One Annoying Addiction

[Quinn Wiley]

Quinn was fidgeting. There was something hard to believe in that, even when you happened to see him, sitting down, one of his leg shaking as he kept playing with his hands. The boy was stoic at all times, it seemed impossible that he would be in such a state. He had a good excuse though. He was sobering up. Not of alcohol or drug, although you could argue it was one since you could get addicted to it. Nicotine. Ever since he was fourteen, he picked up that terrible habit. He tried to quit more than once. The fact he didn’t have a lot of money to pay for them sort of forced it on him. Then Erin tried to help out by giving him those vapor ones. In a way, it helped, but at the same time, he kept the habit of having something in his hands, in his mouth and that was something he needed to break from.

He was trying to study but he could not focus. Lately, he got a pack of cigarettes again and smoked them all. The nicotine hitting his system felt so good, really. One might argue it was not that smart out of him. His power was already not doing much good to him and he was destroying his lungs even further. But he had no idea he would become a dragon spitting out fire when he started and it was not that easy to quit. Or maybe he just lacked the will to do so.

The library was too quiet for him. He just wanted to dig through his pockets and see if there was not a cigarette left somewhere. He knew there was not. He really needed to find something to do with his life to occupy himself more. That would help get his head off that matter.

Since he was unable to do anything, Quinn grabbed his stuff and left the library. Not paying much attention to where he was going, it was no surprise he ended up hitting the first person walking down the hallway. It was not a little bump, he really hit them good. “Sorry,” he mumbled. He just wanted to go out, see if breathing some fresh air might not help him. Or he could just wind up at the corner where most of the smokers liked to go to light one up. It was not as good as smoking a cigarette himself but beggars can’t be choosers.

TAG: Lucy James

[Lucy James]

When walking down the hallway, the last thing Lucy had expected was to have someone's backpack hit against her chest so hard it made her stumble backwards. Her hand immediately went up to rub at her chest and her eyes narrowed. For a moment, she was left completely baffled and dumbfounded - unsure what on earth was going on. Then, a second or two later, she managed to get her bearings and immediately turned around to cuss out whoever had dared to cross her path.

Just that she didn't. When her blue eyes rested upon the overly familiar face that seemed to sober up all of her anger in an instant, Lucy remained quiet. Absently watching the young boy with a curious expression forming on her face. Perhaps it was out of character and maybe she should have yelled at him, but something in the way he looked and carried himself told her that this wasn't the time to tell him how much of an idiot he was.

He hardly seemed to be in the mood for such antics. Not today. Not right now.

Puffing her cheeks, Lucy bit her bottom lip in an attempt to keep all bile and cussing from escaping through her lips before she got a chance to really stop it. "You okay there, curly?" she asked. The previous concern was quickly replaced by feigned amusement. Now, she could hardly let him think she actually did care, when she'd spent such hard work making everyone believe that she didn't give a flying shit about anything or anyone.

Even if it was a lie. Try as she might, Quinn had managed to dig his way past her walls.

[Quinn Wiley]

Normally, Quinn would have left without anything more than this mumbled apology. But he happened to glance at the person he bumped into from the corner of his eyes and since it looked like a familiar silhouette, he took a closer look and recognized Lucy. This could be to his advantage or go terribly wrong for him. She never lost her temper on him but he had heard enough about her, and seen some, to know better. She seemed pretty angry at first of what happened but then her expression shifted and it was kind of weird. He certainly found it so.

Since it was Lucy, he did start feeling a little bad about what happened. He was about to apologize properly but she called him Curly. Curly? That sounded so much like a clown’s name. Far from what you’d call Quinn. Oh, he got the reference, his curly black locks. He didn't ask for those but it was not like he could do much against that. Except shaving his head, but that was out of the question. And admitting he might own a flat iron was not something he would do anytime soon.

“Yes,” he said, his voice barely above a whisper. He then snapped out of it and she could notice it only from the blink he had. That is, until he spoke, this time with a more normal tone of voice. “Sorry for bumping into you like that. Needed to get out.” The look she gave him was more like the Lucy he knew. Laughing at his trouble. Then again, he couldn’t help but wonder why she was not yelling at him or at least throwing some poisonous barbs his way for hitting her like that.

[Lucy James]

In truth, Lucy didn't really know why everything was so much different around Quinn. Even when he met her during a bad day, she couldn't quite push herself to be mean to him. It wasn't even a choice she made willingly. It just happened. It wasn't like he was special, or that she liked him. She didn't like anyone, obviously. But something about him made her want to tone herself down and for once, actually be somewhat manageable.

Oh well. It probably didn't matter. Thankfully, Quinn couldn't read her mind. Anyone who knew her who did, would probably think she was going crazy.

