Something Vague.

The cigarette smoke lazily drifted around her head for a moment before wafting out of the cracked window, escaping to the blue skies without a look back. She was focused intently on smoke rings, trying to get the technique down perfectly, trying to get at least three in a row. A long stream of ash dangled carefully on the end of the dwindling cigarette, about to fall onto her lap at any moment, the slight breeze from the window threatening to quicken the process. A breath too quick and she lost all of the smoke she had been holding in her mouth, cursing and fumbling around in her purse for her pack to grab another cigarette. She turned slightly to throw the cigarette butt out into the road through the window and screamed, as a large semi veered into her line of sight, blaring the horn as the driver tried to avoid crashing into her.

She put both hands on the wheel, abandoning her search, and maneuvered back onto the right side of the road, pulling off and parking on the shoulder. Adrenaline was still coursing through her, along with that horrid sense of guilt. Wasn't paying a bit of attention to the road at all and had almost gotten herself killed head-on. Just need a bit more focus.

One hand drifted to her neck, toying with her locket, while the other returned to her purse, looking for something different this time. She found the pack of cigarettes and tossed them onto her lap, and then found her bottle of pills. The top was popped open and two were in her mouth within a second. She swallowed easily, sat back, lit another cigarette, and watched for cars on the road.

A few seconds passed before a car came down the way she had been coming. It got close to where she was parked before she could make out its license plate- see it's make and model. So no, not yet.

Minutes passed and a car came from the other direction. It was far away still when she squinted and saw the license plate clearly. Everything seemed sharper. She took a deep breath and felt the cigarette smoke pool in her lungs, go through her mouth. A slow breathe escaped her lips and four smoke rings came out in a row. She smiled and started the car up again.

A few hours of driving later and it was looking vaguely familiar- but a lot of this trip had been that way. Almost as if she had driven it before, probably exactly as if she'd driven it before. She stopped in a town she thought she knew, driving to a gas station she didn't remember. It had been forever since she last filled up, but even her car needed fuel sometimes. She parked and went in the mart first, feeling the gnawing build up in her. She needed things.

First was the rest stop classic- black coffee specifically designed to keep drivers awake. She found the biggest cup they offered and filled up two, grabbing as many sugar packets as she could to go with them before heading to the register where a perfectly average college-aged guy was standing, reading a magazine. She set the cups down, left hand going to the locket and popping the clasp open and closed like a bad habit as soon as it was free.

"Hey," the cashier said tiredly, setting the magazine down and ringing up the coffee. "Is that all for you?"

"Naw. Can I get a pack of Marlboro's, two packs of Camel menthol's and a pack of Pall Mall's?"

"Uhh. Sure. You sure that's all?" She tilted her head, smiling a smile that wasn't short on sarcasm. He chuckled while collecting the packs from behind the counter and adding them to her total. She handed over a credit card before he announced how much she owed, and he glanced at the name.

"Wait. Don't I know you from somewhere?" She smiled shortly again.

"Gosh, I don't know. Probably."

"Yeah, probably. I'm sorry, maybe it's just college life. Every girl looks the same, you know? I'm sure guys are like that to you, too." She took her card back, shoved the cigarettes into her purse and grabbed the coffee cups.

"Sure. Every guy looks the same. Every girl looks the same. What's the difference, anyways?" She turned back as she opened the door to leave. "Have a nice night, Charlie."

She couldn't help but peek a look through the window as he gawked in surprise for a few minutes before glancing down at his name tag. Everyone needs a good laugh once in awhile, and she also couldn't help it while she lit up and pumped her gas. Guys were really all the same, though. Dumb tricks fooled them every time.

But it's okay, she thought as she got back on the road, blowing smoke rings out of the window deliberately with perfect aim and technique, feeling the caffeine warm her up. I'm all the same, too.

smoking while pumping gas!? gonna set your face on fire

Do we get a follow up story? Can it be called "vaguetown"? I still can't imagine that any of your characters smoke :p

why not?