The chill of the winter air nipped at Brady rode his bike through the commercial, modern part of town. Lots of people --particularly teens and college students-- loved it there because of the stupid amount of stores, malls, bars, and clubs that were there, next to Cherrywood mall, and of course: Santa Fe park. There, Brady was instantly embraced by the festive ambiance. Each storefront had been meticulously adorned with mistletoe, the soft glow of warm lights, and cheerful red hats, while the lampposts were adorned with lush green garlands. In the distance, right where Santa Fe park was, you could see the top of a towering, imposing tree, adorned with charming red and gold ornaments that culminated in a radiant star perched on top. Brady stopped for a second in front of a bookstore. He checked his phone. "Yeap," he murmured to himself. "This is the place." He had no idea why Andy had picked a bookstore as their place to meet --let alone start their first in-person meet up and date-- but it was close to Santa Fe park, and Brady had plans for that place later on, so... Brady parked his bike there, turned off the engine and stepped out of it before taking another look at his hair and burgundy sweater, making sure he looked perfect: looking good but not like he tried to look good. "Wait," Brady said to himself. He was excited, that was true, but his mind remembered the words Brady had said a few days before: un clavo no saca otro clavo. Brady hoped he wasn't using Andy just to forget about Ness. Why was Ness still so present on his mind? Thanksgiving had been almost a month ago. Was that enough time to forget? Was it too little? He didn't know. But Brady was, in fact, excited to meet Andy. Although, he hoped it was for the right reasons. When everything was in place, he took in a deep breath, inhaling anticipation and exhaling confidence, shook his body, and walked through the crystal and wooden doors. Inside the bookstore the atmosphere was cozy, relaxed, and the air smelled like a mix of cinnamon and new paper. Almost immediately, Brady spotted Andy near the shelves, his gaze fixed on a book in his hands, and then, almost as if he had been waiting for him, Andy looked up and saw him. For a second, their eyes met in awe. Andy was shorter than Brady had imagined, and remembered. The boy was dressed in a soft green sweater, and nervously started adjusting his scarf, while his shy smile greeted Brady, yet he didn't move. Brady, confident, was the one to close the distance between them. "Hey," Brady returned the smile. "Hey," Andy replied, his voice a gentle murmur. For a moment they stayed there, silent, standing in front of the other in a game of both mutual admiration, and expectation. Maybe it was the fact that he was older or that he desperately wanted to leave Ness in the past but Brady was the first one to speak. "Nice place, eh?" Brady mentally kicked himself after such a dumb, stupid thing to say. "I mean, I'd never been here, didn't even know this place existed. You must really love books." Brady turned towards Andy who, instead of replying, looked at his sides, almost as if in panic. It took him a second. "I do, I... books are good company," he replied looking at the floor. "I was eyeing some while I waited for you..." "Oh, I arrived late? Sorry, shit, I thought I was only a couple of minutes late, I- "No, no, I mean," Andy looked away, then down again. "I was wondering if you'd really show up." "What?" Brady bliked, taken aback. "But we've been talking for days." "Yeah, but people on dating apps can sometimes be..." "Assholes?" Brady chuckled. "Not only in dating apps, people in general can be asholes. Even people who you are starting to like could... you know, turn out to be impatient, immature, loud, and wanting to do everything their way even if it means rushing through life instead of enjoying it." Andy bliked, mute, his mouth open. "Sorry, sorry," Brady clenched his first, begging his mind to control itself. "But I get what you mean, dating apps can produce unpredictable people." "Yeah, I'm glad you aren't one of those," Andy waved his foot. "Well, you seemed cool in your profile. Cooler in person, though," Brady smiled to himself. He was getting pretty good at this, at least when compared to his first date with Ness. "So, tell me, why did you pick here?" Brady and Andy looked around them at the bookstore. Brady and Andy looked around them, soaking in the warm lights of the bookstore. Almost unconsciously, Andy started walking through the aisles, his fingertips brushing against old tomes and new editions. "Why not?" Andy replied. "Book are... well, I know many people don't like them, I get it, they're not everyone's cup of tea but... I don't know, books, the stories they tell, they are always good