When Nikki and Esposito broke off their engagement, there was a casualty that wasn’t accounted for. After initially despising Nikki, Stefania had grown to love her unconditionally. Nikki had become a motherly figure that Stefania hadn’t gotten from her own since she was a toddler.
When the breakup occurred, Stefania was simply told to stay in her room. Her father, who was not a candidate for father of the year, didn’t divulge many details, leaving her confused and distraught. Stefania tried to call Nikki for weeks, but the latter felt it was better to have a clean break.
Perhaps it was better for Nikki to move on completely, but it sent Stefania into a depression. She felt lost at a time when she was heading into the summer before she was to begin high school. A new direction was needed and she wasn’t getting any help at home. Esposito loved his daughter, but didn’t quite understand how to parent and she was often left with a nanny now that Nikki was out of the picture.
To make matters worse for Stefania, it was Nikki that would buy cigarettes for her and with her gone, Esposito refused to do so and instructed the nanny not to buy them for his teenage daughter. For a budding 14-year-old with a half-pack-a-day habit, this was nearly unbearable news. For a few weeks she tried to do without, but unrelenting cravings continued and she had to find other ways to feed her habit.
Stefania didn’t have many friends, in fact her only friend, Amanda, didn’t smoke, so she did not even have a friend to help her. Stefania, while attractive and sometimes bubbly, was shy and timid in social situations. Perhaps it was a rough upbringing that made it difficult to trust, but often felt uncomfortable around new people. Since moving in with her father, Stefania noticed cigarettes helped her cope with that anxiety.
At first, she spent time at gas station convenience stores trying to convince young adults to buy cigarettes for her. It worked occasionally, but the charade of hiding it and making excuses to leave grew tiring. Especially when she moved through a pack so quickly. With a short amount of time left in school before summer vacation, Stefania knew she was going to have to try something that would take her well outside her comfort zone.
There was a pair of girls in her class that smoked, but otherwise they were completely opposite of Stefania. The two girls were all tall and pretty, but they also had a reputation for being tarts. They wore a significant amount of makeup, five-inch heels, skirts well above the knee and blouses unbuttoned down to their bras.
While Stefania admired Nikki’s style -- leather coats and high heels -- she was still dressed conservatively. Rarely did she bare her midriff or wear a skirt too short. This was particularly true with her school uniform. Her skirt was always at the proper length and her blouse was always buttoned to the top, and rather than heels, she wore ballerina shoes.
Approaching two strangers would be difficult enough for Stefania, but she was going to approach the three most popular girls in school for a favor. Yet, this was the last option on the table. Fate would intervene, though, as one English class, the class was paired in groups. One of the girls, Tori, was put with Stefania. Academically, Stefania wasn’t thrilled about the choice, but it was also a chance to get her fix.
After the first couple of days, Stefania enjoyed working with her new partner. Tori wasn’t as dim as she expected and she didn’t come off as a tart. Finally on a Thursday, they decided they needed to work on the project after school. So they made plans to meet up after school to walk to Tori’s house. A few blocks from the school, Tori sparked up a cigarette. The waft of smoke made Stefania both jealous and antsy at the same time.
“God, I needed that,” Tori exclaimed with smoke flowing from her mouth and nostrils as she spoke.
Stefania said nothing as they continued their walk and chat. Tori moved quickly through her first cigarette and lit another when she was finished, flicking away the first without breaking stride. Then she turned her head toward Stefania.
“Aren’t you gonna have one?” She asked. “Everyone knows you smoke ever since the concert last year.”
“I don’t have any,” Stefania mumbled in embarrassment. “My dad won’t buy them for me.”
“How did you get them before?” Tori inquired again. “He obviously knows you smoke.”
“My dad’s ex-girlfriend used to buy them for me,” Stefania responded. “But they broke up.”
“Damn, girl!” Tori exclaimed, and then offered up her pack. “Here have one of mine.”
Stefania gladly accepted the cigarette offered, although it was different than what she smoked. Tori smoked Newport Menthol 100’s and Stefania had never tried a menthol cigarette before. When she lit up the cigarette, she quite enjoyed the cool menthol smoke.
