During the Second Civil War, a new U.S. political party called the Family Protection Movement established The Divide, which separates Normal people from those who are gay, lesbian, bisexual, or transgender. Seventeen-year old Serenity Blackwater lives in the normal Midwestern town of Mapleville, but she is not normal. She hacks into an illegal gay chat room and meets Dawn, a lesbian who lives in a gay community less than a mile away. Serenity discovers normal people can bribe their way inside the walls and decides to go, both to meet Dawn and check out what may be her future home. Dawn is even more beautiful than Serenity hoped, and the two soon become a couple. But Serenity only has a few months before she must take the Normal Verification Test, and then she’ll be separated from her family forever. So she joins the Human Equality Organization, an underground group working to end The Divide. Dawn thinks the rebellion is too dangerous, and since Dawn’s ex-girlfriend Malaki is also a member, Serenity doesn’t tell Dawn about her involvement. Serenity reveals to the HEO that her parents are leading a campaign to organize attacks on all Gay Communities. With her help, the HEO creates Project Jericho, in which all Gay Communities walls will implode at once. But after too many delays, and when Dawn discovers Serenity has been spending more time with Malaki than her, Serenity knows she has to start the revolution herself. She heads to D.C. to contact a group of senators secretly against The Divide ... or straight into a trap set by the Family Protection Movement.

Uprising

“So you came here anyway, knowing that even if you might see something crazy, you still can’t deny who you are,” Akasha said. “That had to be the hardest thing ever.”


Malaki’s favorite facial expression was obviously a smirk. “Nah, just means she’s even more of a freak than we are.”


Enrik howled with laughter. “Speak for yourself.”


“What’s your problem, Mal?” Dawn snapped, standing up with clenched fists.


“I think we’d better get out of here,” Akasha said.


Malaki joined the others as they climbed over the fence. “Have fun with your straight girlfriend, Dawn.”


As I watched them walk away this time, I was glad I hadn’t gone to the concert after all.


Dawn groaned and sat back down at the edge of the half-pipe. “Malaki shouldn’t have said…she shouldn’t have said any of that. Sorry.”


I scooted closer to her. “Well, what if I don’t care?”


“Really?” Dawn asked, her eyes lighting up.


Chapter 12