He'd told Maya nothing made him feel better than being treated regularly, and Andy meant it. He'd also told her that her twin brother was the first person to really do so, and truly, he was.

Miguel Santos was amazing. Even when his sister had been trying so hard to make the new boy 'feel accepted' by bending over backwards to avoid anything related to using two hands, Miguel had been naturally drawn to resisting this unnecessary coddling. He'd taken an obvious interest in getting to know the real Andy. Never probed about his missing lower right arm, and never pointedly dodged it. Never stared at it. Never shied away from touching Andy. In fact, he hadn't even needed to touch Andy, but still stepped close to put a hand on his shoulder in a show of interest, gave him chummy fistbumps, jostles to the arm and pats on the back. Andy wasn't even sure Miguel noticed he was doing it, as it seemed second nature to the Hispanic boy, but Andy noticed.

The first time, he brushed it off, thinking perhaps Miguel was overcompensating like his sister was, but then during that welcome dinner he had with the twins and their grandmother, Miguel had been nothing but genuine, struggling with the 'chopsticks' Maya had provided from used popsicle sticks, failing at using them and giggling across the table to Andy about how awkward this all was. His conversation had attempted to continue from their pre-meal chat in the kitchen, but Maya had loudly cut him off at every turn when she perceived that it might offend the one-armed boy. Miguel had skirted this by simply communicating to Andy with other expressions, quietly rolling his eyes or mocking Maya's rambling, or ignoring her entirely and entertaining the other boy with faces. Andy had to admit to finding the brunette's attitude quite endearing compared to his sister's poorly-disguised one.

Eventually Maya learned. Slowly all of the kids in their group learned not to be so drastic about Andy's 'disability'. They would learn not to hold back when playing against him or to assume he needed help when he didn't ask for it, but Miguel...he had never needed to learn this.

He was the only one who had never seen Andy as disabled. Saw him how Andy wanted to be seen. And he never slipped.

The other kids would still, sometimes, though with increasing rarity, hold back just a little when they thought they were in danger of upsetting Andy about his arm. Andy was used to this sort of reflex, and it didn't exactly bother him, especially since they'd all made such great strides in accepting him as he'd liked, but really, he wasn't upset about his condition. As much as he understood those instincts came from a place of consideration, he simply felt best around Miguel.

It never felt like Miguel had a second thought about anything around Andy, and the more Andy was around Miguel, the better he started to feel.

Those touches went from endearing to charming. When, exactly, Andy couldn't say, but he noticed it quite strongly. Each slap, brush, chuck on the shoulder, brought a swell of light in his stomach, and each smile or wink sent his way turned it into butterflies. Any positive gesture meant for him from the boy in blue brought this low tingle of joy that simply forced Andy to smile. What had simply started as a preferential leaning towards the first person to treat him as he'd hoped, had turned into a bit more special an attachment.

Then, at the end of a Soccer match, while the team hoisted Miguel after he'd scored the winning goal, Miguel modestly but playfully gave half the credit to Andy who had passed to him. He was backlit by a glowing sun, sending another one of those winks alongside two sets of trigger fingers, and Andy noticed the biggest thing yet.

He liked Miguel.

There was no reason not to like Miguel. He was so talented as a sports player, drummer and artist. He was so kind, friendly, level-headed yet fun and energetic. But to like him?

Oh gosh.

That was weird, right? That was taking appreciation a bit far, right? That's all it was, right?

But no, Andy had gotten to know Miguel quite well on a personal level just the same as Miguel had shown interest in him. They were close friends long past something so surface-level as just feeling attached over someone not gawking at a missing arm. Rather, it was more like it turned out to be serendipity that the person who hadn't gawked was so amazing.

But...he was also a boy. And a friend. It wasn't right to start having weird feelings for your friends, right? Especially not ones who weren't girls, right? Andy had liked girls before...right?

Then again, he'd never expressed anything to the last girl he'd liked past a wish to be friends. He'd never said anything to the effect of liking her more, even if he'd been sure that's what his racing heart had been trying to say. But then, he'd really just ended up being friends with her. They'd fallen off talking very regularly, but they were still friends. It just seemed like it had been a bit of a nervous jump making friends with a girl for the first time. One who hadn't come as an automatic association through his own friend's sister. Once he'd gotten used to it, it hardly seemed like such a big deal. The opposite gender wasn't scary.

The same gender, however? Now that was suddenly scary.

Where was the excuse here? Andy had been friends with boys his whole life. None of them had caused this sort of joyful tingling before. Miguel was starting to make his mouth a little dry when he spoke to him, and his eyes sparkle.

Caught somewhere between concern and curiosity, Andy simply observed. He continued to let himself smile at Miguel, watch him, experience the emotions being around him brought, but he said nothing. It was nice, what he was feeling, but was he sure he was really feeling it? It almost seemed like...he wanted to kiss Miguel. Or he wanted Miguel to kiss him.

That was a thought that made Andy's cheeks burn, however. There was no way he could ever bring something like that up. That would be the most awkward thing possible. No, he should just stay like this. Be content to get his happy rushes whenever Miguel sent attention his way.

But of course things couldn't stay that easy.

It was during one recess, as Andy was sitting at a picnic table munching some tortilla chips as he waited for Miguel and Theo to finish a game so he could play winner. He was watching with a somewhat dreamy expression, and had let his chin fall to rest on curled knuckles without even realizing.

This was when a certain twin sister of Miguel's came skipping rope backwards into Andy's peripheral, picking up on this curiosity and making a not-so-subtle attempt at snooping. She leaned to see where his gaze was wandering, and ended up tripping herself up in her rope, letting out a sharp "Ay!" as it twisted impressively around her and sent her toppling to the pavement.

Andy blinked at the commotion and turned to look at the girl on the ground. "You okay, Maya?" he checked, and hurriedly stood to offer the girl some assistance in detangling herself.

With a very awkward chuckle, the ponytailed girl passed off the notion with a flip of her wrist once it was free. "Oh, I'm fine, I'm fine..! Estoy bien." After this insistence, she stood and dusted herself off heartily. "More importantly, I've been noticing something might not be fine with you as of late."

Andy blanched. "Er...you have? Oh no, am I sick? Do I look pale?"

"Eh, no more than usual," Maya shrugged, "But I'm not talking about that. I'm talking about how distracted you seem to be..? Kind of a lot..? Don't think my Help Detector hasn't noticed." She patted over her heart in a slight joke before innocently placing her hands behind her back and leaning closer to wheedle, "You wanna talk about it..?" She could admit, perhaps as much as she was attentive to the troubles of others, she was also a bit nosy.

Seeing the enticing grin offered to him, Andy's shoulders hunched warily as he leaned away, intimidated by Maya's forwardness. "W-What's there to talk about?" he quickly came up with a defense, "I haven't been distracted. Have I been distracted? I'm just the same old Andy as I've ever been, nothing special going on at all." He shook his head, making a mental note that he should have been more conscious about watching his daydreaming.

"Aww, come on, Andy..!" Maya pressed, "I saw the way you were staring off into space. Maggie and Chrissy did too. That's why I elected myself to come over and see what was going on..!"