company... sometimes my only company." Brady didn't know how to reply to that. "I take it, you have a favorite?" Andy, still walking between bookshelves, grinned at Brady over his shoulder. "Jane Austen. I know, I know, it's a cliché and all that," he added, almost as if waiting for a confrontation, "but, I don't know, her books always make me... feel everything." "Well, she's a classic for a reason," Brady mentioned. "Not everyone can maintain their relevance for over a century." Andy stopped suddenly, inspecting the hard covers. "What about you? What's your favorite?" "Well, to be honest I haven't read much in the way of novels lately," Brady said, also inspecting a title. "College has kept me busy, very busy. All I read now are academic papers and journalistic investigations." "Sounds hard," "A little," Brady tried to be modest. "Nothing compared to my best friend, Coan, he is preparing to become a doctor. Well, his father wanted him to study geography and statistics like him, but he wanted to be a doctor so he is in the process of becoming one." "Coan?" Andy thought for a moment. "Like Coyoacan?" He said, pronouncing Coan's entire name. "Yeah, do you know him?" "He was my tour guide the semester before I entered highschool," Andy admitted. "He... well he and his brother made quite a show... the Coyote brothers, I think people called the two of them." Brady sighed, it had been a while since anyone had said that name. The Coyote Brothers such a simple yet weird nickname. Brady spent so much time with them that sometimes --despite his red hair-- he sometimes got confused for one of them. "They were three," Brady mentioned after a while. "Three coyote brothers: Coan, Tepec and Ness. I take it you only met Coan and Tepec because Ness, the little one, isn't in highschool yet, he enters next fall." It was weird mentioning Ness while on a date, the memories of the last fall, the cabin, the poker game, Fortnite, it all came back like a cold water wave, threatening to drown him. "Do you know why they call them that? Coyote Brothers?" Andy shook his head from side to side. "It's silly really," Brady started moving through the aisles again. "And I could tell you, my dear little Andy, but why tell you? Tell me oh please, why should I tell you when we are at a library with all the knowledge of the world around us? Let's make this a little game. If you guess why they are called The Coyote Brothers you win. If not, then I win." "Okay, and what's the price...?" "I don't know, you'll have to wait and see," Brady winked. "So, you already had your first clue... they are three brothers whose short names are Coan, Tepec, and Ness. Go, solve the mystery. Oh, but wait, there's one rule..." "One rule..." Andy echoed. "No phones allowed, only books," Brady extended his arms. "Old style." "Don't worry, books and I can do it just fine. We have for years," Andy stood still for a moment, his arms crossed as he thought. The traces of the shy boy were still there but they vanished a bit as he played the game. "Coyote brothers..." he murmured. "What are the names of the other too, I take it Tepec and Ness are also not their entire names." "No helpsies," Brady shrugged. "Ugh," Andy complained before moving through the forest of all knowledge, walking among centuries old and brand new paper and ink in the shape of fantastical stories and real life solutions. Then, he stopped at a corner and picked a book. "What's that?" Brady asked, peeking at the book from behind Andy's shoulder. "Is that a dictionary?" "An etymological dictionary," Andy corrected. Brady took a step back, a little impressed. The boy had chosen a good place to start. "Okay, so the word coyote comes from the Spanish word coyote from back in colonial times, which in turn comes from the Nahuatl word coyotl," Andy recited before abruptly closing the book. "Nahuatl, nahuatl... which language is that again?" "Well, if you want another clue..." Brady couldn't finish his sentence, Andy was already running towards another aisle. "No, thank you!" Andy said before disappearing. When Brady found him, the boy was looking at a heavy, dusty, old history book. "The Aztecs, of course!" Andy laughed. "Nahuatl was the language of the Aztec Empire! That makes sense! Coan doesn't show it but Tepec... and I don't mean it in any offensive way, of course, I know anyone can look like anything and that shouldn't mean other people should make assumptions but Tepec..." "Tepec does look like he is from Mexico?" Brady helped. "Don't worry, you don't have to be all politically correct, their family is from Mexico, and it's true, it's easier to tell it by looking at Tepec than at Coan. That count's as another clue, by the way." "Didn't need it," Andy started moving again. "You know why? Because you said his father is a