It didn’t take long for word to get back to her parents about her openly smoking and they were mortified, fearing their reputation would be tarnished for allowing their 17-year-old daughter smoke. For the first time in her life, Nikki was grounded for two weeks. She could not leave the house other than for work.
The punishment levied down on her didn’t bother Nikki much. During the week she was exhausted by time she got home from work and usually spent her time on the deck laying in the sun, reading, and of course, smoking. Plus, she was dead set on smoking whenever and wherever she pleased.
During the summer -- and sometimes in the winter -- her parents would go to their lakehouse about an hour away. Now that she can drive, Nikki would join them occasionally, depending on what her friends were doing. Now that she was grounded, Nikki would be joining them for the Fourth of July weekend. Her aunt and uncle on her mom’s side -- Katie and Kelley’s parents -- also had a place at the lake, right across the street. Plus, both of her brothers were home, so Nikki wasn’t at all disappointed and likely would have been there regardless.
While her immediate family and her cousins knew of her smoking, her aunt and uncle did not know and neither did her relatives on her father’s side of the family, who would come down for one of the days. “Boy, will they be in for a shock,” Nikki said to herself as she dropped a carton of Marlboro Red 100s into her bag while packing to leave.
Her brothers were driving up with her father, so Nikki was to make the short trip with her mother. She packed up her bag, took a look in the mirror, not a hair or eyelash out of place. Her outfit today consisted of a tight white tank top that made her breasts look as if they were about to pop out, tucked into a pair of short black jean shorts, with a thick black leather belt fit snug through the loops. Her black cowboy boots topped the ensemble, along with her silver watch, bracelets and necklace.
Nikki blew herself a kiss in the mirror, grabbed her bag, her purse and slipped on her full-shield sunglasses that took up half her face and headed out the door. She loaded up her bags and lit one last cigarette before getting into the car.
On the ride to the lake, Nikki’s mother was still visibly upset with her daughter, uncharted waters for both women. Her mother was upset, but how upset could she get with this kid?
“Would it have hurt for you to stick to our deal?” Nikki’s mother asked. “Now everyone knows that I’ve been harboring an illegal smoker.”
“Mom, I’m sorry, but I’m a smoker and I really love it,” Nikki responded. “I respect what a tough position you’re in, but if someone gives you a hard time, it’s not going to be hard to dispute it given my grades, my behavior and my personality. They are just going to have to get used to the fact that I just happen to smoke, too.”
Her mother begrudgingly dropped the subject, partly because her daughter was correct. It just hurt to see her beautiful angel enjoying something harmful to herself and the family’s reputation. She also knew it was inevitable the rest of the family would find out by the end of the weekend also.
When they pulled into the driveway at the lake house, the car was barely in park before Nikki was out of the car with a lit cigarette in her mouth, drawing a roll of the eyes from her mother. Nikki brushed it off and enjoyed the nicotine entering her perfectly shaped and toned body -- it really was remarkable how perfect her body was despite rarely going to the gym. Once her smoke was spent to the butt, Nikki crushed it out in the ashtray she bought to be put outside, and helped unpack the car.
After about an hour of getting settled in, Nikki went out back to have another cigarette before deciding to head down to the water to lay on the dock. She blew out her last exhale, smoke still emanating from her nostrils as she walked back to the door, and went inside to change. Nikki slipped off her boots and put on a bikini, putting her shorts back on over the bottom and putting on flip flops. She grabbed her book, cellphone, sunscreen and her cigarettes and put them in her beach bag before grabbing a towel and heading down to the water.
She smiled and waved at her neighbors sitting on their docks, laid her blanket down and took out her book. It wasn’t long before she nodded off. When she woke up, Nikki looked at her watch and saw that she had been asleep for nearly an hour. After returning some missed text messages, Nikki knew exactly what she wanted to next. Sitting on the dock with Indian style, she reached into her bag, pulled out a cigarette and flicked her lighter. “Nothing like a cigarette after waking up,” Nikki though as she blew smoke out of her nose like two steady streams.
After a few drags, Nikki was hot from laying in the sun, so she stood up, placed her cigarette between her lips, unbuckled her belt and dropped her shorts. With her cigarette still in hand, Nikki walked down the steps and waded into the water, making sure only to go up to her waist as she was still wearing her jewelry and still had her cigarette. Once spent, she put it out on the bottom of the dock and set the butt on top. She then pushed her sunglasses up into her hair like a headband reached into the water with her right hand, so not to get the expensive watch on her left wrist wet, and used it to rub some water on her arms and face.
