That's Just the ABC of Growing Up

It's cold. Nate can feel it as he lays with Alex on the carpet, arms spread and toes free. It's raining. Yet alex still unlatches the large locks secured to the wood and slides the window open. He can hear the plops of rain drops sliding through the screen and hitting the window sill. It's loud in his ears, echoing somehow through his mind. And their faces are wet. The rain water splashes on to their cheeks and slides down, and they look like they're crying.

Nate's eyes are wide open and he's squirming in his place on the floor. He can't count how many times he's laid down with Alex this way. Yet, it's different this time. Way different. His small fingers are playing around with the soft rug, letting the fuzzy yarn curl and tighten around them. Alex's left leg is toppled over Nate's right, just laying there. His heart is beating so fast and he's sure his breathing is irregular. He wants to tell Alex how fun it'll be to ride their bikes this summer but he can't. His mouth feels like cotton and his tongue is dry.

"You know that girl Natalia?"

Nate looks over at Alex and raises his eye brow. Alex was so sudden, it caught Nate off guard.

"The pretty one?" He replies. His voice is raspy. It sounds like he hasn't talked in months. He clears his throat.

Alex looks over. He nods.

"What about her?" Nate asks.

Alex hits his small, almost identical fingers on the hard wooden floor beneath the purple rug.

"She talked to me yesterday."

Nate closes his eyes. He feels a pang of jealousy hit his chest and he doesn't know why but he's mad.

"What'd she say?"

Alex turns over to his side and sighs.

"She said that I was cute and that she liked me." His little voice sounds eager almost and he smiles.

Nate is finding it hard to breathe and he sits up.

"Really?"

Alex sits up too and nods his head.

Nate really hates Natalia now. He wants to punch her in her small, little, perfect face but his nana says hitting girls is bad. So he restrains from that thought. Only for a moment anyways.

"I don't like girls." Nate says.

Alex frowns for a second and his face scrunches up like he's trying really hard to think but then he giggles and nods.

"They have cooties."

Nate smiles and stands up.

"You wanna go out in the rain?" He offers.

Alex smiles and raises his hand to Nate.

He grabs Alex's small hands and pulls him to his feet, almost toppling over himself.

They walk through the dining room, about to go outside and play in the rain but-

Alex stops in the middle of the kitchen. Nate tugs his arm and says "C'mon Alex."

Alex's eyes lay on Nate's face. He licks his lips.

"Nate?"

"Yeah?" He asks confused.

"Can I kiss you?"

The question takes a long time to actually process through Nate's small head but when it does his heart starts pounding faster and faster and his cheeks turn pink.

"Uh. Yes?"He closes his eyes and it's more like a question than an answer but either way, all Nate can feel is Alex's lips on his. It ends as fast as it starts and Nate's eyes are still closed. He hears a giggle.

"Open your eyes, silly!" Alex says.

He does.

"Girls still have cooties right?" Alex asks.

Nate takes Alex's hand.

"Yeah," Nate slides open the back door and steps into the rain, letting the water hit his skin. "Girls still have cooties."