“What did you do on the weekend?” Suse says.
“We went to the Austerhaus,” I say. I’m rolling a cigarette with Laura’s tobacco.
“And what did you do?” asks Laura.
“I went out with Martin.”
“Yeah? Where did you go?” I ask, even though I already know the answer. I concentrate on my cigarette, as if it holds the answer.
Rolling cigarettes is pretty difficult. Laura showed me how to do it.
“You went to the Austerhaus?” Ines asks.
“Yes,” says Laura.
“How was it?”
Suse is quiet.
“Good. Wasn’t it?” Laura gives me a nudge.
“Mmhhmmmh.” Which can mean anything.
“What was the music like?”
“House? Trance?” Suse says suddenly.
“No, nothing so mainstream.” Oops. Have to start again. The hardest part is the actual rolling. After that you just have to lick it and smooth it closed, but the rolling is hard. If you want to do it properly.
“Hey,” says Suse, “why don’t you just take one of mine before you wear out your fingers?”
“It’s okay.” I’m getting it.
“How did you get in?”
“We just paid and went in.”
“So they’re not so strict about checking ID and stuff?” Ines can be very, very nosy at times.
“Nope.”
“They couldn’t be that strict if they let Miriam in,” says Suse. Run your index finger slowly along the paper. Use your thumb to help.
“Maybe we can all go together some time,” says Ines.
“Girls night out?” asks Laura.
“No, with Martin and Flo, too.” Ines again.
“Martin just likes House and Trance.”
It’s rolled. Only the sticking down to do. Lick the paper, press it down. Finished.
Laura’s looking over my shoulder. I can smell her skin and see her freckles. She smells like milk. It’s weird. Like sweet milk. And a bit like wood.
She takes the cigarette, examines it.
“God, Mi, this one’s perfect.” Then she kisses me on the cheek.
Suse lights up a cigarette. And takes a deep drag.