As she climbed out of the lake, water dripped off her bikini and she could tell some of middle-aged men at the dock next door were staring at her. She grabbed her towel and dried off her arms and face, sliding her sunglasses back down. Then Nikki reached back into her bag and pulled out another cigarette. She didn’t take notice the first time, but this time she was completely aware of the glares and shock from neighbors that had known her since she was an innocent little girl. The glares came from the women and the shock from the men. Nikki just smiled and exhaled. “Get over it, assholes,” she thought to herself.
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Two cigarettes and an hour later, Nikki was dry from her dip, so she put her shorts back on, buckled her belt and headed back up to the house to see what her family was doing. Once back at that house, her mother informed her that they would be going to her uncle’s for dinner, so Nikki put her regular clothes back on, tucking her tank top back into her shorts and removed her phone and cigarettes from her beach bag and placed them back into her purse. She picked up her leather bag, which contained two packs of cigarettes because Nikki never knew when she might run out, and went to sit on the couch while her family got ready.
Nikki walked across the lawn with her family to her aunt and uncle’s home, where they had a nice meal with her relatives and some of their friends. Once they were finished, Nikki was in the middle of a conversation with Katie when she got that familiar urge. She placed her hand on her cousin’s forearm and made a motion with her point index and middle figure to go smoke. Katie nodded in agreement and the two teens got up to leave. Nikki put her purse between her elbow and wrist as is customary and was reaching in to pull out a cigarette as the walked down the deck toward the lake, but Katie said, “No, let’s go towards the front and walk around the block so they don’t see me.”
Nikki rolled her eyes. She didn’t care who saw her. She wanted to smoke. She followed her slightly older cousin -- by six months -- back up the deck and down through the front gate. Nikki didn’t make it to the gate, however, as she deftly lit a cigarette as she walked and pulled on it hard. She let go of a massive exhale as she turned to close the gate. There was no question that everyone at the party saw her, but she didn’t care. Nikki was making a statement. Yes, she was still a sweet and nice girl, but she wasn’t going to let anyone bother her about smoking. She was a proud smoker.
Her cousin was shocked at Nikki’s boldness. She was always the pretty one, the brilliant one, the helpful one, the nice one....a goody-two-shoes. Obviously Nikki was only four out of five now.
“You’re getting brave,” Katie said as she lit a cigarette once they were out of site from the party.
“I guess. I just don’t care who sees me,” Nikki said, speaking through an exhale. “People act like smoking is a crime. I’m not going to be considered a criminal for smoking cigarettes. I don’t think there’s anybody that doesn’t know at this point. I got grounded for smoking at work with one of the other ladies, but it’s no big deal.”
“So how much do you smoke then?” Katie asked.
“Um, a pack, maybe a little more now that school is out,” Nikki responded.
Clearly shocked at her cousin’s intake. “Wow! That’s so much!” Katie exclaimed.
“Whatever. I like to smoke,” Nikki said with a satisfied smile, then lit another cigarette.
After a smoke-filled night, Nikki woke up early as usual the next morning, made herself a cup of coffee and headed to the front porch with a pack of cigarettes. Later that day, her father’s side of the family would be coming for the day. More relatives unaware of the “new” Nikki.
Nikki spent the morning helping her parents get ready for the pending company. With about an hour left before the party, Nikki stepped back outside for a smoke before getting dressed. She threw on a tight black tank top, tucked it into a white pair of shorts and put her black leather belt through the loops. She put on her jewelry and decided to have another cigarette before the party began.
The relatives arrived and Nikki spent an hour conversing with them. She was starting to get an urge to smoke, but held it off for about a half hour. It came to a point where she could no longer fight it, so she grabbed a cigarette and a lighter out of her purse and went out to the driveway. Her secret was out completely. Sure, she was getting the shocks and stairs, which is to be expected regardless of her personality. Having a 17-year-old be one of the lone smokers in a family is uncommon.
Nikki didn’t care. She was completely out of the closet and loving every minute of it. By the end of the summer, it was rare to see Nikki without a cigarette in her hand.
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