So! The art contest! I had a few people who were interested so: here are the rules (it's pretty simple)
- Draw something pertaining to the plot of this book
- No need for adding a title, I'll add that myself once I've come up with one
- Entries can be submitted to me by posting it on here and tagging me, or on Kik @ calmdown.jughead you can also email them to me @ [email protected]
          - if you email it to me, please let me know via private message so I know to look there.
- All entries must be submitted by Thursday, January 31st
See, pretty simple! If your art doesn't make the cover, there will be a chapter in here where I post all of the entries (unless you don't want me to)! Best of luck to all that enter!

TW: Transphobia

Later that night
Kevin's POV

I had kissed people before, but nothing compared to the pure bliss that came from kissing Connor McKinley. I don't know how it started, but I knew I never wanted it to end. He had his arms wrapped around my shoulders and my arms were around his waist and it just felt so unbelievably right. This feeling of right probably came from the fact we were soulmates, and the fact that I belonged with him was written in the goddamn stars. I knew Heavenly Father didn't approve of same sex relationships, but if he didn't, why was I enjoying kissing a boy so much? It was all just too perfect, almost too perfect to be real.

As if right on cue, I was jolted awake by my alarm clock. I was almost disappointed, to be honest. But I had to shake these feelings I was having for Connor. They weren't natural, and the Lord told us that laying with another man was a sin that would send you straight to hell. So, I did what every Mormon teen that experienced gay thoughts did, I turned it off.

Wednesday, 3:10pm
Connor's POV

I prepared for meeting again with Kevin today at my locker, almost kind of scared after what happened on Monday, but I shook those thoughts from my head as I threw the last of my textbooks into my backpack. Chris was absent today, so I had no one to be my moral support on the walk to the library. I didn't realize how much Chris had helped on Monday until he wasn't here today. I was a lot more anxious, and I was dreading talking to Kevin more than anything.

As I walked into the library, the same kids were playing D&D at my the front, I gave them a small wave today and sat down at the same back table I did Monday. I scrolled through Instagram to pass the time, I was here a little early, and Kevin had arrived late last time.
Kevin arrived a few minutes late again, but I wasn't that mad. I was kind of excited to see him. I mean, I saw him yesterday at practice, but for some reason this felt different. I couldn't seem to shake what happened on Monday from my head, and I really needed to, seeing as I knew how Kevin felt.

"Hey Connor."

"Hey," I said, looking up from my phone. This was kind of weird to be honest, he was actually cooperating and it didn't seem very Kevin-like. I wonder if something is wrong. I decided not to push, we needed to work. I set my phone down, "So, what scene do you want to work on today?"

He took a deep breath, "I don't know, that scene where I make a deal with Pulitzer?"

"Sounds good."

We worked on it for about an hour, and Kevin was getting better. I felt like a proud mom. He got a call from Jack around 4:15 saying that he was ready to leave now.
"Uh sorry I have to leave so early, my family is kinda going through a thing and my parents want us home ASAP."

"That's okay, I'll see you tomorrow, same time?"
His quiet and solemn mood lifted a bit at that, he flashed one of his award-winning smiles, "That sounds good."

Wednesday, 4:30 pm
Kevin's POV

The family stuff I mentioned was a whole mess. My parents were super worried about us kids getting into trouble and doing things Heavenly Father wouldn't approve of. They always felt like this, but it seemed as if they were hyper-aware of it now. Why now, you ask? I'll explain.

Last night at dinner, Josephine had brought up a question. "Mom--" she set her fork down and looked across the table-- "I know that God hates gay people, but how does he feel about other members of the LGBT community?"

"What ever do you mean, Josephine?" Mom looked a little worried.

"Like the trans people, how does God feel about them?"
"Honey, God doesn't have an opinion on them because they are simply delusional," Mom replied, straightening her back and growing more tense, "if a child thinks that they aren't the gender they were born as, they are simply going through a phase and need to be sent tot church more."

"So," Joey said, and I knew she was digging herself a hole too deep to get out of, yet I think she knew too, "say hypothetically, one of us--" she waved her fork around, gesturing to me and Jack-- "thought they were transgender. How would you react?"

Mom let out a breath I hadn't realized she had been holding and looked to me and Jack, "You two are excused, please put your plates in the dishwasher."
After that debacle, I went to my room. I was worried for Josephine, or should I say Joey? I would have to ask them later. Anyway, I had always been raised to know that God hated fags, but when it was Jo? I couldn't even think about hating Jo, under any circumstances whatsoever. This made me think some more about Connor. He was my soulmate, and I knew that for a fact, but if Mom and Dad knew, they would kill me. Even though I can't control who I was supposed to be with, it they would still hate me for it. That was so stupid. Why hadn't I realized this before? Don't get me wrong, I was still a good Mormon Boi™️ but this whole "hating fags" thing was ridiculous!

I thought about it a lot more once arriving at home on Wednesday. I thought about it a lot, actually. I didn't study, I just kinda sat in my room, thinking. Jo had been sent to another Church activity and Jack was out with Reese. Mom and Dad were watching a documentary of some sort in the living room and I was just left alone with my thoughts. I fell asleep at about 10:30, wondering if I could ever bring myself to tell my parents that my soulmate was a guy.

About 980 words

Anyway, not gonna do a long A/N today, just wanted to remind you to give me title ideas!! Thanks for reading, don't forget to vote, comment, and share!!
          ~ Virginia