Getting Rid of Ryan, Part 5

This fictional account contains adult language and themes.  If such language
and themes 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 2003 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.

GETTING RID OF RYAN

5.	As Much As You Like.

   Christine followed the approach her mom suggested.  The first morning
after they talked she had a cigarette before leaving for school.  She just
felt like it, so she did.  No big deal.  On campus she continued to smoke
with Lia both before and after their morning class and at lunch.  Ryan was
still tailing her so she smoked during the afternoon, too.  It didn't amount
to a lot, only seven or eight cigarettes at school.  But at home that night
things changed.  She didn't feel like another cigarette when she first got
home, having smoked all day on campus.  Plus her dad was home from his
business trip.  As Karen predicted, Kevin was indeed smoking now.  It was odd
for Christine to see her father smoke.  But just as she came to terms with
her mom's smoking she soon adjusted to her dad indulging, too.  For some
reason it didn't seem as weird as she initially imagined it would.  At first
she didn't want to smoke around him.  She felt too self-conscious.  But by
bedtime she began to discern a gentle yearning, the same feeling she was
growing used to.  Despite her embarrassment it got to be so noticeable and so
strong that finally she decided she wanted to indulge with her parents anyway
and smoke at least once with them.  So she did.

   As his daughter lit up a cigarette of her own Kevin watched fascinated.
But he said nothing critical.  After all, how could he object?  Having
returned to smoking with a vengeance himself he'd matched his lovely wife's
output that night cigarette for cigarette.  The single one that Christine
smoked with them paled in comparison to her parent's almost frantic
consumption.

   The self-conscious teenager soon got past feeling uncomfortable.  She
liked smoking the cigarette.  She hated to admit it but it tasted incredibly
good, very satisfying.  She decided it wasn't wrong to enjoy a cigarette
with her folks.  After all, they were both smoking now and it was just a
temporary thing for her.  But she smoked it using all the techniques her mom
showed her.  Karen couldn't help noticing just how enthusiastically
Christine consumed that cigarette and how relieved her naïve daughter seemed
to feel after finally giving in.

   "Chrissy, I'm so glad you feel comfortable having a cigarette with your
dad and me like this," she offered offhandedly.  "It's really not so bad,
now is it?"

   Still oblivious to her mom's surreptitious encouragement the teenager
smiled.  "No, Mom, it's really not bad at all," she admitted with a guilty
grin.  "Till Ryan finally loses interest I think I'll just smoke with you
guys here at home every once in awhile, whenever I feel like it."

   "Perfect, honey.  Fine.  I hope you feel comfortable doing exactly that
whenever you feel like it."  Karen tried to hide a triumphant grin.  But
very soon, my dear little neophyte, I bet you'll start to feel like it
stronger and stronger and more and more often!

   The next day started the same way as its predecessor.  Christine decided
she felt like a morning cigarette with her coffee at breakfast.  So she lit
up without comment and smoked it with her mom.  Karen desperately tried to
hide her delight as she saw her daughter sucking inhale after smoky inhale
deep into her chest.  It was a very good sign from her standpoint.  But she
said almost nothing about Christine's smoking.  She tried to treat it like
nothing unusual or special.

   On campus that day Christine smoked her usual amount because Ryan
continued to shadow her all day.  As he stared from afar she wondered.  Would
that fool _ever_ give up?  Lia encouraged her not to worry about it.
Eventually Ryan would see enough, her friend promised.  Christine nodded.
Yeah, there was no doubt in anyone's mind about that, including hers.  So
she stayed the course and smoked all morning at school that day and over
lunch with Lia.

   After her one o'clock Christine lit up outside the academic building like
she always did now.  But this time she really savored the cigarette.  After
only an hour of not smoking it tasted good; damn good!  As she stood smoking
two other girls came up to join her, lighting up themselves.  The three of
them soon fell into conversation, laughing and talking.  She left feeling
she'd made a couple friends.  Except for her smoking they wouldn't have
stopped to linger with her over cigarettes.  So now she had three new friends
at college.  All three, including Lia, were smokers.

