Cigar Circle

My friends Sara and Joanie had been planning for months to smoke cigars. I tagged along laughing at them when I could saying they were crazy to want to smoke. Although the only thing I knew was that it was bad for you to do. I was sure that even at 19 years old I would still get in trouble if I smoked and my parents found out. Sara had 3 big fat brown rolls of cigars in Joanie's kitchen. "How do you smoke this?" I asked both ends were covered as I smelled it. Sara had a steak knife as she tried slicing the end of but once it was lit  the smoke smelled even better. I was scrambling around for an ash tray as the girls were squealing over the sink to keep the ash from burning the kitchen counter. Finally when all 3 cigars were lit and we sat on the living room floor in a circle over the plate I got as an ash tray. We talked and smoked. But I had noticed during the whole event that Sara and Joanie were acting funny with each other. It felt like everything of a contest with them as they talked all about having their first ciggy, showing off with each other. I on the other hand was driving them crazy with my worrying "What if we get caught? What if its really bad for you to do?" YET I still gave it a try and loved feeling like I was learning something new!

Sara blew smoke in my face then laughed saying "I want to create a ring of smoke, how do they do that?" She blew again with her tongue out. Joanie giggled tapping her cigar on the plate as she blew a long trail of smoke then began coughing. I realize about a fourth of the way down I wasn't going to finish this huge thing. Joanie squealed "Watch out! ash almost hit the carpet!" Sara had begun moving around  on the floor laughing and quoting movie lines with guys smoking cigars. I sat carefully still so afraid of burning myself as I watch the end glow between my fingers. "So THIS is smoking! What's the big deal?" I asked with a smirk. Suddenly I felt gross all over like I needed fresh air as soon as possible. Joanie and Sara were planning our next time when we 3 would get together again to smoke. Sara sighed romantically "We should make a pack right now to smoke a cigar once a year, every year no matter where we are...that promise to always come back together to smoke starting with right now as our first tradition." Joanie agreed then began planning places to vacation and smoke, but I was holding my stomach. "OooooH I feel so sick!" I moaned as I set my cigar down. I shifted how I was sitting to help the pain in my side and the burning heat down my throat. The girls froze in mid conversation to look at me in surprise. "I can't finish it I am sorry you guys but I do NOT feel good at ALL!" I explained as they stared at me in the hazy smokey air. Sara's chin went up at me "Well I feel just fine, I like this! I could do this all the time!" Joanie joined in with her "Me too, Debby is just so sensitive. I feel actually BETTER then before!" Sara laughed "Me too! I am NOT done until this baby is gone!" I sat there watching those 2 banter back and forth again. They were both trying to be the COOL ONE. I sighed deeply then felt still sick, I was getting up to my feet to go outside for fresh air when Joanie's dad Norman came in front door "What in the world girls!" He called out as all the smoke flooded over him and I rushed outside realizing just how smokey the whole place was. Joanie and her dad ran through out the whole house opening every window and door. It had been forgotten by us smokers to open a window or the sliding glass door while we had been smoking. I stayed outside taking a long walk on the sidewalk to clear my head. The girls cleaned everything up still talking a bout how cool they were now for trying a cigar. I walked back inside declaring "I am NEVER having a cigar EVER again!" Norman laughed and said "My house may never smell like anything but a cigar ever again too!" It was a week later when both Joanie and Sara admitted to feeling sick for smoking cigars too. I was so surprised as I asked them "Why didn't you guys say something?!" They looked at each other sheepishly "Because you know we wanted to be "Cool" not some loser saying it tasted gross or made us sick." I stared at them confused as I replied "Some loser ....like ME!?!" They both smiled nodding together saying "Exactly." I shook my head at them chuckling, if being a "loser" meant I liked my lungs and fresh air then I guess I didn't mind.