Page 86 of The Black Flamingo

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around me. “I’m sorry to hear that, man.

What happened?”

I take Rowan by the hand. “Let’s go

on some rides. In here!”

I pull him into

the House of Mirrors.

“Don’t you wanna talk about Daisy?” he asks.

“Nah, I really don’t,” I say, in front of a mirror

that makes my legs look really long

but my torso tiny.

“Okay, tell me something else, then,”

says Rowan. His mirror makes his head

look massive. “Do you still fancy me?”

He joins me at my mirror, which becomes

our mirror.

If I turned to him would he kiss me?

“I fancy that guy more.” I laugh, poke him

in the ribs, and point to his reflection. I can’t

make out his expression in the topsy-turvy

mirror.

THE PREVIOUS NIGHT

Saturday night, Daisy and I

go to our first club: G-A-Y.

I’ve been eighteen for nine months

but I didn’t want to go without

my best friend. Daisy only

turned eighteen last week.

Daisy’s wearing the red dress

that she didn’t get to wear

to the school dance.

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