Page 39 of The Black Flamingo

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I say: “Yes, and it’s only the two of us here.”

He says: “Yes, and . . .”

He steps closer, says again: “Yes, and . . .”

The bell goes for the end of class.

MICHAEL:Daisy!! Guess what!!

DAISY:What?

MICHAEL:Rowan almost kissed me!

DAISY:Almost?? How??

MICHAEL:In drama class but the bell went

DAISY:It doesn’t count if it’s in drama class

MICHAEL:Why not?

DAISY:He’s just a show-off.

He loves attention

MICHAEL:And I love him!

DAISY:

I’m in my bathroom, getting ready

for the school dance, when I notice

the first hairs above my top lip. I decide

to use Mum’s razor from the side

of the bathtub. I know she uses it for her legs—

there are little dark hairs on it—

but a razor is a razor. I make

my first attempt at shaving. Moments later,

I have a symmetrical mustache

of blood from where I managed

to cut myself evenly on both sides.

When Daisy arrives in a glittery red dress,

I’m wearing nothing but my black boxer shorts,

sulking on my bed.

I wonder how that dress would look on me?

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