Page 155 of The Black Flamingo

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all except for Kim, who has disappeared.

I’m looking into the crowd for her when

I see him. But I must be imagining this.

Wishful thinking. It couldn’t possibly be.

“Daisy, Daisy, look over there! You see

that person doing the headstand? Over

there? Behind them there’s a person

with green hair. To the left of them. See?”

“No!It can’t be!” says Daisy, gripping my

arm, as we stare into our recent past together.

“It looks like him, doesn’t it?” I say. And

for a second I think he’s looking back in our

direction.

“Yeah,” says Daisy, “but even if it is, you

can’t assume he’s gay just because

he’s here. He could just be here with

friends.” She points at Lennie and Sienna

kissing by the bar.

We’re both watching him intently.

“Did he get hotter?” asks Daisy.

“No,” I reply. “He looks exactly the same.

Maybe you’re just less racist now?”

“Oh my god, Michael, you’re such

a bitch. What’s happened to you at uni?”

I don’t know how to begin answering that.

I continue watching as he says something

to the person with green hair,

then disappears in the crowd.

If Daisy hadn’t seen him too,

I wouldn’t have believed this.

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