They both looked across the playground to see the pair of girls who were Maya's best friends. The pair was hiding poorly behind the jungle gym as they watched and waited for Maya's verdict, and both covered their eyes and turned away in startle as they realized they'd been spotted. They remained rather visible.

Andy just grimaced to realize his admiration had been visible enough for all three girls to be discussing it behind his back. Had he really gotten that bad?

Maya glanced at the basketball court, watching her brother get the ball stolen from him and chasing after Theo. "So what were you looking at..? With that lovestruck look, I could've sworn you were going gaga over something, but that's just Miguel and Theo..." Suddenly, she gasped. Excitedly, she grabbed Andy's arms and shoved her face in his. "Unless you were staring into space because you really are lovestruck! Andy! Do you have another crush?! Who is it! Please let me help you get back on the bandwagon! I promise it will go so much better than last time! Please please please please pleeeeeease! Por favor!"

It was a well-known fact that Maya was extremely enthusiastic about matters of relationships more than any other topic. She loved matchmaking and making romance bloom, and her instincts were far too keen on the subject. Andy blanched when she nearly put the pieces together so fast. He was even more intimidated by how in his face Maya was.

"Bandwagon?" he echoed, "But I don't even play any instruments..." He could work a mean turntable, but...

Maya scoffed, brushing that off, "I mean, I want to help you get back out there! Win her heart! It all makes perfect sense! The daydreaming, the distraction, the despondence. The fact that you didn't actually seem sad about whatever was going on." This was amazing. A chance to redeem herself since her last harebrained scheme to help Andy connect to someone had been so full of hiccups. Not to mention a chance to improve someone's love life. "Tell me who it iiiiis..!" Now Maya clasped her hands in front of her in eager implore.

Automatically, Andy's eyes flicked towards the court for a hair of a second before he forced himself to keep his eyes on Maya. He put his own hand up defensively. "Look, you got it all wrong. I was thinking about...a video game! Yeah, I got a new game, and it's just been too good to stop thinking about!" That made sense, right? Gaining confidence, he affirmed, "And even if I did have another crush, I'd have it handled. No Maya Schemes necessary." His hand swished negatively through the air.

At the protest, Maya's lips formed a knowing smile. "Hmm...what's the game called?"

A blink. "Huh?"

"The game. What's it called? It's gotta be super fun if you're thinking about it this much. I might wanna try it."

"Uh..." Instantly Andy began to sweat, his eyes darting around for inspiration. "Uhhh...Jungle...Basket...Hopscotch...Fever. Four..?"

Maya's arms crossed as she smirked. "Uh-huh."

Gritting his teeth as he knew that was a horrible fabrication, Andy gave an exasperated grunt and hoped that if he gave Maya the truth, he could appeal to her sensibilities and get her to back off. "Okay, fine," he threw his arms up, "I haven't been distracted with a game. And maybe I might have been thinking about...someone...but I mean it, Maya! I don't want help. I'm fine with how things are." Paranoid, he glanced around to make sure no one was listening, before also asserting his feelings with a sharp index finger towards the ground.

Maya's smile only got bigger as her prying proved her inkling correct. She remained undeterred by the insist that nothing must be done, and in fact that's where her smile fell into perplex. She shook her own head in confusion, hands going to her hips. "Fine? How can things be 'fine' when you're clearly not together? You've gotta want to do something..!"

Andy's head shook more firmly. "No, I don't."

Maya's lips shifted as her head tipped slightly, not understanding how someone wouldn't want to make their romantic feelings known in any circumstance. Wasn't that the point of romantic feelings? Your heart wanted you to tell another person how special they made you feel?

Here, the two looked up at the sound of approach to see Theo and Miguel had finished their game, Theo proudly trash talking the other as he'd clearly won.

Perking again, Maya was inspired. "Guys, has Andy told you about any new feelings lately? You see I've gotten a few new brainstorming ideas since last time and I was hoping you could maybe help out on-mmph!"

Her eyes widened as Andy's arm wrapped suddenly around her head to smack his hand over her mouth. Theo and Miguel were distracted from their banter, first surprised to see Maya, and now to see her greeting silenced so sharply.

Andy was sweating again. "No!" he insisted, and looked at his two best friends in fluster. "Uh...great game, you guys! But uh, maybe take five? I wouldn't want to play you without a fair shot..! Rest up, take a load off...and if you don't mind, I just need to have a little word with Maya. Okay, great." Not trusting the girl's mouth, he kept his hand over it as he sidled away from the other boys. Maya followed, curious.

Miguel and Theo shared a look of puzzlement, then shrugged and sat at the picnic table, happy to indulge in some tortilla chips.

By a lonesome stretch of the school's wall, Andy let Maya's mouth go. Immediately, she sputtered, spitting out the taste of hand. "Andy, what was-?"

"What part of 'no plans' did you not get?" Andy stressed, taking his turn to lean towards the other, his fingers clawed, "And especially no plans involving those guys!"

Maya blinked as she watched Andy's cheeks turning a few shades darker. "But Andy...why? You've never been against making connections before," she said softly, "Even if it's been hard to reach out, you still want to. And you know we're your friends. Of course we'd want to see you happy. Wouldn't it make you happy to be with whoever you like? We can help, I promise. We won't make fun of you." Was that what the blonde boy was worried about?

Andy's gaze slid towards the picnic table Miguel was eating at for a lingering second, Theo having stepped away to visit the water fountain. "It's not...that." He forced his eyes back to the girl's. "Look, just forget it, okay? I'm happy this way, I swear. I don't need to say anything this time."

Catching Andy's gaze taking an automatic detour for a second time, Maya's own keen eyes narrowed slightly in suspicion. She turned herself to face the same direction as Andy and practically pressed their cheeks together as she followed his gaze. Then she oriented herself back to face him as she scrutinized the tinge on his cheeks. Then she placed herself back next to him to doublecheck his line of sight. She repeated this set of actions a few more times in quick succession as the gears in her head whirred vigorously.

At last, absolutely certain, she gasped at her own deduction. Grabbing Andy by the cheeks now, the Hispanic girl shook his head just as vigorously. "Is it Miguel?!" she burst, "Do you like Miguel?!"

She felt his cheeks warm in her palms as they darkened, and Andy squirmed as his gaze drifted far, far off to the side. "Please let go of my face..."

Maya obliged. "Sorry." But then she was right back on her exploding train of thought. "You do, you totally like Miguel!"

Miguel was her brother. Her nose wrinkled. "You like Miguel."

Wait, Miguel was another boy. Her face fell slack. "You like...Miguel?"

But then, all at once, an entire new world of romantic pairing options was opening before her. Boys could like other boys? That sounded...wonderful! "You like Miguel~!"

Excitedly, her hands moved on their own to grab the fair-skinned boy again, but he hunched and shied back, putting his hand up again to stop her. He could not believe how embarrassing it was to hear that phrase over and over.

Before he had a chance to comment, another voice cut in. "There you are, Maya..! We saw you and Andy disappear. Did you find out what's wrong?"

