“I can’t believe you talked me into this…” I mutter.

“C’mon, I brought you along, you could at least pretend to have a good time.” Mia’s fingers tighten around my wrist and she pulls me farther along the sidewalk to catch up with the others.

I grit my teeth. Why did I agree to come here? I barely even know the other two people with us. Mia only invites me to come so she has someone around that she’s “cooler than”. I don’t hate Mia, we’ve been friends since middle school, I actually feel sorry for her. She has problems with her parents and started hanging out with the wrong sort of people. Namely, the guy and girl we’re with now.

The sun is halfway below the horizon, the sunset casting orange and pink into the sky and clouds. Goosebumps rise on my skin, my thin jacket providing no protection from the cold. The two figures ahead stop and wait for us under a lamplight where I can see them better. The first is James, a thin guy with shaggy hair who’s a little older than me and taller, at least by six inches.  The second is a girl whose name I forgot. She is as old as me, but way smaller. Her big eyes and ears make her look like a mouse. Her cold eyes have bags under them.

They catch sight of Mia’s hand gripping me.

“What? Is she afraid of the dark?” James smirks mockingly.

Mouse snorts and Mia chuckles, but her expression is unsure. She doesn’t know if they are laughing at us, just her, or just me and she desperately tries to make it the latter.

“Yeah, like, I think she uses a nightlight to go to sleep.” She laughs nervously.

They stop smiling. Mouse’s face is twisted like she just tasted something sour.

“That’s… not funny, Mia.”

Mia doesn’t know what to say, and they laugh at her uncertainty.

“She’s kidding, she’s kidding,” James assures Mia, “Leslie was only joking.”

Leslie. She always messes with Mia’s head and laughs when Mia stumbles. Then Mia covers up by insulting me. It doesn’t really hurt because I know Mia is only acting that way for them.

The first time I came along she bullied me a lot in an attempt to look better in front of James and Leslie. I got upset and eventually left. Then when she came home later and we were alone, she couldn’t stop crying. She had curled up on her side of the room and leaned against the wall, her face covered with her hands.

“I’m sorry, I’m sorry…” she sobbed, her words pressing into me, begging forgiveness. “Just don’t leave me alone again. Please.” I managed to convince her that she was a good person and I promised to stay with her next time.

We slow to a stop at the side of a gas station. I take a deep breath and tilt my head up. The sunset is gone, now, the vast night sky in its place.

“And what exactly are we planning to do here?” I ask, one of my eyebrows creeping up in suspicion.

James tilts his head and runs his fingers casually through his hair. “Shoplift,” he shrugs nonchalantly and leans against the wall.

I squint with distaste, “Seriously?” the wicked grin on Leslie’s face reaches from ear to ear. “What would you steal anyway,” I continue to her, “corn-nuts?”

Leslie scowls, then smirks, “You can leave if you want.”

I try to catch Mia’s eye. She’s interested in the ground, the wall, a bug, anything but our conversation.

I cross my arms and keep quiet. For Mia.

“I need a smoke.” James mutters to no one in particular.

“Me too,” Leslie adds as James pulls out a pack of cigarettes and a lighter.

I shift my weight uncomfortably. Leslie notices me and grins wolfishly.

“James don’t be rude.”

“Hmm?” he looks up, confused, his cigarette already lit.

Leslie tilts her head meaningfully toward us. No. Not us. Leslie can’t believe I would accept that offer. I’m not the prey here. I wouldn’t bend under peer pressure. But Mia would.

My hand is already clenching her arm, “Mia…” I try to pull her away, “We’re going home now.” Mia’s feet are still.

“Chill out, whatever-your-name-is, Mia can make her own decisions,” Leslie turns to Mia, “What’s it going to be?”

At first Mia doesn’t move. Then, she reaches out to accept the cigarette.

She doesn’t have to look at me to know how wide my eyes are. I can’t believe her. I think of all the years of elementary and middle school where each teacher drilled into our heads: do not smoke. Engraved it onto the backs of our skulls. Almost everyone tells you it’s bad to smoke and anyone who says its good is in worse shape than you which only reinforces it. We all learned it. Over and over until we recoil at the thought of it. I reach over and smack the tobacco out of Mia’s hand. I glare at her so-called friends and walk away, dragging Mia with me. And I don’t look back.

“You can thank me later,” I tell Mia’s shocked but relieved face, “for saving you from the worst mistake of your life.”