   Although Ryan tailed her earlier, for some reason he didn't show up for
their four o'clock.  So though she smoked outside the building before class
she didn't smoke on her way to the commuter lot afterwards to get her car.
The drive home during rush hour that day proved interminable.  Sitting in
traffic she suddenly felt that strange yearning again, the feeling that was
becoming all too familiar.  As she sat in traffic bored stiff it cried out
for her attention.  Feed me, it whispered.  Soon it grew louder than a
whisper.  Feed me!  Before long she sighed.  Without a doubt she really felt
like smoking again.  Yeah, she truly wanted to.  Remembering her mom's
advice she decided to indulge although she didn't have to.  Well, what the
hell?, she sighed.  Why not?  She cracked her window.  While sitting behind
the wheel she lit up a cigarette.  She smoked it and enjoyed the pleasant
sensation of the smoke repeatedly filling her lungs while the traffic crept
along.  Except for her first practice session in the parking lot it was the
first time she ever smoked her car.  It felt good, very pleasant, really.  It
seemed like a nice way to pass the time stuck in traffic.  Over and over she
pulled huge amounts of smoke deep into her chest, and each time released it
reluctantly only after holding it inside her lungs as long as she could.

   "Oh, well," she sighed philosophically.  "Soon Ryan will lose heart."
She exhaled toward her open window.  "Then I won't need to do this
anymore."  The realization made her feel almost sad.  God damn it!  Her mom
was right.  This _was_ pleasant.  Too pleasant.  Smoking made her feel good.
She liked it.  Shit!  Maybe she didn't want to quit after all -.

   "God, what am I thinking?" she said aloud, realizing where her train of
thought was headed.  "After I get rid of Ryan I can't keep doing this.  I
can't!"  She was tempted to toss her half-smoked cigarette out the window
but she didn't.  The truth was she _wanted_ the rest of it.  She couldn't
help herself.  She put the filter back between her lips and dragged long and
hard, forcefully pulling the smoke deep inside.  She felt it absorb into her
bloodstream through the tiny sacs in her lungs.  It felt fuckin' wonderful;
marvelous.  Finally the pretty blond opened her mouth and slowly breathed
out.  Tiny tendrils of wispy smoke luxuriously slid through her open lips.
She stopped in mid-exhale and breathed in, releasing the rest of the exhale
over her next few breaths.  She sighed pensively.  "Doesn't matter," she
told herself.  "Like it or not I have to quit as soon as Ryan's out of the
picture."  But she hit again, once more pulling the fabulous dense smoke
deep down inside and exhaling toward her window after another long hold.

   That evening her parents were in a particularly good mood.  For no
apparent reason Karen got out a bottle of wine for them to enjoy together
with dinner.  Christine liked drinking wine with her folks.  It didn't
happen often but she always enjoyed it.  She eagerly accepted a big glass of
red wine from her mother before supper.

   Of course Karen had an underhanded motive.  Since their last late night
encounter she'd carefully monitored Christine's consumption.  She knew she
was smoking at home a little.  But it wasn't much and it wasn't enough.
Time was running out.  Soon Ryan might throw in the towel and all incentive
for Christine to keep smoking would evaporate.  But if she got her naïve
daughter loosened up with a few glasses of wine she hoped Christine might
smoke more.  That was her goal, for Christine to smoke as much as possible
before her incentive was gone.

   The three of them sat in the family room, each with a glass of wine.
Karen lit up a cigarette and Kevin fired up a premium cigar.  Christine
didn't tell them she'd just had a cigarette in her car driving home.  She
felt too embarrassed to admit it.  So she didn't smoke.  Karen was
disappointed.  She hoped the setting might encourage Christine to join them.
But she decided to keep the wine coming till Christine eventually lit up.
Once her daughter started in she knew there was an excellent chance the wine
would help her keep going and going.

   Kevin's cigar gave Karen the perfect excuse to pour her daughter a second
glass of wine before supper.  His cigar was time consuming.  Karen polished
off her cigarette in under four minutes.  But her husband's cigar didn't
allow for fast paced smoking.  So everyone had a second glass of wine, which
Christine eagerly accepted, while Kevin finished his cigar and Karen had yet
another cigarette.

   The pre-dinner conversation was good-natured.  Christine got along well
with her parents.  It showed in how they related in social situations like
this.  Despite thick smoky clouds in the air, no one discussed the subject of
smoking.  Kevin was too delighted with his cigar and Karen didn't want to
seem too pushy with Christine.  So they talked of other things.

   As they sat down at the table Karen refilled all the wine glasses.  She
herself was loose and suspected her daughter felt the effect of the alcohol
even more.  They talked and laughed while eating supper.  Christine offered
to help clear the dishes but Karen waved her off.  "I'll take of them,"
she effused.  "You just enjoy talking with your father."