The voice belonged to Maggie, Maya's fashionable Chinese friend. Maya turned to face her and Chrissy, another Hispanic girl with plump cheeks, with a huge grin. "Andy likes Miguel~!"

Andy was sure his whole face was red as he rushed to smack his hand back over Maya's mouth. "Quiet, will ya?" he pleaded, "I don't want the whole world to find out!"

Maggie and Chrissy blinked. Chrissy tapped her chin in confusion. "Que? Does that count as a problem?"

Beside her, Maggie processed, "Wait, did you say Miguel? As in, Miguel-Miguel?"

Maya took Andy's wrist and pulled his hand off of her mouth again, spitting the taste away again before chuckling in guilt. "Sorry. I got excited. But yes!" In a more hushed tone, she faced her friends with grin back in place, fists clenched eagerly. "Our Miguel~! And of course it's not a problem..! In fact, it's so sweeeet~! Es tan dulce~!"

Maggie gasped and clasped her hands by her cheek. "Oh my gosh, yes..! Best friend romances are the most adorable..."

Chrissy grasped her own cheeks with both hands. "Oh, I know. Having your partner be your best friend as well? Can you imagine a better recipe for a long-lasting relationship? I don't think so..!"

All three girls shared a giddy grin and grabbed each other, shaking one another with a squeal they tried to contain the volume of, but did not entirely succeed at.

Andy slumped against the brick of the school wall and tried to hide under his arms with an embarrassed groan.

As the thrill of the news subdued, Maggie was the first to connect the outstanding detail. "Wait," she wondered, quirking a brow as one finger rose to her jaw, "Isn't Miguel a boy? Can boys have crushes on boys?" She'd never heard of that before.

Chrissy shrugged. "Apparently. I don't see why not. My cousin, Melissa Rojas the hairdresser, not the actor slash singer slash pop star, has a girlfriend. This doesn't seem much different."

Maya hadn't heard of that either, but agreed that it was a very valid point. "Exactly!" she supported, "Besides, just think of how many more potential couples are out there knowing this! Romance es romance~! And it is the sworn sacred duty of Las Tres Amigas to keep romance alive!"

Andy had had enough of this sick gushing. "Guys! Stop it! I don't want to hear about it! And I don't want help!"

The girls all fell silent and looked at him. Maya shrugged with a lop-sided smile. "Well, I'm afraid if it involves mi hermano, I am hermana-bound to help."

Maggie chipped in, "Yeah, and don't you want him to like you?"

A frustrated sound went towards the heavens. "Yes!" he professed, "Which is exactly why I don't want to say anything!"

Now the girls shared a very puzzled "huh" as they exchanged quirked brows. Maya offered her palms forward in a questioning gesture. "What do you mean? How does not saying anything make Miguel like you?"

Crushing his eyes shut, Andy let out another short grunt before steeling himself and letting his face relax. His gaze drifted off to a far spot on the blacktop as he explained, "It keeps us friends. I know it's weird I like a boy. You guys hadn't even heard of it. I hadn't even heard of it! And look. I trust Miguel enough to know that if I told him how I felt, he'd be super nice and understanding and everything like that. But he wouldn't like me back. Things would probably just get awkward. And I'm just not ready to hear a...no."

Chrissy's hand went sympathetically over her heart. "Oh...that is so beautifully tragic, Andy..!"

Maya's head tilted slightly as she frowned at the boy seemingly having assigned his own fate. "How do you know he wouldn't say yes?" she asked, "You said it yourself, he's very understanding. Mi hermano es muy considerado."

"Yeah," Maggie insisted, "And I don't think he'd stop being your friend just because you like him..! More."

Doubtful, Andy polled flatly, "Has he ever liked a boy..?"

All eyes went to Maya, who faltered under the spotlight. "Uhhhh...no sé."

Andy let out a dismissive noise like that proved his point.

Maggie hemmed, "Too bad we can't just read his mind and be sure. It's not right leaving love unconfessed."

All at once, Maya's eyes lit up, as well as the beads in her hair tie. "Maggie! Esto es!" She grabbed her friend's upper arms in glee.

"Huh? What?" Maggie puzzled, "Are we going to learn mind reading? Because just to warn you, the last time my Nana tried teaching me tea leaves, I predicted she was going to have great cows on her journey up the river of summer squash to a higher...carpet." A short beat. "But I can still try! I'm sure minds are easier to read than a whole cosmos anyway..!"

Giving a short laugh, Maya shook her head. "No, Maggie, we don't have to read his mind. We can just probe it!"

"You mean like he is our alien test subject?" Chrissy asked, waggling her fingers overhead, looking a bit put off by that idea. Ironically, that made Andy pay a little more attention.

Another laugh. "No, I mean we can just ask Miguel a few questions, you know, give him a gentle nudge, prove that there's no way he could say no to a great guy like Andy. I mean they're already such good friends!" A palm gestured towards the blonde, who blushed sheepishly. "Of course we can't let him know exactly why we're asking, because that part should be for Andy to do himself. But we can totally find out he can like boys."

With a smile towards Andy, she asked, "Would that make you feel better? Knowing it was okay to tell him?"

Andy rubbed the back of his neck, considering. "I can't believe I'm saying this, but...yeah. I think it might." This plan didn't sound overly outlandish, and if he thought about it, he supposed he might want to confess...if it were safe. Maybe letting Maya help out wouldn't be so bad after all.

"Eeee, perfecto~!" Maya cheered, "Don't you worry, Andy. You'll see! We'll have the two of you together in no time! I promise!"

Against the odds, this time Andy actually cracked a small hopeful smile.

...

In the Santos apartment, Miguel was seated in his room at the drawing table he had stationed in the corner by his closet. He was deep in the zone, actively drawing a portrait of a surfing man with incredibly long prehensile hair doing battle with a giant squid monster.

He yiped as his door burst suddenly open, shocking him out of the artistic streak, and wobbled dangerously in his chair before catching himself and twisting to face the intruder. He could not say he was surprised to see Maya there, as she was the one most commonly entering unannounced this way, but this time she was flanked by Chrissy and Maggie, and Miguel's lips formed an O to see all three girls with armloads of posters in various stages of roll.

"Miguel!" Maya perked as she entered, spying him at his art station, "Ah, maravilloso, you're already in the visual mood..!"

Blinking, Miguel felt a low ripple of irritation forming. "Maya, que es esto?" His sister could be confounding at times, and he smelled a scheme. He didn't like being dragged into schemes, and was immediately suspicious seeing her with unexplained props.

Stepping to Miguel's bed, Maya dumped her armload of posters, then picking one up to present. "I'll tell you what this is..! You see, I got some new posters and I've decided I should rearrange all of the posters in my room. In order of cuteness! Only we can't agree on who's cuter. We need that brilliant aesthetic taste of yours~!" Behind her, Maggie and Chrissy dumped their own armloads onto the bed.

Unable to avoid flattery at the compliment, Miguel felt himself inevitably soften to his sister's whims. Alas, she knew how to appeal to his sensibilities. Still he noted, "What makes you think I'd be any good at deciding? I don't really think like that."

"Uh...exactly!" Maya returned, "You're...objective! Fresh eyes!" Opening her poster and pushing it forward, she pressed, "Like what do you think of teen dreamboat actor Mateo Alvear? Doesn't he just have the cutest dimples?"

