Page 161 of I Can't Even Think Straight

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walking off with the flowers.

“I’ll go put these in water,”

they say, over their shoulder.

“Text Matt. Invite him over.”

“Vass, wait!” I say.

They come back to me.

They cradle the flowers.

They reminded me

of the goddess Persephone,

returning to earth

from the Underworld.

“Thank you for looking after me,” I say,

with more tears of gratitude in my eyes.

“I know it’s not the same thing,

but I wanna look after you, too.

But I don’t always know what to say or do.”

“Ε?ναι εντ?ξει,” says Vass.

“Ε?ναι ωρα?α, αγ?πη.

I’ve got my mum.

I’ve got my support group.

It’s not all on you.

You don’t have to

say or do anything different.

I want our friendship

to carry on as normal.

You’re the best friend

I could ever wish for.”

Empty-Handed—Lunchtime—Vass’s Bedroom

When Matt arrives empty-handed

in his handsome church clothes,

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