Rainbow High - ALEX SANCHEZ by Alex Sanchez

Author:Alex Sanchez
Language: en-us
Format: mobi

chapter 13 jason nelson kyle

After school Nelson’s friend Amy dropped him off at the mall’s music store. He wanted to buy Jeremy a CD—to help smooth things over when Nelson related his mom’s going mental over the HIV. He was flipping through country music discs when his cell phone rang, displaying Kyle’s number. “Whoa, dude,” Nelson answered. “Some of these cowboys are severely cute.”

“He did it,” Kyle responded. “Jason came out to the team. He just called to tell me.”

“Omigod!” Nelson shouted, snapping his fingers. “I’ve got to congratulate him. What’s his number?”

When Jason answered the phone, Nelson yelled, “Woo-hoo! Congrats, girl! How’s it feel?”

“Um . . .” Jason gave a nervous laugh. “Okay, I guess.”

They talked for several minutes. Actually Nelson did most of the talking, until Jason’s call waiting clicked and he said he had to go.

When Nelson arrived home, his mom had already set the table for dinner. Next to his place setting lay a newspaper clipping headlined: HALF OF ALL NEWAMERICAN HIVINFECTIONS OCCUR IN YOUNGPEOPLE AGES13-24.

Slowly Nelson lifted his gaze from the paper. “Mom?” he uttered through clenched teeth. “Are you whacked?”

“Are you?” she retorted, and carefully spread her napkin on her lap.

Not another word passed Nelson’s lips during dinner. Under his breath he swore he’d never speak to her again.

When the phone rang during dessert, Nelson leaped for it, grateful for the distraction. “City Loony Bin.”

“Nelson?” It was his father’s voice. Great. Just what Nelson didn’t need.

“Hold on.” He extended the receiver out to his mom.

“Who is it?” she asked.

Instead of answering, Nelson started clearing the table.

“Hello?” his mom said, taking the phone. She talked with his dad for a minute, then said, “Nelson! He wants to talk toyou.” “As if,” Nelson replied. Nevertheless, he took the receiver back. “Yeah?”

“Your mother called me about this boy you’re seeing. Why do you have to upset her like this?”

As usual, his dad never bothered to ask Nelson’s side of it.

“I’m not doing this to upset her,” Nelson protested.

“Well,” his dad retorted, “that’s what you’re doing, whether you mean to or not.”

“Yeah?” Nelson glared at his mom. “Did she also tell you how much she enjoyed meeting him? How she said she thinks he’s ‘wonderful’?

Her exact words. ‘Very mature.’ Thinks he’s going to be very good for me.”

His mom frowned, even though every word he’d said was true.

“She told me the boy’s sick,” Nelson’s dad growled.

“He has HIV,” Nelson corrected. “That doesn’t mean he’s sick. He’s healthier than I am.”

His mom crossed her arms, her jaw clenched.

“She wants you to stop going out with him,” his dad insisted. “I want you to listen to her.”

“Likeyouever listened to her,” Nelson snapped back. He wasn’t sure what prompted him to say that. Divorce residue, no doubt. He tossed

the receiver back to his mom. “I’m going out.

“Going outwhere?”his mom demanded. “Nelson, wait!”

But he’d already grabbed his jacket and was out the front door, CD in hand.

As he walked toward the metro, he lit up a cigarette, pulled his cell phone from his pocket, and dialed.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.