Little Sandra was a very shy girl. Her parents taught her to be honest, modest, judicious... It was absolutely understandable that her friends would also be well-brought-up. When Sandra's father had to close his business, the family sold their house and moved to a poorer district. There Sandra got new friends...

Sandra was 15 when she met Laura who took her into her girls' company. The girls seemed to be nice and Sandra liked spending time with them. They were from big, poor families but tried to show their manners. After all she was one of them now, living in the same district and going to the same school. But there was one thing which Sandra didn't understand. Every evening they hid in some dark place and smoked! Laura was the best smoker; she explained to others how to do that properly.

"Do you smoke?" - once she asked Sandra. "No, of course not! What for?" - Sandra got embarrassed when all girls began laughing. "Don't you know? Guys like smoking girls. It's cool! It shows you are adult and independent. You need to learn if you don't want to be alone all the time." - explained Laura and inhaled. "Oh really? I didn't know that. May I try?" 

And Sandra tried again and again. She didn't like that, it made her cough and left an unpleasant flavor in her mouth, besides she understood it was wrong - her parents wouldn't approve that. But who wants to be alone when all other girls have boyfriends?

That evening all the girls were dressed in their best - it was the very evening when the guys from the neighboring yard had to come. Certainly Sandra also prepared to this event though looked more modest than others. "They all smoke too. I like when a guy smokes! Do you?" - asked Laura. "I don't know...," - started Sandra, but met girls' surprised glances and added, - "yes, I think I do!"

The girls took their positions on the benches. Laura was handing out cigarettes when a small but noisy crowd of boys approached them. After a long greeting between each girl and boy, Laura introduced Sandra to the guys as their new friend: "She's shy but smokes a lot!" Everyone laughed. This way Sandra was accepted to the company completely.

Some minutes later everyone took a cigarette. Sandra didn't want to smoke but she didn't want to be a white crow either. Hardly had she inhaled when some guy, Nick by name, came up to her. "Let's have a walk?" - he gave her his hand. It was he, whose eyes were fixed at her from the very beginning. "Sure", - Sandra smiled and put her hand into his.

"You are not like other girls, you look different..." - started Nick. Sandra turned red. She forgot about the necessity in smoking and just held a lit cigarette in her hand. "... and you don't smoke. Laura lied." - continued Nick. Suddenly Sandra awoke: "Oh, no, she didn't! I do smoke!" She inhaled deeply and began coughing; a cigarette fell out of her hand.

"I know that Laura instilled in you that smoking is cool and all guys like smoking girls... The thing is that she has been smoking for a long time (bad guys taught) and can't quit. Therefore she urges on all others just not to stay alone with this problem. In fact not all guys like smoking girls. I don't. And you don't have to. A cigarette spoils your beauty, and you are so beautiful..." Then there was Sandra's first kiss.

Well, at the age of 15 Sandra had her first kiss, first love, first cigarettes and last cigarettes. After Nick's words she never took any cigarette in her hand and, nevertheless, never felt the lack of men's attention, unlike Laura.

 Sandra, 37