Veronica & Cigarettes

It was the summer after her freshman year of college that Verny become curious about the habit of smoking cigarettes. She had several friends at the time who partook in the activity--it was mostly a communal endeavor between close friends, and Verny caring so much about those who she's close to, wanted to know what it was like.

I don't know if this was the first time Verny put a cigarette to her mouth, but that summer at my friend Nickie's house was the first time she did it in my presence. At the time, I might have been under the heavy influence of the Truth campaign against cigarettes, not to mention a drink or two, but as I walked around Nickie's house, alas, I could not find Verny. I tried the backyard, and viola, there she was amongst the smokers. She smiled at me, and I tried telling her to come back inside but she just shook her head. I turned to go, and turned back to see her quickly put an arm back behind her. Verny was holding a cigarette! "Is that what I think it is?" I asked her in an almost punishing tone. Verny relaxed her arm and sure enough, a burning cigarette lay between her middle and index fingers. "Verny," I said, slowly bringing my eyes to hers with a face nearly as red as a firetruck, "if you take a puff of that. I'm going to smack your face right off."

We stood there for a while, daring each other with our eyes amid several friends who had gathered around. I'd have never intended serious harm on Verny, but I figured (at least at that time in the night) a good smack would render a lot less damage than the flem, tar, smell, and pocket pinching that such a nasty habit would tug along. Verny smirked, slowing brought the cigarette to her lips, and puffed.

Naturally, being a person of my word, I sent her horizontal with a smack that knocked the cigarette out of her mouth. And then the Verny siren went off. For the first time in my life a was terrified of my best friend, and she was chasing me like a madwoman around the backyard as I half laughed and half screamed at our predicament. One couldn't deny the sheer comedy of the situation, yet if Verny had got her hands on me I'd have surely been toast.

I don't know how I managed to not get beat up, but Verny got tired of chasing me, assuming she'd get me back later I suppose, and as the night progressed the incident was forgotten. Well, for the most part, considering that I still remember it pretty clearly!

After that evening, I'd see Verny having an occasional cigarette. She liked menthol, then switched to green apple. She liked the taste, and said they gave her the feeling of being light, as any ballerina is I guess. Verny knew I didn't particularly enjoy being around smoke, even if I wasn't so against it as I used to be, so for the most part she didn't smoke around me when at all feasible. On our last beach trip, in 2008, I got her and Jesse a souvenir: a pirate ashtray. Verny loved it, and told me she loved it for more than just what it was, but for the fact that I got it for her, even though I didn't condone to or like cigarettes. She said it showed that I had an open mind, loved her for who she was, and wanted her to be happy. That is the truth if I ever heard it!

The last cigarette smoking incident I encountered with the Vern was last year, on the 4th of July. My friend Cary came over to Veronica's parents, and brought his friend Adam, who is a smoker. Vern has (for the most part) tried to keep her smoking on the down low from her parents. But if you know Vern, you know what a thrill-junky she is in the department of risk, thus she decided to have a cigarette with Adam in the driveway. Low and behold, who but Verny's father comes out of the house, in clear view of the driveway! "Urrghh, it's my dad!" Verny cringes. She tries to inadvertently hide the cigarette by changing her angle, but as her father approaches he gets a curious, amused look on his face. So Vern, not knowing what to do, runs and hides on the other side of the SUV, as if that will mitigate the issue! Her dad laughs openly as they play cat and mouse around the SUV, even looking beneath to watch footsteps, and finally Vern gives up the post, and they finish their cigarettes together.