Cancer Sticks

1

His baby face was the main issue, but his lack of height didn't help. "I told you, that's my I.D.! See, it's me on the fuckin' card!"

"Look, kid, it's a nice fake, but there's no way. I'm not buying this," the gas station clerk said.

Jasper glared up at the man. "Are you kidding? Do you need glasses or something? I'm twenty three! I'm old enough to smoke!"

"Just let me buy them, Jasper." Her curls bobbed as she turned to look at him. She shifted all of her weight to lean on the counter while her long slender fingers reached into her purse to retrieve money and her I.D. Not that she needed it.

"Stay out of this, Dahlia. Everybody else knows me at this shithole! Just because this new guy nobody can't tell age for shit doesn't mean anything. I shouldn't be refused service if I've got my I.D.!" Jasper stamped his foot on the tile and shot another glare at the clerk.

The clerk leaned back and glanced at the security cameras before looking back at Jasper. "Look, kid, I can't sell you anything. And you, lady, should know that it's illegal to give cigarettes to a minor."

"I'm not a fucking kid! Can't you bring someone else up? They know me!" Nobody else was in the main store, but Felix knew someone was usually out back unloading a truck or marking things for stock. There had to be somebody here who could defend him from this jackass.

The clerk shook his head, "Kid, either buy something you're old enough to, or leave. I'm not selling you smokes."

Jasper slammed his fist on the counter, "I'm not a kid! I went to high school with

someone who works here, Henry Jarre! He's twenty seven!"

The clerk just shook his head.

Jasper stormed out of the store and headed for Dahlia's jeep. It was a navy colored car, with a convertible hood. Jasper sat in the passenger's seat and pouted. He always came to this gas station specifically because everyone knew he was old enough. No other store trusted him, and now the new employees here were throwing everything off. It wasn't like he didn't have an I.D. At least not until that moment.

After a while, Dahlia appeared and opened the door to the driver's seat. She tossed two packs of cigarettes into Jasper's lap.

"I couldn't get your I.D. back. I'm sorry."

"Doesn't fuckin' matter." He took out a lighter and broke the seal on the first pack. "Everybody else in this fucking nowhere town knows me. That idiot just can't tell shit."

"Of course," Dahlia agreed and turned the jeep on.

Jasper rolled down his window and leaned back. "I mean, christ. Do I have to be eighty before anyone will believe me? I can't look that fucking young that nobody believes me, can I?"

"I think you at least look old enough. People believed you more when you grew that beard."

"The beard was a stupid look, I'm not going back to it." Jasper took a drag and flicked some ash out the window.

Dahlia turned the jeep on and they headed down the road. "If that's what you want. We might be able to stop by after my session and get your I.D. back."

"That pissant probably cut it up or threw it out. Just need a new one."

Jasper made it through two cigarettes before his demeanor changed.

"Do you think Stan'll be there today?" he asked. Stan was the brother of one of the girls Dahlia tutored. He was hardly ever there. Jasper had a sort of infatuation with him.

"I'm not sure, " Dahlia turned the radio on. "Maybe. It is a weekend, so maybe he's in between his little adventures."

"You think he smokes? You think he'll take a smoke if I offer him one?" Jasper looked down at his packs. He only had two of them, thanks to Dahlia, but even giving one to Stan, he could force the packs to stretch to this evening. Hopefully someone other than that asshat would be working the night shift. Even if his I.D. would be long gone by them, they wouldn't need it as long as they knew him.

"I don't know. I've never seen him smoke, but he seems like he might be the type. It would never hurt to ask," Dahlia said. Jasper slipped his last cigarette out the window and let it drop before they pulled into the driveway.

Stan's car was in the garage when they opened it up, but that meant nothing. Most of the time he traveled with friends, and rode in their cars. The few times it was out, he came back halfway through the sessions with food or friends, or both, and hung out in the living room.

Dahlia knocked on the door that led into the main house. There was movement inside, before Liri opened up the door with a grin.

Liri was a young girl, still in high school, short with brunette hair and greenish eyes. She looked old enough to be in college, but she was still a senior. She was Stan's sister, and the person Dahlia was in charge of tutoring.

"Miss Liri," Dahlia smiled, "How are you?"

"I'm great," Liri grinned, "Come in! I was just setting up the table with my stuff!"

Dahlia and Jasper stepped through the threshold and into Liri's kitchen. The table was half cleared, with a few study booklets in a neat stack at one end seat.

"Stan home?" Jasper muttered. He hated it there if Stan wasn't around. This Liri bitch was too cheerful all the time, and it was unbearable. She had all these goofy sayings and sentiments that she constantly spouted off to cheer Jasper up, as she thought he needed it. It was sickening.

"Sorry, not today. He's out with some friends," Liri said, still smiling, "You can watch television if you want while we're studying, though."

"Yeah, sure," Jasper sighed and headed for the living room. The one thing Liri was good for was getting that Dahlia and Jasper were a package deal, and they both needed to be kept occupied even if tutoring was only Dahlia's job. He flopped onto the couch and picked up the remote, flipping to the news. The newscasters droned on about the weather for the week ahead.

He started falling asleep where he was, halfway listening to the reporter droll on, when he heard the door open and slam in the kitchen.

"Hey kid, where's my jacket?" he heard Stan say. He sat bolt upright and peeked out. Shit, why was he so scared to see him? He'd been waiting for this opportunity. Before he could sneak his way back out to the kitchen, Stan was off upstairs to look for his jacket. Jasper sat back on the couch and groaned. He tried to push down his hair, which he knew must be disheveled from laying on the couch. What was he going to say? He didn't know Stan well enough to start a casual conversation. Maybe he could go outside and smoke, then offer one to Stan when he came back out.

Before he could move, Stan barreled back down the stairs and out the door.