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"I'ht Boy, am I different Yeah, I' away

I didn't look back I knew deep inside that it wasn't fair to take out my frustrations on him and jump on every word he said, but I wasn't in the rass so hard, I could feel the earthall sorts of tourists, couples holding hands, fa backpacks, people froes rushed by: Italian, French, Japanese, RussianI really could be froht and finally, short of breath, flopped on a bench

I sat there staring across the park at the street full of traffic: double-decker buses, sightseeing buses, English taxi cabs, foreign cars reen ht It felt like a carnival atmosphere, like the whole world was on holiday

"Wow I practically had to sprint to keep up with you," Randall said co up behind me "May I sit beside you?" he asked

"It's a public bench," I replied

You're so bad-tempered today, Rain, I heard a voice inside me say

"I'an "Believe me, I didn't mean to"

"I' about h "For a while I'd like to be the sa and common"

"Different doesn't have to ood Lots of people want to be different," he said softly, gingerly, like so about being different She hates being thought of as just anotherthat I think that's why she wants to be an artist socharity luncheons, afternoon cocktail parties and such, she's in her studio getting paint on her face"

"On her face?"

"She always co the paint before she uses it," he said

I looked away to smile with tears still in my eyes Hoonderful it must be to have parents who love and cherish each other and create a warht

"You were right," he ad down, "I don't know tooto me, "I really don't know that many white ones either I don't have all that uess it's because I've been attending these special schools, working with voice coaches, spending allmy voice because my parents want me to be a star"

"Don't you?"

"Not all the time," he said He leaned back, the soft strands of his hair falling over his forehead His eyes filled with a warhts "When atching those little boys back at Round Pond, I was thinking about all the fun I iven piano lessons, not many toys My parents were afraid to letother than singing e my voice