geographer!" Brady didn't understand what that meant so he simply followed him. They moved another couple of aisles until they arrived at the geography section, a corner of the book shop that was filled with maps on the walls, and stored on the bookshelves like old papyruses, while several globes adorned the desk in the middle. There, Andy took out an Atlas of Mexico and went straight to the index. "Aha!" He said, suddenly opening the book into a big map of Mexico City's metropolitan area, and the places around it. He looked for a bit at the page before pointing at a spot. Brady looked closer, it said Coyoacan. "It's a place, Coyoacan is a place!" Brady was a little taken aback. He knew his best friend's family came from Mexico, but he didn't know his best friend's name was also a place. "You said the others are Tepec and Ness, right?" Andy asked. Brady simply nodded. "Here!" Andy excitedly pointed at the map again, "and here!" And again. Three places, three spots on the map. "Coyoacan, Coyotepec, and Nezahualcoyotl," Andy read. "They are all places at or near Mexico City, and they all have part of the Nahuatl word coyotl in them. Which means, in one way or another, they all mean coyote. Hence, the Coyote Brothers." Andy closed the book with a loud thud! Leaving it resting on his chest as he looked proudly at the college boy. "I got lost for a second but what helped a lot was remembering that their father was a geographer. It was a hunch but I followed it anyway," Andy's face was shining. "I take it I won." "You did, indeed," Brady admitted, more than a bit impressed. "You have a price from me in store, now." "What? You aren't going to give it to me now?" Andy opened his eyes, wide. "I wouldn't get mad if you bought me a new book right now." "I bet you would like that," Brady mentioned. He figured doing that would make him feel a bit like a suggar daddy, but he didn't know if he was exaggerating or just a joke. Anyway, he didn't mention it. "You'll have to wait. First, we have some other place to go: follow me." "Oh," Andy left the geography book on the shelf before adjusting his scarf and, one step behind Brady, walking outside the bookstore. As the night was starting to set in, the air had gotten colder but the lights were now shining more brightly, the caroling had gotten louder. "So, if you and Coan were best friends," Andy inquired as they moved through the sidewalk. "And he gave me a tour of my highschool, I take it that means I am attending the same highschool you once attended?" "I don't know," Brady admitted. He hadn't thought of that. "Probably." Andy stayed a moment in silence before looking again at the college boy. "Have you ever... read a certain red book at your highschool?" "Oh," Brady stopped for a second, a faint grin growing on his face. "I guess that means I did attend the same highschool you are at now," Brady confirmed. However, an intrusive thought climbed into his mind: that also meant Ness was, eventually, also going to attend the same highschool so Andy and Ness would eventually meet. Brady shook that thought out of his head. "So... about the red book." "We are not supposed to talk about it, remember the rules?" Brady was starting to like keeping the aura of mystery around him. It all came back to him: those four years of mischief and adventure he had when Coan and him attended highschool, culminating in their amazing graduation --and Tepec dropping out. Back when all the small problems seemed big, when the world ended at prom, and who liked you and who didn't was everything. And now, Andy was part of the new generation. "Small world, right?" Brady sighed. "Same high school." "Yeah, although that explains why you, a college boy, were at a highschooler's Halloween Party," Andy reflected "I'm glad you were, by the way." Brady glanced at Andy who had suddenly realized the meaning of the words that had come out of his mouth, and his face started to turn into a shade of soft pink. If it was the cold weather or a bit of embarrassment, Brady didn't know, although he could bet. "So, where are we going now?" Andy asked as they crossed the street. "Oh, nothing fancy, you'll see," Brady shrugged as they both entered Santa Fe park. "But the place we are going to is in here," the very same place Brady had chosen for their made up first date was now the real place of their first real date. They walked among the frozen trees, and slightly snow covered grass. The entire park had a magical, cozy allure that enveloped the two boys as they approached the grand tree, decorated with lights and beautiful reindeer, snowman, ginger men, and candy cane ornaments. Its radiant glow illuminated the icy expanse of the skating rink below it. Andy stopped when he realized they were going that way. "Ever ice skater before?" Brady