Miguel blinked at the youthful Spaniard winking and blowing a cheeky kiss at him. One cheek pinched as he tipped his head skeptically.

Chrissy bumped Maya out of the way with her hip, pushing her own poster forward. "But not nearly as cute as Enrique! Look at those bangs, they are so fabulous!"

Miguel scratched his head now presented with a Mexican pop idol. "Uh...I guess they're cool."

Trying a different approach, Maggie presented her own option. "But not nearly as cool as bad boy model Armondo Chavez, right?" In her poster, a guy in dark clothes leaned with sass against a motorcycle, looking over the rims of a pair of sunglasses. "Isn't he dreeeeaaamy~?"

Getting a blank stare and another 'uhhhh', Maya took point again, switching tactics as well. "Or how about this? I know you like sports. What do you think about Carlos Ortiz?" She pulled up a poster of a man she knew was one of Miguel's favorite players.

Miguel beamed, placing his hands on his knees. "Well, I think he's been on a real winning streak this past season. That probably gets him some points, yeah?"

Maya groaned and rolled her eyes for the ceiling, meanwhile Maggie dug for a different poster and Chrissy stroked the one she had, assuring her favorite idol that he would always be the most attractive to her.

This carried on for a few more rounds, the girls trying to trick Miguel into admitting he found something about one of their posters attractive, until Maya decided it would be better to invite Miguel to dig through the pile and vote on which one he found the most appealing that way. Miguel shrugged and obliged, until suddenly his face lit up as he unrolled one particular poster.

"I think we have a winner~..!" he announced, "This guy's definitely the cutest."

Sharing a glance and a pleased gasp, the girls rushed to see what he'd picked out, only for their jaws to drop in synchronized stun.

It was a kitten. An incredibly fluffy kitten in a basket nuzzling against a stuffed bunny toy. Miguel let out a shameless 'awww' at this picture.

"Ay. How did that get in there?" Maya huffed, and then to her brother insisted, "Cats don't count! We're trying to pick the cutest human..?"

Miguel offered a useless shrug. "Well, sorry Maya, but like I told you, I just don't think of people that way. Not really. I just like them for who they are, y'know?"

Pushing the cat poster into his sister's hands, he wandered back over to his drawing table. "Sorry, but I think you're just going to have to decide that stuff yourself."

Maggie put her wrists on her hips. "Oh, come on, Miguel, you must have a type..! Everyone has a type!"

Pausing his pencil against the paper, Miguel blinked as he looked at her. "Type of what..?"

"Person..!" Maya answered for her friend, coming closer. She caught sight of what her twin was drawing and perked. "Like that! You must have drawn this because you thought it looked good, right? Is that what you're into?" Her hands clasped hopefully.

Miguel glanced at the picture, figuring that to mean Maya must want to know about his latest creation. Picking the drawing up, he smiled as he presented, "I guess? This is a new superhero I came up with: The Bro-zillian! He shreds sick waves across the globe and keeps beach-goers safe with his super mullet! See? He can grow it to any length and control it." He pointed to how the burly man was punching the squid in the face with a fist of hair. Grinning up at the trio, he polled, "Cool, huh?"

Maya frowned with a sigh. It truly appeared that her brother didn't think of boys the same way she and her friends did. Or girls for that matter. Miguel never had been the type to swoon. She was going to need a different tactic to get his mind on the track they wanted. "Si, Miguelito," she granted, however, agreeing that the concept was very creative, "Es muy creativo."

Miguel grinned proudly.

...

In her own room, Maya sighed as she unceremoniously dumped her posters on the floor. "Well, that was a bust," she noted as she leapt to sit on her bed.

Dumping all of her own posters except for one, Chrissy crooned, "For real. I can't believe he would not agree that no one is more handsome than Enrique. If those eyes cannot convince him to think boys are cute, I dunno what will."

Maya's head tilted. "We're not trying to convince him, Chrissy, we're trying to prove he can already like them."

Maggie questioned, adding her own burden to the pile, "But what if he can't? If it's possible for boys to like boys, doesn't that mean it's also possible they might not?"

"Ehhh..." Maya hadn't thought of that. She'd just assumed that this was a thing every boy could do upon hearing that it was possible. "Ok, well maybe we will have to convince him. But that shouldn't be too hard..! Miguel said he likes people for who they are, right?"

The others nodded, and Maya elaborated, "Well, he already really likes Andy..! Maybe to get him thinking on the right track, all we have to do is remind him of how much he does like him. The rest will follow naturally."

The other two exchanged a look. Chrissy shrugged, "It's worth a shot. You did manage to make Esperanza like Miguel before you found out he wasn't even interested."

Maya waved her hands in hasty silencing. "Okay-okay, let's not bring that up ever again. But you're right, it speaks very highly of my talents."

Now her friends exchanged a smirk over this combined display of embarrassment over one of Maya's greatest disasters, and inflated ego.

...

The three girls waited until the next day when they could run into Miguel during an outing Maya knew he would be taking, so they could employ their walk-and-talk technique. Unfortunately, they hadn't realized he was going to be wearing roller skates when he left the apartment, and gasped in dismay to see him zoom past as he leapt down the front steps where they'd been waiting.

Undeterred, Maya was the first to sprint after him, Maggie and Chrissy following.

"Wait! Miguel!" Maya hollered, catching up to her brother, "Can we walk with you? We were just about to go the same way!"

Raising his brow at the girl sprinting beside him, and passing a glance at the other two further behind, Miguel shook his head, "Sorry guys, I can't slow down. I'm already late to the park to meet Theo and Andy."

Maya passed this off with a laugh. "Don't worry, we can keep up..! Running is good for you! But hey, now that you mention it, we were just talking about Andy. Right, Chrissy?"

Panting harder than the energetic girl ahead of her, Chrissy had to call ahead to agree, "Oh yes! What a coincidence!"

A bit stronger a runner thanks to a passion for dance, Maggie still didn't have nearly as much drive as Maya and could not keep up with roller blades by sheer will. Still, she offered, "Totally! We were just thinking about...how lucky we all are that he moved here!"

Maya clasped her hands and yarned through her huffs, "Yes! He's so sweet and generous and funny and smart..! And he fits in so well with all our friends! What's your favorite thing about Andy, Miguel?"

The boy in blue quirked his brow at his sister, sensing something fishy again. "I dunno...por qué?"

Maya shrugged. "It's good to appreciate your friends. Your very, very good friends? Why, just think, without Andy, who would trade desserts with you at lunch?"

Miguel shrugged in turn. "The rest of you? But sure, Andy's cool. He's my favorite sports opponent."

Maya grinned widely. "Yes, yes, and..?"

Giving her another weird look, Miguel supposed, "And...I guess he is pretty funny, and he tells pretty great stories..?"

"Oh, I know," Maya rushed to agree, "Like that one about the meteor crashing into the Earth? Auh, he has such a flair for the dramatic."

