FSE

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Preface

It's hard growing up in a household that's so set in their own beliefs that they can't understand how someone else feels. I understand it, to a point, they were raised that way and are trying to raise me the same way… but I guess that's the point. Don't get me wrong, I love my family, and I love my faith, sometimes I just feel like they're too caught up in their own ways. Times change, people are different and we all need to accept that. But in my religion, everything I've been taught to believe, everything I've grown up on tells me that some people choose to be different and God didn't make them like that, they just chose wrong when tested. But we're supposed to “love thy neighbor" and “be accepting of others" and I don't understand how I can do both. And can people really choose who they fall in love with? I just don't know…

Chapter 1

MacKenzie grew up in a very strict household. Get straight A's, curfew at 9 p.m., go to church every Sunday, volunteer in her free time kind of strict. And MacKenzie didn't mind it, in fact she loved it. The structure gave her stuff to do, she was never bored and her good grades helped set up her future with college. The 9 p.m. curfew kept her out of trouble and away from the boys that went to her small-town high school. Her church was her happy place, she always knew that if she was having doubts or going through something hard she could just go and pray and everything would just fall into place for her. She could clear her head there and she knew that if just praying didn't help- she had a community worth of people she could talk to about her problems. She had her doubts, like most people, but she never let those brief moments of uncertainty ruin her life-long relationship with God, not to mention her family.

“Kenzie, dear," Rose, MacKenzie's grandmamma, spoke softly as they walked down the street, “Make sure you pray for them." The woman's wrinkled fingers pointed across the street towards a young couple holding hands. MacKenzie glanced across the street, meeting the gaze of two women, “They need the lord in their life."

All MacKenzie could say was, “Yes Grandmamma, I understand."

They continued down the street, Rose linked arms with her 19 year-old granddaughter, happy to know she wouldn't have to worry about Kenzie ever falling into such horrible temptation as to be with a woman. Kenzie was raised well and understood the eternal consequences that came along with such life choices.

“A woman was made to be with a man - after marriage - and any other type of relationship is wrong in the eyes of God." These were all things MacKenzie had heard before, she nodded her head from time to time, but wasn't paying much attention as her grandmamma rambled on and on.

***

“Rachel, this was the worst one yet, she ranted for a full hour!! A FULL hour!" Kenzie sighed into the phone to her best friend as she flopped down on her bed at home.

“Mac, you continuously talk about how you'd be lost without your beliefs and your family but THE SECOND your family talks to you about what you're supposed to believe… you complain. So which is it?" Rachel was always straight to the point, “You aren't with a woman, right?"

“NO!" Kenzie shouted, offended “How could you even suggest something like that?"

“Because- you won't go to parties, won't have sex, won't break any laws. You're practically a saint but when same sex dating or marriage comes up you get super defensive… why isn't it as black and white as everything else?"

Rachel grew up in a very laid-back home. No curfew, no rules, no structure. So, for her, things were very different, at least in the aspect of what she believed. To say the least, she acted very differently from what Kenzie understood as good behavior. In all reality, their friendship shouldn't have worked, but it did and that's all that mattered.

“I don't know..." Kenzie mumbled, thinking, “Maybe it's just the one thing I don't agree with in Christianity. We should be able to love who we love and not feel guilty about it, right?"

“Girl, you're the religious one… I don't know what you're supposed to believe, but I do know that…" there was some yelling in the background, “Ugh! I have to go, Mac. I'll talk to you tomorrow. First day of classes!!" There was a quick click from the other end and the small-framed girl was left alone to her thoughts. “Kenzie!! Dinner!!" Well...for a few moments at least.