   Karen sat back down after refilling the wine glasses once more.  Full
stomachs somewhat moderated the alcohol's effect on the teenager but
Christine and everyone else clearly felt good.  Karen brought her pack of
Marlboro 100's, lighter and an ashtray to the table.

   She smiled at Kevin.  "Honey, you had a cigar before dinner," she
teased.  "But will you join me and have a cigarette with me now?  Pretty
please?"

   "Yeah, sure," Kevin smiled.  He, too, felt good.  "I'd love to smoke a
cigarette with you.  Thanks a lot, honey."  He gratefully accepted a
Marlboro 100.

   She turned to Christine with an impish twinkle in her eye.  "And how
about you, Chris, honey?  What do you say?  Don't you want to be decadent
like your father and me?"

   Christine felt good.  Her yearnings were growing.  She laughed a little
too loud.  "Yeah, sure, Mom.  Why not?"  She graciously accepted one of
Karen's full flavor Marlboro 100's.

   Karen did the honors for all three, lighting Kevin's cigarette,
Christine's and then finally her own.  She watched Christine closely as the
teenager deeply hollowed her cheeks on her first drag.  Karen smiled.  Her
daughter sure didn't look unhappy.  Moments later smoke was on its way deep
down into Christine's youthful lungs.

   "Feels nice, huh?" Karen asked her casually.  "Smoking, I mean.  It's
been awhile since you've indulged but it looks like you're enjoying this
cigarette, honey.  I'm right, aren't I?"

   Christine blushed.  "Uh, yeah," she giggled, sounding more like a little
kid than an adult.  It was partly from embarrassment but more due to the
wine.  She released a plume of smoke through her mouth after a long hold.
"Your cigarettes are lots stronger than mine.  They taste real good.
Delicious, almost," she laughed again.  "Thanks for suggesting this, Mom."

   "You're more than welcome, honey," Karen smiled sweetly.  "Yeah, these
Marlboro 100's of mine pack a punch!  They have lots of nicotine and they
deliver great taste.  God, they're _so_ satisfying.  I can't imagine
smoking anything else.  Don't you think, Kevin?"

   He grinned.  "Nothing's quite like a good cigar, Karen.  But next to
those I sure do agree.  These Marlboros are very nice.  They really hit the
spot.  Very nice indeed!"

   In the midst of a cheek-hollowing drag Christine was smoking her cigarette
like there was no tomorrow.  Karen grinned at the sight.  That was what she
wanted to see!

   "Chrissy, I don't know if I told you," she lied.  "But I wanted to say
again how much I appreciate you letting me smoke around the house.  I hope it
hasn't bothered you too much."

   The teenager let loose another thick stream of smoke through smiling lips.
"Oh no, Mom," she answered truthfully.  "Honest, it hasn't bothered me.
Not at all.  Like I said the other night, I can totally understand smoking's
appeal now," she added with a tipsy little giggle.  "Sometimes I wonder.  I
worry maybe I'm starting to understand it a little _too_ much!"

   It was music to Karen's ears.  "Oh, really?  Why do you say that, dear?"

   It was Christine's turn to smile as she held up her cigarette.  "Don't
be silly, Mom.  You know.  I know you do.  It's because now I like to smoke.
Damn, these things are _so_ good!  I could quickly learn to like smoking all
the time if I wasn't careful."  She paused to take another long drag.
"There's just something about it," she added thoughtfully while holding
smoke inside her chest.  "Something amazing.  It's just a very bewitching
ritual."

   Kevin nodded.  "Bewitching is right, honey.  You know, Mom and I smoked
for years till you were born.  Giving it up was so hard."  He smiled.  "Of
course, I never did give it up, not totally.  I continued to sneak cigars
whenever I could.  So when your mom said she was taking it up again, at first
I was a little upset.  It's not good for us.  I know that.  But I must say I
was also relieved; relieved because now I too could finally come back to do
something I always dearly loved."  He dragged on his Marlboro.  "I'm not
saying you should smoke, Chris.  I'm just saying that, if you do decide to
smoke, I understand."

   Christine nodded while she expertly trimmed her cigarette in the ashtray.
She picked up her wine glass for a delicate sip.  "I've told Mom I'm gonna
quit just as soon as Ryan gives up.  I fully intend to do just that."  She
paused to drag on her cigarette.  For several seconds her cheeks hollowed.
She violently pulled the smoke down into her lungs.  "But it won't be easy,
will it?" she laughed uneasily.  She pursed her lips to exhale as she
stubbed out the cigarette in the ashtray.  "I think I'll really miss it to
be honest."