placed his arm around Andy's shoulder. Andy shook his head, his mouth was slightly open, but he wasn't moving an inch. Brady took another step before extending his gloved hand at the boy. "Don't worry, it's easy once you get the hang of it. Plus, you are with me, okay? I'll show you." "Okay," Andy replied in a murmur. Hand in hand, they approached the rink. They chose a pair of white ice skates, Brady put his on in just a moment, and kneeled in front of Andy to help him get on his. You could easily tell the nervousness and anticipation the young boy had. As they stepped onto the smooth, frozen surface, Andy started to breathe faster and faster, but Brady never let go of his hand, guiding him through the ice. Around them, several other couples and families laughed, talked and attempted to skate. Only a couple could move fast and gracefully. Further away, the twinkling colored lights added a magical touch to the scene. "First things first," Brady guided Andy towards the railing surrounding the rink. "Get used to the feeling of the ice under your skates. This isn't a bookstore where you can read at your own pace, this is about balance." They paced in circles through the perimeter, never far from the railing, for the first half hour. Each movement gave Andy more and more confidence. He wasn't falling and could now stand straight, yet he wouldn't let go of the railing. "Remember, balance, this is like... like riding a bike. Scary at first but once you lose the fear, it's easy, almost automatic," Brady tried to show a few glides, he and Coan had skated several times before, once even at a river, so he knew a thing or two. His movements were controlled, elegant. "Give it a try, I'll stay right by your side and I won't let you fall, okay?" Andy didn't reply. Instead, slowly, he tentatively pushed off, his movements uncertain at first. But, as promised, with each wobbly step, Brady stayed close. "Relax, breathe," Brady whispered. "Let the ice carry you, don't force it." Little by little, Andy's nerves began to ease. Feeling the warmth of Brady's body close by made him gain confidence, his strides becoming steadier and steadier, until he wasn't hunching anymore. Brady, once again, offered his hand. Shy, Andy took it, and just like that all the fear Andy had, vanished. As they skated, slowly at first, the atmosphere transformed into a dance of shared laughter and stolen glances beneath the twinkling lights. The ornamented, gigantic three stood tall and majestic, a silent witness of the winter magic below. Brady could tell his heart started to race, partly because of the chill, but also from how in spite of his timidness, and fear, Andy was managing to skate, determination written all over his face despite the occasional stumbles. "See? You are a natural," Brady encouraged. "You look... unafraid, beautiful." "I... what?" And then, Andy finally lost his step. Brady reacted quickly and caught him just in time, yet the two of them ended on their rears, on the ice. Quickly, several people gathered to help them up and guide them outside. There they were checked by some medical staff but there was nothing serious. In fact, after they got their ice skating boots off, they couldn't help but laugh.
"So, that was the price, falling on a frozen lake?" Andy inquired as they walked through the Santa Fe park. "Oh, so you haven't forgotten about the price," Brady teased. "If you had won, would you forget about it?" "I guess I wouldn't," Brady suddenly stopped and turned towards Andy. "Are you sure you want it now? You don't want to wait?" Andy, also stopping in the middle of the park, stared at the ground before shyly, slowly looking up. For a second they stayed in silence, their eyes fixed on the other. Then, Andy shook his head from side to side. "Are you absolutely sure?" Brady insisted. "Spectacularly sure," Andy replied. Time stopped for a second. The coldness of the air, the whiteness of the winter, the warmth of the lights, it all vanished into a blurry, distant background as the world turned into nothing more than the few inches that stood between them. Brady let his hands surround the boy's body, holding him into an embrace while their eyes never parted. Then, delicately, almost imperceptibly, Brady leaned forward, and... "Wait," Andy took a step back. "I... wait." "Are you okay?" Brady asked, a little bit taken aback. "If you don't want to, we don't have to..." "No! No," Andy shouted, then fixed his eyes on the ground. "I want to, I do. I just... It's just that... I've never... I don't know how to..." "How to... kiss?" Andy nodded, still not looking up. Brady was a bit surprised. Yeah, he knew Andy was young but... even Ness, who was a year younger, knew how to. Right, Ness wasn't amazing at kissing at first, but he wasn't