He opened the back door taking great care to make the minimum amount of noise; he didn’t want to wake his parents. The key scraped against the lock punctuating the silence but after a twist the door swung open into the black of the night. He crept out searching for the slightest hint of a sound from the house. Satisfied that no one had heard his exit he sat down on the garden chair and lit a cigarette. As he took his first toke he relaxed and sighed as the smoke hit his lungs and the nicotine began to sweep through his body, giving him the relief he’d been craving for hours.

Tonight had been a bad one. His father had stayed up to watch the football meaning that tonight’s venture had to be delayed. He found it pathetic being dependent on tobacco and he had told himself from an early age that he would never smoke. Yet, here he was, having to creep out of his bed in the middle of the night, otherwise unable to sleep. It was okay at school, he could sneak out a lunch and break, and there was always the journey to and from school with the other smokers.

“I’m lucky,” the boy thought to himself. “I’m not like those other kids my age, dependent on weed, having to have a J before they are able to sleep. Nah, I’m no stoner.”
“Jeez and some of these kids are delving into harder stuff. Only last week,” he contemplated, “Ben got some speed off his brother. That’s fucking dangerous that shit.”

“Then there’s the pissheads, those crazy kids from the estate who get wasted every night on the £6 bottles of vodka or the cheap cider. At least cigarettes don’t get you off your face,” he thought.

“Yeah I’m not doing too badly for someone my age. I don’t take drugs except for the occasional joint. But that’s only when it’s about, I’d never buy any.”

“I only drink when I can get away with it. Bloody Dad doesn’t really approve of it. Yeah I’m all right , eight fags a day is all right, nothing serious. Okay for an 11 year old.”

He smiled to himself as he took his last pull, stubbed out the cigarette, threw the but into next doors house and went back inside, feeling tired.