Free Rainbow Boys by Alex Sanchez

it. “Did you always know you were …” His voice trailed off.
    Fortunately, Kyle seemed to get his drift. He grabbed the bill of his cap and nodded. “Well, yeah. I didn’t know what it was called …
    until sixth grade, when I saw this headline in the newspaper.” He flipped the bill of his cap up, then back down. “A fter that, I heard guys talk about, you know, queers. I felt embarrassed. I kept to myself a lot. My mom got pretty worried. She didn’t know what was going on.
    She still doesn’t know. It wasn’t till I met Nelson that I started coming out.” Jason hadn’t expected such an involved answer. “But how did you know for certain?” Kyle scratched his head beneath his cap and shrugged. “I knew I liked guys.” The simplicity of Kyle’s response bothered Jason. His hands dripped with sweat as he leaned toward Kyle. “Well, you don’t look, you know, I mean … Like Nelly—I mean, Nelson. You can tell he is. Have you two …?” Kyle shifted on the bed. “Huh? No! No, we’re just friends.” He pulled his cap off and ran a hand through his hair. “I’ve never, you know
    … I’ve never done anything with anyone, girl or guy.”
    Jason stared at him, feeling silly for ever worrying that Kyle would make a move on him. He wiped his palms across his pants.
    Kyle twirled his cap. “I never know what to say.” The cap spun out of his hands and rolled across the carpet.
    Jason picked it up and tossed it back to him.
    “Thanks.” Kyle smiled. “I’m always afraid that, I don’t know, if I told a guy I liked him, he’d punch me out or something.” He wrung the cap in his hands and looked up at Jason. “But I don’t want to bore you with all my problems.” Jason wasn’t bored. It was the first time he’d ever talked with another boy about shit like this. Though it made him sweat as much as a workout, it was better than sitting in a room full of people whom he didn’t even know.
    Kyle pulled his cap back on. “Well, I’d better help you with your math.”
    Jason nodded. He felt disappointed that Kyle didn’t want to talk anymore, but he also knew that if his hands sweated any more, there would be a puddle on the carpet. He took his math book out of his backpack. “I should warn you. I don’t get this stuff.” Kyle shrugged, sliding his chair over. “We’ll go slow.”
    Jason opened the book. “I mean it. I really suck.”
    “That’s okay. We can’t all be good at everything. My basketball sucks.”
    Jason laughed, remembering Kyle in tenth-grade gym class. He did suck at hoops—he tensed up too much.
    Kyle began explaining the equations. He made a lot more sense than Perez ever did. He explained each step, then stopped and asked a question, like Coach Cameron did when he described plays. A nd Jason understood it.
    In fact, it seemed like they had just started when he heard the front door. He looked at the clock on the nightstand and saw they’d been studying for nearly two hours. He’d never sat through math that long.
    Footsteps sounded in the hall. Jason realized how close he and Kyle were sitting. Shit. He stood up just as Melissa burst into the room.
    “Jay!” She ran to him.
    He picked her up and swung her around. “Hey, monkey. Say hi to Kyle.”
    She waved hello to Kyle as Jason’s mom leaned in the doorway.
    “Hi, Mom. Kyle’s helping me with math.”
    His mom smiled. “Great. Hi, Kyle.” She turned to Jason. “Honey, can you bring in the groceries?” Kyle helped unload the car, carrying several bags at a time. He was a lot stronger than he looked, Jason thought. It must be the swimmer’s muscles. He thanked him for his help with the math.
    Kyle beamed, grabbing his backpack. “I can help you again sometime, if you want.”
    “Yeah?” Jason said. “That’d be great.” He meant it.
    Kyle waved, “Laters,” and walked down the street. Jason watched him for a moment, then carried the two six-packs of his dad’s beer into the kitchen, where his mom