(Don't) Turn It Off-- Elder Price / Elder McKinley -The Book of Mormon-

(Don't) Turn It Off- Chapter 01

(A/N: What is McKinley's first name???? I know it's not mentioned in the musical itself, but is there a name that people call him?)

   Kevin Price's first introduction to the mission group was- interesting to say the least. It started off normal, but once the whole tap dance scene started, Kevin had his doubts with the sanity of the group. Specifically Elder McKinley. Elder McKinley was the mission leader and was interesting as well. He was most likely the one to have choreographed the whole dance number, as he was quite pleased with how it came out. But what was most interesting was when Elder McKinley told Kevin that he was gay. Kevin didn't see it as too much of a problem, Elder McKinley was doing his best to keep it under control. Sure, he wasn't doing too well with it, but he was trying.

   But now, with the group breaking off from the church, Elder McKinley was different. It wasn't a sudden change, it was gradual. Kevin was a tad surprised, he had thought when they broke off from the church Elder McKinley would perhaps stop his inner homophobia and be himself, but the opposite happened.

   The day Kevin noticed what was happening, only a few days into it, He had been reading in the mission group's house's living room late one night. Most of the other Elders had already gone to bed (They weren't used to the lack of a sleep schedule yet), Actually it was just Elder McKinley, Elder Price, and most likely Elder Poptarts (although he wasn't in the living room, he was most likely in his room because he just goes to sleep later). Elder McKinley had walked into the living room to get to his room.

   "Hello Elder McKinley. What were you doing outside?" Kevin asked, recognizing the footsteps. He heard a sigh and a shuffle of feet, but no answer. "Everything okay?"

   "Yes- yes... I was just- uh, clearing my head."

   Kevin nodded. "Were you having the thoughts again?" He had put his book down by now.

   "Kevin!" Elder McKinley snapped. "I am not like that anymore! I'm not gay!"

   "Elder McKinley, it's okay if you are-"

   McKinley clenched his fists. "No, it isn't okay. You are out of your goshdarned mind if you think that it is."

   Kevin got up and walked over to McKinley. "I'm not out of my... Elder McKinley?"

   Elder McKinley's expression vanished into a blank slate. Then a single tear ran down McKinley's face. "Why am I like this?" He mumbled. "Why? I try so hard to be normal, to not be a homosexual. I just want to be normal Kevin" Another tear. "I can't though. I've tried. I should be disgusted with these thoughts of mine, but-but I'm not. Why?" He began to silently cry.

   Thrown off guard by the sudden change in emotion, Kevin didn't really know how to effectively comfort him. "Don't cry... You wouldn't want to wake the others."

   "Why Kevin, why can't I be normal?" He repeated.

   "Elder McKinley, I can't answer that. I'm not you."

   Elder McKinley grasped Kevin's shoulders. "But you got over your homosexuality! How?"

   "I'm not- I wasn't ever gay." Kevin corrected. Elder McKinley's facial expression changed and Kevin added, "Or at least I don't think I am. I could still try to help you. Tomorrow of course."

Elder McKinley smiled "Thank you."

Kevin nodded. "Anything for you."

"Th- Thank you." McKinley's face had turned red. Embarrassed about his blushing, he ran to his room.

He's a hopeless cause, Kevin thought to himself. He knew that Elder McKinley had feelings for him, but he'd thought that they'd disappear. And Elder Price did have feelings for Elder McKinley, but those feelings had passed long ago. Elder McKinley was the only man Elder Price had ever had feelings for, or rather the only person Elder Price had ever had feelings for.