Hey guys! This is my first multi-chapter story! Hope y'all like it!

Feel free to review!

I don't own Book of Mormon, all rights go to their respective owners!

...

My oldest brother Kevin was home from his two-year mission in Uganda and all was well with the Price family again. True, a few things had changed; all of us had grown two years older, Kevin and my other brother Jack were both planning for college, and Kevin's best friend Arnold was around more. They were matched up to go to Uganda together during missionary training. We didn't know him that well before the mission. In fact, in the beginning the most we really saw of him was the drop-off at the airport. Kevin occasionally mentioned him in the letters he wrote to us and once in a while there was a picture. But since they had come home, Arnold had been around our family a lot more. He had dinner with us once a week on average, and every weekend he and Kevin were hanging out. I liked him a lot. He was really cool and nice and fun to be around.

But the biggest change was yet to come. Actually, it was a whole BUNCH of changes all rolled into one action-packed summer.

Let me rewind and start from the beginning. It was the first Saturday of summer vacation, AND the day after the last day of school, which made it the absolute most perfect way to start a summer. I had just finished fifth grade and I was ready to face my vacation with vim and vigor. I had had visions of summer literally since the first day of school, and now they seemed so close I could reach out and touch them; bus trips with my seminary class, swimming, bike riding with my friends, and our annual weeklong family trip to our beautiful beach house! And to top it all off, Kevin would be home for all of it!

However, all that stuff was temporarily pushed to the side on this particular Saturday during our family meeting. Yes, my family actually has those. And they're not as bad (or cheesy) as TV and movies make them out to be.

Our family meetings in particular are actually pretty cool. We have a giant whiteboard that my parents write "announcements" on, and anybody that wants to gets ten minutes on the timer to speak about something.

Our first family meeting of the summer started off pretty normal: my parents announced upcoming local summer kick-off events (you wouldn't believe how many barbecues and pool parties were within a 5-mile radius of our house) and reminded us to start thinking about our beach trip, even though it was still three whole months away. We were reminded for the bazillionth time that this trip is always a big one for the Price family, as it is our special way to end the summer together (we always go the week before school starts). Anyone who had summer homework assigned for the next school year was asked to raise their hands. The three of us glanced at each other, but no hands went up. Sweet! I thought. That just made my summer ten times better!

"Now who wants ten minutes?" my mother asked, holding up our tomato-shaped timer as if it were a game show prize.

Again, my brothers and I shared glances. Nobody seemed to have anything to say. Awesome! I thought. Not that I don't love a good family meeting, but let's get this summer started already!

But just as I was about to pop off the couch and high-tail it to the backyard, Kevin cleared his throat.

"Um, I have something to say," he said. He slowly got up off the couch and my beaming mother handed him the timer.

I cocked my head. Something seemed off here. Why did Kevin get up so slowly? Why did he look so nervous? Why was he fiddling with the timer like he didn't know how to use it? My parents have had that thing since before he was born…he knew very well how to set it.

After a moment of silence and more fiddling, Kevin suddenly put the timer down on the coffee table…without setting it. Okay, something was seriously wrong. We all looked up at him for an explanation, but all he said was, "I don't need it. No amount of time is appropriate enough for this."

Jack and I shared a glance. Both of us had the same dumbfounded expression. We gazed back up at our big brother.

Kevin folded his hands and swept his gaze around the four of us. "I have something very important to tell you all," he began. "It's not exactly something I've been hiding, but rather something I really haven't come to terms with until fairly recently. And I am fully ready to accept whatever backlash I may receive from this."

He closed his eyes and took a deep breath. "Mom…Dad…Jack…Marie…" he said. "I'm gay."

...

All of us simultaneously fell back in our seats with shock. Kevin hung his head.

