Girl from Mars by Tamara Bach Read Free Book Online

told you. It’s way too early for them to ask for ID.” We walk through the rooms of the old warehouse with its high ceilings and metal scaffolding. Iron doors. Posters for concerts. Bistro tables.
    â€œI have to pee,” I say. I go to the white-tiled wash-room. Have a pee, wash my hands. I see this face in the mirror.
    On one side of me another girl is washing her hands. On the other side someone is doing her eye makeup. She gives me a short, blank look. I wonder what she’s thinking.
    I know what she’s thinking. And I know what the other girl is thinking, too. I look at myself in the mirror and I know they can both tell how long I stood in front of my closet, how long I spent doing my makeup.
    And through all of this, I can still see myself. I can still see me.
    Laura’s waiting outside the washroom. I stand beside her against the wall, sink down until I’m sitting on the floor.
    â€œWhat’s the matter?” she says.
    â€œNothing.”
    â€œThen smile!”
    The eye-makeup girl comes out of the washroom and looks down at me. Her eyes are black.
    â€œI don’t belong here, Laura.”
    â€œWhy not?” she asks.
    â€œBecause I don’t fit in. Look around. I’m just fifteen...”
    â€œBut you don’t look fifteen right now, you dummy.”
    â€œYes, but that’s what I am and I know it. It doesn’t matter if the bouncer lets me in because he thinks I’m eighteen. I know I’m not.”
    â€œSo why is that a problem? I’m not eighteen either.”
    â€œBut you’re different.”
    For a minute Laura looks as though she’s going to say something. Then she slides down the wall to sit beside me.
    â€œGod, Miriam, nothing can ever be right with you, can it?”
    â€œWhat do you mean?”
    â€œThere’s always got to be something wrong. I mean, here you are, but you’re not happy, the bouncer thinks you’re eighteen, and you’re mad because you’re not. What is it you want, then, Miriam?”
    â€œI don’t know.” I shrug and watch the people on the dance floor.
    â€œOkay, tonight I’m going to be your fairy godmother,” she says.
    â€œYou’re drunk,” I laugh.
    But she grabs my wrist and looks into my eyes.
    â€œNo, really. Today I’m your fairy godmother. Today you can make a wish, and it will come true.”
    â€œOh, yeah? Okay. I’ll make a wish and you’ll grant it.”
    Laura nods.
    â€œI want to have a good time tonight.”
    â€œAnd how will that happen?”
    Laura is still holding tightly onto my wrist. It actually hurts a bit.
    â€œI’ll drink and dance, and the music will be good. And I’ll kiss someone and fall in love a bit. And I won’t throw up.”
    Laura looks at me with her big green eyes all serious, and doesn’t say anything. Then she kisses me on the cheek.
    â€œYour wish is my command.” She doesn’t let go of me. Laura is quite short, even a bit shorter than I am, but she pushes her way through the crowd like a bouncer and drags me to the bar. We find a couple of spots right at the bar and she waves the bartender over.
    â€œThis young lady needs something good to drink,” Laura tells him.
    â€œOh, really? What will the young lady have, then?” “Something good. Look at her and think what she would like,” Laura says.
    I stare at all the bottles behind the bar. It must be niceto be a bartender and know how to make every drink.
    The bartender looks at me. “Okay then.” And a little later there’s a sugar-rimmed glass with a straw sitting in front of me. I let Laura try it. Then we are jostled over to the dance floor. It’s already pretty full. Laura takes a sip of my drink. It’s sweet and sour at the same time, tastes more like lemonade than alcohol.
    Then a song comes on that I really like — Jamiroquai. I start to hum along, but no one can hear