"It's alright," she said, shrugging her shoulders. Her brows then furrowed. "Had to get out?" she repeated, head tilting to the side. "What's up?" She looked towards the library then, from where he'd seemingly come from. She didn't see anything that would openly make him want to run away. Had he met someone in there that had upset him? "Do you need me to kick someone's ass?" she asked as she looked at him again, the furrowed brows replaced by an almost amused smirk.

And there she was again. She was glad to have her clearly hilarious self back on track again.

[Quinn Wiley]

Quinn knew the reputation Lucy had, what people could say about her and her behaviour. In return, all Quinn could reply was that it didn't seem to be that bad when she was with him. He didn’t think there was anything to read in that. If there was, he totally missed it. Why wouldn’t she be less of a pain around him? It was not like he was pushing her or asked for anything out of her she might not want to give him. He expected nothing from her and he doubted his reaction when being bullied was amusing enough for people to enjoy doing that. She might be able to get more of a reaction out of him but he always tried not to let that show. Since their relationship was based on them not wanting anything from the other, it seemed natural she wouldn’t feel the need to be cruel to him. But maybe he was trying too hard to explain something that could simply be explained by the fact she didn't feel like it. Quinn never pretended he could understand girls, let alone this one.

“Yeah, hm, it’s just... do you have cigarettes?” Studying had not been enough of an occupation to make him not want one. With the very little connections he had around the school and the just as small amount money he possessed, it was hard to buy those when he wanted any. It should help him not smoke any but it only had the result of making him want one more just because he couldn’t afford any, thus making him moodier. He should be able to avoid smoking. He always thought it would be easier than that. Maybe he just didn’t want to in the end.

Anyone else, he probably wouldn’t have asked for a cigarette but it was Lucy. She could hardly speak about addictions and doing stuff you shouldn’t do. He was not exactly expecting a lecture here. He blinked when she suggested she could kick someone’s ass. It was not the fact that she could do it that was surprising, he was not doubting that at all, but more the fact she suggested she could do it for him. That was unexpected. “No, it’s ok. I was just... Studying’s too boring, I couldn’t take it anymore.” He felt like he was trying to sound cooler than he was here. He was not sure. That was weird though if it was the case. This was so unlike him.

[Lucy James]

Immediately, the brunette started patting her pockets. First, she started with her jeans, then she moved over to her coat and finished with the jacket she had underneath, pulling out a half empty package of cigarettes. She handed it over to Quinn. "Apparently," she replied simply. She didn't remember carrying them, but then again, she'd spent most of the morning being high. Nor did she remember where she'd gotten them from, but she figured it hardly mattered. At the very least, they were only cigarettes with nothing else packed into them. Though, she had a feeling seeing Quinn high would be rather amusing. Not that she thought he'd ever agree to something like that, of course.

Nodding slowly, the brunette supposed she could understand where he was coming from. "Yeah, I know what you mean," she began, a ghost of a smile playing over her lips. "I'm not one much for studying either." Although she hardly had to say as much. She wasn't exactly known for being a straight A student. Heck, she barely passed most of her classes as it was. She couldn't possibly have cared less about school work.

Jerking her thumb over her shoulder, Lucy took a few steps backwards. "Wanna join me outside?" she asked as she turned her head to look at the exit. "A cigarette sounds pretty nice right about now." She wasn't much of a heavy smoker. At least not when it came to cigarettes, but she did enjoy some once in a while when getting high wasn't really an option anymore.

[Quinn Wiley]

Quinn would not have minded had Lucy refused to give him any cigarette. It would suck, of course, because the need for nicotine would still be there, but it was hers and he believed Lucy able to say she had one but wouldn’t give her any just because she could refuse. Yet she patted her pockets and not only did she find a pack but she offered him one. He mouthed a thank you as he took it. He knew he shouldn’t but it would not be the first time he did something he might be better not to.

He looked at the cigarette in his hand. “I’m trying to quit,” he admitted to her. He knew she would not congratulate him, it was not like her, but that would explain why studying was hard for him right now. “The products to help you quit cost as much as the cigarettes themselves though,” he added in a grumble. So far, he was not exactly seeing any advantage to quit smoking. Not only was he not saving money, or barely, but he found himself fidgeting at times and he was certain to be moodier than usual, although no one else might notice that one.

Quinn would go outside anyway to smoke it, either in the yard or the roof but he would not do it inside. He was slightly surprised she wanted to go out too and asked for him to join if he wanted. “Yes,” he simply replied as he joined her towards the exit. Now they had to talk? Luckily they wouldn’t, or he wouldn’t have to start the conversation, because he knew it would be awkward. He just sucked at being social.