Getting It by Alex Sanchez Page A

me,
Carlos thought. He led the boys to his bedroom, feeling even more uncomfortable when Javier whispered, “You’re right, he’s cute,” and Sal replied, “Didn’t I tell you?”
    â€œHey, nice job with the room,” Javier exclaimed. He dropped his backpack onto Carlos’s bed and strode over to the praying mantis. “So this is the bug?”
    Carlos gritted his teeth. How much had Sal told Javier?
    â€œThat’s her!” Sal replied, rolling Carlos’s desk chair in front of the dresser mirror. “So, should we start with hair or face first?” he asked Javier, while guiding Carlos into the chair.
    It was all making Carlos feel weirdly out of place in his own room.
    â€œLet’s begin with a face mask.” Javier pulled a series of tubes and bottles from his backpack. “First, we need to cleanse his pores.”
    â€œYou’re all bottled up inside,” Sal agreed, draping a towel around Carlos’s neck, while Javier smeared a cold, grainy paste onto Carlos’s cheeks, caking his face till only his eyes peered out, raccoonlike.
    Carlos tried to sit still, while growing uncomfortably warm. He wasn’t accustomed to having somebody else touch his face—especially some gay dude he’d barely met. “Um, will this get rid of my zits?”
    â€œIt’ll definitely help,” Javier told him. “You need to do this once a week. I’ll leave the can with you.”
    Meanwhile, Sal took hold of Carlos’s hand. “We’ve really got to work on your nails. They’re one of the first things a girl looks at.”
    Javier nodded in agreement. “Who knows why they’re so obsessed with guys’ hands, but they are.”
    â€œFirst you clip down to the pink,” Sal explained, snipping away with a pair of nail clippers. “Fingernails should be rounded. Toenails can be straighter. Give me your other hand.”
    Carlos switched hands and Javier pulled out an emery board, filing the trimmed nails. “After you clip, then you smooth them down.”
    Carlos stared in the mirror at the two gay guys holding his hands. Maybe it was better to close his eyes.
    â€œDoes he know about cuticles?” Javier asked. Carlos cracked one eye open again.
    â€œOh, good point,” Sal replied, and explained to Carlos about taking care of cuticles and hangnails. Then Javier grabbed several bottles from his backpack and led Carlos to the bathroom to wash off the face mask.
    As the three boys crowded in around the sink, Javier explained: “Now, here’s what you do on a daily basis: First, you use a gentle foaming cleanser to wash away dirt without taking away your necessary oils. That’s this one.” He held up a white bottle. “Use it twice a day, when you wake up and before you go to bed. Do it now to practice.”
    While Carlos massaged the foam into his face, Javier pulled out a clear bottle. “Good. Now, after that, use a mild toner. Witch hazel is cheap, natural, and fragrance-free. It’ll help contract those large, unsightly pores and get rid of residues your cleanser couldn’t.”
    Carlos wiped his face outside, while inside, his head was swimming. Did the straight guys on
Queer Eye
feel this uncomfortable? How would he ever remember all this?
    As if reading his mind, Sal reassured him. “Don’t worry, we’ll write down instructions.”
    â€œLast …” Javier brought out a jar. “You use an oil-free moisturizer. I know that sounds girly, but your skin will thank you.”
    â€œAnd remember,” Sal broke in, “the best moisturizer is water. You need to drink at least eight to ten glasses a day. Not Coke or coffee
—water.”
    â€œDoes he take vitamins?” Javier asked Sal, and Sal looked at Carlos.
    â€œSometimes,” Carlos mumbled.
    â€œYou should take a multivitamin every day,” Javier told him, “to help