Author's Note:

HUGS!

Life at school is settling into somewhat of a routine. The ‘reds’ are being quiet—I wouldn’t go as far as to say they are tolerant, but I think they know enough to lay low. That doesn’t mean that I trust the ‘truce’.

I am really melding with the cheer team and we are becoming a cohesive unit that could actually be a threat in the upcoming state championship if we decide to go that far. No team has actually attempted to go to State in over fifteen years at this school—I am pushing for us to. I think we can do it! And we are practicing like crazy.

I am walking out to the newly ‘de-gophered’ field for practice and run into Grace Harper out by the bleachers. She is just lighting up a cigarette. She looks at me and smiles. She says, “Paige, right? You want one?”

I shake my head and say, “No thanks. I…am trying to quit. I think I may have escaped the addiction.”

Grace gets a sad look on her face and says, “Yeah… Good luck. I mean it! I’ve tried several times. I even made it a whole day once. Ever since my good-for-nothing old boyfriend got me hooked last year…”

I look at her and ask, “You really want to quit?”

She nods and says, “More than anything. There are others around here that would love to, too. Do you really think you’ll make it?”

I nod and say, “Yes, but I had a LOT of help.”

She sighs and takes a deep inhale of smoke, then says as she exhales, “I wish I had that kind of help. You better run, though, or you’ll be late for practice.”

I say, “Dang! You’re right. See you later!”

I hurry off and make it just in time for warm-ups. The whole time we are practicing, I think of Grace, though. Finally, after a grueling practice, I go out to meet Mummy who is waiting for me in her car—in the passenger’s seat.

I grin and get behind the wheel. “Hi, Mummy! Thanks for letting me drive,” I greet her.

She smiles and says, “Let’s get home. I think I need a drink—it’s been a LONG day!”

I mock salute her and say, “Whatever Milady wishes!” I smoothly take off—I am getting a lot better at driving. When we get out onto the main road, it is fairly light traffic.

I keep both hands on the wheel and both eyes on the road, but I ask Mummy a question, “There is something that is bothering me and I need to ask you about it, OK?”

She looks over at me and asks in a concerned voice, “Are you having trouble at school again?”

I shake my head and say, “Do you remember Ronnie talking about the senior that she saw smoking with me on the surveillance footage, Grace Harper?”

Angi nods and says, “Yes. What about her?”

I say, “I ran into her before practice and she was just lighting a cigarette. She offered me one—I declined, don’t worry! But the thing is that SHE doesn’t want to smoke, either. Her old boyfriend got her hooked. She said there are others at school that want to quit, too. Isn’t there some way to help them like you helped me?”

Mummy is quiet for a minute and then thoughtfully says, “Well, yes. I suppose. The school would have to be onboard—and the parents, too, if they are minors. I could donate the medication and the time… Let me talk to Ronnie. I think it’s a WONDERFUL idea, Paige!”

The next day, school is going along, well, like school, when I am called to Ronnie’s office after lunch. To my surprise Mummy is in the office with her—along with the school nurse.

Ronnie asks me to sit down and says, “Angi tells me that this is your idea…this smoking antidote campaign?”

I look at Mummy, then back at Ronnie and shrug. I tell her what happened yesterday and finish with, “I know how it feels to be caught in that hopeless lure of nicotine. For the barest of moments yesterday, I actually started to tell Grace, ‘Yes’. If there is a way to help those that WANT to be helped, then why not?”

Ronnie and the school nurse both nod. Ronnie says, “That is wonderful, Paige! Will you be the spokesperson? You’ve been through it.”

I look at them stunned and say, “Ummm…I don’t think I would be the best person under my certain circumstances… I mean…you know… But, I DO have an idea…”

Fifteen minutes later, I am in an empty classroom with Grace Harper. We are alone and she is shouting at me, “You TOLD them? WHY?”

I look at her calmly and say, “Grace! Listen to me—they already KNEW. Miss Ferguson has LOTS of surveillance footage with you smoking on it—along with me that one time. She just didn’t really know how to approach it, since you are under foster care… She doesn’t want to get you in trouble with the system—I promise. But, Angi can help you the same as she helped me…”

Grace looks at me with a mixture of hope and anger. She says, “You should have talked to me before you talked to them.”

I say, “You’re right—that WOULD have been better. But, think about it. I had to get everyone to agree, first. They wanted ME to be the face of this… You know why I can’t be. But YOU could!”

She pales and says, “Y…y…you want ME to…”

I say, “Yes, to tell how you were lured into the addiction and wanted out…and that it worked…and that there are NO strings attached…”

She looks at me, still not convinced, and asks, “How do I know it WILL work?”

I say, “There is only one way to find out!”

As we walk into the nurse’s office a few minutes later, Grace says, “I’m still not sure how I let you talk me into this!”

Mummy looks up and says with bright smile, “Hi, you must be Grace. Paige can be very convincing. You may call me Angi and I understand that this is something that you WANT, right Grace?”

Grace looks a little haunted and says, “Oh, yes Ma’am! I have really rued the day I hooked up with that loser and he talked me into it… But, I’m not sure about…” Her sentence trails off.

Mummy smiles and says, “It will be OK, Grace. I promise. I just need to get approval from child services. Then, when it’s all over and you’re no longer are addicted, all you have to do is let students know that it DOES work. The form that they would have to get signed by their parents would be for a voluntary new treatment trial that is 100% safe… The parents won’t even really have to know it is for smoking if they don’t want them to…”

Grace nods and the nurse comes in with a paper that she hands Mummy. Mummy smiles and says, “Congratulations, Grace! You’ve been approved. Come over here and let me give you a shot. Paige will vouch that it will hurt—for a couple of days—but that it will certainly help. The difference between you and Paige is that YOU have been addicted for a lot longer and will certainly have some psychological addiction to combat, as well. This can’t help with that…”

She takes Grace behind a curtain and I hear her say, “The fact that you WANT to quit will help you over that hurdle—but you will HAVE to not give in to any psychological desires. Trust me, the physical addiction will be over. BUT, if you cave—it will be MUCH harder to treat.”