“If you want, I’ll give you a pack out of my carton when we get home,” Tori said. “When my mom goes to the store next, I’ll just have her get an extra one and you can pay me back.”
“Awesome,” Stefania squealed. “I thought I was gonna have to quit.”
When they finally arrived at Tori’s house, Stefania was impressed with the size of her house. Her father was a stock broker and her mother a real estate agent and money was not at a premium for them. They got to Tori’s bedroom and she handed Stefania a fresh pack of Newports, which she gleefully accepted.
They eventually began to work on their project for school, but after an hour they decided to take a smoke break. Since both of Tori’s parents smoked, she was able to do the same in her bedroom. As Tori sat on her bed puffing away, she looked at the prim and proper blonde girl with a cigarette in her hand.
“You know, you’d look hot if you put on a tighter top and high heels,” Tori said.
“I used to try on Nikki’s clothes,” Stefania admitted. “But it’s never really been my style. I like heels, but I’ve never really worn ones like yours.”
Tori bounced off her bed and opened the closet, inviting her new friend to try anything she wanted inside. Stefania obliged and spent the rest of the afternoon parading around in Tori’s stiletto heels and short skirts.
When she fell asleep that night, Stefania thought about the afternoon she spent with her new friend. She liked how it felt to wear those revealing clothes and she admired how confident Tori and her friends were, but didn’t think she could ever be like that.
The next afternoon in English class, Tori invited Stefania to her house once again. This time her friend Rachel would also be joining them. Stefania agreed, but she promised herself she wouldn’t keep to her neat and tidy uniform.
As the the trio walked home, each sparked up a cigarette within seconds of leaving school grounds. They decided to take a detour through the park on the way back and stopped at a gazebo. Stefania noticed she was considerably shorter than her new friends, who towered in their high heels. It became even more evident when a group of popular boys from school approached. They wasted no time chatting up Tori and Rachel, but Stefania was nearly forgotten, almost as if she invisible. Even after Tori introduced her, the boys quickly returned to their conversation with the other girls.
It was apparent to Stefania that she was going to need to upgrade her wardrobe if she was going to continue to be a part of the group or she was going to blend into the crowd. Typically, blending in was what she desired, but oddly she wanted to standout now. No longer did Stefania want to be forgotten. Inside it was likely due to the fact that she felt forgotten by her father, mother and even Nikki.
The three girls planned a sleepover for the ensuing Friday and Stefania completely gave in to the temptation, letting her new friends give her a makeover. When they were finished, she quite enjoyed looking at herself in the mirror with a low-cut top that revealed her ever-growing breasts, along with a tight short skirt, six-inch stilettos and copious amounts of makeup.
The following day created the opportunity to unveil the ‘new’ Stefania when the girls planned to attend a party. Since the girls had yet to enter high school, this was of course a party held by some older kids.
When she was finished getting dressed, Stefania walked out of the house wearing a skimpy red top and a black skirt that was a few inches above her knees, along with black stiletto heels and a black leather motorcycle jacket, not to mention a large amount of makeup that any parent would disapprove of.
Stefania was an instant hit with the older boys at the party, even taking some attention away from her three friends. High school guys lined up to talk to the beautiful teenager with flowing blonde hair, puffing away on cigarette after cigarette.
The attention felt incredible to Stefania and she not only continued to hang out at parties with her new group of friends, but she began dressing increasingly more like them, which stunned teachers and classmates alike.
Through the remainder of the summer, Stefania continued to dress in more revealing clothing, her smoking increased to a pack per day and she was firmly cemented within her new group of friends. Her new friends weren’t violent, but incredibly manipulative. They enjoyed using their appearance and status to get what they wanted from other kids, particularly boys.
Considering they had yet to enter high school, the manipulation didn’t extend past free food, alcohol or concert tickets. Stefania didn’t think much of it, not realizing it could be taken to another level once school began.
