Free Rainbow Road by Alex Sanchez Page A

line of half-naked dancers circling the fire to the frenzied drumbeat.
    For Kyle this whole Faerie experience seemed both over-the-top fascinating and also a little overwhelming—like coming upon a whole tribe of Nelsons. He’d always admired his best friend’s outrageous individuality, but he never imagined an entire community like him.
    Adding to Kyle’s sense of being overwhelmed was the sight of female breasts for the first time in his life—live and in person.
    Any doubts he’d ever had about his gayness were immediately dispeled as the bare boobs jiggled past, only inches away. Reflexively, he turned away. Yep, he was gay. No doubt about it.
    In contrast, Jason grinned a ful show of pearly whites each time a pair of girl-boobs paraded by, causing Kyle to squirm nervously beside him. His boyfriend’s sexual feelings toward girls had always been a source of confusion for Kyle. And after picking Nelson’s vest off the ground, dusting it off, and folding it neatly on his lap, Kyle held tight to Jason as they waited for Nelson to tire out.
    Around midnight the drumming reached a fever pitch. A guy with deer antlers strapped to his head, wearing only a bearskin cape and high-tops, leaped over the fire. Several young men in camouflage pants with ferns growing out of their pockets howled at the moon. And Voluptuous Clorox whirled bosomy circles around the flames.
    Folowing that, the drumming and dancing waned as Faeries drifted off into the woods toward their houses.
    “It’s time for bed,” Kyle told Nelson.
    “But where’s Horn-Boy?” Nelson asked.
    “Forget him, dude,” Jason said. “Let’s go to sleep.”
    They stopped for water at the main house, then the three of them climbed inside their tent and crashed, exhausted.
    A couple of times during the night, Kyle had to nudge Jason to rol over to stop his snoring. But other than that, he slept peacefuly, his arms encircling the boy he loved.
    And that’s how he woke the next morning, watching the dawn’s soft light slowly iluminate Jason’s face. As birds cooed their morning songs, Kyle’s entire being yearned to make morning love. But unfortunately that wasn’t going to happen today, with Nelson there.
    Kyle sat up and put on his glasses. Gazing out the door, he saw that their tent overlooked a seemingly endless valey, flanked by layer after layer of mountains.
    When Jason stirred behind him, Kyle whispered, “Look! That’s like our life, stretching into the future.”
    “Huh?” Jason sat up, rubbing the sleep from his eyes. “That’s pretty.” He scratched his chest and pecked Kyle a kiss. “Hey, I wonder … You think maybe they’ve got a court here?”
    They left Nelson sleeping and walked toward the houses. Along the way they came across a guy in an orange miniskirt chopping wood. Jason asked, “You guys got a hoop around here?”
    Miniskirt Guy gave Jason a blank look. “You mean, like, for basketbal?” He shook his head. “Nah.”
    “How can these guys not have a hoop?” Jason asked Kyle as they ambled on toward the bathhouse. After they showered and washed up, they continued on to the main house.
    Breakfast consisted of yogurt, raisins, pomegranate juice, and applesauce pancakes made by Voluptuous Clorox, who—to Kyle’s relief—now wore a tie-dyed Tshirt.
    After Jason and he had eaten, Kyle carried a covered plate of pancakes and some juice back to the tent for Nelson, hoping to rouse him. But Nelson wouldn’t budge.
    “I’m not waiting for him,” Jason complained. He unzipped Nelson’s sleeping bag, grabbed his ankles, and dragged him out of the tent.
    “What the hel!” Nelson woke up kicking and screaming. “Leave me alone!”
    “Get your lazy butt up!” Jason dropped his ankles onto the ground. “I’m not waiting around for you every morning.”
    “Screw you!” Nelson shouted, puling himself up.
    “In your dreams.” Jason grinned.
    “No, in my nightmares,” Nelson shot back.
    To calm him down, Kyle handed