   Karen interrupted.  "Don't worry about that now, honey," her mother
said soothingly.  "That's tomorrow's problem, or next week's.  For now
just enjoy it.  Hey, do you want one more?  I'm going to have another.  Join
me?"

   Christine smiled.  The wine had done its job.  She nodded eagerly.
"Okay, Mom.  Yeah, I'd like to smoke another one.  Yours are really good,
you know.  Better than mine, I think."

   Karen grinned.  She gleefully handed Christine another Marlboro 100.
"Yeah, these really are good, aren't they?"  She lit up her teenager and
put another cigarette in her mouth and lit it up, too.  "You can have these
anytime, you know," she went on cheerfully.  "I bought a couple cartons for
your dad and me.  We don't mind if you want to poach.  Do we, Kevin?"

   Reaching for another one himself Kevin laughed.  "Do whatever you feel
like doing, honey.  Like I said, if you want to smoke it's okay."  He
misunderstood his wife's query but the answer pleased Karen nevertheless.
"I'm just damn glad to be able to smoke in my house again."

   "And even if she were to quit, Christine's okay with us smoking now,
aren't you, honey?"

   Christine nodded while hitting hard on her second Marlboro 100.  "Yeah, I
don't mind," she agreed after pulling more smoke into her chest.  It felt
awfully good.  "I'm cool with it."

   The three of them talked, laughed and, most important from Karen's
viewpoint, smoked together for another hour.  She kept the wine flowing and
had her daughter smoking almost non-stop.  Unlike Christine, Karen counted.
When they finally broke up at Christine had had seven cigarettes after
supper, all of them her mother's full flavor Marlboro 100's.

   Karen felt gratified.  Christine was half-drunk and she did everything she
could think of to initiate her daughter deeper into the habit, urging her to
light up as often as she herself did.  Despite her talk about quitting Karen
doubted Christine realized just how hard it'd be.  And it'd get harder
every day, she smirked, especially after the kind of smoking love-fest they
just had.

   Despite her inebriated condition it was Christine's night to work out.
She donned her tee shirt and running shorts and headed to the basement with
her water bottle in hand.  She set the timer for thirty minutes and began her
standard treadmill routine.

   The workout seemed a bit harder than usual but she didn't mind.  Pushing
her leg muscles and lungs energized her and tonight was no exception.  She
put music on the CD player but her mind was largely vacant, focused only on
the pounding of her feet on the treadmill and the passage of time and
distance.

   When her run was over she began on the weight machine.  That routine
regularly lasted another thirty minutes.  She again pushed herself to her
physical limit.  Finally, drenched with perspiration she ascended the
basement stairs with a towel around her neck.  She smiled at Karen and Kevin
who were in the family room watching TV and headed up to her bedroom.

   She stripped down and got in the shower.  The hot water soothed her aching
muscles.  It felt good, she sighed, so very good.  But as she stepped out and
toweled off she felt as if she wanted something else, something different.
The realization didn't surprise her; not al all.  In fact, over the last few
days she'd come to expect this developing craving.  It was easy.  She simply
wanted another cigarette; and she knew it, too.

   It was only an hour and a half since her last one.  Instead of eliminating
or reducing her desire to smoke, her workout increased her nicotine appetite.
She found it strangely humorous.  Lia had told Ryan that she smoked
throughout high school.  That would've meant the entire time she ran track.
Of course that was silly.  No girls who ran track were smokers.  It would've
been disastrous.  Strong lung capacity was a must for both distance runners
and sprinters.  But it didn't matter to Christine at that moment.  She just
wanted another cigarette.  She wanted to feel some of that luscious smoke
soaking in down inside her chest, clogging up the tiny little sacs in her
lungs and delivering some glorious nicotine to her impatient body.  There was
no denying the hunger; and she didn't intend to deny it, either.

   After she slipped on a nightgown she found her Marlboro Lights 100's and
pink lighter.  Her lungs felt clear and energized after a run.  But now she
wanted some dense smoke inside them instead.  She liked how it felt.  Indeed,
at that moment she greatly preferred it to the cleaned out feeling.  She lit
up a cigarette and hollowed her cheeks.  Impatient for smoke, she dragged
twice, inadvertently doing her first-ever double pump while she satiated her
lungs with smoke and the wonderful relief that it and its nicotine so
faithfully provided.