When the year began, the transition to high school went much smoother than Stefania could have anticipated, due in part to her new group of friends. Thanks to their revealing clothing and reputation, the boys fawned over the foursome, even the upperclassmen. They were invited to all of the best parties and knew all of the gossip.
____________________________________________________________________________
While Stefania was immersing herself into her new group, it meant she spent less time with Amanda. In fact, the latter was stunned at her best friend’s transformation and hurt when repeated requests to hang out were denied. Stefania didn’t intentionally blow off Amanda, but she enjoyed everything that came with her new social status.
Like most high schools, Friday night football games were an event everyone wanted to attend and Stefania agreed to go with Amanda, which delighted her, given they had not spent much time in public recently.
The two girls convened at the Esposito house after school to get ready for the game. Amanda sat on the bed, while Stefania stood in front of the mirror as she brushed her long blonde hair, wearing a red shirt that went down to her belly button and exposed her growing breasts, along with a tight pair of black skinny jeans and a thin black leather belt strung through the loops, black five-inch stiletto heels and a Newport Menthol 100 dangling from her lips.
“Are you really comfortable wearing those clothes?” Amanda asked. “They really show off a lot.”
“Of course,” Stefania responded happily after taking the cigarette from her lips momentarily. “I look good.”
“You never used to wear them before,” Amanda remarked.
“Styles change,” Stefania shrugged. “The boys seem to like them.”
“I’ve noticed,” Amanda said, attempting to hide her eye roll.
Stefania didn’t seem to notice and she finally turned around, taking one last drag on her Newport, stubbing it out and lighting another. She looked at her friend, who was wearing a casual pair of blue jeans, an Abercrombie hooded sweatshirt and a pair of Nike cross trainers.
“I bet you would look hot in some heels and a different blouse,” Stefania said with a smile.
“No, I think I’m OK,” Amanda mumbled as she uncomfortably clutched her sweatshirt.
Stefania simply shrugged again and let out a gigantic exhale and plopped down on the edge of her bed next to Amanda, who wasn’t thrilled with her friend’s smoke.
“You sure have been smoking a lot lately,” Amanda remarked. “You are holding a cigarette almost every time I see you now.”
“I’m just making up for lost time,” Stefania responded, blowing smoke directly above her.
“You didn’t even smoke this much when Nikki bought them for you,” Amanda persisted. “Are you OK? You’ve changed a lot lately.”
“I’m fine,” Stefania said reassuringly. “C’mon, let’s get going.”
Stefania extinguished her cigarette in the ashtray on her desk and put on the black leather motorcycle jacket draped over her chair before grabbing her purse and heading out the door.
The nanny drove the two teens to the football game, dropping them off outside the stadium, which was thankfully off campus for Stefania, who had an unlit cigarette in her mouth as she got out of the backseat.
Much to the dismay of parents passing by, Stefania gleefully sparked up another cigarette as she waited for Tori and Rachel to arrive. Amanda wasn’t aware they would be joining and was a bit put off.
“I thought it was just going to be us?” Amanda asked incredulously.
“It’s a football game,” Stefania responded. “There’s lots of people here.”
Amanda typically didn’t mind when her best friend smoked, at this point she was used to it. Although, Stefania had never smoked so openly in the past. Sure she may excuse herself to go outside when they went to the mall or after a movie, but never in front of parents and teachers. Now Amanda stood awkwardly next to her friend, who towered over her in heels, as smoke billowed from her mouth and nose.
Finally the other two girls walked up, cigarettes in hand, high heels clacking on the pavement. Amanda felt out of place with the other three girls, who were showing cleaving, wearing far too much makeup and smoking like chimneys. Eventually they entered the stadium and set up shop along the sideline fence, where boys and other girls walked up to talk to them throughout the first half. Amanda was clearly edged out of the picture and hardly had the chance to speak to Stefania.
When the first half came to an end, Stefania, Tori and Rachel decided it was time to go out for a smoke and Amanda begrudgingly followed them, although it didn’t appear they would notice if she didn’t.
Upon exiting the stadium, the girls walked down the sidewalk out of sight from any potential onlookers, guided by the glowing orange tip of three cigarettes. Stefania found it to be odd that they were walking so far just to smoke, but she didn’t have to wait much longer for the answer.
