Betty was taking her first driving lesson. Well, it wasn't her first time behind the wheel, her father and her big brother had taught her everything they knew about driving, but Betty anyway wanted to take just a few lessons, just to be sure. She had talked to the driving school on the phone and booked an initial lesson. The teacher would then see how many lessons she needed, if any at all. She stepped into the school's reception in the evening and introduced herself.

- Oh, hello Betty, yes, I remember you from the phone, the receptionist said. - We've picked one of the most experienced teachers for you, she said and smiled. - No, I'm just kidding, Marlene is fantastic with newbies, especially girls. They always feel comfortable and safe and get along so well with her. Of course, you're much more experienced, but Marlene likes working late and her last hour wasn't occupied. There she is, by the way!
Betty turned around and saw a tall woman with big blue eyes and a big, long curly hair somewhere between blonde and red. She was wearing black jeans and a black leather jacket with a white shirt under.

- Hi, you must be Betty, Marlene smiled and they shooked hands. Betty noticed that she had a dark voice, actually a bit... yeah, she sounded like she was a smoker. Betty had smoked for two years herself, and she had hoped that her driving teacher would be a smoker, too. Because then she might get the chance to have a smoking break to relax. Betty had confidence in her own driving, but she anyway felt a bit nervous; she had never had a lesson before.

- Let's go out to the car then, Betty, Marlene smiled. She then coughed three times in her hand with deep, soft rattlings.
- Why don't you get into the car and justify the seat and the mirrors, Marlene said and handed over the car keys to Betty. Just as she opened the door, Betty heard the click of a lighter. She understood Marlene wanted some quick drags before getting into the car. After a short while, Marlene opened the other door and just before she shut the door, she exhaled a stream of smoke from her mouth out in the air.

- Smoking isn't allowed in the cars, you know, she smiled at Betty like if it was an excuse.
- I know. I'm a smoker myself, by the way.
- GOOD! Marlene said loudly and they both laughed. - We'll drive along for about half an hour and then, we'll have a cigarette break, right?
- Perfect, Betty smiled and they both laughed again. Marlene ended her laugh by having to cough again.
- You see, I'm almost only teaching newbie girls. About 40 percent of them smoke, but the rest of them need a break anyway, because their so nervous and tense. So, we step out of the car and I give them feedback about the driving so far while I smoke, they can ask about things and so on.
She coughed again, four times this time.

After driving 25 minutes, they came to a parking place outside a park, and Marlene told Betty to park the car. They got out of the car and lit up.

- So, what do you think so far, Betty asked.
- Oh, you're driving quite well actually. A few details only and you'll be in the best possible shape for the exam. Only one lesson more needed, I would say, that's unusual actually.
- Oh, it's terrific, Betty smiled. She dragged on her cigarette, inhaled and exhaled.
- Just one thing, young lady, Marlene said. She was looking seriously at Betty. - Didn't you call yourself a smoker?
- Yes, why, how do you mean? Betty was surprised and didn't quite understand.
- Look at me. Marlene put the cigarette between her lips and took a long drag. She inhaled deeply, kept the smoke in her lungs for about four seconds with her mouth open before exhaling the smoke.
- You see the difference? You must enjoy the smoke! You must give your hungry lungs a chance to enjoy it before you exhale. Try!
Betty started to get the idea, and she tried. She had never kept so much smoke in her lungs before, and not for such a long time. First, it felt strange and she frowned. She tried again after exhaling and suddenly a happy smile was seen in her face. This was another planet! She had always been smoking her cigarettes with quick drags, kept the smoke in her mouth for just a second before quickly inhaling, then quickly exhaling. What a waste!
- You're learning this as quickly as you learnt the few things I told you about driving during the first minutes of the lesson. Good girl, really good!, Marlene laughed and pattered Betty on the back. She then turned around and coughed deeply twice.
- Is that a real smoker's cough, Betty asked curiously. - Isn't it annoying for you?
- Yeah, of course it's a smoker's cough. You'll get used to it. Me and my cough, we're the best friends now, Marlene smiled. - We wake up together in the morning, we're together a little during the day, we meet more often in the evening, and finally, we go to sleep together. I sort of like it, really!
- Can't you teach me some other of your smoking experience?, Betty asked.
- It's really time to go on driving, Marlene said, and was about to open the car door, when she changed her mind.
- OK, then, she said, but quickly. She took a new cigarette from her packet and lit it. She pulled some smoke into her mouth and opened it so that the smoke started to escape. Betty looked carefully at her tutor as Marlene captured the escaping smoke by inhaling it through her nostrils.
- Here, try it, but quickly, Marlene said, handing over the cigarette. Betty tried but failed.
- You'll have to practise, Marlene laughed, took the cigarette and crushed it out under her shoe before putting it back into the packet.

