Legally Ginger?

"You're what?!?" Connor exclaimed, he was at the door of Kevin's dorm room. The door was shut and locked. Connor could hear Kevin inside. The brunette was packing to leave.

"My parents said they were going to stop funding for me to go here. That they were going to going to make me go somewhere else to be a doctor or something." Kevin said not looking at Connor.

"But what about the trial, this might make you!" Connor said trying to think of some way to get Kevin to stay.

Connor knew exactly were Kevin was going back to. White picket fences and well breed dogs in minimum wage collars. A small home, just like all the rest only separated by the address. Back to a society that doesn't accept different, only normal; with nothing incredible and nothing life changing. Friends that greet you but don't meet you; a fallacy so real it could only be made by conformity. A world in which perfect teeth and nicely styled hair was more important than love.

Where religion had to believe you were worthy before you believed what religion was worthy to you.

"Kevin open the door, we can talk about this!" Connor said through the door.

The muffled reply was, "There is nothing to talk about. No reason for me to stay," Connor felt his heart shatter.

"Not even for love?" He whispered and cleared his throat. "Please, open the door. We can find away. We always have. The trial is at noon, you can't just leave that. If you don't stay for me at least stay because of the innocent life that's at stake if you don't." Connor said sliding down the door.

Kevin sounded like he was crying. "It's not up to me, and I didn't want to tell you this, but..." Kevin hesitated. "The first day I arrived I was new to this. I didn't have friends to rely on, and I was gullible. I got in with a bad crowd under Professor Mission. He leads it. All the drugs and the...the iniquity. I did some pretty bad things. They made me feel good."

"Kevin-" Connor said feeling terrible.

"No, you need to know. I don't do that any more. Just this past year my parents found out. They got me off that stuff. I was grateful for that. I owe them. I am sorry Connor, just let me be." Kevin said, trying to convince himself more than trying to convince Connor.

"Kevin, I'm sorry, but you have so much to stay for."

"I can't, in a perfect world maybe everything would be alright, but it's not Mr. Legally Ginger!" Kevin shouted. Connor hesitated.

"Alright...if you want this Kevin. I'll leave you alone. But, can I just say how much I want you to stay?"

They both sighed, "You were the best thing about this place..." They both said. Connor smiled sadly at the door, "Goodbye Kevin."

Connor walked away. He never said anything to Kevin. What a terrible crush to have. They were Mormons, it's not like they would be accepted even if they were in love. He could help thinking if he had made it more clear, if they had tried. Connor could have helped Kevin. He knew a few nifty little Mormon tricks. They were useless now. Connor felt empty as he walked to Mafala's shop. It was quiet there, Mafala had given him a key so he could come in whenever he liked. He sat in the floor behind the counter and cried.

He guessed it was just his luck. Legally ginger...was that all people saw? A stupid little Mormon kid who dreamed of being too much. Maybe he should have turned it off. It was better that way than having your heart crushed.

He could go back to that camp his father talked about a while back that offered hormonal pills. He heard that not many survive those. He had never been suicidal, however, he couldn't help but wonder how it was. To constantly turn it off, to finally have a solution. To never love again. It hurt too much. If no one saw past his disposition why not make himself what they all wanted him to be.

That was the responsible choice.

-Kevin's Dorm-

Arnold knocked on the door and unlocked it. "Hay Kevin!" He said. It had been an unspoken tradition for them when they became close friends that Arnold would call Kevin his first name. It wasn't disputed, it just happened and Kevin and Arnold liked it that way.

"Where are you going?" He asked back flopping on his bed. The springs whined.

"Home." Kevin said not looking at Arnold.

"Home? But it's not break for another three weeks. When are you coming back?"  Arnold said looking at his calendar.

"I'm not coming back." Arnold paused and looked over to Kevin who was still mechanically packing.

"Why?" Arnold pushed the subject.

"Because my parents told me I couldn't go here anymore." Kevin said sounding on the verge of tears. Arnold gave a little hum. "What?" Kevin said getting annoyed with Arnold's hum.

"It's a good thing that I applied you for that scholarship then." Arnold said.

"You did what?" Kevin said turning around and looked at Arnold in shock.

"Yah, I applied you for a scholarship and since your credentials were so impressive they agreed to fund you through college. You only have two more years to go, right?"

"Arnold how..." Kevin said breathlessly.

"I told them that you were top of your class, had a lot of potential and if they wanted one of the best lawyers, who never lost a case before, to work for them they'd have to fund you. They agreed. Don't get all crazy I applied you for it several months ago." Kevin just starred. Arnold smiled and sat up. "You okay Kevin?"

Kevin was crying. A tear slipped down his cheek. "You are the best." He said and hugged Arnold. Arnold laughed and patted his friends back. Kevin after a few moments pulled away, and cleared his throat for the sake of the shred of manliness he was trying to preserve. "Don't mention this to anyone ever." He said.

Arnold crossed his heart. "Scouts honor."

"Arnold?"

"Yah?"

"You were never a boy scout."

"Yah, I know."