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

When my tablet beeped I knew who it would be.


Serene1: I’m alive. I need a few days to think things over.


I went back to my music and stared at the crucifix on my wall.


Monday I moped in my room all morning while Mom and Dad worked, but just before they got home I raced around doing my usual chores. There was no reason to get them too worried; they were used to their obedient daughter. Z texted me a couple times and asked if Adam and I were having problems. I told her I just wanted a break from everything, and that she should have fun at camp.


Part of me longed to join her, picturing the fun times we always had swimming, playing games, and singing around the campfire. But I knew I didn’t really belong there.


I spent the evening with my parents and left my tablet in my room.


Chapter 40