Rainbow High

This book while being a sequel to Rainbow Boys continues where the first book left off w/ Jason, Kyle and Nelson. It starts out w/ a quick recap of the first book. Now here comes the continuation of the story.

Nelson and Jeremy go on a date for pizza and a movie - trying to keep light subjects since trying to focus on something other than those test results which were being waited on. Jeremy kept worrying throughout the date of what Nelson's test results were.

Monday after school, Kyle and Nelson went to help stress while getting the HIV test. When Nelson was testing, Kyle wanted to get it done as well (What the hell). When Kyle got home, his parents gave him an envelope of a college reply. He had been accepted by Tech, as well as Nelson and Jason. But then he/Kyle worried about the result of going away.

Up to this point, Jason had come out to important people in his life; Corey - his best friend, Debra - his ex, his mom and his little sister. Next, he still whethered to come out to Coach. Jason sill, while they each held a special place in his life, debated coming out to teammates. He was sick of hiding and his environment surrounding him. Privately in Coach's office, he hinted around, but Coach got the clear message he was initially saying. He was equally supportive. After this, a blue-haired Nelson responded to this.

Going to the doctor's to receive his test results, Nelson and Kyle both went, with Nelson scared SHITLESS. Already a ball of nerves, Nelson reached out for Kyle's hand. Without missing a beat, Kyle squeezed back. Nelson felt a semblance of peace. A horrified Nelson had to go find out his test results alone, due to clinic rules. His results read: negative. After this event, Nelson still wanted Jeremy - someone who was already POSITIVE. Kyle was really scared for Nelson b/c of what hey just went through. Kyle and Nelson both knew this wouldn't be the last time they go for a test if Nelson went w/ Jeremy. It GENUINELY scared Kyle. Whenever Kyle needed anything, Nelson was there.

Jason went to Kyle's for homework help. What began as studying became a make-out session until his/Kyle's mom knocked on the door w/ pie and milk at hand. It was after that Nelson inner-embarrassment of what happened forced him to leave and go home. At lunch the next day, Jason confided to Corey about coming out to Coach. On the same day, Debra was still hurt about feeling somewhat used by Jason since he came out like she was an experiment that lasted for 2 years. At the Coach's suggestion, Jason went and talked to Ms. MacTraugh about his confliction on coming out. He boldly and honestly, w/ the same reciprocated, asked her if she was gay? She told him the truth - she was. After dinner that night, while she was doing the bills, Jason told his mom about coming out to Coach and plans for school.

Eager to speak w/ Jeremy, Nelson phoned him a 3rd time wanting to talk since his test results came in. Nelson went over there, gave Jeremy the results and helped him w/ his laundry, which led to kissing and stopping to take him home. Nelson then informed Jeremy that his mom wanted to meet him. She liked him. When Kyle and Jason spoke on the phone, Kyle brazenly asked Jason if he was "SAFE" when he was w/ Debra? At first he was, then it was unprotected. The next day, Kyle went for swim practice only to find some harassment and the Coach, privately, said/requested that since coming out for him to dress last alone in the locker room due to uncomfortability - Fine! When Kyle got home, he received word that he had been accepted to Tech. The same school Nelson was going to. He called him w/ excitement. Also was an acceptance to Princeton., which upset Nelson to hang up quickly.

It was over the loudspeaker at school that Jason was called into the principal's office, where he was met by Principal Mueller and the Coach. When he got there he found that Mueller urged him to stay closeted until the basketball season finished. As to not gain a bad rep finishing the season, Jason needed someone to talk to about this so he went to Kyle. After discussing the situation, when Kyle left, Jason's mom asked about Kyle which Jason re-assured her of who Kyle was.