I hear a gasp and a low moan—maybe even a bit of crying.

Mummy comes out and looks at me. I nod and go behind the curtain. Grace is leaning over an exam table, rubbing her butt, and quietly crying.

I go over and give her a gentle hug from behind and say, “I know it hurts, Grace. You probably just want a cigarette to help you through it, right?”

She nods.

I say, “Fight it! The shot is not immediate, but by tomorrow, you won’t have the physical need anymore. You said you made it a whole day once—so you KNOW you can do it!”

She nods and turns around and hugs me as she says, “Thank you so much, Paige! No one has ever done ANYTHING like this for me!”

I hug her for a while longer and whisper in her ear, “I have to go start hanging posters… Take it easy for a bit. Tomorrow will be the first day of the rest of your life that is nicotine-free. That’s a GOOD thing, right?”

She nods and her tears fall on my shoulder, leaving it wet. I smile at her and leave the nurse’s office to recruit some help in hanging posters that Mummy had somehow magically gotten done before she came. Little did I know that this is just the FIRST direct involvement of EITHER of my Moms here at school…

I come into school the next morning and am nearly bowled over by Grace. She is like TOTALLY excited and nearly screams in my ear, “IT WORKED! OMG! IT WORKED! I can’t remember the last time that I haven’t had a craving… Sure, I know if I get stressed, I will WANT one—but I CAN handle that! I won’t NEED it! I’ve already been talking to people. I know of at least ten others that want the shot!”

I smile and hug her back. I say, “That’s GREAT, Grace! See? I KNEW you were the right one to head this!”

She giggles and says, “I’m still mad that you ratted me out, though!” She winks to let me know that she is not serious and scurries off—a woman on a mission to stamp out nicotine addiction in our school…

Penny witnesses the whole scene and comes over to me and says, “You did a REALLY good thing there, Paige. You and your Mummy are doing a lot to cross the red-green line with this—that addiction doesn’t discriminate.”

I nod and say, “Well, that wasn’t my intent, but I won’t look a gift horse in the mouth. I just hope that there aren’t idiots out there that won’t take advantage of the opportunity BECAUSE it’s run by someone in the green camp…”

And I stop mid-sentence stunning myself. I say, “Of course…green…camp… That COULD work… But…no… Maybe…?”

Penny looks at me like I’ve grown horns, or something, and says, “Earth to Paige! Come IN, Paige!”

I look at her, deep in though and grunt, “Huh? Oh…I just had a thought. I don’t know if it COULD work—well, I mean in a PUBLIC school… Tell Brenda to let Mrs. Gunderson (my first period English teacher) know that I have to go see Miss Ferguson…”

And I run off before Penny can get another word out.

I go straight to Ronnie’s office and approach Miss Jones, “Good morning Ms. Jones, may I see Ms. Ferguson for a few minutes. I know I should be in class, but this is important.”

She looks at me and smiles, “Hi, Paige. Look, I’m a temp around here, so just call me Ginger, OK? It makes me feel all creepy to be called ‘Miss Jones’ by kids that I am barely older than. Anyway, I think Miss Ferguson is free. Hang on; let me check.”

A few minutes later, I am in Ronnie’s office. She looks at me concerned and asks, “Paige? Is everything OK? What’s going on?”

I smile and say, “Yes, sorry, Miss Ferguson. Everything is fine…I just had another idea and I need to discuss it with you before I lose it—or talk to anyone else…”

She sits down and says, “OK. Good. You had me worried, young lady! Let me get us a cup of coffee then you have fifteen minutes. You SHOULD be in class!”

Ninety minutes and four cups of coffee later, Ronnie escorts me out and says to Ginger, “Ginger, please give Miss Fitzsimmons a pass. Also, I need the last two hours of the day blocked off. Please call both of Paige’s Moms and see if they can meet us here at one thirty?”

Ginger looks at me—wonderment clear in her eyes, but she says, “Yes, Miss Ferguson. I assume, then, that Paige is supposed to also be in that meeting?”
Ronnie nods and says, “Very perceptive, Ginger. Very perceptive! By the way, Mrs. Dickenson is not coming back…we need to talk. Give me a few minutes and then come into my office. Paige, I will see you at one thirty. Please do not speak about ANY of this to ANYONE until then, OK?”

I nod and hurry off to class…

I get all kinds of strange looks and lots of questions when I show up for class. Of course, I can’t say anything and that makes everyone just push harder for answers. When I leave a little before one thirty, the rumor mill REALLY starts churning, then. I just wave to the grumbling and walk quickly to Ronnie’s office.

Ginger waves me straight in with a BIG smile on her face. As I pass by, she whispers, “I’m no longer a temp!”

I smile back at her and whisper, “WOW! Congrats, Ginger! Err…maybe that doesn’t apply anymore?”

She giggles and says, “To YOU, it does! Go knock ‘em dead!”

I walk into Ronnie’s office and both Moms are there with hugely curious looks on their faces.

Ronnie smiles brightly and says, “Ladies, I believe you know Paige?” She giggles and Momma comes over and hugs me before asking, “Paige? Is everything all right?”

Before I can answer, Ronnie speaks up and says, “Like I said earlier, everything is fine. More than fine actually—IF we can find a way to make Paige’s plan work…”