "Nothing much," she whispered.  "I just wanted to call and check on
you.  Any further thoughts about our time together last night?"

   She heard a nervous laugh.  "Uh, no, it was great," he conceded.  "I
had a great time, Ky."

   "Yeah, I know.  Me, too, baby.  But I want to talk some more about
smoking, Josh."  She giggled.  "I bet you don't feel nearly as negative
about it anymore, do you?"

   There was a brief pause.  "I don't know, Ky," he mumbled indecisively.
"It was kinda weird what happened when we did it last night."

   "It wasn't weird, Josh.  Not at all.  No, it was fuckin' hot!  God,
just thinking about it makes me wet all over again.  Know what I mean?"

   "I guess."

   "Mm, Josh, I just love thinking about what we did."  She sighed
dreamily.  "God!  There I was with a cigarette in my mouth furiously puffing
away and pulling smoke deep inside my quivering body.  At the same time you
had your big juicy cock deep inside me and you were pumping away.  Damn!  It
was the ever-loving greatest!"

   "That's why it was kinda weird," he helplessly groaned.  "I mean, with
you smoking while we did it."

   "Oh, it's wasn't at all weird, at least once you get used to it,
sweetie.  And wow, you got used to it awful quick!  Remember how it felt
kissing me when I had smoke in my mouth?  The way I unloaded all my smoke
from my mouth directly into yours?  You didn't object, now did you?  You
just breathed it all in.  Yeah, I don't remember you objecting at all!"

   Silence on the other end.  "Well, I didn't have any choice," he
muttered.

   "But you never objected.  Not once, baby," she went on.  She paused to
light up a cigarette.  "Ah, there!  I'm having another cigarette right now,
honey.  And God, it feels so fuckin' good to have smoke in my body again!
It's coming out of my mouth right this second, Josh.  If you were here I'd
give you some.  And you'd love it, wouldn't you, baby doll?"

   Again, silence.  "I don't know."

   "Well, I know.  You would, Josh.  You'd love it because it makes _me_
feel so good inside.  And you know that whenever I feel good then I
desperately want to make _you_ feel good, too.  That's how it works, baby.
And that's why you _want_ me to smoke.  Right?"

   "I guess."

   "Don't guess, Josh.  Just agree with me, baby."  She drew again on her
B&H.  "Tell me you want me to smoke because you want me to feel good.  Say
it!"

   Once more, silence.

   "Say it, Josh," she repeated the command sternly this time.  "Say it!"

   "I, uh, I want you to feel good, Kylee."

   "Very good, Josh, honey.  But tell me you want me to smoke because you
like me to feel good and you know cigarette smoke tastes yummy to me.  Say it
out loud, baby!"

   "I want you to smoke, Kylee," he hesitated.  "I like you to feel good
and I know you like smoking."

   "Good boy!  Now, Josh, tell me something else.  Say you love to see me
smoke.  Tell me you love it when you see me smoking.  Tell me it makes you
hot since you know the more I smoke the more it makes me want to let you into
my panties."

   He hesitated once more.  "I love it when you smoke, Kylee," he finally
acknowledged somewhat reluctantly.  "It really makes me hot."

   "Excellent, baby," she purred.  "Of course it does.  Now tell me that
you want to smoke with me next time."

   "God, I don't know about that, Kylee," he stammered.

   "Josh!  Don't disobey me!  I won't stand for it.  Regardless of how you
think you feel about smoking, saying it out loud will make it start to come
true.  I tell you what.  Just think about me in bed quivering with
anticipation, baby.  Imagine we're together and I'm eager to fuck you.
God, I'm breathing so hot and heavy!  I can't wait to feel you inside me.
Shit, I want it and so do you.  All you have to do is put my cigarette in
your mouth and take a nice, big long drag.  God, it's _so_ worth it, baby.
It'll be the best!  Just tell me you want to do it for me, honey.  Say you
want to smoke, too, because you know it makes me so fuckin' happy.  And you
know what I do for you when I'm really, really happy, don't you?  I spread
my legs!"

