"Smoking Kills."

"Smoking Kills." 2 Anxiety and paranoia

Month five

"Smoking kills."

"So do people."

"I know," I said as I glanced at the man in the front seat beside me.

"Babe, are you going to keep staring at me or are you going to get out of the car," he asked snappily. "I've got the meet Jace in ten minutes and you know how he is when I'm late."

"Yeah, I know. I'll see you later," I said and gave him a quick peck on the lips and hopped out of the car. Just as I slammed the door, he sped off, almost running over my toes.

I sighed and walked to class.

Once all my classes were over, I sat in front of the building, watching all the couples and friends walk by me, not paying attention to anyone but the people they loved.

I waited for another forty five minutes before Zaire came rolling in his car. I got in and closed the door.

"So, baby, I've got to go to the bar to earn a little more cash, you want to come? Barb's gonna be there."

"Sure," I said, knowing he would get mad if I didn't go.

We drove to the bar, me glancing at the man beside me I knew I had fallen for.

When we got there, Zaire got out, and went inside while I stayed in the car for an extra five minutes.

Once I walked inside of the loud bar, Barbara was standing behind the bar counter, talking to a very butch man with an orange beard. She heard the door slam behind me and looked up.

Her face lit up as she walked out from behind and came close to me. She spoke with a heavy southern accent. "Aye, my favorite little girl! What're ya doin' here alone, Sweetie?"

"Zaire is here somewhere, he came in about five minutes ago," I said quietly. Barbara is a large woman who towers above me, who was only five foot five, while she was five foot eleven.

"Oh, well would you like your usual?" I nodded and she walked back around the bar just as a large man was reaching over the counter, grabbing a bottle of alcohol. I sat down on a stool, next to another butch man.

She smacked his hand and grabbed the bottle back. "George! Stop tryin' to steal my liquor!"

"Oh, but Barb... You know how I love these drinks."

Barbara blushed and looked at him, "That don't matter you old man! You gotta pay for that!"

The man was very intoxicated and started laughing at her, trying to grab her hand. She rolled her eyes, smiling and put the bottle back.

She went to get my drink and the large man grabbed the bottle again, smirking. I watched him with a hard look on my face as he walked to a table containing four other men, one of which was Zaire, all of them laughing and cheering as he lifted the bottle up.

Barbara came back and gave me my Shirley Temple. I handed her a twenty dollar bill and she furrowed her eyebrows. "Sweetie, you know your drink is only two dollars, why're you givin' me this? You always have two dollars ready."

I pointed at the table with the men who had the bottle. She gave me a soft look. "Thank ya Sweetie, but they're the ones who took the bottle, they gotta pay for it, not you."

I nodded and handed her two one dollar bills. She went to serve another person, and turned her back. I walked around the counter and opened the cash register, putting in the twenty dollar bill.

I turned around and walked back around the counter and sat back down. I glanced at the tough-looking man next to me who was looking at me with soft eyes, "You're a sweet girl, you know that?" He spoke with a gruff voice. "Pure, untouched soul, you know?"

I gave him a bright smile and looked down at my drink, knowing he was the one person who made my day today.

Around two hours later, Zaire was ready to go, but very drunk, so we had to walk back to his place that was five miles away.

I dropped him off and walked back to my house that was another four miles from his.

I felt eyes on me the entire time, but I knew it was just my anxiety and paranoia.