Page 4 of I Can't Even Think Straight

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or be bold and go over there?”

A cool shadow looms large over us.

“Did you just take my photo?”

Vass and I scream, startled.

Local Boy smiles, friendly, pleased.

“Παναγ?α μου!” Vass laughs.

“What a way to make an entrance.

You frightened us.”

Vass bats their mascaraed eyelashes

and passes my phone back to me.

I pinch the screen to zoom out,

and hold my phone up defiantly.

“I was taking a photo of my best friend

and you just happened

to be in the background.”

I look around for Local Boy’s minions,

but he seems to be on his own today.

“Well, I’m still in the photo,”

says Local Boy,

“so, technically I was right.”

Local Boy pronounces all four syllables

of “tech-nic-cal-lee,”

as if it’s his word of the day.

“Do you like being right?”

Vass flirts with Local Boy.

“I can be wrong sometimes,”

Local Boy flirts back.

I roll my eyes and tut.

I snatch my book from Vass’s lap.

“I’m Vass, by the way.”

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