The Happy Birthday Song ✓

Chapter Eight

Wednesday, May 19th 2010

Kangaroo Point, Brisbane

5:56 PM

As she slipped out of the kitchen and onto the patio in the back garden, Junie Bennett noted the chill in the afternoon. The sky had been coated with thick clouds that refused to let the sun through and cast a shade of dull grey on the city.

A gust of air rushed past her, causing her fiery hair to lift and dance in the frosty wind. She placed a cigarette between her rosy lips and digging a hand into in her inner jacket pocket, she pulled out the small lighter. She pursed her lips as she rolled the wheel of the lighter down with her thumb, a click sounded and an orange flame came to life. Covering her hand over the flame and protecting it from the blowing wind, Junie placed the tip of the cigarette into the fire and watched as it burnt.

After a few seconds, she let the flame die and stuffed the lighter back in her pocket. She held onto the cigarette with two fingers and sucked in the smoke, drawing it into her lungs and the intoxicating warmth coursed through her. She could feel the nervousness and stress that had plagued her all day, melt and dissipate as the smoke swirled in her lungs.

She pulled the cigarette from her mouth and slowly blew, watching as a cloud of smoke escaped from her lips. There was nothing like a cigarette to calm her after a stressful day. Junie sighed in relief. She brought the cigarette back to her lips and sucked in the smoke, she leaned back against the wall. She lazily took drags of her cigarette as she looked up at the sky, thoughts and concerns drifting through her mind.

At sixteen – well, seventeen today – Junie knew she should not be smoking. She knew all the hazards, she had seen all the posters and understood the consequences but she didn't care. Lately, Junie had been finding it hard to care about anything.

She had only been smoking for a little over six months now. Junie Bennett would say she had all the reasons in the world to smoke.

What, with her best and only friend – who she may or may not have been in love with – dating the school's It Girl. With her mother rarely home and always out to God knows where. With her little brother making a full recovery from a case of meningitis that had scared her to death. And with two jobs and having to balance schoolwork she was already behind on, Junie Bennett would say she had every damn right under the sun to smoke as much as she pleased.

Behind her she heard the door open and footsteps approaching before she saw her aunt come to stand beside her.

Fiona Bennett shook her head, frowning in disapproval at the sight of her niece smoking. "That's really bad for you."

Junie sucked in the smoke, inhaling deeply and exhaled, "I know."

"Zee looks better," she said, "Thank God the meningitis has finally cleared up."

Junie simply nodded, choosing not to think about how ill her little brother had been in the past few weeks. As always, Dylan been there to support her, hold her and keep her from crumbling down. Dylan. She sucked on the cigarette. 

She didn't how she would have coped or what would have happened if he hadn't been there. After Isaiah had been discharged from the hospital Junie had decided the best place for him to be for a while would be at their aunts. Fiona would take care of him when she was at school or work. 

"Your friend called," Fiona told her, "Dylan, he wants to see you."

"Thanks."

Later, after she had finished her cigarette and ate the lemon meringue her aunt had made, Junie rushed up to the bathroom. Dylan thought she had quit smoking a month ago and not wanting him to think otherwise, she brushed her teeth and sprayed away the smell of smoke with some of Fiona's flowery scented fragrances. Before she left, Junie crept into her aunt's bedroom where Isaiah slept soundly in his cot. She ran a hand through his tousled blonde hair and leaning down, she placed a soft kiss onto his forehead.