Addiction by Ken Smith

Addiction

Dora CHEN 1092300004

Words Checked: 1972 Words in Oxford 3000: 94%

Synopsis

Laura was a seventeen-year-old girl who has trouble in socialising. She met Julien who was really fond of philosophy and poem in a winter camp. Both of them could feel something different between them. However, they had an unpleasant end. Laura addicted to smoking after the camp, because that is the only way she could feel him.

Contents

About The Author

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

About the Author Hello, dear readers! I have to confess that this is my first time to write a novel in English. Unlike using our native language, it is hard to say everything I want to say. All plots in the story did happened. Some happened on my friends and some on me. I wish you would have an enjoyable reading. Dora CHEN

Chapter 1 “I am home.” It was really not my day. I didn’t care about what people said or what they did to me. But they destroyed my work! I had spent almost three months on painting the portrait. “Honey, what’s going on? You look… quite strange today.” Asked my mom. “Nothing has happened. I just felt tired. May I go for a rest now?” “Okay. I just want you to know that nothing can’t be solved only if you keep it

as a secret.” “That’s not my problem. They should respect others even those who are not familiar to them. You know, I am not shy. It’s just I am not interested in them.” “Honey, you always have trouble in socialising. Actually, daddy and I decided to send you to a winter camp.” “No, please.” “This is a chance for you. Now, Sweetie, take a nap and I’ll wake you up for dinner.”

Chapter 2 Drizzling, people were queuing and waiting to check in. The camp assistants helped to gather people into the hall which was a little bit small for so lot of people. The weather depressed everyone, except Little Kirsten. She began to talk about her bratty Labrador. It tried to bite me on Christmas party last year which for the first time, Mrs. Green has invited me. My yell and jump frightened the dog. A sculpture which was given as an honour of

being a teacher for twenty five years toppled down. Mrs. Green cleared away the crumbling without saying a word. Since then, she disallowed Kirsten to go out with me. Soon, I got bored with the talk. Looking all around, it seemed there was nothing to entertain me. The hall was full of gabby people. I needed some fresh air. Contrast to the crowded hall, few people stood outside. Some of them were talking on the mobile.

“Have you got a fire?” asked a boy with striped handkerchief. “No. I don’t smoke.” “Oh! That’s so bad.” I gave him an unfriendly glance. “A man should never ask a lady for a fire or cigarettes.” “Sorry. Never mind.” said he, and then went toward another girl. I supposed the rain would stop within five minutes, so I got my papers ready. When I finished the check-in, there

were some of my team members welcomed me in the hall. Unexpectedly, the rude boy was one of them! Later, I got his name. “Um… Hello, I am Julien, twenty-one and I am a vegetarian.” No wonder he’s a bit skinny as he’s such a smoker and a vegetarian. “And you, girl? ” Asked other team members. “ Laura, seventeen.” “Laura and Julien, welcome. We are

glad to have you as our companions and wish you would enjoy the camp.â&#x20AC;?

Chapter 3 Everyday, we sat in the hall, listened to the lectures about time managing, application of creativity, emotion managing and some other subjects that cannot interest people. The members in the same group sat around a table. “Have you ever joined this camp before?” A girl behind me asked. “NO, never.” “I don’t like the group assistants. They all have severe looks.” That was

Kaya. I remembered that she had two dogs, a bowl of fish, a daddy longlegs, beetles and a lizard. “A weird animal nut!” I thought. Although I didn’t think we could be close, I still spend some time discussing about politics and hobbies. The more we talked, and the more I found that we were not suitable to be friends. Once I was reading a Marukami Haruki’s novel during the break time, Kaya tried to interrupt. She wanted to tell me her romance.

“Why do you waste time reading this kind of nonsensical novel? It’s just a book about an amorist! You are such a freak.” “You ARE the weirdo!” When I left the hall, Julien gave me a glance. At the second night, when it was the time for team members to share our opinions towards the speeches we had during the daytime and talk about ourselves. As I said that I had a full passion in history, Julien turned to me. I could feel

something under his eyes. It was hard to tell what it was, but I began to care about him. He sat opposite to me. When he got his turn to introduce himself, Julien looked at me like he was just talking to me. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I am a philosophy- majored student. And also, I like literature and poem. I would like to be a poet. â&#x20AC;? He said delight. I was sure that he knew I got an interest on him as he did on me. That night, Sophieâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s World occupied

my mind. The sentences and the words were repeated in my dream. Plato was publicizing his book “The Republic”, the idea of Utopia in a square. The following days, Julien tried to talk to me as more as possible whenever it was in class or the break. I was really interested in the things he told me but I have never known. And I introduced him some music and films. Unexpectedly, he was also a rock’n’roll fan. Interesting! We had similar hobbies.

