Tiger Milk by Stefanie de Velasco Page B

the kitchen it looks like a bomb has gone off. Somebody must have tried to bake a cake, the sack of flour has exploded. The entire kitchen is covered in a layer of flour.
    Where are Viovic, I ask a guy with green hair sitting at the kitchen table munching on tiramisu out of a tupperware container.
    They’re cruising around in their father’s Jaguar, he says grinning, they’re out of their minds but it’s pretty funny, eh?
    I go into the living room. The first thing I see is the porcelain doll hanging upside down from the chandelier. Its long hair has been cut off and its skirt is dangling down over its face and you can see its underwear. Below the doll Apollo and Aslagon are writhing around on the floor.
    You miserable dog, shouts Apollo pointing at the doll, why do you always do this, why do you always destroy anything beautiful?
    It’s a sign, Aslagon screams back, everything breaks eventually, sooner or later everything rots.
    Cut it out, screams Nico opening the door to the terrace. Apollo and Aslagon disappear into the garden. I sit down next to Nico on the sofa. For a second I wonder whether he’s just been sitting here in this same spot the whole time on the couch with the bong in front of him and his lunchbox in his lap filled with his magic mixture. I take the bong, stuff a bud in, and when I finish smoking up I roll myself up next to Nico like a ferret and I’m out immediately. At some point, no idea how much later, the room gets loud again.
    The transmission’s fucked, my father’s going to kill us, says somebody, and turn the music down the neighbours are complaining.
    I open my eyes, I’m dizzy and nauseous and the shitty beer is gurgling in my stomach. The first party casualties are lying around the room passed-out and I wonder how long I’ve been asleep.
    Where is Jameelah, I think, and go to stand up but can’t manage it. Nico picks me up and carries me upstairs. The next thing I know I land softly on a mattress.
    Here, drink this, says Nico holding out a glass of water, and after I do I feel a bit better. I take off my socks and skirt and lie down under the white sheets.
    Thanks, I say, and Nico leans down and kisses me. I kiss him back as best I can but I’m still feeling dizzy, I grope for his belt and take off my t-shirt but whenever I close my eyes everything spins.
    Shit, I mumble, I have to go to the bathroom.
    You need to sleep cutie, says Nico buckling his belt again.
    Yeah but first I need to go to the bathroom.
    In the hall I feel my way along the wall when somebody suddenly looms toward me.
    Do you know where the bathroom is I want to ask but then I realize it’s Jameelah in front of me wearing a bathrobe that’s way too big for her.
    Where’s the bathroom I need to get there right away, I say.
    Down there, I have to go too, she says looking at me sceptically, is everything okay you look like shit.
    Yeah I just need to stick my finger down my throat.
    It’s cool in the bathroom. I grab the longest eyeliner pencil I can find on the makeup shelf and stick it as deep as possible in my throat and drop to my knees in front of the toilet. The shitty beer and the noodles with ketchup from home shoot into the toilet and I can’t remember the last time I felt so relieved.
    I have to pee, says Jameelah fidgeting around next to me, hurry up.
    Finished, I say filling up a cup with water and sitting down on a big laundry basket.
    What’s going on with Lukas?
    Jameelah gives the thumbs-up as she pees.
    He’s lying down in the next room.
    Where?
    In the father’s room.
    What do you mean, their father has his own bedroom?
    Yeah he snores so bad that’s why. What about you and Nico?
    We kissed but nothing more is going to happen tonight I’m too fucked up.
    Jameelah pulls up her underwear and sits down on the toilet seat wrapping her arms around herself.
    Do you think it hurts, she asks looking at the floor.
    What?
    What do you think.
    Oh, right. I don’t know.
    Do you think it’ll bleed a