EPISODE 1 – INDULGENCESThis story unfurls the lifetimes and outcomes of adolescents who yield to the perilous allure of peer pressure, succumbing to various addictions.
This story unfurls the lifetimes and outcomes of adolescents who yield to the perilous allure of peer pressure, succumbing to various addictions.
⚠️ This story includes descriptions of aberrant youthful behaviors. Proceed with discretion.
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The Cumulonimbus
Devland has recently emerged from the shadow of childhood asthma that has kept him from participating in sports and other school activities. Now, with much catching up to do, he yearns to be more popular with the opposite sex. School dances are typically his battleground, where he remains a wallflower, bereft of dance partners. Inside the dimly lit auditorium, with its kaleidoscope of colorful lights and thunderous music, he observes a group of his older brother Raymond’s friends occupying a banquet table.
There, in the haze of flickering lights, they indulge in vaping and smoking cigarettes, effortlessly blowing intricate smoke rings into the air. To Devland’s amazement, this act appears to impress some of the girls, who willingly join them on the dance floor, swaying to the music. Unlike Devland, his brother’s posse effortlessly secures partners for every song.
Lowering his expectations, Devland smiles and exchanges eyebrow-raised glances with the more modestly attractive female wallflowers in the distance. He bobs his head to the rhythm of the music, his heart in sync with the bass line of unfamiliar tunes. As he scans the room, his attention is suddenly captured by a shapely figure approaching him.
He clears his throat, preparing to ask her for a dance or, perhaps, daring to hope that she might be the one initiating. Devland glances to either side, checking if she’s heading towards someone else. But the music, pounding relentlessly, drowns out her words. Instead, he tries to decipher the sensuous movements of her luscious lips. Assuming she wishes to dance, he replies with a hopeful “Yes.” However, he soon realizes that she’s mouthing a different question, “Where is it?”
Devland leans in, his ear poised to capture her words amid the sonic chaos. Her lips move again, and this time he hears, “Do you have a vaping cartridge?”
Confusion grips him. Of all the people at the party, why is she asking him? An idea flits through his mind—maybe she’s genuinely interested in him and this is her way of breaking the ice.
To seize the opportunity, he replies, “Sure, after you dance with me.”
With little rhythm but boundless enthusiasm, he embarks on a series of awkward gyrations that convey “the evolution of dance.” Lost somewhere between pop locking and Gangnam Style, the sudden transition to a slower song preempts popular dance moves of the current decade.
“I could use that smoke now,” she says, her voice carrying a note of urgency.
Obviously, Devland doesn’t have what she’s looking for. However, he seizes the moment, inviting her to join the “cool table” with his brother’s friends. There, an assortment of flavors for vaping circulates freely. In this high-pressure setting, Devland accepts a vape without inhaling, merely holding the smoke in his mouth before exhaling. It’s a moment of revelation for him, a realization that the path to attracting desirable girls seems to require embracing this habit.
Devland manages to secure a few more dances with Jackie and even obtains her phone number before the party comes to an end. Before asking her out, he undergoes a crash course in vaping, courtesy of his brother’s friends. They urge him to inhale deeply and hold the smoke in his lungs. After much practice, he manages to do so without fits of coughing.
Overcast with a Chance of Addiction
Clouds darken Devland’s sunny outlook and his plans to follow through with Jackie. He becomes drenched in a storm of negative emotions when he discovers her soaking up the affections of another guy who supplies her with vapes. His dark somber mood makes him virtually unrecognizable behind the ever-thickening clouds of smoke that envelop him.
Devland learns that even girls with limited finances, ensnared by addiction, can become friendly acquaintances, even if their appearance is not their strong suit. Copious access to the collective allowances of his brother’s friends ensures a steady supply of flavored tobacco products. He is no longer trying to look cool; he is satisfying his burgeoning addiction. Like a tornado building momentum, his circle of after-school companions begins introducing cigarettes and weed into the mix.
When Raymond graduates, Devland inherits his brother’s position at the head of the dance table. With his newfound entourage, a growing roster of sordid female acquaintances, and a seemingly endless supply of substances to storm his lungs, Devland believes he is living the high life.
His dubious circle of associates eventually sprinkles alcohol into the forecast, sipped surreptitiously in dimly lit back alleys, leading to yet another vice. By the time Devland graduates, the smoky tendrils of addiction firmly coil around him, accompanied by the familiar sting of whiskey.
Continued…
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