   And the relief was almost instantaneous.  She involuntarily giggled as she
finally exhaled smoke.  Oh God, it was good.  Yeah, it was so nice!  She hit
again on the cigarette and drew more thick smoke into her chest.  Shit, this
was what she wanted!

   But it wasn't enough.  Somehow her Marlboro Light seemed too tame, not
quite as pleasant as before.  She looked at the smoldering cylinder and
frowned.  She knew what the problem was.  She got spoiled smoking her mom's
stronger Marlboro 100's.  She definitely preferred the stronger, thicker
smoke her mom's cigarettes delivered.  She dragged again.  Yeah, no doubt.
These just weren't as good as they once were.  She giggled.  Perhaps
tomorrow she'd fix that problem by taking a pack of her mom's cigarettes to
school.

   She quickly smoked the cigarette.  Every fifteen seconds she pulled
another load of smoke in her eager body.  But when she finished she sensed
she wasn't done.  Before crushing it out in her makeshift ashtray she
eagerly slipped a fresh cigarette between her lips and lit it from the butt
of her first one.  Never before had she double-pumped and never before had
she lit up a second cigarette from the butt of the first one.  But she
didn't think about that.  She just did it.  Still giddy from the wine she
happily chain-smoked, bathing her lungs with smoke just like she had earlier
showered her body, and the smoke she so earnestly desired faithfully did its
work.

   Christine still didn't think of herself as a smoker.  She was only
following her appetites, enjoying the ritual of smoking till the opportunity
arose to quit.  She settled onto her bed to read an assignment for class the
next day.  Without scrutinizing her motivation she smoked one last cigarette
about thirty minutes later before finally getting in bed to sleep.

   Karen peeked in as Christine was ready to turn out the light.  She smelled
the fresh smoky aroma in the air.  She spied the do-it-yourself ashtray with
three butts inside it.  She smiled at her daughter.  "Ready for bed, dear?"

   "Yeah, Mom," Christine said with a happy stretch as she crawled beneath
the sheets.

   "We had a nice time this evening, didn't we?"

   The teenager sighed.  "Yeah, it was great.  Thanks for letting me have
some wine, Mom.  It was really cool.  You and Dad are the best parents!"

   Karen walked up to the bed to kiss her daughter on the forehead.  "And
you're the best daughter ever," she reciprocated with a big smile.  "I see
you've been smoking a little more?"

   "Yeah," giggled Christine.  "I just kind of felt like it after my
shower," she replied casually.  "And I felt like having one more while I
was studying.  I don't know why.  But it doesn't mean I'm a smoker,
though," she added a bit defensively.

   "Of course, not," Karen nodded.  "You're just enjoying it until Ryan
gives up."

   "Right," her daughter agreed.  "Good night, Mom."

   "Good night, Chrissy."

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

   The next day Christine woke up with a headache.  It's all that wine, she
ruefully acknowledged.  Stumbling out of her bed she immediately took two
Advil.  It'd make her feel better, she knew.  She dressed and hurried to the
kitchen to get something to eat.  Her mom had coffee brewing already,
thankfully.  As usual she poured a cup for herself, popped a bagel in the
toaster, and filled a glass with some orange juice which she carried to the
table.

   The smell of smoke was in the air.  No surprise.  Her mom had already had
at least one cigarette, she surmised with a grin.  Probably so had her dad.
A half empty pack of Marlboro 100's lay unattended on the kitchen table
beside an ashtray and disposable lighter.  "God, a cigarette would really
hit the spot right now," she muttered.  With no hesitation she slipped out
one of the cork-tipped cigarettes, put it in her lips and lit it up.

   "Having a cigarette _before_ breakfast?" she heard her mother ask.
Christine turned and saw Karen in the doorway with a wicked grin on her face.

   "Yeah, I just felt like having one," the youngster admitted with a
shrug, exhaling a cone of smoke.  "No big deal."

   "I agree," Karen nodded, approaching the table and getting a cigarette
for herself.  "It's no big deal at all."

   Christine stood there smoking while waiting for her bagel.  The bagel was
done toasting before she finished her Marlboro so she rested the cigarette
between her lips while spreading cream cheese on the warm bagel.  Karen had
to smile when she saw what was happening.  Oh yeah, it's certainly no big
deal, she snickered silently.  No big deal if you're a smoker!

   Christine munched on her bagel as she read the paper and sipped her
coffee.  She glanced at her watch.  She had a couple minutes before she had
to go.  So she grabbed the pack of Marlboro 100's again and removed another.