Every time as he approached me, I could feel the smell of cigarette on him. I didn’t get used to stand with smokers. The smokers always breathe a kind of unpleasant. However, I thought it depends, because I was quite comfortable staying with him. It was not the kind of cheap and bastard cigarettes. “I like Marlboro.” He told me. Thus Marlboro was the only brand I knew.

Chapter 4 Little Kirsten was next to me. “You like him, don’t you?” “I don’t think there is any possibility between us.” “No. I can feel that he’s really into you.” “We are just like we have known for hundreds of years.” While we were chatting, the camp assistants asked everyone to stand up. It was a game to meet more people. Try to talk to

somebody you didn’t know, and give compliments. I talked to a tall, slim and looked fashionable guy. The conversation was just hard to continue. I didn’t feel like to know about his romance and the valuable items he had. Could he think about something else worth thinking about? Meanwhile, Kirsten came up toward me, and I left her there with the guy there. “Ha ha ha… I just met some annoying girls. And I guess you would come.” Julien said happily.

“We were probably siblings in the previous existence.” “Perhaps.” “What is your favourite novel?” He asked. “Le petit prince.” “ Yeah, le petit prince? So, are you the prince or the rose who is waiting for the prince?” “Neither am I. I am the reynard.” “Um… I have better to keep my lips tight in order to tame you.”

“You needn’t tame me. I don’t belong to anyone, aren’t I, Mr. Philosopher?” “Yeah, you’re right. No one can ever own another.” In the silence, I was thinking that perhaps it would be better if I said something else. The camp assistants gave an order to hug the one who was next to you in order to end this game. We smiled at each other and he gave me a big hug. I felt the warm and the smell of cigarette.

Chapter 5 In the following days, we still spent time together talking. However, it was all about something unimportant and meaningless. Most of the rest time, he went out to smoke. Yet, there was no much time for me to be disappointed. Two days after would be the last night and there would be a ball. Every group had to prepare a performance for entertainment and practice the dance. This was a big business. According to some friends who

had joined the camp, after the camp, some people would go out with guys or girls they met during the camp. It was the ball. I dressed myself up with a little black dress. I felt quite strange because I have never worn something like this but still; I was a little bit excited. I wondered whether he would invite me to dance as I expected. As paying little attention on the performances, I missed Kirstenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s play. I supposed she would forgive me.

Although, we had had dinner before the ball, there were still some snacks provided. While I was taking a piece of strawberry pie, I met some of my group members. I didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t know if it was because of the atmosphere of separating, they became sensitive. In the past few days, I didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t talk much with them and didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t be earnest in group affairs. Strangely, at that moment, we were just like a separating family. More and more group members gathered. Finally, I saw Julien, coming

toward me. I was too shy to invite him to dance though I was longing to do so. He came. He stretched out his hand toâ&#x20AC;Ś to Kaya. I was sure that he had looked at me; nevertheless, he stretched his hand to Kaya. I spent the rest of the ball dancing with Kirsten and we went back to the dorm early. The next morning, people gathered at the hall and waited for the transit bus. I smelt the fume. I knew he was behind and wanted to say something to me. I also had

lots to say, but all I did was just looking outside and singing â&#x20AC;&#x153;Creepâ&#x20AC;?. As I finished the song, he has already taken the bus.

Chapter 6 A week after came back from the camp, I went to Japan with my family. The journey was really enjoyable. The camp seemed to be far in my memory. Only for some moments that when I passed through the stations where the smokers were all around, the smell was just same as it on Julien. However, it didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t interfere for long, because soon, I was attracted by something else. It was late February; we had back to

school again. I had lots of things to share with my roommate, Ronnie. She gave me a big hug when she saw me. There was something familiar. “I didn’t notice that you smoke.” “Oh! If you mind…” “No… It’s just…” It was just hard to tell. I thought I didn’t care about him anymore. Sometimes, I met Julien or other group members of that camp on MSN, and we discussed about we should have a

gathering. The plan never is put into practice. As time went by, no one has mentioned it again. Someday before my birthday, I received a message from Julien. I didn’t dare to expect there would be words more than “Happy Birthday.” As I read it, Thom Yorke was singing “Creep” in my mind. In order to feel him truer, I kindled a cigarette. Little Kirsten was surprised that I smoked.

“Why don’t you try to quit smoking?” “It’s just something like the memory. Once I had him in my mind, I can never forget about him. So do the addiction. Now, I have trouble in quitting to the cigarettes.”