Rainbow Road by Alex Sanchez

pulse quickened as he checked his front pocket. “I think I left my walet in the car.”
    “I’l pay.” Nelson puled out his own bilfold.
    “I’m going to look for it,” Kyle said and hurried outside. The walet contained his driver’s license and half of Jason’s money.
    His heart pounded as he searched under the seats, in the CD compartment, and everywhere else the walet could’ve gone to. How could he tel Jason he’d lost two hundred bucks of his money? And how could he drive without his license?
    “I can’t find it,” he announced to Jason and Nelson as they carried their drinks and food across the hot blacktop to the car.
    “Oh my God!” Nelson screamed. “You lost it?”
    “Where’d you have it last?” Jason asked.
    “At the museum …” Kyle thought back. “Buying our tickets. I’m sure I put it back in my pocket.” He felt his pants as if he could’ve somehow overlooked the leather lump. “Half your money was in there. I’l pay you back.”
    He watched guiltily as Jason’s forehead furrowed with worry lines. “Where’s the other half?”
    “In the glove compartment.” Kyle reached down and flipped open the latch, puling out the envelope to prove he stil had it.
    “That’s a clever hiding place.” Nelson puled a French fry out of the bag and chomped on it. “No thief would ever think to look there.”
    “I’m really sorry,” Kyle told Jason. “I don’t know how I lost it.”
    Jason took a deep breath and let it out again. “Wel, you didn’t mean to lose it.”
    “Maybe the museum found it.” Nelson handed Kyle his cel phone. “Cal them.”
    They went back into the air conditioning and sat at a booth. While Nelson and Jason ate, Kyle dialed the number on the museum brochure. He spoke to several sympathetic people, but none reported a found walet.
    “Eat something,” Jason said as Kyle hung up the phone.
    “My stomach’s too tense,” Kyle replied. He knew he’d screwed up big-time.
    “Can I have your fries then?” Nelson poured them onto his tray. “So, how much money do we have if we put al our money together?” He puled out his walet and withdrew its bils.
    “That’s not enough to get us to California and back,” Kyle told them.
    “Then I’l phone my old lady,” Nelson offered. “Can I have your burger?”
    Kyle nodded. He had no appetite whatsoever.
    “I can phone my mom,” Jason suggested.
    “No,” Kyle mumbled. “I’l phone my dad. I’m responsible for this. Besides, he gave me his credit card in case of emergency. I’l ask if we can use it.”
    “He gave you what ?” Nelson’s eyes grew huge as Kyle puled the card from the envelope with the second half of Jason’s money. “Then what’re you so worried about?”

    “Because it was supposed to be for emergencies. That’s why I left it in the envelope.”
    “This is an emergency,” Jason argued.
    “No, this was stupid.” Kyle stared at the card, recaling his dad’s concern about money even before the trip started.
    “Kyle, you’re human.” Nelson covered his mouth to burp. “Get over it.”
    “Hey, I lost the tent poles.” Jason tapped Kyle’s foot beneath the table. His brown eyes gazed at him, reassuring. “Just cal and tel him.”
    “And what am I going to do about my license?” Kyle thought about how much farther they stil had to travel. “I won’t be able to drive.”
    “Jay-Jay and I wil drive. You’ve hardly driven anyway.”
    “Stop caling me Jay-Jay.” Jason snapped a look at him. “I don’t like it.”
    Kyle picked up Nelson’s cel phone and dialed his dad’s office. When Kyle told him about the lost walet, his dad said, “You need to be more careful, son. How’d you lose it?”
    “I don’t know,” Kyle told him. Didn’t his dad realize how bad he felt screwing up like this?
    “Wel, that’s why I gave you the card.” His dad gave an audible sigh. “Just remember the bil wil be waiting for you when you get back.”
    “I know,” Kyle said,