As the girls finally came to a halt, Tori reached into her designer purse and pulled out a flask containing vodka. She took a sip and handed it to Stefania, who gladly accepted before passing it to Rachel. When she was done, Rachel extended the flask to Amanda, who politely declined.
Rachel rolled her eyes, but returned the flask to Tori and began to dig in her own purse. She then procured something else.
“Stef, guess what I got!” Rachel exclaimed.
“What?” Stefania asked through an exhale as Tori once again handed her the flask.
“This!” she said, holding up a blunt.
“Is that weed?” Stefania asked. “Where did you get that?”
“From one of the guys,” Rachel responded.
“Well lets smoke it!” Tori said.
Rachel put the blunt between her lips and lit up, taking a puff and passing it to Tori. Stefania had never smoked marijuana before and her experience around it was limited to the handful of parties they went to over the summer. Yet when it came time for her to accept the blunt, she did so without hesitation.
Stefania took a hit off the blunt and inhaled. It was an experience like nothing she ever had and she quite enjoyed it. Amanda, however, did not care for it.
“Seriously?!” She shouted. “First the clothes, then drinking and now drugs?”
“It’s just a little weed,” Stefania said. “Relax, Amanda.”
“NO!” Amanda said exasperated.
“What is your deal?” Tori asked, taking another hit on the blunt.
“This is ridiculous,” Amanda said before turning to Stefania. “I’m leaving. Are you coming or not?”
“Amanda,” said Stefania, who was beginning to feel the effects from the alcohol and marijuana.
“Does Sister Mary Christian not approve?” Rachel mocked.
“Aww, the poor little baby,” Tori laughed. “Are you gonna cry now?”
Amanda couldn’t fight back the tears any longer as Stefania stood there, caught in the middle of her new friends and her old one.
“Oh my god, she’s seriously crying!” Rachel exclaimed as she laughed hysterically.
“C’mon Stef,” Amanda begged as tears rolled down her cheeks.
“Where do you want to go?” Tori asked her, as she gave her a little shove. Rachel and Tori continued to mock Amanda, now playfully pushing her between them before she tripped on the sidewalk. While she was on the ground, the two girls continued to kick her in a playful manner.
“Stef,” Amanda pleaded. “Please help me!”
Stefania looked at her friend momentarily and then lit another Newport, before saying, “Come on guys. Let’s get out of here.”
Tori and Rachel finally relented and the three girls walked away, heels clicking on the cement. Stefania took a drag on her cigarette, peeking over her shoulder to see her former best friend weeping on the sidewalk, alone.
Stefania had chosen her new social status over the person that had been her only friend since moving to New Jersey. Her life was about to change drastically.
____________________________________________________________________________
Throughout the fall, Stefania continued to party hard with her new friends. Her relationship with Amanda was now nonexistent, but she didn’t seem to mind.
At parties, Stefania drank and smoked marijuana religiously. Not only did she do it to fit in with her group, but it numbed the pain of being abandoned by every parent figure she had ever known. Her father believed her to be an unruly party girl and simply yelled at her when she came home drunk or stoned, but rarely made an attempt to connect with her emotionally.
Teachers thought her to be a tart, but she had excellent marks in all of her classes, which was befuddling to them considering her appearance and her friends.
It came to a head on Halloween night. Stefania, Tori and Rachel went to a party just like any other, but after a few drinks, they split from each other only for a moment. Tori and Rachel were off in another part of the house with boys they had met, leaving Stefania. She was offered what she thought to be a simple joint, but unbeknownst to her, it was laced with angel dust.
When Tori and Rachel found her a couple hours later, she was speaking nonsense and clearly hallucinating worse than anything they had ever experienced. They decided to leave, but as they were walking out, not only did Stefania pass out and fall into the bushes, but the police arrived.
Tori and Rachel attempted to run away, but were eventually caught and arrested for underage drinking. Stefania, however, was not found until the party had been cleared out. Luckily for her, she was beginning to come to her senses and the officer that discovered her opted to place her in the back of his squad car and made a call to someone who paid him handsomely.