"Yyyyyeah," Miguel returned shortly, not sure why now was the best time to be listing favorable qualities for his friend. "Not sure which one you mean, though. All his stories end that way. But look, I really gotta go meet up with the guys. We can talk later, okay? Bye, Mayaaa!" Putting an extra spurt into his speed, Miguel waved to his twin and rounded the next corner with a flashy spin off of the street pole.

Having to stop, unable to sprint any longer, Maya bent down to put her hands on her knees and suck in deep breaths. Still, she would say she'd gotten something out of the exchange. "Did you hear that, amigas?" she noted proudly as she became able to lift her head, "He said he likes Andy's jokes and stories! And he's his favorite opponent! We've got to follow him! Surely he'll realize his feelings when they meet up!"

Getting no response, Maya looked behind her to realize she was speaking to an empty sidewalk. A couple blocks behind, Maggie and Chrissy were collapsed back-to-back on a bench, puffing in exhaustion as they'd failed to keep pace.

...

From the bushes in the park, Maya, Maggie and Chrissy watched Miguel, Andy and Theo performing skate tricks the same as they ever did. Absolutely nothing looked out of the ordinary. The only thing was that maybe Andy was passing a hopeful smile towards Miguel every now and again, but no major epiphanies seemed to be occurring in the slightest.

"Augh, I can't believe this!" Maya scoffed in a hushed outburst, "Miguel's not realizing anything!"

"Maybe we should have waited until he was not moving so fast to make our pitch," Chrissy pointed out.

"And maybe we should have picked a different hiding spot," Maggie chipped in, "These twigs are ruining my hair..!" Annoyed, she attempted to tug one such bramble loose, only for it to snap off and stay lodged. Her jerking motion caused another twig to jab a tiny tip into the side of her tank top. She gasped, and then growled in unimpress.

Maya chuckled. "Yeah, okay. Maybe not the best-ow." A twig scraped her cheek as she tried to face Maggie.

Chrissy gasped. "I can think of another good reason to be somewhere else right now," she pointed.

The others looked, and also gasped. A small grey dog was sniffing the bush with interest. In unison, all three girls yiped and sprang out of the bush, startling the man walking the dog, but fleeing without stopping to explain themselves.

...

In the school hallway, Maya had a new plan ready to enact. She was sharing with Andy what she knew so far, knowing Miguel would be stopping at his locker any minute now.

"He likes your stories, Andy..!" Maya insisted, "Tell him one of your ones from Wisconsin! Just put your best foot forward, and I'll make sure Miguel gets the hint. He's sure to realize he likes you just as much!"

Wary, Andy turned his head slightly. "What're you gonna do..? I thought you were just going to show me he liked boys."

One of Maya's wrists flapped passively. "Yeah, well you're the boy we're aiming for, right? Don't worry, it's just a little subconscious suggestion."

"Uhhh. what now?" Andy doubted, but Maya gasped in delight to spot her brother coming to swap his books as predicted. In a hurry, she spun Andy around and pushed him to get moving.

Andy stumbled as he was shoved, managing to draw Miguel's attention as he wobbled to catch his balance on approach.

"'sup, bro?" Miguel greeted, "You okay?"

Andy gave an awkward chuckle. "Oh yeah, never better. Just...tripped. Uh, say, Miguel. Have I ever told you about the time back home when I got to be in the giant cheese festival parade..?"

Taking interest, Miguel stepped into Andy's personal space and put a hand on his shoulder, already chuckling from what sounded like a great anecdote. "No..? What happened?"

"Oh, well, you see, Wisconsin is really big on cheese. There's a huuuuge party every year in my hometown, and well, the heads of all the cheese companies like to take turns being in charge of the parade, and this one time my dad got to be the coordinator. I didn't want to be in the parade because the costumes looked really silly, but he insisted I'd be perfect because I was already such a 'gouda boy'..." He made air quotes alongside the pun, and Miguel snorted sympathetically, but then quirked his brow over Andy's shoulder.

Maya had approached silently, and was making hand gestures of her own. She formed a Valentine with her fingers, nodding vigorously with a big grin. Then the pointed multiple times towards Andy as he spoke, placed her hands over her heart and feigned a swoon, then formed a bird with her hands and narrated her heart flying out of her chest. Then she posed like a statue of Cupid and pretended to fire an arrow.

"...aaaand then we hit a pothole and I took a dive into a giant tub of ricotta. Ended up in the paper. And then a meteor hit the newspaper building."

Miguel's eyes slid back to the blonde's face and he snorted. "Oh man. That sounds brutal..!" He was sure everything but that last part was true, but he'd kind of missed the middle.

"It was..!" Andy agreed with a laugh, "I got it up my nose and I was smelling it for weeks!"

Miguel winced out of sympathy. "Oof. Yikes. Even I don't like cheese that much." The two shared a small laugh, and Miguel pointed out his sister standing there with hopefully-clasped hands. "Okay, Maya, I see you already. I know what you're up to."

Maya started. "You do?"

Andy started too, more nervously. "You do..?"

Miguel crossed his arms and nodded surely. "Lo siento, Andy, but would you mind giving us a moment?" He stepped forward to grab Maya by the arm.

"Oh, uh...sure. Of course," Andy granted, watching Miguel pass him a nod and drag his sister to the hall she'd just been coaching him in.

Letting Maya go, Miguel crossed his arms again and passed her a knowing but unimpressed face. "You don't have to hide it, you know. It's fine."

Maya blinked. "It is?"

"Yeah," Miguel raised one hand conversationally, "I'm not going to be upset if that's what you're worried about."

"Really?" Perking, Maya then paused and puzzled, pointing at her twin. "But then...shouldn't you talk to him about it..?"

Quirking his brow, Miguel countered, "Shouldn't you..?"

"Uhhhh...I have been. Are we on the same page here..?" Maya scratched her head.

Miguel's head tipped. "Yeah. You're trying to tell me you have a crush on Andy, right? That's what all this has been about."

Maya jumped in startle this time. "What?!" Immediately she shook her head and wildly motioned her hands negatively. "Nuuuh-nuh-nuh-nuh-nuh-nuh-noooooooooo, noooooo. Not me! I'm not the one with the crush!"

Skeptically, Miguel squinted. "Then why are you asking about boys and talking about how great Andy is and making valentines behind his back?"

Sagging, Maya let out a strained sort of sound. It was so close, and yet her brother had failed to put the pieces together quite right. "I promise you, hermanito, I do not have a crush on Andy. I've been trying to help him, but I can't tell you what with. I'm afraid it's a secret."

"Hmm." Miguel's eyes narrowed further at Maya's expression of implore.

"He's a really great guy though!" Maya assured, "So great!"

Miguel looked at the other for another moment, then glanced at Andy standing around unsure if he should wait for the others or not, and then back to Maya. He sighed. "Right. Well, whatever you're up to, I'd just better not end up dragged into something ridiculous."

Maya shook her head. "Oh, of course not, Miguelito. There is nothing ridiculous about this."

With one more doubtful look, Miguel decided to drop it and left his sister to it, coming back to Andy and asking him to tell the cheese parade story again since he missed most of it. The two left together happily and Maya sighed after them, so sad that she'd come so close, and yet admiring how the two boys looked smiling together.

