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

“How many?” the ticket taker bellowed.


I snapped out of my daze and paid for both our tickets.


Dawn chuckled. “Hey, I thought I was taking you on this date!”


I shrugged. “I’ve got some extra money since I didn’t have to bribe my way in.”


We walked into a dim auditorium and moved to the middle of the top row as three screens surrounding us flickered with ads. In another unexpected turn for me, most of the movies here were the same as in Mapleville, and we were going to watch one I’d wanted to see for weeks.


As the previews started, I couldn’t concentrate on the 3-D images around us. Dawn and I sat alone in our row. I agonized over whether I should try to put my arm around her, hold her hand, or if I should wait until we were in a more private place.


But I didn’t know where any private places were.


Dawn slid an arm over my shoulders and my heart blazed.


I leaned closer to her, oblivious to the digital explosions and screams all around.


“I’m glad you came back,” she whispered.


Chapter 16