They say that smoking makes people closer. Maybe it does, but sometimes it separates them as well...

There studied two friends at the University - Tom and Clark. They became friends while entering the University and were groupmates in their first year. They had many common interests and, perhaps, would have been good, real friends, but for one difference and disagreement between them - Tom was a smoker and Clark wasn't.

Each time Tom wanted to have a cigarette with other smokers, Clark was persuading him to give it up, describing how harmful for his health smoking was. Certainly, this irritated Tom more and more; finally, they quarreled and had not been speaking to each other for several days. Then having forgotten about this wrangle they renewed their friendship. It was always like this, until once.

It started during one break when all the smokers, including Tom, came outside to smoke. Clark couldn't help starting his preaching again. This time he gave new facts and ended his lecture with the conclusion that smoking causes cancer. Then there was a moment of dead silence; all smokers looked at each other seriously and... there came a burst of laughter!

"What are you talking about?! It’s nonsense! My father has smoked since he was 20! He is healthier than yours now!" "You may not believe me, but I've read a lot about it and know what I'm talking about!" Continued Clark, but all others were just laughing at him and, as he was the only nonsmoker in that company, he had nothing to do but to leave. That day Clark swore he would prove them all that he was right. It was the beginning of war between two ex-friends.

In a week or so, all the students divided into smokers and nonsmokers, led by Tom and Clark. While Clark and "his team" gathered all the necessary material and thought about how to prove their correctness in public, Tom with other smokers... just smoke. The whole University was driven crazy! Some very resourceful student even organized a bookmaker office "Clark against Tom," where it was possible to stake on one of them! As a result, the guy got a lot of money!

The final battle was to take place during the Professor Farrell’s lecture. Mr. Farrell was definitely the cleverest and the wisest person at the University. Each student and each teacher respected him and followed his pieces of advice. Next week professor was going to give a lecture on the harmful factors, influencing human health. Either Clark or Tom had to ask him about the connection between smoking and cancer. Everyone would at last know the truth!

Professor was pleasantly surprised to see that lecture hall was overfilled with students. Certainly, he knew nothing about the war at the University, as none of the teachers did. Clark and Tom were sitting in the first raw; however, keeping distance. Each of them worried a lot but didn't show that. So the lecture began.

Complete silence reigned in the audience, when Professor Farrell passed on to the smoking topic. Suddenly Tom raised his hand, "I have a question, professor! Is it possible that smoking leads to cancer?" "Well, - started professor slowly - they say that smokers may get cancer sooner or later. But it's nonsense, because..." However, the teacher was interrupted with deafening noise and triumphal laughter of all the smokers, among which Tom's voice was the loudest. He was already standing in front of Clark and laughing into his face. Clark kept silence, though he blushed.

Professor Farrell was waiting. He finished the sentence only after everyone calmed down, "...because most of them just don't live till this illness comes." It's difficult to describe what was happening in the lecture hall after these words! Professor couldn't hear himself and couldn't understand the reason of the chaos around. However, Clark didn't behave like Tom. He just sat back into his chair, enjoying cheerful shouts of his confederates and looked at his opponent seriously. Tom read everything in that glance. He was so ashamed that he could not utter a single word. Neither could all his new friends. Finally, they left the lecture hall one by one under the mocking glances and shouts of all the others.

Thus, two friends became enemies because of smoking and never talked to each other again.

Jenny, 25