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

“Very nice, Miss Blackwater,” he said. “An un-Marked ally and a computer prodigy—you’ll make a wonderful addition to our group. Because of your age, we normally wouldn’t put you out in the field, but we might make an exception.”


Malaki crossed her arms. “What about me?”


Sol grinned. “I know, Miss Cheyenne. Since you’re eighteen now, you do qualify for missions. Maybe the two of you could partner up.”


I suppressed a groan. Maybe this whole HEO thing had been a bad idea.


But then Sol asked, “Would you like to officially become a member of the Human Equality Organization, Serenity?”


Malaki sat on the table, a serious look on her face for once, as Sol clasped my right hand in both of his.


Chapter 24