Chapter 43: Winter Things

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Brandy

Today was the first time I had taken public transit in weeks. Andrew, Benji's driver, has been driving me everywhere, especially to my internship. Speaking of my internship at Cruz Enterprises, things have been going really well. For once I feel at place like I am doing something right. I am the youngest person at the office which can be seen as intimidating on my side, but really it's powerful. I am the youngest person to work there. Me.

I've been wearing nothing but winter jackets and mittens every day because winter in New York is brutal. It's been snowing for a few days already which I am not exactly loving. Snow means no skateboarding, which for a long time used to bother me. Now that I'm not concerned about that I can appreciate the white layers over the city a little bit more.

Benji and I went shopping for Christmas decorations earlier today and now we are setting up our apartment for the season for the very first time. Christmas is in four days, so yes, we are a tad late. We bought a huge green tree—because white ones are super fucking tacky, along with a ton of ornaments and candles.

"Where did you put the skateboard ornament?" I ask Benji as I look through our shopping bags.

"It should be there," he says as he continues to wrap the lights around the tree.

"I can't find it." I sigh. "That is the only ornament that actually matters to me."

"I thought you were done with that."

"With what?"

"Skateboarding," he answers plainly. "I thought you were done with it."

I shrug. "I'm never done with it. I just haven't had time for it," I stammer. "And it's snowing now, how could I possibly go skating?"

"Well, you can't go skateboarding but technically you can go skating," he says. "Do you want to go skating? Like, actual skating. Skating on thin ice."

I chuckle. "I've never seen you skate before. You'll fall," I promise.

"I will not." He laughs. "Come on, let's go skating.  I... I've never been skating before."

"How did I not know that?" I gasp. "Who the hell hasn't been skating before? Your whole childhood makes me sad."

"Well I didn't have a childhood," he jokes. "Or not the typical one, anyway. My childhood consisted of formal dinners in suits, daily piano lessons and an absolutely no laughing rule around adults."

"Okay," I sigh. "Then let's go skating."

"I'll change." He smiles.

You'd think that after almost nineteen winters in New York that I would be used to the cold, but somehow I'm surprised every time the wind blows. I shiver, shake and tremble when a rush of cold air hits me, which is practically every second.

Benji, on the other hand, is such a guy. He could be wearing shorts and a t-shirt in this weather and be totally fine. I never quite understood that. Do boys not get cold? Or are they just pretending not to be cold to pull off the whole "I don't get cold because I'm a guy" thing? Or maybe he's just a vampire.

We get to Wollman Rink and rent two pairs of skates: a size seven and a size twelve. I laugh when Benji struggles to put his skates on like he's never tied a pair of shoes before.

"I didn't tie my shoes growing up," he says. "I didn't learn until I was thirteen. Maybe fourteen, actually."

"That is ridiculously sad." I laugh. "Let me guess. The maids tied your shoes for you?"

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