   Breathlessly he answered.  "Next time I want to smoke with you, Kylee.  I
want to."

   "That's _very_ good, Josh," she exclaimed into the phone.  "And you
know what, honey?  I'm going to let you.  Next time I'll let you have a
cigarette of your very own to smoke.  Baby, I know you want it.  Despite
yourself you really want it.  And I'll let you smoke it all the way down to
the filter.  Then I'll fuck you so hard your cock will literally ache.  I'm
going to make it really worth your while to smoke, Josh.  Just you wait and
see.  Before I'm done with you you'll feel completely different about
smoking.  I promise."

   "I believe that, Kylee," he groaned.  "I really do."

   She giggled.  She had him.  "Course you do, Josh baby.  Now one last
thing.  Say you _want_ to learn to like cigarettes.  You want to because you
want me to be really happy and you know that'll do it for me.  You can't
wait to get rid of your stupid, irrational fear of smoking because you want
us to feel as much pleasure as possible together.  Say it, Josh.  Now!"

   He took a deep breath.  "I want to learn, Kylee, honey.  I really do.  I
want to learn to love to smoke cigarettes so we can do it together."  He was
speaking rapidly and impulsively.  "I do want us to share it.  God, I want
smoking to be part of me just like it's part of you!"

   With a hard hit on her cigarette she inhaled audibly.  "Josh, darling,
you just made me the happiest woman alive," she purred seductively.  "Baby,
smoke is coming out of my mouth again.  And whenever you see smoke coming out
of my mouth or nose you know it means just one thing.  It means I want to
fuck you.  Remember that.  Okay?"

   "Okay," he gulped, still breathing hard.  She suspected he was stroking
himself on the other end of the line.

   "Josh, you're playing with yourself.  Aren't you, baby?  Don't worry,
honey.  So am I!  God, I feel so fuckin' hot!"  She put her cigarette in
her mouth and reached her hand down to her crotch.  "My cigarette's in my
mouth, sweetie.  Can you imagine the sight of that?  Good!  I thought so.
Now we're both going to do it till we cum, together.  Ready?"

   "Yeah," he agreed, gasping for breath.  "I'm ready!"

   "Good.  Oh God!  Smoke's going in and out of my mouth.  I'm rubbing my
clit.  In and out, in and out, harder and harder.  Shit, I feel so hot and
horny, baby.  I need you to cum, Josh.  Are you getting close?"

   "Uh-huh!"

   "Ooh," she groaned.  "It's starting to happen, baby.  God, I'm so
fuckin' close!  And just as soon as I hear you come I know I will, too.
Fuck!  It feels so good.  The smoke from my cigarette is everywhere, honey.
It's making me so excited.  Damn, the only thing I want right now is for you
to come, sweetie.  So rub that juicy cock!  Oh yeah, that's it!  Do it
harder!"

   She heard a muffled squeal on the other end of the line.  The poor boy was
coming in his pants!

   "That's it!  Yeah, that's good, baby," she moaned.  Oh!  Oh my God!
Oh, yeah!  That's it!  Oh, shit!  I'm coming, too, baby.  Ooh!"

   It was a performance on her part but an academy award winning one.  Her
enthusiasm was mostly put-on but nevertheless had its desired effect on her
boyfriend.  She heard Josh curse on the line as his cum involuntarily
squirted into his boxers.

   "See, Josh?  Smoking's not so bad, is it?"

   "I guess not," he groaned over the phone.  "God, Ky, that was intense!"

   "Hey, not nearly as intense as what I'll do to you next time we're
alone, baby.  Once I see you with a cigarette in your mouth, well, I'm going
to make you feel so fuckin' good you'll never want to stop smoking.
Never!"

   As soon as she hung up the phone the door to her room opened wide.  Her
little sister was standing there with a big smile on her face.

   "Having a little fun with Josh?"

