This Illustrated Story Captures The Way Love Can Make You Crazy

In “Back at Dawn,” a graphic short story by Blue Is the Warmest Color author Julie Maroh, a man stays up all night, waiting anxiously for his boyfriend to return from drinks with an ex.

By
Julie Maroh
by Julie Maroh

BuzzFeed Contributor

Arsenal Pulp Press
Arsenal Pulp Press
Arsenal Pulp Press

[Panel 5]: And now, a surprising story that might spoil your appetite … A young man died tonight, alone in his home after … choking on potato chips!

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[Panel 2]: According to investigators, he was extremely upset that his partner could not be reached on his cell phone. It should be noted that his partner had gone out to dinner with HIS EX! To disappear like that into the night — suspicious indeed! Any one of us would choke on potato chips too if it happened to us!

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[Panel 1]: Our Montreal correspondent has just contacted the traitorous partner.

[Panel 3]: A traitor who did not wish to show his face …

[Panel 4]: I’m mortified … I’ll never forgive myself! I’m going to throw myself under a bus!

[Panel 6]: This is devastating, but I’m not responsible. How many times did I tell him to cut palm oil out of his diet? That’s so typical of his drama queen antics…

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[Panel 2]: Say that fabric is very nice … You think I should wear a suit like yours for the burial?

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[Panel 6]: You’re laughing! YOU’RE LAUGHING?!

Arsenal Pulp Press

[Panel 1]: It’s almost dawn, you’ve been out all night with HER, and you come home LAUGHING?!

[Panel 2]: And stinking of booze!

[Panel 5]: I’m sorry. My phone battery died.

[Panel 6]: Danielle and I had a lot to talk about, it was important.

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[Panel 1]: You talked? All night long?

[Panel 2]: Yes. Don’t you trust me?

[Panel 3]: I left two hours ago. I walked but I’d drunk too much … I got lost.

[Panel 5]: I think I’m coming down with a fever.

[Panel 6]: What was so important that you had to talk so much?

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[Panel 1]: Things about our break-up that she doesn’t accept. She misses our relationship, she wanted to know where I was at in my life …

[Panel 3]: Wait! Why do you think I drank so much? You think it was easy to tell her the truth?

[Panel 4:] What’s that mean?

[Panel 6]: I told her I was very much in love with you, and that I’ve never felt so true and alive. And that Id never go back to women, because I’m gay.

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[Panel 2]: I hurt her and had to explain why

[Panel 4]: PROMISE! PROMISE ME!

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[Panel 1]:

Char 1: You really told her you love me?

Char 2: Yes.

[Panel 3]:

Char 1: How do you love me?

Char 2: As I live and breathe.

[Panel 4]: Which means?

[Panel 5]: Naturally, of course.

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[Panel 2]: I’d throw myself under a bus if anything happened to you

[Panel 3]: Let’s talk about living, not dying, okay? You’re a worse drama queen than me.

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Julie Maroh is the author of the graphic novel Blue Is the Warmest Color, the New York Times bestseller that was made into an acclaimed and controversial film that won the Cannes Film Festival Palme d'Or in 2013. Her latest book, Body Music, is newly published by Arsenal Pulp Press in November. She lives in Angouleme, France.

You can find more information about Body Music here.

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