“Just whoever we call, whoever we still remember. Some people we obviously forget. I don’t know who my great-great-great-great-grandmother was or anything.”
Julian hummed. “That seems sad.”
Yadriel lifted his shoulders in a small shrug. “I don’t think so. The way I figure it, all of their family they were close to died by now, too, right? So they get to all hang out and party in the afterlife together. There’s no need for them to come back and visit.”
“What’s the afterlife like?” Julian was trying to sound casual, but Yadriel could hear in his voice that he was worried.
“I don’t know,” Yadriel answered honestly.
Julian looked disappointed.
“But it’s got to be really nice. Everyone always comes back smiling and happy.”
“Have you ever asked one of them?”
“No, it’s kind of an … unspoken thing.”
Another long stretch of silence.
“Is there a hell?”
When Yadriel turned his head to look over at Julian, the other boy’s eyes were already staring back. He studied Julian’s face in the pale light streaming in the window.
“Well, there’s Xibalba—”
Julian’s eyes bulged.
“But you won’t end up there!” he rushed to finish. “Seriously, Lady Death makes sure of that.”
“I think I would’ve made a good brujo,” Julian told him, idly toying with Purrcaso’s tail.
Yadriel grinned. “You think so?”
“Definitely.” He nodded. “I’m into the whole portaje aesthetic. Yours is badass.”
Yadriel chuckled. “It’s more than just having a cool knife.”
“I know, I know, I know.” Julian waved him off. “But it’s the coolest part.” He grinned. “It’s really too bad I’m not a brujo.”
“A real shame,” Yadriel agreed, hiding behind a tone of sarcasm.
If Julian were a brujo, they wouldn’t be in this mess. Things would be simpler, easier. They wouldn’t be impossible. Yadriel wouldn’t have to let him go.
He wanted to stay up all night, just talking and answering Julian’s questions, but even though he fought it, eventually Yadriel started to nod off. He changed out of his binder while Julian settled down on the floor with the sleeping bag again.
Bundled up under the covers, Yadriel waited until Julian rolled onto his side, facing away from him. The blue light of his old iPhone shone through his translucent form as Julian scrolled through Yadriel’s music.
Yadriel turned to the window and pulled out Julian’s gray-and-black plaid shirt he’d stashed under his pillow. He rubbed the soft flannel between his fingers. Yadriel closed his eyes and buried his nose in the shirt. As he drifted off to sleep, he breathed in the smell of Julian, but it was already starting to fade.
NINETEEN
“I’m supposed to be in school today, and Maritza said she’d cover for me after school,” Yadriel said. As long as he was present and accounted for by the time Día de Muertos rang in on the church bells, he’d be okay. “So we have all day to do whatever you want.”
“Whatever I want?” Julian repeated, giving Yadriel a doubtful look.
“Whatever you want,” Yadriel confirmed as he combed his hair carefully into style. He didn’t remember dreaming last night, but when he woke up, there was a gaping ache in his chest and the shakiness that chased him into waking after a nightmare.
“Well, within reason,” he added. “We don’t have the time or funds to, like, fly to Hawaii or something.”
“That’s fine, I don’t like pineapple, and ‘fly on a plane’ was never on my bucket list anyways.” Julian shrugged.
“You’ve never been on a plane?” Yadriel didn’t travel all that much, and if they visited his mom’s family in Mexico, they just drove across the border. He’d only flown to Cuba a handful of times to visit his dad’s extended family, but still he was surprised.
“Tch, hell no! Get on a big metal death bird?” Julian shook his head. “Yeah, no, hard pass.”
“Well, you have some time to figure out what you want to do,” Yadriel told him as he loaded up his backpack with items they would need later that night. “We have to pick up some supplies first.”
“I still can’t believe you’re ditching school,” Julian remarked as he stood up from the floor. He was already buzzing with excitement. “You seem too straitlaced for that kind of thing.”
“I’m not straitlaced!” Yadriel scowled.
Julian cocked an eyebrow. “Have you ditched before?”
“… No.”
