Girl from Mars by Tamara Bach Page A

the time.”
    â€œMe, too,” Phillip says.
    â€œThey’re just animals,” Laura says.
    â€œCome on!” Phillip says.
    â€œWhy? If someone I really cared about died, that would be worse. A human being, I mean.”
    â€œI think the worst is for parents whose children die,” I say.
    â€œI would be the saddest if Pia died.” Laura looks down at the table and starts sweeping a few spilled grains of sugar back and forth.
    â€œWho’s Pia?” I ask.
    â€œMy baby sister. She is so sweet. I miss her so much. She lives with my father.”
    Phillip stands up and gets himself some more coffee.
    â€œAnyone else?” he asks, lifting the pot.
    I shake my head, but Laura hands him her cup.
    â€œWhen is your mother coming back?” he asks as he pours the coffee.
    â€œNext weekend.” Laura finally brushes the crumbs off the table. “Hey, listen, why don’t we go somewhere next weekend — leave Saturday and come back on Sunday!”
    Phillip shrugs and looks in my direction.
    â€œWhere would we go, and how would we get there?” I ask. Just go somewhere? Can you do that?
    â€œWe just buy a ticket and go. Don’t know where. Wherever we want! Phillip, where should we go?”
    Phillip thinks for a minute.
    â€œI have an uncle in the east...”
    Laura beams. “Isn’t it great to have a big family? Here’s to family!” And she lifts her mug high.
    ***
    â€œMum?”
    It’s just before ten. The movie’s about half over.
    â€œMmmmh?” Mum yawns.
    â€œMum, we’re thinking of going away for the weekend.”
    â€œAnd who is we?”
    â€œLaura, Phillip and I. We’re going to go to Phillip’s uncle’s place. Just for one night.”
    â€œAnd does his uncle know about this?”
    â€œYes.” Does she believe me?
    â€œAnd you’ll be back home on Sunday?”
    â€œYes.”
    Mum yawns again. “Do you have enough money?”
    â€œYeah. It’s really cheap if you go on a weekend.”
    â€œOkay then.”
    â€œThanks!” Yippee! Wahoo!
    Mum yawns again. “I can’t stay awake any longer. Turn the lights out before you go up, okay?” And she goes up to her room.
    I pull the phone onto the sofa and call Laura.
    â€œIt’s okay. I can come.”
    â€œFantastic. Phillip has already called his uncle, and it’s okay with him, too.”
    The living-room door opens and Dennis comes in and sits down.
    â€œI have to hang up,” I say. “I’ll see you tomorrow.” Then I hang up the phone.
    Dennis takes the TV guide off the table, leafs through it and looks up at the screen now and then.
    The movie is extremely boring. I’ll go to bed. I have a math exam in the morning.
    â€œHey, Miriam,” he says. I stop at the door. “Everything okay?”
    He turns around and looks at me. I can only see his eyes above the arm of the sofa.
    I nod and then I go up to bed.

11
    â€œSo what are you doing this weekend?” Ines asks after math.
    â€œWe’re going away for the weekend.”
    â€œReally? Where are you going?”
    Laura didn’t mention it this morning. I don’t want Suse and Ines to know where we’re going. And above all, I don’t want them to know who “we” are.
    â€œHeading east.”
    Ines nods and fishes around in her backpack.
    â€œAre you free later today?” she asks.
    I shrug. Look briefly at Laura, who is copying stuff into her notebook.
    â€œWhy?”
    â€œI was going to drop by,” Ines says and adds quickly, “I mean for real. I’m not just using you as an excuse.”
    â€œOkay. No problem.” Laura closes her notebook and goes outside.
    â€œWhen?”
    â€œAround three?”
    â€œSure.”
    Ines hasn’t been to my house very often lately. And I haven’t been to her place in a long time, either.
    I like Ines. I like her better than