Rainbow Road by Alex Sanchez

brick building that had been home to the original Grand Ole Opry, hosting performers ranging from Minnie Pearl to Patsy Cline to Bruce Springsteen. He insisted they get their souvenir picture taken on stage, paying for it himself. He grabbed the prop banjo and told Kyle, “Open your mouth like you’re realy singing!”
    Kyle grabbed the guitar and they posed behind the stage mike while the tour attendant took their photo.
    The picture came out great, except for the fact that Jason wasn’t in it.
    After the Opry the boys wandered along the honky-tonk shops and clubs on Broadway. Nelson took a camera phone photo of a cute cowboy playing his guitar on the sidewalk. After that he asked Kyle, “Why’d you stop me from getting laid with Horn-Boy last night?” The question didn’t surprise Kyle. He’d figured Nelson would bring it up eventualy. “First of al,” he explained, “because you’d just met the guy. You can’t sleep with someone you just met.”
    “Why not? It’s just sex.”
    “It’s not just sex,” Kyle said in a low voice, embarrassed that other tourists walking by might hear them. “It’s never just sex. You’re trusting a guy with one of the most special parts of you—and you need to know him first.”

    “Oh, Kyle!” Nelson swung his arm around him. “You’re so old-fashioned.”
    “Plus,” Kyle added, “you were stoned, giggling al nutty-like. First it’s rum, then it’s pot, what’s it going to be next? Crack?”
    “Yeah, boy crack.” Nelson gave a sly grin. “You’re overreacting, Kyle.”
    “No, I’m not! Drugs screw up your judgment. You could’ve done something unsafe.”
    “I would’ve been safe.” Nelson reached into his pocket and puled out a condom. “See?”
    “Would you put that away?” Kyle felt the color rushing into his face. “Even with a condom, he might’ve had some disease besides HIV. Every day the news reports some new drug-resistant STD.”
    “You are so controling,” Nelson groaned and shoved the condom back into his pocket. “Just like my mom. What did she tel you, anyway?”
    “To look after you,” Kyle answered. He was enjoying being with Nelson, just the two of them, in spite of having to chew him out—and even though he missed Jason.
    He swung his arm around Nelson, and Nelson smirked. “So that means you’l decide if I get laid or not?”
    “No.” Kyle stopped at a DON’T WALK signal, holding Nelson back. “It means I’m not going to let you do something stupid.” Nelson darted a glance at him, then looked each way down the traffic-empty street.
    “Kyle,” he said at last, not bothering to keep his voice down. “I think you need to stop trying to control me. You and Jason better get laid. Soon!” With that he stepped into the street, crossing against the signal, leaving Kyle amid the stares of the crowd.
    But even though Kyle’s cheeks grew hot, he remained lawfuly on the curb, wondering if Nelson was right.

chapter 17
    As Jason had headed toward the school down the street from the boys’ parked car, he’d seen in the distance a group of African-American guys playing ful-court.
    Immediately he felt a connection, like family, and counted the number of players: five-on-five.
    On the empty court beside them, Jason began the drils Coach Gameron had given him—a little self-conscious at first because of the guys on the next court, until he got into the flow of his shooting workout.
    As he dribbled across the concrete, he tried to sort out his thoughts about the crazy Faeries and their sanctuary. He’d never experienced anything as wild as that before: the wacky clothes guys wore, the tribelike dancing around the fire, and the girls flaunting their boobs in his face.
    That topless thing had totaly crazed him. But why? Hadn’t he figured out he was gay? Then why’d he gotten so excited by bare girl titties? Kyle and Nelson obviously hadn’t.
    Jason began shooting free throws to calm his troubled mind. After about the tenth