Julian smirked.
“Oh, shut up.” Yadriel checked his phone again as he tucked his portaje into its sheath against his lower back. He would need it later that night, when it was time to release Julian.
But he didn’t want to think about that right now. Right now, he just wanted to focus on Julian and his last day on earth.
Yadriel sent Maritza one last thank-you text. Twice she’d asked if she could go with them. Whether it was because she wanted to get out of class, or because she didn’t want Yadriel going off on his own with Julian, he wasn’t sure. Either way, Yadriel was letting himself be selfish.
Hoisting the especially heavily backpack onto his shoulders, Yadriel turned to Julian. “Ready?”
But he really hadn’t needed to ask. Julian was all raw electricity and blazing eyes. “God yes.” A wicked grin cut dimples into his cheeks, and Yadriel couldn’t stop himself from grinning back.
“Don’t draw any attention to yourself,” Yadriel warned him. “We still have to get through the cemetery.”
It was the morning of October 31. While most families were decorating for trick-or-treaters, or dressing their kids up for school, it was a very different scenario in the brujx cemetery.
As Yadriel quickly dashed between headstones, men and women filed in and out of the church and down the stone pathways, carrying boxes of candles, stacks of papel picado, and stalks of sugarcane. The resident spirits were also out, walking among the living and chatting excitedly. There were enough that Julian blended in with the crowds, a safe distance from Yadriel.
Lita stood on the steps of the church, calling out instructions and directing people this way and that, like a maestro. She wore one of her best dresses, a white one with short sleeves and brightly embroidered flowers along the neck and hem. A heavy beaded necklace was around her neck with a gold pendant depicting the Maya calendar. Bracelets of gold and jade clacked on her wrists.
His father stood by the gate, pointing people in the right direction as he tried to pat down his wavy hair. He wore a pair of slacks and a short-sleeved guayabera. It was bright red, which Yadriel knew was his mom’s favorite color.
He was about to make a run for it when his dad stopped him. “Yadriel!” he called after, waving him over. He looked nervous, continuing to fuss with his hair.
“I’m in a hurry, Dad,” Yadriel tried to deflect. “Late for school.” Julian slipped out behind his dad’s back, dodging between brujx and spirits alike.
“We need to put the finishing touches on the ofrenda for your mamá, so don’t be late,” his dad said, combing his fingers through his mustache. He smoothed down his shirt and stood up tall, sucking in his gut.
Yadriel just nodded. While he was getting used to sneaking around, he still didn’t have it in himself to lie so blatantly to his dad’s face. He would not be home right after school, probably wouldn’t be back until very late, after—
His stomach clenched. No, he didn’t want to think about that. Right now, he was only looking to make Julian happy. He wouldn’t let himself think past midnight.
Luckily, his dad didn’t seem at all suspicious. Enrique let out a breath, and his stomach pushed against his shirt, spilling a little over the edge of his belt.
Yadriel used his dad’s distraction to his benefit. “Okay, see you tonight!” he called, giving his dad a wave as he ran out the gate and down to where Julian was waiting at the corner.
“So, where to first, patrón?” he asked, walking backward in front of Yadriel.
“The store,” he said.
“For what?”
“Your favorite food. Whatever you want.”
Julian’s eyes lit up. “Whatever I want? But—wait.” He frowned. “For me? But I thought I couldn’t eat normal food?”
“You can’t,” Yadriel agreed, looking both ways before he crossed the street. “It’s for later.”
“What’s later?” Julian asked, jogging after him.
“It’s a secret,” Yadriel told him. He expected Julian to put up a fight, or at least whine and demand answers.
Instead, Julian bit his bottom lip, a wide smile splitting his face. The tips of his ears tinged red, and satisfaction thrummed in Yadriel’s chest.
They went to the local Mexican market. It was a large cement building painted yellow. As they strolled down the aisles, Yadriel dumped anything Julian pointed out into a red hand basket. Quickly, it filled up with packages of Gansitos, two glass bottles of Coke, pink coconut cookies, and some potato chips.