When the breakup occurred, Stefania was simply told to stay in her room. Her father, who was not a candidate for father of the year, didn’t divulge many details, leaving her confused and distraught. Stefania tried to call Nikki for weeks, but the latter felt it was better to have a clean break.
Perhaps it was better for Nikki to move on completely, but it sent Stefania into a depression. She felt lost at a time when she was heading into the summer before she was to begin high school. A new direction was needed and she wasn’t getting any help at home. Esposito loved his daughter, but didn’t quite understand how to parent and she was often left with a nanny now that Nikki was out of the picture.
To make matters worse for Stefania, it was Nikki that would buy cigarettes for her and with her gone, Esposito refused to do so and instructed the nanny not to buy them for his teenage daughter. For a budding 14-year-old with a half-pack-a-day habit, this was nearly unbearable news. For a few weeks she tried to do without, but unrelenting cravings continued and she had to find other ways to feed her habit.
Stefania didn’t have many friends, in fact her only friend, Amanda, didn’t smoke, so she did not even have a friend to help her. Stefania, while attractive and sometimes bubbly, was shy and timid in social situations. Perhaps it was a rough upbringing that made it difficult to trust, but often felt uncomfortable around new people. Since moving in with her father, Stefania noticed cigarettes helped her cope with that anxiety.
At first, she spent time at gas station convenience stores trying to convince young adults to buy cigarettes for her. It worked occasionally, but the charade of hiding it and making excuses to leave grew tiring. Especially when she moved through a pack so quickly. With a short amount of time left in school before summer vacation, Stefania knew she was going to have to try something that would take her well outside her comfort zone.
There was a pair of girls in her class that smoked, but otherwise they were completely opposite of Stefania. The two girls were all tall and pretty, but they also had a reputation for being tarts. They wore a significant amount of makeup, five-inch heels, skirts well above the knee and blouses unbuttoned down to their bras.
While Stefania admired Nikki’s style -- leather coats and high heels -- she was still dressed conservatively. Rarely did she bare her midriff or wear a skirt too short. This was particularly true with her school uniform. Her skirt was always at the proper length and her blouse was always buttoned to the top, and rather than heels, she wore ballerina shoes.
Approaching two strangers would be difficult enough for Stefania, but she was going to approach the three most popular girls in school for a favor. Yet, this was the last option on the table. Fate would intervene, though, as one English class, the class was paired in groups. One of the girls, Tori, was put with Stefania. Academically, Stefania wasn’t thrilled about the choice, but it was also a chance to get her fix.
After the first couple of days, Stefania enjoyed working with her new partner. Tori wasn’t as dim as she expected and she didn’t come off as a tart. Finally on a Thursday, they decided they needed to work on the project after school. So they made plans to meet up after school to walk to Tori’s house. A few blocks from the school, Tori sparked up a cigarette. The waft of smoke made Stefania both jealous and antsy at the same time.
“God, I needed that,” Tori exclaimed with smoke flowing from her mouth and nostrils as she spoke.
Stefania said nothing as they continued their walk and chat. Tori moved quickly through her first cigarette and lit another when she was finished, flicking away the first without breaking stride. Then she turned her head toward Stefania.
“Aren’t you gonna have one?” She asked. “Everyone knows you smoke ever since the concert last year.”
“I don’t have any,” Stefania mumbled in embarrassment. “My dad won’t buy them for me.”
“How did you get them before?” Tori inquired again. “He obviously knows you smoke.”
“My dad’s ex-girlfriend used to buy them for me,” Stefania responded. “But they broke up.”
“Damn, girl!” Tori exclaimed, and then offered up her pack. “Here have one of mine.”
Stefania gladly accepted the cigarette offered, although it was different than what she smoked. Tori smoked Newport Menthol 100’s and Stefania had never tried a menthol cigarette before. When she lit up the cigarette, she quite enjoyed the cool menthol smoke.