Out of boredom, Nelson went to the grocery store with his mom and picked out a card for Jeremy, which Nelson's mom instantly knew who it was for. She invited him to dinner. Alone in his room, Nelson gave Jeremy the card he'd bought. Later the next week, Nelson wanted to tell his mom about dating someone who was already POSITIVE. He just kept holding off. One night after a P-FLAG meeting that his mom went to solo, he found the PERFECT opportunity to tell her. Since she liked Jeremy he found it harder to tell. Questioning led to the truth. Being a mom - she freaked! She forbade him to date Jeremy. He grabbed his jacked and stormed out and lit a cigarette! Walking halfway he'd already gone to Kyle's. But where else could he go?

When Nelson got there, his mom obviously kept calling w/ Nelson silently refusing to talk. After he finally did talk, he went home an hour later. After he left, Kyle had confessed that he did get into Princeton but had chosen Tech plans to his parents.  After an argument ensued due to his parents thinking that Kyle turned it down due to Jason, he retaliated to pay for it himself. But still they wanted him to chose wisely! Leave Jason  or pass up Princeton?

The next day at lunch, Nelson was being harassed by Dwayne, shouting and shoving. Only then does Jason step beside him. When it seemed heated, the cafeteria monitor broke it up w/o violence due to a promise that Jason made to Mueller. Afterwards Jason went to see Coach, he opted for Jason to have a special meeting w/ the team to come out once and for all. Thinking about his promise to Mueller he tried that and it didn't work. Now, he looked at the Coach more seriously since he seen how much this man was putting himself on the line for him - more than Jason's ever did. The reason way was simple: he believed in Jason. Shortly after he ran in his ex, Debra, whom he was avoiding. They walked together as he updated her. She seemed upset. Fidgety and nervous after algebra, he BOLTED  to Kyle's locker, in which he gave him the best advice he could. Coach gave him the floor to speak before practice. He BOLDLY and brazenly came out to his teammates. One teammate tried to challenge Coach's warning about the consequential result of harassing Kyle. In the locker room after practice, the team began joking w/ him, but while grateful and laughing he was in the shower - crying.

After dinner that night, Nelson received a call from his father after being  given a newspaper clip from his mom about HIV. His dad called on behalf of his mom's request for Nelson to stop seeing his boyfriend. What the hell right did he/his dad have? Afterwards he ran to Jeremy's. What turned into venting became more when Nelson arrived he found Jeremy VERY nauseous and sick. A reaction to his meds. Nelson stayed and helped through the worst of all of it. Volunteering to stay and spend the night to help. Instead he went home and thought about the beauty of what he did that night for Jeremy. He was there for the one he loved to take care of him.

Even though the spectacle of coming out to the school was dying down, Jason was called to the office only to find the principal and the Coach. TV News Channel 7 wanted to interview Jason about his coming out. Normally  it was over sports or something. But never personal. A ball of confliction due to fear it might harm his college chances. The interview went great - scary but great! After it was over, he gave Nelson and Kyle some re-assurance for the answers he gave during the interview, which hurt/upset Kyle.

When they got Kyle's, Nelson TRIED all he could of to get Kyle out of his mopiness. The following day Nelson begged  for Kyle to cover for him if his mom called b/c he was really going to see Jeremy. They had planned to meet Jeremy's friends. Matt and Bob both had HIV. As a group, Nelson felt left out since everyone else had a common bond. Nelson had a surge to "join in". Disbelieving he gave Nelson a firm understanding of what it was he was asking for! When they got back to Jeremy's, they began to make out and go farther, but a glass fell over - shattering during the heated session. Picking up the glass made Jeremy start to bleed. A small joke made Jeremy SNAP back, which was bad enough for Nelson since he received that kind of treatment at home. After that Jeremy softened. He tried to apologize but it was too late and Nelson dressed and left. When he got home, first his mom chewed him out about where he REALLY was. Then he called Kyle and retold him the evening's disaster and Jeremy's shoving him. After their talk, he went to bed still pissed at Jeremy.

