Page 37 of The Black Flamingo

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But I never do.

In the back of my math book I write:

Divided by Love

Math is the hardest class to focus in;

I have Daisy sitting next to me

and Rowan at the desk in front.

Rowan is so cute and Daisy is

equally so. I feel divided. I wish I could

just have a normal day at school.

In the back of my math book I write:

How Gay Am I?

How gay am I?I wonder.

I know if I could choose

I would be with Rowan

but he’s a mystery to me.

It’s so easy with Daisy.

She’s my best friend.

She’s part of my family.

She’s like a part of me.

At the start of the next math class,

when Mrs. Briggs gives out our books,

she puts three on our table: Daisy’s, mine,

and another new book in front of me.

I open it up and I see a pink Post-it note:

“FOR YOUR POETRY.”

It has lined rather than graph paper.

I close it quickly, hoping Daisy didn’t see.

I feel so embarrassed Mrs. Briggs has

read what I wrote about Daisy and Rowan.

Carefully, I rip out the poetry pages from

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