After they had been driving a while, Marlene suddenly smiled and sighed.
- Oh, you're really not the first one I've been teaching both driving and smoking, when I think of it. Most smoking girls I've been teaching to drive have learnt to do that French inhale you just tried, or started to take deeper drags, or just increased their smoking after having got their driving licenses as a result of my teaching.
- What about the non-smokers then, Betty said. - I guess they have just got their license? She laughed.
- Well, don't tell anyone, but... (Betty coughed in her hand, three times and with really warm, cosy rattlings) ... but more than 65 or 70 percent of them have started. I actually met one of them the day before yesterday in the street. She was smoking a cigarette, and we started to chat. She thanked me for the driving lessons and said I was the number one behind her managing to get her license. Then, just before we said goodbye, she said "and thanks so much for teaching me this too", and she gave her cigarette filter a little kiss. Betty and Marlene laughed.
- So they have started after just seing you smoke, or what?, Betty asked.
- Well, two of them have explicitly told me that. During our first month together in the car, one of them was a real anti. So, I convinced to try just a drag on mine. Well, one thing gave the other - from getting used to the taste, over getting used to pull it down, to be a smoker! Actually, four of five young ladies have paid for extra driving lessons which I told them they didn't need just because they said I was the only one who let them learn to smoke in their own pace, without any school mates laughing at them when they coughed or so. So, after I while I felt sorry because I understood it was expensive for them, so I asked all my pupils who I knew was interested in learning to smoke or to improve their smoking if they were interested in a smoking lesson instead. Of course, it was totally free. I arranged an evening in my flat, you know, I brought some wine, some cheese and so on and simply invited them. Can you imagine, I just sat there a whole evening smoking and smoking with all those girls, I think they were ten or eleven, trying to do like me. Oh, it was almost even better than teaching them to drive!

They were back at the school and Betty parked the car.
- As I said, you should have just one more lesson. You would probably pass the exam without it, but why not taking the lesson just to be sure?

They went inside and Marlene went behind the receptionist's counter to find a time for the next lesson.
- Thursday, six PM?
- Perfect.
- Then, you'll get some more training on city driving.
- And, some of that French, what did you call it? French inhaling?
- After Thursday, you'll be ready for your driving license exam, and you'll be French inhaling like if you had been doing it forever. They both laughed.
- By the way, one particular girl just crossed my mind. Jessica, I think she was 18. We stood smoking in the break like you and I did, and she took a deep drag. Then, she sighed so she sighed out most of the smoke. "It's so fantastic to smoke with you. You look a bit like my Mom, but she won't let me smoke at home, despite the fact that she's almost chain smoking herself. I always love watching her, and I want my clothes to smell like hers, I want my hair and my breathe to smell like hers, I want my lungs to be like hers, and I want to cough like she does. What should I do?", she said.
- Well, tell her to get some driving lessons, I tried to joke. You know what that girl did? Her Mom didn't have a driving license, and two days after she came into the school and said that her daughter had such a skilful teacher. Well, I gave her some lessons. She gave up the driving dreams after ten lessons but today she and Jessie smoke cigarette after cigarette together, I've heard.

When going home that evening, Betty was sure she would soon get her driving license, but she was even more sure that a license wouldn't keep her from taking more and more lessions...