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His straight face only lances at me, pleased, and then smiles to himself We cross the narrow street Soht His entire body is lean and lovely I want to lace his long, gorgeous fingers through eous neck

Josh is overly focused on the cobblestones

So between us Is it friendship? It doesn’t feel like friendship, but it’s possible that I’ about him like this after what happened last week Because I’ People aren’t supposed to be able to change, but…I’ve never bought that Maybe Josh could learn to like Kurt Maybe I misinterpreted his actions There could have been any number of reasons for him to want to escape fro on," I say

"Oh, man" Josh rubs his neck This seeesture of unease "It’s always sort of e to tell soh"

"You say that now" He grimaces and keeps his eyes on the juside the road "I’raphic uess There’s not a phrase for it that otistical Unfortunately"

So it’s true "How big is it?"

"Ues So far"

My jaw actually drops

"I really like myself"

"You don’t have to turn it into a joke" I shakelike it, that’s for sure"

"Well, I’m not done yet One more year of school"

The colossal white dome of the Panthéon appears before us, illuminated like a beacon We live on the Left Bank in the bottohbourhood It’s peaceful but – because there are several other schools nearby – it’s not very quiet during the day But it is et how lucky I am to live here

"Have you always been this passionate about drawing? I ht to stop" I look up at him "You never stopped, did you?"

"Never" Josh finally meets my eyes, but his expression has turned mischievous He points at"Try flipping it over this time"

"Oh?"

I sles it into the light, and reads the engraving on the back – first silently and then aloud His voice is deep, clear but quiet "Isla May you always find the Right Way Love, Kurt"

"It’s the only sentiiven me I suspect hisaboutthe best route But I like that the words have "

Josh places it back into my hands "It’s beautiful"

He turns contemplative as we trek up the rue Saint-Jacques Perhaps he is reconsidering Kurt There has to be a way to approach the subject I’ll find a way A siren wails past with its French ooo-WEE ooo-WEE, but it only heightens the return of our silence I’ district of retail

Album is a chain, but this particular location is split into two stores that sit across a busy intersection from each other One sells Aurines The other sells Franco-Belgian books called les BD, les bandes dessinées French comics tend to have a better presentation than their Alossier They have a wider range of stories and, because of it, they’re also more widely read Comic shops are everywhere here, and it’s not unco their aisles in expensive haute couture