The Cancer Stick

1

It all started on a Saturday night at The Blue Moon, a bar in Carmel, California. 2

“I’ll just take a beer.” Derek tried to act cool, even if he was only 17. He was lucky enough that the bartender didn’t ask for ID. 3

“Here, kid,” the bartender said. “Enjoy.”4

“Thanks.” Derek walked to a table a plopped down. He’d had beer before, but he’d never been to the infamous Blue Moon. Everyone went there. The rich, the famous. And none of those low-life drunkies partied there, either.5

Some guy who looked about in his twenties sat beside him and offered him a cigarette. “Hey, kid,” he said. “Want a smoke?”6

“Um…” Derek hesitated. He knew smoking was wrong, but then again, so was drinking, so he took the offer. “Thanks, dude.”7

“Name’s Kyle.” The guy extended his hand. “You’re underage, aren’t ya?”8

“Um…” Once again, Derek hesitated. Kyle looked trustworthy, but he could be working for this place. Maybe he hunted out underaged drinkers. “Nah, I get that a lot, though.” So he lied. It was just one lie, though. What could happen?9

“So…do you come here often?” Kyle lit both of their cigarettes. 10

“Nah, not really. But I’ve been to The Lounge before.” Derek lifted the cigarette to his mouth. 11

“The Lounge! That’s a pretty high-class place for you, kid, eh?” Kyle sounded pretty surprised.12

“No, I can afford it.”13

“You wanna buy me a drink then? I mean, if you can afford The Lounge, you can surely afford a beer for me and my friends.” He pointed to a group of middle-aged guys lounging around a flat screen TV. He smirked.14

“Well, yeah, sure!” Derek couldn’t afford ten beers! He only brought five bucks with him, not including the money for his own beer. 15

“Great!” Kyle exclaimed, smirk still on his face. “Hey, guys. Over here! This kind rich guy is gonna buy us some beer!”16

The guys grumbled and got up from the TV. 17

Derek headed out the door silently while they all grumbled and mumbled about their football game. He still had the cigarette in his mouth, and he was about to put it out, but he decided he would act cool, and lounge out in the “Cig Alley,” where all the cool guys smoked when they had nothing else to do. He made his way through smelly garbage and cigarette buts from ages ago. 18

“Hey, you a new kid, ain’t ya’s?” some kid who looked about 17 asked.19

“Um, yeah.”20

“Ever smoked ’fore?” the guy asked. 21

“Nah…Just today.” Derek didn’t like this guy very much.22

“Eh. Me’s Gary.” Gary spit on the ground.23

“Um, yeah. Hi. I’m—Uh, me’s Derek.” 24

Gary spit again. “Hey, Derekkkk.” The “K” dragged out into another spitball. 25

Derek was ready to make his way outta there, but something glinted in Gary’s pocket. A knife? A gun? Derek was officially freaked out. “Um, hey, Gary?”26

“Ya?” 27

“What’s that. You know—In your pocket?”28

“That? Oh that. THAT’S non’ on yer bus’ness,” Gary replied.29

“Oh. Okay, um, Gary.” 30

“Yep.”31

“Okay. Um, well, I think I’ll leave, then.”32

“Why not ya stay?”33

“I can’t. I—I, uh, have something I need to do.”34

“Ah, okay. Maybe ya should go.” Gary waved and smashed a cigarette but with his foot. “Addin’ another to this here pile.” He grinned. He was missing teeth.35

“Bye then.”36

“See yers around.”