“If you want, I’ll give you a pack out of my carton when we get home,” Tori said. “When my mom goes to the store next, I’ll just have her get an extra one and you can pay me back.”
“Awesome,” Stefania squealed. “I thought I was gonna have to quit.”
When they finally arrived at Tori’s house, Stefania was impressed with the size of her house. Her father was a stock broker and her mother a real estate agent and money was not at a premium for them. They got to Tori’s bedroom and she handed Stefania a fresh pack of Newports, which she gleefully accepted.
They eventually began to work on their project for school, but after an hour they decided to take a smoke break. Since both of Tori’s parents smoked, she was able to do the same in her bedroom. As Tori sat on her bed puffing away, she looked at the prim and proper blonde girl with a cigarette in her hand.
“You know, you’d look hot if you put on a tighter top and high heels,” Tori said.
“I used to try on Nikki’s clothes,” Stefania admitted. “But it’s never really been my style. I like heels, but I’ve never really worn ones like yours.”
Tori bounced off her bed and opened the closet, inviting her new friend to try anything she wanted inside. Stefania obliged and spent the rest of the afternoon parading around in Tori’s stiletto heels and short skirts.
When she fell asleep that night, Stefania thought about the afternoon she spent with her new friend. She liked how it felt to wear those revealing clothes and she admired how confident Tori and her friends were, but didn’t think she could ever be like that.
The next afternoon in English class, Tori invited Stefania to her house once again. This time her friend Rachel would also be joining them. Stefania agreed, but she promised herself she wouldn’t keep to her neat and tidy uniform.
As the the trio walked home, each sparked up a cigarette within seconds of leaving school grounds. They decided to take a detour through the park on the way back and stopped at a gazebo. Stefania noticed she was considerably shorter than her new friends, who towered in their high heels. It became even more evident when a group of popular boys from school approached. They wasted no time chatting up Tori and Rachel, but Stefania was nearly forgotten, almost as if she invisible. Even after Tori introduced her, the boys quickly returned to their conversation with the other girls.
It was apparent to Stefania that she was going to need to upgrade her wardrobe if she was going to continue to be a part of the group or she was going to blend into the crowd. Typically, blending in was what she desired, but oddly she wanted to standout now. No longer did Stefania want to be forgotten. Inside it was likely due to the fact that she felt forgotten by her father, mother and even Nikki.
The three girls planned a sleepover for the ensuing Friday and Stefania completely gave in to the temptation, letting her new friends give her a makeover. When they were finished, she quite enjoyed looking at herself in the mirror with a low-cut top that revealed her ever-growing breasts, along with a tight short skirt, six-inch stilettos and copious amounts of makeup.
The following day created the opportunity to unveil the ‘new’ Stefania when the girls planned to attend a party. Since the girls had yet to enter high school, this was of course a party held by some older kids.
When she was finished getting dressed, Stefania walked out of the house wearing a skimpy red top and a black skirt that was a few inches above her knees, along with black stiletto heels and a black leather motorcycle jacket, not to mention a large amount of makeup that any parent would disapprove of.
Stefania was an instant hit with the older boys at the party, even taking some attention away from her three friends. High school guys lined up to talk to the beautiful teenager with flowing blonde hair, puffing away on cigarette after cigarette.
The attention felt incredible to Stefania and she not only continued to hang out at parties with her new group of friends, but she began dressing increasingly more like them, which stunned teachers and classmates alike.
Through the remainder of the summer, Stefania continued to dress in more revealing clothing, her smoking increased to a pack per day and she was firmly cemented within her new group of friends. Her new friends weren’t violent, but incredibly manipulative. They enjoyed using their appearance and status to get what they wanted from other kids, particularly boys.
Considering they had yet to enter high school, the manipulation didn’t extend past free food, alcohol or concert tickets. Stefania didn’t think much of it, not realizing it could be taken to another level once school began.
When the year began, the transition to high school went much smoother than Stefania could have anticipated, due in part to her new group of friends. Thanks to their revealing clothing and reputation, the boys fawned over the foursome, even the upperclassmen. They were invited to all of the best parties and knew all of the gossip.
