Rainbow Road by Alex Sanchez

how Jason had taught him to pitch crumpled scratch paper perfectly into the wastebasket, while Kyle helped Jason study math. It had been a step in their friendship.

    Apparently, however, it wasn’t going to be a part of Nelson’s friendship. “Forget it!” he told Jason and started once more toward the bathhouse.
    Jason watched him traipse away, then gave a shrug and tossed a perfect swoosh.
    Kyle walked to the camp store, bought some milk and bananas, and returned to their site to prepare cereal. Beside the wooden picnic table he found the rum bottle from last night, stil three-quarters ful. An instant later he was pouring it out, watering a pine tree.
    “What are you doing?” Jason asked, walking up from the court.
    “I didn’t come on this trip to watch Nelson get drunk every night.” He tossed the empty bottle into the trash can. “Want some cereal?” Kyle prepared them each a heaping bowl and said to Jason, “Can I ask…. How can you drink after everything that happened with your dad?” He hoped Jason would respond with something like: I’m sorry, Kyle. l can tell it worries you. I won’t do it again .
    But instead Jason chomped hungrily on his Wheaties. “I’m not a drunk,” he said simply. “I know when to stop.”
    “But I’ve heard,” Kyle insisted, “that alcoholism runs in families.”
    Jason rested his spoon and gave Kyle a cold stare across the table. “I’m not my dad, okay?” Kyle nodded and said softly, “Okay.”
    Nelson returned on the path from the bathhouse, carrying his toiletry kit in one hand while finishing a cigarette with the other.
    “Want some cereal?” Kyle asked.
    “God, no! I feel like a vulture is tearing out my stomach.”
    He raised the trash can lid to stub out his cigarette butt. “Hey, what’s my rum—?” He puled out the empty bottle and stared through the glass, obviously bewildered.
    Kyle braced himself on the picnic table. “I poured it out.”
    Nelson stared at him openmouthed. “Do you know how much trouble I went through for this? It wasn’t yours to throw out. Why’d you do that?” Kyle’s neck grew warm. “Because I’m not going to have you getting drunk every night.”
    “I wasn’t drunk.”
    “Yeah, you were. You should’ve told me you were bringing alcohol so we could discuss it.”
    “And you”—Nelson tossed the bottle back into the trash can—“should’ve told me before you poured my rum out.” He slammed the metal lid down. “I can’t believe you. That is so controling!”
    Kyle bit into his lip, suddenly unsure. What had prompted him to throw out something that wasn’t his? He’d never acted that way before. But then he’d never watched his best friend get drunk and put the make on his boyfriend, either.
    As Nelson stormed toward the car, fuming and cursing, Kyle glanced at Jason, looking for help. But Jason merely shrugged. “Once my mom poured every bottle of my dad’s booze down the toilet. And you know what? It didn’t solve anything.”
    Kyle gazed across the table at the boy he’d spent the night holding in his arms. So what if Nelson had tried to put the make on him? Hadn’t Jason quite plainly rebuffed his advances? And wasn’t the whole notion of Nelson actualy being able to score with Jason kind of ridiculous?
    Kyle stirred his spoon in his soggy bowl of cereal, feeling pretty foolish.

chapter 14
    Jason took down their tent while Kyle apologized to Nelson for pouring out his rum. “I’m sorry, okay?” Jason had thought Kyle was acting crazy dumping out the booze, but the whole evening before had been crazy, with Nelson teling him he had an awesome body and wanting to get naked.
    “Here.” Jason handed Nelson a Coke as they packed up the car. “It’l help settle your stomach.”
    “Thanks,” Nelson grumbled. “You want to drive? I’m too wiped.” He tossed Jason the keys. “Just don’t crash it, okay?” As they climbed into the car, Jason bumped his knees on the steering column and