Rainbow High by Alex Sanchez

results in a student being cal ed to my office, I take it very seriously.” Jason shuffled his shoes on the floor, wishing Muel er would get to the point.
    “Quite frankly,” Muel er continued, “I was surprised when Coach informed me what you’d confided in him. Very surprised. Have you thought about how your teammates might react to this?”
    “Yeah.”
    “Real y?” Muel er chal enged. “Tel me. How do you think they’l react?”
    “Wel . . .” Jason felt his stomach grinding. “I’m not sure.”
    Muel er tossed the rubber band aside. “You think they’l be happy and congratulate you?” Jason gritted his teeth, resisting the urge to vol ey back some equal y sarcastic response. “They’l probably be upset,” he said in a low voice.
    “Yes. That’s exactly right.” Muel er gave a sigh. “Jason, what I’m trying to get at . . . This isn’t just about you. It’s about your team. Do you even care about your team?”
    “Yeah, I care about them!” Jason answered so loud that Muel er reeled in response.
    Jason sat up straight in his chair, trying to anticipate what might happen next.
    It was Coach who spoke. “Jason cares a lot about the team. That’s why he came to me with this.” Jason glanced at Coach. The mere sight of his steady, confident expression made Jason sit even tal er.
    Muel er’s eyes darted between Coach and Jason, til he let out a breath. “I believe you do care about the team, Jason.” His voice had switched tone again, now uncannily sincere. “You know why? Because I’ve seen you on the court. You’re one of the best team players our school has ever had.”
    Then why’d you challenge me just now? Jason wondered.
    “And you’ve made too great a contribution to this school to just toss it away like this.” Jason listened careful y, trying to guess where the principal was heading.
    “I’m going to be blunt,” Muel er said. “If you feel the need to jeopardize your future with this, that’s one thing. But for you to risk upsetting your team as we head toward the state title ...” He shook his head as if genuinely mystified. “I can’t believe you’d do that, Jason.” At the words “state title,” something clicked in Jason’s mind. Was that why Muel er was concerned about him coming out? If it was, Muel er could take a hike.
    “A lot of these boys look up to you, Jason. I see it in their eyes. I hear how fondly they speak of you.” Oh, no, Jason thought. Not again. Much as he tried to resist, the role model crud got to him every time.
    “I know you’ve got a lot going on,” Muel er said, bringing a hand to his forehead. “Between school and the state championships, it’s no wonder you feel pressured to come out with this. But don’t you agree it might make sense to wait a few more weeks? Let your teammates celebrate another winning season? Would you be wil ing to do that for them?” Jason shifted his feet, trying to wade between the BS and the truth. He had to admit Muel er had a point. Would it hurt to wait?
    He turned to Coach for guidance, but Coach gestured back to him.
    “This one’s up to you, Jason.”
    Jason glanced down at his chewed-up fingernails. He’d waited seventeen and a half years. What were a few more weeks?
    “Okay,” he told Muel er.
    “Great!” the principal exclaimed, extending his hand. “I know we’l win this title.” Jason shook Muel er’s hand, though inside he was thinking, We?
    As they left the meeting Coach patted Jason on the back. “I could tel that was a tough decision.”

    “Yeah,” Jason said, his voice barely a whisper.
    “Hey.” Coach stopped and looked him square in the eye. “Stop by to talk if you need to. You have my home number. Al right?” Jason nodded as the bel started ringing. A second later students began pouring into the hal .
    For the rest of the day Jason tried to reconcile what he’d done. Had it been the right thing? Or a wimp-out?
    He needed to talk to someone about it. But whom?
    Not