Page 181 of The Black Flamingo

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behind a costume like this?”

And I don’t know if he’s

talking to me or himself.

“You look ridiculous, Mike,

I’m embarrassed for you.”

And the whole smoking area

is looking at us and I don’t know

if I should say what I truly

want to say to him right now.

Fight or flight?

I scream:

“You’re embarrassedfor me?

I don’t need to be aman

for you or anyone else.

I don’t perform for you

or anyone else.

What I wear is for me.

What I perform is for me.

What I write is for me.

I’m my own man

and you’re a frightened

little boy. Who are you

to come here and shout at me?

We slept together once,

Jack. You don’t know me.

You don’t know my story

and I don’t know yours,

but right now I don’t want to.

If this is who you are, Jack,

I don’t want to know you anymore.

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