   Kylee grinned.  "I'm simply helping the poor boy get over his irrational
fear of smoking," she shrugged.  "How long were you listening through the
door?"

   "Long enough," Allyson nodded sauntering into the room.  She sat on the
floor.  "So let's count `em, Ky.  You got me, you got Karyn, and now you
got Josh smoking.  You're like a girl on a mission or something!"

   "I like to smoke, Al," the teenager shrugged again.  "I simply hate to
see people miss out.  That's all."

   Allyson shook her head.  "You're something, Ky.  You've even got Mom
rethinking their whole approach of how to promote smoking to teenagers.  What
will you do for an encore after all this?"

   Kylee thought.  She accomplished all the goals she set for herself after
coming into this strange new world.  Suddenly she felt a pang of
homesickness.  "I don't know," she muttered.  "Hey, Al, can you leave me
alone for a few minutes?"

   "Sure.  Just one thing.  Mom and Dad were totally psyched to see me
smoking.  But the truth is I _do_ enjoy it.  I just wanted to thank you
again.  It's amazing that it happened.  But the most amazing thing is that
it was _you_ who made it happen.  I never expected this from you, Kylee.
You, the great anti-smoker!"

   "Sometimes life surprises us, Al.  Yeah, it definitely does."

   She wanted Allyson to leave.  She felt a strong urge to see her
counterpart and check up on events in her world.  As much as she enjoyed
living in a smoke intensive environment, she still felt like it wasn't
exactly her world.  Perhaps the other Kylee felt the same way at that moment.
She decided to venture into her bathroom and climb into the portal between
their two worlds again.

   It took a moment to find the invisible step.  As soon as did, though, she
climbed up and found herself inside the cloudy unseen world that connected
their universes.

   "Kylee," she called out.  "Hey, you stupid bitch!  Are you in here?"

   Silence.  She groaned.  Maybe her counterpart was busy doing something
else.

   Then she heard a familiar noise.  "Kylee," she repeated.  "Is that
you?"

   Into view came the other Kylee.  But something was wrong.  She was crying.

   "Hey, kid.  What's wrong?"

   The other Kylee sat beside her.  "It's terrible," she sniffled.  "God,
it pisses me off!"

   "What?"

   The familiar face looked up at her.  "Your mom -.  I mean, my mom -.
Shit!  You know who I mean?"

   Kylee nodded.  "It's something about Mom?"

   The other Kylee began crying again.  "Shit!  I guess Mom went to the
doctor a few days ago.  To her gynecologist.  And she's -."  Tears filled
her eyes and she wept.

   Now Kylee was worried.  "Tell me, damn it!  What is it?"

   "I guess Mom's had a lump on her breast for awhile.  You know how she
is.  She hates going to doctors.  She put it off way too long.  I guess she
wen to Dr. Lalak the gynecologist a few days ago.  They did a biopsy.  It
turns out Mom has breast cancer."  Again tears began to flow.

   "Oh my God!  Well, how bad is it?"

   The other Kylee wiped her eyes.  "Pretty bad, I guess.  She says Dr.
Lalak's talking about doing a radical mastectomy as soon as possible
followed by radiation for sure and maybe chemotherapy."  She sniffled.
"Mom was pretty glum at dinner.  There's a chance she might die."  She
reached for a Kleenex and blew her nose.  "Allyson's scared shitless.  She
and I went for a walk after dinner to talk about it."  For the first time a
caustic smile appeared on her counterpart's face.  "Allyson was real upset.
She chain-smoked the whole time we walked.  So I broke down and smoked a
couple cigarettes along with her."

   "Kylee?  You?  You smoked?"

   "Yeah, yesterday I finally decided to give it a try when I was out with
Allyson.  It's not so bad, you know," she admitted awkwardly.  "But
that's not important now.  Kylee, we have to do something to help Mom.  She
might die, for God's sake!"

