Marianne by Elizabeth Hammer (best books to read in life TXT) 📕

time and decided that she pulled it off. She’d have rather gone naked, but she pulled it off. Sally had better appreciate this.

Everyone stood in line by the platform in Tomorrowland, waiting for the train that would take them through the tunnel of animatronic dinosaurs. Marianne stood just outside the group, leaning back on a pillar and listening. She was freezing, but she tried not to let it show. It ruined her look.

Some other girls were dressed out in the Romantic style like Marianne. That was nice. She’d been scared that everyone else would have gone more punk and that she would stick out. Even Ben was less punk than usual; he was wearing a flouncy pirate shirt and buckled boots.

Todd was stealing the show in the middle of the group, telling everyone a hilarious but incredibly demeaning story about some girl he’d met at a show the week before. The heartless way he described the girl’s drunken antics put a knot in Marianne’s stomach. She looked away in time to see Sally’s cheating boyfriend Dark Lord Victor—yes, he was also called Dark Lord—walking up to the line for the train.

Marianne stood up straight, about to grab Sally and run when Ben appeared out of nowhere and stepped past her. He stopped in front of Victor, blocking his way. They stared at each other for a long moment, exuding some serious nonverbal communication. The Goth crowd was small, and apparently, the news about Victor’s sins had traveled fast. Marianne wanted to hug Ben for protecting Sally.

Dark Lord Victor glanced in Sally’s direction, and the broken look on his face almost made Marianne forgive him. Almost. And he was a mess; ripped jeans and a t-shirt. Nothing like his normal style. He took a step forward, but Ben shook his head, immovable. Victor pleaded with his eyes for a moment before giving up. He turned and left.

Ben and Marianne both watched him go. After a moment, Ben turned and looked meaningfully at Marianne. He looked unsure about whether he’d done the right thing. Marianne smiled and nodded.

He grinned back, then leaned back on the pillar by Marianne and focused his attention on Todd’s story again. No one else in the group seemed to have noticed that anything had happened. It was their secret. Marianne stood by him, enjoying the super-spy feel of the moment, and then the train pulled in.

Marianne was busy watching the passengers get off when Georgia was suddenly right in front of her face.

“Mari-Anne!” She drawled in a stupid sing-song voice. “The girl has finally gone dark!” She was obviously wasted, and it smelled like it. Marianne didn’t think she’d ever be able to drink cranberry juice again. Georgia was dressed Lolita—a Japanese street style that Goths just loved. If you look like a puffy porcelain doll, then chances are you’re dressed Lolita. Georgia even had the required oversized bow attached on top of her head. It was lopsided by this time of night, but it was there. She leaned in toward Marianne, much too close than was socially acceptable, and gave her a huge grin. “Trying to get Alvin back?”

Normally, Marianne would have leaned away from such debauchery, but she was so offended at Georgia’s insinuation that she actually leaned forward. “No,” said Marianne calmly.

“All right. All right,” she sang again. “It’s all good. I’m just glad to see you’ve finally shed your... you know... stuff.” She seemed too far gone to remember what the end of her sentence was supposed to have been.

“No. I don’t know,” said Marianne, squinting. “What stuff was that again?”

Georgia smiled at her. “You know, all that consumer stuff you used to bring around here.” She glanced over at Ben for a second, trying to get him to smile with her.

“Ahh. Thanks, honey,” said Marianne in the sappiest, most sincere voice she could manage. “Your approval means a lot to me.”

Georgia smiled blissfully and wrapped her arm around Marianne. “See? Aren’t you happier now that you’ve let go of all that mainstream stuff?”

The line started moving forward then, and Georgia towed her forward. Marianne just stared at her in shock.

“You come sit with me, Marianne. I always knew we would be close friends. The stinking media and all their stinking standards! Isn’t it crazy how—”

Close friends? This girl was so weird. “Uh, you go ahead,” interrupted Marianne. She pried her arm away from Georgia and gently pushed her forward. “I forgot my bag.”

Marianne stood to the side of the gate and let the whole group walk ahead of her. Georgia was swept away with them, thank goodness. That was fricking odd, that’s what that was. Ben stayed back, too, and gestured for Marianne to enter first. She climbed the steps of the train car and took a seat on the closest empty bench. Sally was still caught up in conversation with Todd, so she didn’t bother going over to sit with her.

Marianne picked at a piece of lint on her stockings and smiled at the conductor when she caught him staring at her. “Hello,” she said when he didn’t look away.

“You look like you’re having fun,” he said, stepping up onto the outer rail where the workers always rode.

“I’m about to go back in time,” she said. “Of course I’m having fun.” Was she almost flirting? Wow. That was new.

“Make sure you stay in your seat now,” he said, smiling. “That Gallamimus can get nasty, but I’ll do my best to protect you.”

“That’s very kind of you,” said Marianne, leaning forward. “But, you know, I have it on good authority from a six-year-old boy that it’s actually an Ornithomimus.”

The conductor smiled and was about to answer, but seemed to notice something above her, and stopped short. He nodded at her and turned away. Marianne looked up to find Ben standing near her, looking like he wanted her to move over. She did.

Ben sat down only a few inches away. “So, I picked up a copy of Goosebumps on your recommendation.”

“What?”