____________________________________________________________________________
While Stefania was immersing herself into her new group, it meant she spent less time with Amanda. In fact, the latter was stunned at her best friend’s transformation and hurt when repeated requests to hang out were denied. Stefania didn’t intentionally blow off Amanda, but she enjoyed everything that came with her new social status.
Like most high schools, Friday night football games were an event everyone wanted to attend and Stefania agreed to go with Amanda, which delighted her, given they had not spent much time in public recently.
The two girls convened at the Esposito house after school to get ready for the game. Amanda sat on the bed, while Stefania stood in front of the mirror as she brushed her long blonde hair, wearing a red shirt that went down to her belly button and exposed her growing breasts, along with a tight pair of black skinny jeans and a thin black leather belt strung through the loops, black five-inch stiletto heels and a Newport Menthol 100 dangling from her lips.
“Are you really comfortable wearing those clothes?” Amanda asked. “They really show off a lot.”
“Of course,” Stefania responded happily after taking the cigarette from her lips momentarily. “I look good.”
“You never used to wear them before,” Amanda remarked.
“Styles change,” Stefania shrugged. “The boys seem to like them.”
“I’ve noticed,” Amanda said, attempting to hide her eye roll.
Stefania didn’t seem to notice and she finally turned around, taking one last drag on her Newport, stubbing it out and lighting another. She looked at her friend, who was wearing a casual pair of blue jeans, an Abercrombie hooded sweatshirt and a pair of Nike cross trainers.
“I bet you would look hot in some heels and a different blouse,” Stefania said with a smile.
“No, I think I’m OK,” Amanda mumbled as she uncomfortably clutched her sweatshirt.
Stefania simply shrugged again and let out a gigantic exhale and plopped down on the edge of her bed next to Amanda, who wasn’t thrilled with her friend’s smoke.
“You sure have been smoking a lot lately,” Amanda remarked. “You are holding a cigarette almost every time I see you now.”
“I’m just making up for lost time,” Stefania responded, blowing smoke directly above her.
“You didn’t even smoke this much when Nikki bought them for you,” Amanda persisted. “Are you OK? You’ve changed a lot lately.”
“I’m fine,” Stefania said reassuringly. “C’mon, let’s get going.”
Stefania extinguished her cigarette in the ashtray on her desk and put on the black leather motorcycle jacket draped over her chair before grabbing her purse and heading out the door.
The nanny drove the two teens to the football game, dropping them off outside the stadium, which was thankfully off campus for Stefania, who had an unlit cigarette in her mouth as she got out of the backseat.
Much to the dismay of parents passing by, Stefania gleefully sparked up another cigarette as she waited for Tori and Rachel to arrive. Amanda wasn’t aware they would be joining and was a bit put off.
“I thought it was just going to be us?” Amanda asked incredulously.
“It’s a football game,” Stefania responded. “There’s lots of people here.”
Amanda typically didn’t mind when her best friend smoked, at this point she was used to it. Although, Stefania had never smoked so openly in the past. Sure she may excuse herself to go outside when they went to the mall or after a movie, but never in front of parents and teachers. Now Amanda stood awkwardly next to her friend, who towered over her in heels, as smoke billowed from her mouth and nose.
Finally the other two girls walked up, cigarettes in hand, high heels clacking on the pavement. Amanda felt out of place with the other three girls, who were showing cleaving, wearing far too much makeup and smoking like chimneys. Eventually they entered the stadium and set up shop along the sideline fence, where boys and other girls walked up to talk to them throughout the first half. Amanda was clearly edged out of the picture and hardly had the chance to speak to Stefania.
When the first half came to an end, Stefania, Tori and Rachel decided it was time to go out for a smoke and Amanda begrudgingly followed them, although it didn’t appear they would notice if she didn’t.
Upon exiting the stadium, the girls walked down the sidewalk out of sight from any potential onlookers, guided by the glowing orange tip of three cigarettes. Stefania found it to be odd that they were walking so far just to smoke, but she didn’t have to wait much longer for the answer.