   The last words hit Kylee like a brick.  She felt a dreadful emptiness in
the pit of her stomach.  She knew what it meant.  With a trembling hand she
reached into her slacks.  She got out her cigarettes and lighter and looked
blankly at her opposite number.  "God, Kylee, I _really_ need one of these
now," she mumbled.  "Would you mind?"

   "No, I don't mind," her counterpart smiled weakly.  "I told you, back
in your world Karyn and Allyson have begun to bring me around.  In fact, I
think I'll join you if it's okay."

   Kylee nodded.  She silently handed the other Kylee a cigarette.  She
clicked her lighter to light up her twin and then light up herself.  Both
girls simultaneously hit hard on their cigarettes.  Apart from the exigent
circumstances it would've been ironically humorous.

   "But Jesus Christ, Ky, what in hell can we do to help Mom?" Kylee asked
helplessly.

   "I've thought about it," the other Kylee said resolutely.  "The reason
this pisses me off is that in my world this would never happen.  The Sheridan
treatment has cured all kinds of cancer in my universe."

   Kylee nodded.  That was true.

   "So I was thinking.  What if we convince both our moms to come into this
place along with us?  What if we convince them to switch universes like we
did?"

   Kylee cocked her head and frowned.  "I don't get it."

   "If your Mom, the one from the non-smoking world where cancer still
exists, if she switches worlds with my Mom, she can easily get the Sheridan
treatment inoculation.  Bang!  She'll be cured.  Then she can switch back
and go home and she'll be fine."  She looked expectantly at her
counterpart.  "What do you think?"

   Kylee drew on her cigarette and inhaled.  "But how would we get our Moms
to do it?  After all, I've never been able to get anyone else to even feel
the invisible step before."

   "I think that's because for some reason we can only feel it, or step
into it, if we're alone.  But what if we both tell our Moms all about it?
At first they won't believe us, of course.  But if I had Mom wait in my
bedroom while I went into the bathroom and came in here, when she followed me
into the bathroom after me she'd know it was real.  I mean, I'd be gone,
disappeared.  If I told her to feel around for the step after I disappeared
she might just try it."

   Kylee found the ashtray she left inside the secret hiding place.  She
tapped an ash into it as her opposite number did the same.  "I never thought
of that."  She grinned.  "You know what?  It might just work!"

   "That's what I think," the other Kylee concluded.  "Mom would only
need to stay for a day or so till she got someone to give her the
inoculation.  Then she could come back and she'd be cured.  She'd return to
Dr. Lalak and ask for another biopsy.  It'd be clean and she'd avoid the
whole cancer treatment thing."  She sniffled again.  "Plus, she wouldn't
risk dying."

   "Okay," Kylee nodded.  "Let's both go back.  I'll tell Mom from your
world about the hiding place and convince her to let me show her it's real
by disappearing into the bathroom while she waits outside.  She'll think
I'm nuts, but if she'll just try it maybe it'll work.  And you do the
same."

   The other Kylee drew on her cigarette.  "You realize this means your Mom
is finally going to find out that you smoke?"

   "Yeah, but who gives a shit?  It's worth it if we can save her life, for
God's sake!"

   The other Kylee grinned.  "Okay.  That's what I hoped you'd say.  So
let's do it.  Let's plan on being back here at nine o'clock tonight.  Does
that sound good?"

   Kylee hit on her cigarette one last time and crushed it in the ashtray.
She tipped her head to exhale a stream of smoke towards her counterpart.
"Sounds perfect.  Oh, and one last thing, Kylee."  The other girl looked at
her quizzically.  "You look good smoking.  It suits you."

   The other Kylee blushed.  "Thanks for not gloating or rubbing it in.
Actually, I decided I kind of like smoking."  She too drew on her cigarette
and put it out in the ashtray.  "Maybe it's the forbidden fruit aspect or
some such shit."  She perfectly mimicked Kylee's exhale.  "But I might
just have to keep doing it, whichever world I ultimately wind up in."

   Kylee looked at her watch.  That raised a whole different set of
questions, questions she didn't even want to think about at the moment.
"See you back here at nine o'clock sharp."

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