afraid, on the contrary, he was eager. Brady wondered about when he had had his first kiss but suddenly realized it didn't matter. Age shouldn't matter for a first kiss, only who you chose to give you yours. And here, here Andy had chosen him. "Hey," Brady placed his gloved finger under Andy's chin, raising his face, making the little boy look up at him once more. "It's okay. I'll teach you." Andy stayed still, petrified. "Just stay still," Brady conducted, his voice a murmur. "Open your mouth a bit, only a bit, and when you feel my lips on yours, start moving them as if you were tasting the world's most delicious lollipop. Don't suck them, only move your lips. Also, don't move fast, take your time, enjoy, no rush." Andy nodded, his eyes still as big as plates. "And as I get closer, close your eyes, okay?" Brady smiled. "Don't think, feel, okay? Let your instinct take over." Andy nodded once more. However, this time, Brady stayed silent and, slower this time, the college boy leaned forward again. Little by little, inch by inch, the warmth of his body became more and more perceptible, their bodies moving closer. Andy did as he was instructed and closed his eyes, opening his mouth a bit until, finally, he felt Brady's lips touch his. He stayed frozen for a second, paralyzed by the sensation. Then, he remembered the rest of Brady's words and started moving his lips, clumsy at first, sloppy, but Brady's lips started guiding him, making him go slower until the young boy felt his erection growing in his pants. Andy gasped but Brady didn't let go, they kissed and kissed, their lips becoming warmer and warmer, their bodies pressed against one another. Fireworks went off in the background, filling the night sky with incredible colors, or so Andy could've sworn. When they parted, Andy kept his eyes closed, his lips out for several seconds. Almost as he could still taste the ghost of that kiss. "So?" Brady grinned, cheeky. "Am I a good teacher?" Andy was at a loss for words. He opened his mouth but no words came out, none, absolutely not a single sound. "Oh, was I that good?" Brady joked but Andy immediately and vigorously nodded, completely dumbfounded. "Really? I mean I kiss good or... I think I do, but I had never taught someone how to kiss, never. Did I do it well? Was it that good?" Brady insisted. "Are you absolutely sure?" "Spectacularly sure," Andy replied.
As they walked out of the park, Andy and Brady returned to the bookstore, waiting outside. "Your parent's are going to pick you up here?" Brady asked, a little bit surprised, although it made sense that Andy's parents still picked him up from places, Andy was fourteen after all. "Sure?" "I am sure," Andy whispered. "I told them I was going caroling with a group and that I would check some books after." "Carolin? You sing?" Brady tilted his head. "A bit," Andy blushed pink once again. "My parents are a bit strict, they don't let me go outside on my own without a good reason and, well, carolin was the perfect excuse. What about you, do you have a car or..." Brady walked towards the edge of the sidewalk and placed his hand on top of his bike with a proud gesture. "Oh!" Andy blinked. "So you are some sort of bad boy?" He joked. "You could say so," Brady teased. "Why? You like bad boys?" Andy opened his mouth but smiled instead. "Maybe a bit..." "Well, maybe if you behave and wait a bit, I'll someday let you get on it with me," Brady wasn't being serious, yet when Andy heard those words he immediately respond: "Oh, no. Not at all, I... actually, riding a motorcycle sounds kinda dangerous. Plus I am like two years too young to do that," Andy crossed his arms. "But I bet you look good riding it. I mean, you look good even when you are not." Brady smiled like a fool as he put his helmet on. "It's still true, you know?" "What?" What I said at the Halloween Party... you look cute, and I am spectacularly sure of that" and with that, Brady got on his bike and rode down the street, leaving behind a blushing, shy Ash Ketchum. As he rode through the wintery, ornamented streets, Brady couldn't help but replay in his mind Andy's reaction to riding his bike: the boy not only had said no, he had also pointed out that he was too young to do so, that he'd rather wait. Brady hoped, he really, really, really hoped that what he was starting to feel for Andy was something genuine and not just feelings his mind was creating simply to forget about Ness. Brady hoped, racing through the street, faster and faster until he got home. Once on his bed, Brady stripped naked and stared at the ceiling, repeating that day on his mind with a smile but, at the same time, wondering if it was a genuine, sincere, loving smile. Truth was: they were about the same age, but Andy and Ness couldn't be more different.