   "I want one more before I go," she explained defensively.  She saw her
mom stare.  "You don't care, do you?"

   "Oh, of course not, honey," Karen grinned happily.  "Smoke all you want
as far as I'm concerned.  I've never been the one trying to keep you from
it, you know."

   "Yeah, I know," Christine acknowledged as she lit up again.  "Hey,
today's Friday."  She tried to change the subject.  Her cigarette dangled
as smoke escaped from her lips around it.  "Do you think today Ryan will
finally write me off?"

   "It's bound to happen sooner or later," Karen smiled confidently.  "If
you're lucky maybe today will be the day, honey."

   "God, I hope so."  She smiled guiltily.  "Because if Ryan doesn't do
it soon I'm afraid I'll have fallen in love with these dumb things too much
to want to quit," she joked.  Seeing that her mom didn't laugh she
regrouped.  "But I _am_ gonna quit, Mom.  You and Dad can smoke if you want.
But I'm not gonna."

   "I know," Karen agreed.  "I'm sure that's what will happen.  In the
meantime, just enjoy."

   Christine hesitated.  "Hey, Mom.  One more thing.  You said I could have
a pack of your Marlboro 100's if I wanted.  Would you mind if I took one
with me today?  Just for fun?"

   Karen reached into the drawer where she kept her supply.  She tossed her
daughter an unopened red and white pack.  "No problem, Chris.  Here you go.
Just for fun," she agreed.

   The drive to campus took thirty minutes.  Halfway there Christine thought
about the unopened pack inside her purse.  "I should open it," she told
herself.  "That way I'll be ready to go when I get to school."  She got it
out, tore off the cellophane and removed the inner silver paper to reveal 20
cork filtered cigarettes.  "God, I could have one right now, before I hit
campus, I suppose," she rationalized.  "After all, I might wind up quitting
today."  At the next stop light she lit up a cigarette.  By the time she
reached campus she was finishing a second one.

   As usual she met Lia at the coffee shop so they could study together
before class.  As they always did now both girls smoked.  But Christine was
smoking lots more.  Lia noticed.

   "Change your mind?" the black-haired beauty quipped with a coquettish
grin.

   Christine looked confused.  "What are you talking about?"

   "You," answered Lia.  "You're lighting up more often today.  And you
switched to Marlboro 100's.  Even I don't smoke a brand that strong," she
smiled.  "Did you decide to stick with your new habit?"

   Christine took a long deliberate drag.  "First, no, I haven't changed my
mind, Lia.  Not at all.  And second it's not a habit.  I'm just enjoying
the ritual since I have do it anyway."  She finally exhaled.  "These are my
mom's brand.  I just like `em a little better.  That's all.  So they're a
little stronger.  So what?"

   Lia nodded.  "Ah, I see," she smirked with almost impish delight.
"Okay, don't worry, Christine.  No problem.  It's just that I know a
smoker when I see one.  You look a whole lot more like a smoker today.  A
_lot_ more.  This is, what?  Your third cigarette since we sat down?  God,
we've only been here a half hour.  Don't get me wrong.  It's no problem
for me.  But at the rate you're going, Christine, I suspect you won't be
able to quit even if Ryan kisses you off."

   "Wrong," the blond beauty said as she exhaled.  Like always her
customary smile extended from ear to ear.  "If Ryan does say goodbye I'll
give the cigarettes back to my mom and that'll be that, the end of it.
Period.  I don't intend to keep smoking, Lia.  End of story."

   Lia shrugged.  "Whatever.  However I think you're kidding yourself.  But
we'll see what happens with Ryan.  You said he wasn't at your four o'clock
yesterday.  I bet he'll be at our class this morning.  It's just a feeling
but I also bet he'll have something to say to you."

   Christine took a long, hard drag on her cigarette.  She held the smoke
inside and thought about Lia's analysis.  The fact that Lia was so goddamn
certain she'd keep smoking really pissed her off.  Yeah, she liked it.  So
what?  That didn't matter.  It didn't mean she couldn't quit.  She would
just as soon as Ryan stopped obsessing.  She pondered what it'd mean.  Quit?
Yeah, it probably would be a little harder than she first imagined.  Maybe
she'd wait a few days before doing it, just to make sure Ryan didn't come
running the first time he saw her without a cigarette.  Reluctantly she
finally exhaled.  But they'd see.  It wouldn't be so hard.  And with any
luck she'd be able to show everyone real soon.

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