...

While Miguel went to hang out with Andy after school, Maya went home to brainstorm. She paced the living room, pondering hard on what could get Miguel to think romantically. What could get him to think about Andy. She needed something she could present to her friends so they could act.

Alas, the plans weren't coming to her. She couldn't talk Andy up without seeming like she was the one who was interested in him now, and she had no idea what to present to Miguel to get him to give Andy a green light without spilling the secret. In the end, she simply had to flop back onto the sofa, elbow draped dramatically over her eyes, letting out an exasperated grunt.

Hearing this as she passed by with a hamper full of laundry, Mrs. Santos paused and ducked her head into the room to see her daughter sprawled in defeat. "Estás bein, mijita?" she asked, concerned.

Lifting her arm, Maya frowned and shook her head. "No, Mama," she had to admit, "I'm afraid I've hit a real stumper." Then, realizing she was looking at an adult, Maya sat up. "Por supuesto! Mama! Maybe you can help. You know everything!"

With an amiable laugh, the dark-haired woman entered the living room properly, moving the hamper to one hip so she could pose coyly with a hand on the other. "That I do, mijita. It is my job as a mother. What seems to be the trouble?"

"Well, it's about a friend. How do you get a boy to like another boy without letting that boy know a boy likes him, because the first boy is too nervous to tell him but he wants to tell the second boy, but that boy is utterly clueless about the boy who...er...wait, who was the first boy in this again..?" She'd confused herself with her own description.

Mrs. Santos' lips shifted as she blinked, trying to process the issue. Realizing at the very least that it sounded like it was going to be a topic requiring a proper parenting moment, she put the laundry down and came to sit on the sofa. "Start over," she pried gently, somewhat amused by the ramble, "Who likes a boy?"

"I'm not supposed to say." Maya shook her head, crawling closer and putting her hands on her mother's thigh. "He didn't want me to. But he's very sweet, and I want to help him get the attention of the boy he likes..! Only he won't say anything unless he's sure the boy he likes can already like him...and I can't seem to make that happen."

Face breaking into an adoring smile, Mrs. Santos placed a hand on her daughter's back to rub in consolation. "Ohh, Maya, that's very sweet of you. And I'm very proud of you for accepting this and wanting to help."

"Mm? Por qué?"

"Well, not everyone is so accepting when two boys or two girls want to find romance, I'm afraid," Mrs. Santos explained, "The fact that you are treating this boy just like anyone else you want to help is a very good thing."

"Of course, Mama," Maya puzzled, "Why wouldn't I? Just think of how many more couples can be brought together now that I know it can spread between everyone~!"

Mrs. Santos chuckled amiably. "Ah, you are a true romantic, just like your father."

"You know it!" Maya claimed the label readily, "So then how do you get a boy to show he likes another boy?"

Her mother pondered, "Well, are you sure he does like boys..?"

Maya blinked. "Huh? I thought this meant everyone could like each other. Is it not normal for everyone to like boys and girls..?"

Seeing where some of the problem might have been, Mrs. Santos shook her head. "I'm afraid not, mijita. Some people can, but others are only interested in one or the other."

Maya gasped in surprised sadness. "Oh no..! But that means some couples just wouldn't be possible!"

"That's right," Mrs. Santos explained, "So unless you know both of these boys are interested in the same thing, you might have to help the one doing the crushing move past it instead."

"But...but..." Maya flustered, "I promised! And that's just not fair..! There's got to be a way to convince the other boy to like him, right? It's got to be possible!" She couldn't stand the thought of love not succeeding!

Mrs. Santos had to shake her head again, sympathetic to her daughter's big heart. "Lo siento, Maya, but it does not work that way. Do you think someone could convince you not to dislike tartar sauce?"

Maya's nose wrinkled as her head went back. "No. Way!" she said adamantly, "Asquerosa!"

Her mother chuckled again at the vehement rejection of the dreaded condiment. "Exactamente. And just like you cannot help finding tartar sauce disgusting, no one can help who they like. It is all part of what we're born with. Things we should not try to change, and should accept in others."

A crestfallen note slid out of Maya's nose, hating the idea that she might have to break her promise to Andy. "Si, Mama. So then what do I do..?"

Having to think on what she understood of the problem, Mrs. Santos proposed, "Well...if you can't ask the one boy without giving away the secret, then I think the boy with the crush will just have to speak up. And, if he is rejected, you will be there to help him through it."

"And...what if it ruins their friendship?"

A sigh through Mrs. Santos' nose. "If it is true friendship, it will survive. If it can't...well, then at least this boy has you as a friend, no? He could not ask for a better one."

"Aw. Gracias, Mama." Maya was touched her mother had so much faith in her. Awkwardly, she lowered her head meekly as a different issue presented itself. "But...what if one of those boys is your brother?" If Miguel and Andy weren't friends anymore, how could she stay friends with both of them? They were in the same circle!

Mrs. Santos' lips formed an O and her brow went up. Then she snorted. "Well..." she supposed, "Then you can trust that your friendship will never end. Family is forever. And I would hope he can be trusted to be as understanding and compassionate as you, mijita."

This did ease some of Maya's worries. That's right. Miguel was the nicest boy she knew. Surely no matter what, he wouldn't offend Andy.

Mrs. Santos winked. "And don't worry, I won't let him know I found out."

Maya tutted, grateful that she had such a supportive family, but then her face fell back to worry as she knew she was going to have to find Andy and tell him her guarantee was not so guaranteed.

...

Andy and Miguel were in the pet shop the Santoses owned, admiring the boa constrictor. Mr. Santos wouldn't let them handle it, unfortunately, but they did get to watch him feed it, and they were both equally in awe and grossed out by the way the frozen rat it was given was swallowed.

"Aw man," Andy gushed, "Snakes are so cool..! I wish I got to visit one every day. Auh, but my parents would freak if I asked for one."

Miguel chuckled. "You can always visit the snakes here, though, yeah? We don't mind, right Papi?" He glanced to his father nearby behind the shop counter.

"Si, por supuesto," Mr. Santos agreed, "You kids are always welcome to help care for the animals. They need visitors to stay used to people, and so they do not get lonely."

Andy chuckled. "Well, if you don't think you'd get sick of seeing me..." A small bashful smile was sent Miguel's way.

"No way..!" the brunette returned, "Are you kidding? It'd be great..! Hey, you wanna go see the mini-pigs next? We can actually play with them."

Andy felt his cheeks warm as Miguel insisted he'd love to see him around more. He couldn't help wandering thoughts on whether or not it was possible to be more than a best friend. Ever since Maya had first pressured him about not leaving things as they were, he'd been more inclined to wonder. It was safe not saying anything, but then what if? If he didn't say anything, he might be leaving a potential yes unsaid. And even if Miguel didn't like him back, that lingering uncertainty would be what was left dangling overhead. Was that uncertainty really better than having his answer so that he could move forward?

"Sure," he smiled in response, "Hey, why do you guys sell pigs anyway? Do people really come here looking for them that often?"

Miguel shrugged amiably. "You'd be surprised." The store had a pretty sizable range of in-store exotic pets. In the back, he opened the gate to the small pen set up for the miniature pigs and performed a showy bow, indicating Andy to go ahead of him.

