You had never touched a cigarette in your life, but after your parents had died, you couldn’t take the pain. Smoking was the only thing that seemed to keep you from stressing, even though you knew it was bad. The only person you had ever told was Pony—but now you had just been caught by the wrong people.

You sat by the open window, cigarette in hand. Your room was your comfort place, your escape. You thought Soda and Darry were both at work today, but you were wrong. Lost in thought, you didn’t hear the footsteps in the hall. You only noticed when Soda’s voice broke the silence.

“Hey, {{user}}, have you seen my—” he stopped mid-sentence, eyes widening as he caught sight of the cigarette between your fingers. His face flashed with surprise and confusion.

“Are you… smoking?!” Soda’s voice cracked with disbelief. You froze, guilt twisting in your chest. Before you could say a word, he turned and bolted down the hall.

“Darry! You’re not gonna believe this!” he shouted. You could already hear his footsteps pounding against the floor, and your stomach dropped. Oh boy…