Catching the bus to a swim meet, Kyle started to look for a seat/sit but was called out rudely by someone he could've sat next to. So he sat next to Cindy, Cory's girlfriend. But the vulgarity didn't stop there throughout the trip. When the Coach spoke w/ Kyle, she said that he brought it on himself by vocally coming out. After defending himself from that, she barred him from the meet - period! After talking to his dad on the phone, he apologized and was was re-entered to compete! The next day after, Kyle decided to outdo the harassment and do his best - which was better than that. Charlie the bully tried to start-up again at the locker afterward, which Kyle ignored and showered for the first time in weeks. Talking w/ his dad on the way home, he no longer felt angry at Jason.

After Jason's TV broadcast, his mom was finally forced to deal w/ his being gay. The phone rang w/ Kyle on the line. After the "weird" start-up talk,  Kyle asked if could come over. Arriving w/ a gift and talking things over  from the trip/meet. Patching and making up. At school, things were getting better. The team had gotten through Jason's coming out and the school would've been better for it. On Saturday night, a very ANXIOUS game - in which Jason won - the championship. But it was more than that. It was about a coach and a team who'd accepted him.  He did it! After the game, Kyle put his arm around Jason totally uncaring of who seen it! When asked on camera by the news if Kyle was his boyfriend, Jason didn't think twice and answered Honestly! then kissed him in front of everyone.

Early the next morning while still asleep, Jason's cellphone rang at Nelson's. He answered w/ Jeremy on the receiver. He did accept a coffee date, which he anticipated. Even though he was still pissed at his mom, he gave her warning. When he kissed him on the cheek, Nelson no longer wanted to break up. Nervously, he apologized for his actions, sincerely. With a jolt to speak, Nelson spilled too much to take back. But reality hit to where they broke up. The response hit Nelson like a car. Holding on for 3 blocks, Nelson called Kyle on his cell and just emotionally fell apart - wishing he could believe everything Kyle was saying. When he got home, his mom tried pity for what Nelson KNEW would happen with his dad. After she confessed her displeasure only for him to spill what Jeremy dumped him. Too depressed he went to bed. Truth is: He's hurt!

At school, two girls that Kyle hardly knew ran up giggling asking if Jason was his boyfriend. He had answered honestly -yes! Taunts and jeers came his way all day. At dinner that night, Kyle was logically wondering about the result of leaving Jason to go Princeton and losing him. Jason on the other hand felt like shit for not encouraging Kyle - completely stressing. Jason received a letter to Coach from Tech canceling his schlorship. Where could he go to school now? Feeling it was due to his being gay. Walking out before last period, he found himself at Kyle's. After mounting stress, Kyle and Jason went upstairs to "let it go/out". When he got home, Jason told his mom about what happened and why he left school early.

After much mental anguish and all they'd gone through, Nelson asked Jeremy to go to his prom - as friends. He accepted a date to go. The week of Kyle's final swim meet, things w/ the team had gotten loads better thanks to the meeting. During that meeting w/ the swim coach, Kyle's dad defended his sexuality, his son and his position to it's fullest extent. Kyle felt complete pride for his dad. It was the closest he'd felt to him in years. Since the GSA approved same-sex dates and Kyle made Nelson call Jeremy, Nelson made Kyle call Jason for a prom date. He agreed to go! After everything he'd gone though in just the past few months, Kyle thought he was the luckiest boy on earth.

Walking to get ice cream, Jason and Kyle spotted Coach Cameron w/ his family. Kyle had introduced himself while Jason went nervous/blood-red. Jason felt pride for what happened there in the mall. As Ms. MacTraugh's suggestion, Jason vented all of his anger from Tech into a letter to get it out of him. When Jason got home, his mom gave him an envelope w/ a fan letter from what they just seen on TV. Yeah - he did lose the schlorship, but gained something better. Role Model status.

The week before prom, Nelson hurried. When the time came his mom cried in "mom-mode". After dropping him off at Kyle's, they hurried and readied in his room, w/ Kyle's dad helping w/ ties on both boys. A little nervous at first, but settled. Their dreams came true that night for Nelson and Jeremy, Kyle and Jason. Ignoring him most of the night, Nelson mustered up and had the time of his life. He realized everything he'd gone through and more. He was just happy and grateful to be at the place he was, where he was going and it was ALL worth it!