Andy laughed. "Such a gentleman..." Doffing a pretend top hat, he then pouted out his lip and walked past with a pretend cane. Miguel followed suit at a fancy stride, and both boys shared another laugh over entering the pigpen like it was a fancy gala before promptly sitting down and holding out their hands to greet the animals that had come to swarm them in hope of attention and treats.

...

After their fill of animal care, the two boys headed for the community center, the only place with an arcade cabinet. There they would both try and fail to beat Maya's high score. She wasn't always big on video games, but the ones she liked, she was really good at.

As he was battling a Disco Fever themed boss, Andy inquired, "Oh yeah, this reminds me, did you ever beat Theo's score on Space Battle Zarkulon?"

Miguel slumped with an exhale. "No. Well, at least not yet. I'm not gonna give up!" A resolute expression formed and he clenched a fist.

Andy chuckled. "Oh, I dunno. Sounds like you're getting rusty. Might be time to hang up the towel, old man."

"Hey..!" Miguel smirked and shoved Andy's arm. "I don't see you beating him! I don't even see you beating Maya!"

Caught there, Andy defended, "Yeah, well...neither have you..!" Glancing at the controls, he grunted as he tried to stretch his pinky for the Funk Missile button, but couldn't reach it while he needed to toggle the joystick to the beat. A grunt. "Hit the missile button for me? I need them now!"

Miguel hesitated for a split second, passing Andy a smirk that suggested he was very much debating making some quip about his skills, but decided against it, knowing the pain of being so close to beating a boss only to lose. He pushed the launch button, and the two watched the Disco Maniac explode into several balls of glittery dust.

"You were gonna leave me hanging..!" Andy accused sharply, though smirking himself.

"I was thinkin' about it..." Miguel smiled coyly, "After all, if you lose, it just leaves more room for me at the top of that scoreboard~."

"Dream on, Santos!"

"Well, a Santos is already at the top. It's in my blood~."

"Oh, brother."

"Yup. I'm her brother alright. Hey, you wouldn't even have made that last move without me."

"Oh, big talk for just pushing a button."

"Only a button that saved your life~!"

Andy grinned. "You thinkin' what I'm thinkin'?"

Miguel returned it. "Teamwork! Boo-yeah!" He lifted a hand, and Andy was already there to meet it for a high five. In unison, they both turned for the cabinet and began the next level, Andy working the directions and Miguel manning the weaponry.

They still didn't beat Maya's high score, but they did better as a team, and after both of their fingers were cramping from the effort, they decided to wind down with a nice game of air hockey. Not that this was any less full of trash talk.

...

The pair headed back to the park today, this time to play some Frisbee. They continued to chat about everything from school to Return of the Space Nebula Elf Prince, a franchise Andy wasn't much into, but he knew Miguel liked to ramble about from time to time. Usually Theo was the one Miguel talked to about it since it was an interest they shared, but listening to him made it kind of interesting to Andy. It was endearing how into it he was.

Finally, the pair took a seat to hydrate and have a breather. Miguel casually twirled their disc around on his finger.

Just watching him do this, Andy was sure he hadn't stopped smiling all afternoon. Spending time alone with Miguel for the first time since his secret got out confirmed it. He just couldn't hold his tongue. He did want to do something.

So, taking a deep breath and letting it out to steady his nerves, the blonde forced himself to speak up. "Hey, Miguel..? You know, there's something I've been meaning to talk to you about...uh, I-"

"Andyyyyyyy!"

A voice shouted suddenly from the distance, and both boys looked to find Maya leaping up and down at the crest of the nearest hill on the sidewalk, waving her arms to get the pale boy's attention. Once sure she'd been seen, she darted to come meet the two.

"Andy! Thank goodness, there you are! I need to talk to you right away!" She grabbed for his arm to signal him to get up.

Instantly Andy's thoughts were full of dread at the tone. "Huh? What is it? Is something wrong? Was there an accident? How many survivors?"

"Wha?" Maya shook her head oddly at how fast Andy jumped to conclusions. He really could be dramatic, and this was coming from her. "Not that kind of emergency," she informed, "But something is very wrong. Perdónenos, mi hermano."

Gaze flicking between the twins unsurely, Andy followed Maya's tug and stepped away to distance not to be overheard.

"I'll be here..!" Miguel called after them, feeling a bit awkward about being left alone to just sit, wondering what Andy had been about to try and say. His lips shifted at the disc he held and he began tossing it up in the air and catching it. He missed rather quickly and it bounced off his head.

A couple dozen or so feet away, Maya was professing, "I'm so glad I found you, Andy! I need to apologize!"

The other party blinked. "Apologize? What for? Interrupting? Because that could have been avoided if you just hadn't shouted."

A solid shake of the head. "No, I mean about my promise to you. Andy, I'm sorry, but I can't say for sure if Miguel will like you. To be honest, I'm not even sure if he likes boys. He doesn't think about people like that, and really, the only times I can remember him thinking about romance is if someone else showed interest first." A deep sigh. "I thought if someone liked someone else, it was a sure thing it could go both ways, but as it turns out, things are a lot more complicated. I never meant to disappoint you. I hope you can forgive me."

Andy's face was blank as he listened, certainly a little disappointed that he couldn't have a sure answer, but he could hardly hold it against the ponytailed girl.

When she was done, he let out a breath and gave a weak smile. "It's okay, Maya. Really. Like I said before, neither of us even realized this was a thing until now. And actually, all that stuff you said about wanting to do something? About not being able to leave things alone? Well, you were kinda right. I've been thinking about it, and well, I do want to say something. And in fact, I'm going to. I like Miguel, and letting him know will be more worth the peace of mind of having an answer than holding onto a maybe and losing him to someone else later."

Maya held her hands over her heart, one moving away temporarily to wipe at her eye. "You mean it..? Oh, Andy, that was beautiful..!"

"Yeah, yeah, I'm a poet. Don't get all gooshy about it again." He didn't need any more squealing over his emotions. Or being throttled.

Maya chuckled, trying to contain her glee over managing to inspire the boy to take his own steps. "Well, go get him, boyo. Puedes hacerlo! What's the worst that could happen?"

A tut. "A giant meteor could smash into me and ruin any chance I could have had?"

Maya scoffed. "Auh! What is with you and meteors? Go, rapido, rapido! Bueno suerte!"

As he was shooed, Andy gave a good-natured laugh, appreciating the well-wishes.

He returned to the table where Miguel was absentmindedly twirling the disc again, and the Hispanic boy managed to smack himself in the face with it as he looked up in distraction at his friend's return. As Andy hid a snicker and Miguel rubbed his nose, the brunette asked, "What was that about? Maya did say she was helping you with something. Qué pasa?" If he could help, he wanted to know.

A bit of an awkward chuckle as Andy gave a half shrug and glanced away. "Don't worry about it. I'm about to solve the problem myself right now."

Miguel's brow went up. "You've been having a real problem? Why didn't you tell me? I wouldn't have left you hanging..!" Maybe he didn't approve of his sister's outlandish schemes, but he did approve of her desire to be kind, sharing a will to help out friends and family.

