Vices

Vices

Vice noun \ˈvīs\

: bad or immoral behavior or habits; a moral flaw or weakness

 Chapter One

Lee brought the cigarette to his lips, drawing the smoke into his lungs with a lazy pull. Leaning his head back against the brick building behind him, he ran his fingers through his hair and blew out a cloud of smoke with reckless abandon. He wasn’t supposed to smoke here but he did anyway. They had gotten rid of everything else he had. Having his friend sneak a pack of smokes into the institution was worth it. As long as he wasn’t caught, everything would be fine.

So when there was the sound of feet shuffling just around the corner, he immediately stubbed out the cigarette and shoved the pack and lighter down his pants. He had to get them back inside his mattress before group. Lee waved away the lingering smoke as best as he could and flicked the cigarette butt away.

A boy came around the corner,  no older than Lee's seventeen years. The boy eagerly sniffed the air,  eyes glinting knowingly in Lee's direction.  "Could that be smoke I smell?"

"Nope, unless someone outside the fence was smoking." That was a well known impossibility. No one was ever outside of the fence. The only thing beyond it was an acre of browning grass. The only people they saw beyond the fence were the people who used the land to ride dirt bikes and four-wheelers occasionally. Not many others were interested in trespassing on the land a mere twenty minute drive from the city.

"You know, I could tell on you," the boy said after a few moments of silence,  "or you could share."

Lee suppressed a sigh and dug the pack of Marlboros out if his pants. He pulled out one and put it to his lips,  taking a long drag. "You made me waste the last one, so I guess we'll just have to split."

The other boy took it from him with a polite and understanding nod. "My momma taught me not to be greedy."

"That was nice of her."

Lee took a moment to take in the other boy. He wasn't sure if he could call him boy anyhow. He was taller than Lee by a good two or three inches, with muscle filling his thin frame--not from working out though,  just natural muscle. His hair was light in the sun, managing to emphasize how blond this boy was. The way the tangled curls hung in his face only made him appear more youthful. The long, blond eye lashes and red cheeks didn't help either.

"So since you're stealing my smokes,  can I ask who you are?" Lee said,  trying not to admire the way he turned his head back against the wall,  standing in the same position Lee had been in only a few minutes before. Still, Lee's eyes followed the bombing of the boy's Adam's apple.

He nodded slowly, passing the cigarette back to Lee. "Call me Ray. My full name is Ragnar. My momma was a fan of old,  strange names."

"So Ray," Lee drawled, "are you new here?"

"Yup," he replied,  speaking the cigarette from between Lee's lips. "Just got here yesterday."

"What're you in for?"

"Drinking habit and self harm. You?" Ray opened one eye to peek at Lee.

"That is a story for another time,  I'm afraid." Lee style has cigarette back and gently put it out,  returning the half-smoked cigarette to the pack. He didn't want to be wasteful. He wouldn't get a new pack for another week and he was determined to make it last. "Welcome to HITT, Ray," Lee said as he walked away.

***

Harmon's Institute for Troubled Teens was regionally famous for straightening out teens with bad attitudes and dangerous habits. Parents would send their children there when they didn't want to deal with them. It catered to a wide variety of problems,  those including habits involving drugs, mental illnesses or unbalance, and just plain old bad attitudes.

Lee was no exception. As he walked through the halls of the building he'd called home for three months, he thought over his encounter outside. Most people didn't have the balls to approach him, let alone when he was smoking. The last time someone had asked to bum a smoke,  he'd punched them and end up attending several extra therapy sessions. So it was unusual that he’d even consider sharing, let alone actually do it.

Ragnar was no different than any other person at HITT--messed up. But that was wrong, Lee realized. Ragnar was open about his problems. He freely admitted what he was in for. Most would do everything they could to keep their secrets.

Lee also contemplated his empty threat to tell the staff that he was smoking outside. Ragnar hadn't yet known his name. He couldn't have tattled. By the time he would, all the evidence would be hidden again.

Upon reaching his room, he tucked the carton of cigarettes and lighter inside his mattress, in a small, barely-noticeable cut in fabric on the side. It was big enough so that he could hide his things in it,  but small enough that the staff wouldn't notice when they changed the sheets on his bed. He sat on the edge of it and carefully considered the bed acids from him.

It was empty, without an occupant for months. Lee's previous roommate, Oliver, had been released after three years at HITT. It had been a bittersweet day in which Lee had lost one of the few acquaintances he had at the institute. For two years,  they had roomed together and, without Oliver, the room no longer felt like his.

Lee vaguely wondered if Ragnar had a room yet. If not,  would he took with him? But he quickly realized that this was impossible. If Ragnar was in for self-harm and alcoholism, he would be in a different wing.

He shook the thought from his head and focused on a different one. Maybe he could push the beds together so his bed would be twice as big, but the staff wouldn't allow that. They would probably even remove the bed from his room to prevent him from doing it again.

Outside his door was the great, whiny buzzing of the bell signaling that it was time for group therapy.

Group was one of Lee's least favorite parts of the day. They forced him to sit with people he didn't know or want to know. They all seemed so horrible at times--shallow and rude. They had no concern for others. Why would they? They had been turned away by their own families. Lee chose not to hold a grudge against his family for sending him away. He had problems. They needed to be fixed and sending him to HITT was the best solution.

He sat down in one of the blue, plastic chairs that was placed in a circle. Only two other people had arrived. The groups were usually made up of ten to fifteen people. Most didn’t get over ten, but every now and then, there would be an extra person and a group without an open spot. Lee’s group was the smallest at HITT. It consisted of only six people. They had all been here since before Lee arrived. It was rare to see a new person join and rare to see one leave. The only one that had left was Oliver.

Lee zoned out as the other members gathered. They all looked so different. Who would’ve known they had so much in common.

“Today, group, we welcome a new member.” Lee jumped at the sound of the counsellor’s voice. “Calvin Klepts. Introduce yourself.”

Lee focused on the man who was standing. “Call me Ray,” he said politely. It was then that Lee knew Ray was so much more fucked up than he claimed to be.

Sorry for the short start O.o I hope to make it longer eventually... But yeah o.o 

That adorable man over there is Lee (aka Jake Bass :3) He's a beautiful nugget. 

Comment? Vote? Share your love of the adorable creature on the side? (UNF)