As the girls finally came to a halt, Tori reached into her designer purse and pulled out a flask containing vodka. She took a sip and handed it to Stefania, who gladly accepted before passing it to Rachel. When she was done, Rachel extended the flask to Amanda, who politely declined.
Rachel rolled her eyes, but returned the flask to Tori and began to dig in her own purse. She then procured something else.
“Stef, guess what I got!” Rachel exclaimed.
“What?” Stefania asked through an exhale as Tori once again handed her the flask.
“This!” she said, holding up a blunt.
“Is that weed?” Stefania asked. “Where did you get that?”
“From one of the guys,” Rachel responded.
“Well lets smoke it!” Tori said.
Rachel put the blunt between her lips and lit up, taking a puff and passing it to Tori. Stefania had never smoked marijuana before and her experience around it was limited to the handful of parties they went to over the summer. Yet when it came time for her to accept the blunt, she did so without hesitation.
Stefania took a hit off the blunt and inhaled. It was an experience like nothing she ever had and she quite enjoyed it. Amanda, however, did not care for it.
“Seriously?!” She shouted. “First the clothes, then drinking and now drugs?”
“It’s just a little weed,” Stefania said. “Relax, Amanda.”
“NO!” Amanda said exasperated.
“What is your deal?” Tori asked, taking another hit on the blunt.
“This is ridiculous,” Amanda said before turning to Stefania. “I’m leaving. Are you coming or not?”
“Amanda,” said Stefania, who was beginning to feel the effects from the alcohol and marijuana.
“Does Sister Mary Christian not approve?” Rachel mocked.
“Aww, the poor little baby,” Tori laughed. “Are you gonna cry now?”
Amanda couldn’t fight back the tears any longer as Stefania stood there, caught in the middle of her new friends and her old one.
“Oh my god, she’s seriously crying!” Rachel exclaimed as she laughed hysterically.
“C’mon Stef,” Amanda begged as tears rolled down her cheeks.
“Where do you want to go?” Tori asked her, as she gave her a little shove. Rachel and Tori continued to mock Amanda, now playfully pushing her between them before she tripped on the sidewalk. While she was on the ground, the two girls continued to kick her in a playful manner.
“Stef,” Amanda pleaded. “Please help me!”
Stefania looked at her friend momentarily and then lit another Newport, before saying, “Come on guys. Let’s get out of here.”
Tori and Rachel finally relented and the three girls walked away, heels clicking on the cement. Stefania took a drag on her cigarette, peeking over her shoulder to see her former best friend weeping on the sidewalk, alone.
Stefania had chosen her new social status over the person that had been her only friend since moving to New Jersey. Her life was about to change drastically.
____________________________________________________________________________
Throughout the fall, Stefania continued to party hard with her new friends. Her relationship with Amanda was now nonexistent, but she didn’t seem to mind.
At parties, Stefania drank and smoked marijuana religiously. Not only did she do it to fit in with her group, but it numbed the pain of being abandoned by every parent figure she had ever known. Her father believed her to be an unruly party girl and simply yelled at her when she came home drunk or stoned, but rarely made an attempt to connect with her emotionally.
Teachers thought her to be a tart, but she had excellent marks in all of her classes, which was befuddling to them considering her appearance and her friends.
It came to a head on Halloween night. Stefania, Tori and Rachel went to a party just like any other, but after a few drinks, they split from each other only for a moment. Tori and Rachel were off in another part of the house with boys they had met, leaving Stefania. She was offered what she thought to be a simple joint, but unbeknownst to her, it was laced with angel dust.
When Tori and Rachel found her a couple hours later, she was speaking nonsense and clearly hallucinating worse than anything they had ever experienced. They decided to leave, but as they were walking out, not only did Stefania pass out and fall into the bushes, but the police arrived.
Tori and Rachel attempted to run away, but were eventually caught and arrested for underage drinking. Stefania, however, was not found until the party had been cleared out. Luckily for her, she was beginning to come to her senses and the officer that discovered her opted to place her in the back of his squad car and made a call to someone who paid him handsomely.
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