Another awkward noise. "Ehhhh, maybe because you were my problem. Or more like I was my problem, but it was about you...agh."

Miguel's face skewed in perplex. "Huh..? What's wrong with me? What did I do? If I offended you, I'm sorry."

Taking yet another cleansing breath, Andy sat back down at the table and looked at Miguel's face painted in puzzle and worry. Gosh, he was sweet. "You didn't do anything. Trust me," Andy assured, "You've been great since the beginning."

Seeing Miguel even less sure now, he did his best to get to the point. "I love spending time with you, Miguel. Maybe too much. You see...the 'problem' is, well...I like you. I've just got to say it. I really, really like you, and I really hope you don't hate me for it. I know it's weird."

Miguel's cheeks darkened as he finally realized what had been going on. Maya had been trying to push him towards Andy? "O-Oh." Well, no wonder Andy hadn't come to him with this particular concern! Rubbing his arm self-consciously, Miguel hastened to assure, "It's not weird..! I could never hate you for something like that..! Uh, but you really mean like...as in, um..."

Gripping the lip of the table nervously, Andy admitted at barely audible volume, "I mean I...may have dreams about wanting you to kiss me..."

The Hispanic boy felt the heat in his cheeks spreading across his entire face. Oh gosh...he never thought he'd hear something like this, much less from one of his two closest friends! He was flattered, confused, unsure, excited. He didn't know which of the hundred emotions blurring through him to pick, and just blushed as he turned shyly away from the other boy. Andy did the same.

Always a level-headed boy, Miguel's fluster didn't last long, however. He straightened his posture as he turned back towards Andy. Sensing it, Andy looked up curiously, seeing Miguel's set face for a mere second's pause before he'd leaned forward and planted a soft kiss on Andy's lips.

Andy's eyes inflated and his face felt on fire. He felt frozen in flames and time as he stared at the face touching his. Never, never had this been a reaction he could have seen coming!

The contact only lasted a few short seconds before Miguel had pulled back, rubbing his arm again meekly. "Was it...what you wanted..?" he asked sheepishly.

"Haaah..!" Andy could do little more than gawp, unable to believe the other boy had just given him that kiss when asked for it! The blonde's face looked like he'd suffered a very bad sunburn. He could still feel the explosion of those happy tingles buzzing throughout his body, slowly fading away and making way for a swell of bliss in his chest.

All at once, Andy had sprung up from the table and was leaping for joy. "Haha, yes! Yes! YES! Oh my gosh, yes! Woohooooo! I got a kiss! He actually kissed me, oh my goooooooosh! Miguel, why did you kiss me?!"

Amused to see the other performing this frenzied flapping dance, unable to contain his elation, Miguel then hunched as the other stopped and thrust his arms out for him in demand. With a short chuckle, he offered, "I dunno. You like me and you wanted one. I wanted you to be happy and not feel bad about it."

Andy couldn't help another smile spreading, touched as another swell was felt behind his ribs. "Really? You don't think it's weird? You don't want to stop being friends?"

"Of course not!" Miguel insisted, "You're the best sports player I've ever been up against! Uh, don't tell Theo I said that." One hand wobbled in a hush-hush motion.

An automatic tut spilled out of Andy's throat. "Got it. But then...does that mean you do like boys?" His breath was bated hopefully.

A scratch to Miguel's jaw this time. "Well. I never really thought about it like that. Mostly I just like people's personalities. And no boy has asked before. But I do really like you. And I guess the kiss wasn't bad. So maybe?"

Andy could relate to the confusion that must be bouncing around in Miguel's head as he tried to sort himself out. He was so wholesome, being so considerate of Andy's feelings, giving him the kiss he'd longed for and trying to make him feel better.

"Do you wanna be a...thing..?" he felt the urge to ask, "It's okay if you don't! I just...I never expected this! I never thought I'd get far enough to ask!"

Miguel's face deepened in hue again at the prospect. Being a thing with anyone was intimidating and exciting an idea in tandem. To be with Andy, like, officially, the notion sent his heart aflutter. He must not be entirely against the idea of liking boys if that was the case. "No no, it's fine," he assured, putting his palms out peacefully, "Uh. I mean if you want...I guess I don't mind. We can try."

Andy gasped. "You mean it?!"

A timid shrug. "Sure. It'll be fun."

Andy let out another weird noise before entering a second round of elated jumping. From several feet away, where she'd been observing with fingers curled to her chin, Maya called, "Did what I think happened just happen?!"

"Yes!" Andy whooped back, "It's happening! I can't believe it but it's happeniiiiing! We're a thiiiiiing!"

"Ay, fantástico!" Maya did a bit of thrilled bouncing herself. "Oh my gosh, I have to tell Chrissy and Maggie! They'll be so happy for you! And I am too! Felicitaciones!" With a chipper wave, she scampered off to tell her friends how Andy had solved his own problem and it had resulted in such good news.

Miguel shook his head in entertainment. "Ay, everyone's so excitable," he gave in mock complaint. It was nice and all that he and Andy would be together, but all this bouncing around was a little overboard. Endearing, but overboard.

Holding up the flying disc, he polled, "So you wanna play some more, or what?"

"Sure!" Andy agreed, but then came to sit next to Miguel, quite closely, facing him. "But first...can you kiss me again? I really liked that..." He gave a guilty smile as a fresh wave of pink tinged across his cheeks.

Miguel felt a new rise in temperature as well. "Oh man..." What had he gotten himself into? Grinning awkwardly, he supposed more kisses wasn't the worst thing. He'd enjoyed it too. Gingerly, he leaned forward and delivered a fresh peck just like the last one, lingering only a few seconds, but feeling sparks fly between their lips.

Andy seemed to agree. "Again..?" he grinned.

Miguel gave a flushed groan, but complied, lingering longer this time and pressing just a bit harder. Both boys felt a deeper tingle in their bellies.

As soon as they parted, Andy wheedled, "More...please..?"

Miguel ended up pecking those lips over and over, pressing longer each time until his lips were simply massaging against Andy's, the blonde boy melting against him as he savored the dream come true washing over him. He became brave enough to move his lips in turn, and Miguel felt a buzz of alien bliss swarming and growing and feeling like a powerful tickle in his gut until he couldn't take it anymore.

Pushing Andy off, he whined, eyes crushed shut, "No mas! Es vergonzoso! Embarrassing!" How much was Andy going to want to do this? It felt so personal and he was being so greedy!

Andy rubbed the back of his head in guilt. "Sorry...I'm just happy...but you're right. Better give it a rest. So, you were saying something about another round of Frisbee..?"

Letting out a single huff, Miguel managed to recall his proper English. He stood. "Only if you think you can catch the Mega Ultra Supercharged Santos Supreme..!"

"Oho, I'll catch it alright, and return it with enough heat to hit the next county!"

"I'll believe it when I see it, Arlington!"

"You will see it, Santos!"

"So go long and show me already!"

With a merry laugh, Andy obliged, and the two boys celebrated their new connection with a game that felt very much like nothing had been lost between them, or even changed much at all.