"You should really stop that.”
I look over at her, quizzical.


She points to the cigarette dangling from my mouth and gives me the basic line that everyone says to a smoker. 

“It’s not healthy.”

“I could stop smoking at any given moment, yknow.” As I crush the supposed  cancer stick to the dirt, resisting the urge of an eye-roll. 
She’s watching me, obviously waiting for an explanation. 

God, why does she care? No one ever has before.
“It wouldn’t be hard, I mean, I’m not addicted or anything. ”

She laughs and suddenly I’m trying to ignore how good it sounds.
“Isn’t that what all addicts say?”

“I’m serious.” Judging by the look on her face, I know that wasn’t the answer she wanted. So I stopped sugar coating it.

“I just don’t quit because I’d rather **** myself in a way that’s more..socially accepted. People don’t notice as much- they call me a smoker, not suicidal. I like it that way. ”