I didn't know what to say. Firstly, let me make something very clear: I am not homophobic in any sense of the word. I most definitely do not agree with the way the Mormon church views gay people…but it's also most definitely a personal belief I've had to keep to myself, for fear of excommunication. And now my own brother had just come out…

My heart pounded as a million thoughts raced through my head. What would Mom and Dad say? What would they do? Did Jack feel the same way I did about gay people? Was Jack gay, too? What was going to happen to Kevin? Would he be kicked out of the house? Would he be kicked out of the church? Were we all going to be kicked out of the church? Would we then have to move away? I grabbed the nearest pillow and hugged it to my chest to steady myself. I'd never felt so scared in my life.

All of a sudden, my parents both stood up. I squeezed the pillow even tighter.

"We will continue this family meeting tonight," my mother said rigidly. "Your father and I need to be alone for a while." And with that, my parents marched up the stairs. Jack and I sat, frozen, until we heard the faint sound of their bedroom door closing.

We looked warily up at Kevin. His head was still bowed, his eyes squeezed shut, his mouth a tight line.

I threw the pillow aside and ran into my brother, throwing my arms around him in a hug. I, too, squeezed my eyes shut, and my tears began to fall. He wrapped his arms around me, and I felt a lone tear drop onto my ear, followed by a very sad Kevin-sniff.

A moment later, I felt two more arms join in, belonging of course to Jack. The three of us were silent, except for our quiet sobs.

...

The rest of the morning dragged on with painful silence. I didn't feel like going outside anymore. I sat in my room, my journal (a pre-mission gift from Kevin) on my lap, a pack of colored pencils at my side and indigo crooked in my hand. But I drew nothing. The blank page before me reflected my mood. I didn't know what to say, think, or feel. I was so proud of my brother for coming out…but what was to become of our family?

My parents' room is right next to mine, and I can hear through the wall when they talk or watch TV. I could hear their voices, but they were so low I couldn't make heads or tails of what they were saying. But I didn't care. Whatever it was, I didn't want to hear it.

What did I want? I put indigo back and picked up peach. And I drew my family.

I drew my parents first. Then to their right, I drew Kevin, Jack, and me, in that order. While drawing each person, I occasionally exchanged peach for other colors, to give highlight to our hair, facial features, and clothes. When it was all done and I had finished coloring in my lavender sneakers, I sat back for a moment and looked over my work. It was missing something.

I rustled around in my pencils until I found hot pink. There was a big empty space above our heads, and I knew just what it needed. As slowly as I could draw, so I wouldn't mess up, I drew a giant heart. The lines and curves turned out just as perfect as I had wanted them, and I shaded it, leaving no spot uncolored.

I studied my work again, and tears burned on the backs of my eyes. I had done a good job, but knowing that my perfect, happy, and united family could possibly soon be no more, I didn't want to see it. I slammed my journal shut and threw hot pink back. My journal was shoved under my pillow, and I sat for just a moment with my arms hugging my knees.

Without really thinking, I walked out. Just being in the same room with that drawing was too much to bear at that moment. I peeked next door into Kevin's room. He was lying on his bed staring at the ceiling, arms folded behind his head. His mouth was still a tight line. He lifted his head when he heard his door creak, and smiled slightly when he saw me.

I entered the room and climbed up onto the bed. Kevin sat up and pulled me into a hug. We were silent. There was nothing we could say.

Jack joined us a minute later, and after another sibling group hug, all three of us laid down next to each other. We laid there in absolute silence, wrapped in each other's arms. I'd never felt closer to my brothers in my life.

Pretty soon it got rather cozy, just my brothers and I cuddled up together, just quietly wrapped in a three-way hug. And without really meaning to, we fell asleep.

We must have slept all through the afternoon and into the evening, because the next thing I knew, our mom was rapping on the door and announcing our continuation of the earlier meeting. We slowly moved into one last group hug and trudged downstairs together.

...

Stay tuned! Chapter 2 is on its way!

Can't wait to share this story with all of you!

Again, feel free to review! I enjoy feedback! But please be nice! LOL