AN:TRIGGER WARNING FOR HOMOPHOBIC SPEECH AND LANGUAGE IN THIS CHAPTER. I do not share these sentiments. People should be free to love and be with whoever they want. Enjoy, and proceed with caution if such things upset you.

Two months earlier...

Zoe walked down the hall of the school with her head hung low. Word had spread that Connor had been spending lots of time in the hospital with the Hansens after Evalynn landed in a coma and she had been bombarded with questions on a constant basis because of it. It was a total change to see the usually super social Zoe Murphy, who found creative ways to subtly touch everyone she met at some point during a conversation in hopes they would be her Soulmate, quiet and reserved.

On that particular day, Alana Beck happened to be in the hall hanging up posters for some rally or other event that was coming up. Zoe, of course, didn't notice her since her eyes were glued to the floor. Alana, like Zoe, was a social butterfly. However, she was a very different kind of social butterfly. She was head of practically every committee or club the students had formed, was senior class president, and organized the majority of the pep rallies and school assemblies. She was the girl who knew everybody and everybody knew.

Alana, unlike Zoe, didn't care about finding her Soulmate. She believed that having a Soulmate would only slow her down and take away from the time she could be using to do community service, or organizing another big event. She had mastered the art of communication without having to physically touch you in any way, not even a handshake. And the way she did it, you wouldn't even mind. So you can imagine her surprise when Zoe Murphy accidentally brushed against her and the hall exploded in a splash of color.

Zoe froze when the floor, previously black and white, suddenly turned, well, not black and white. Raising her head slowly, she looked back to see who she had just happened to brush against, to see one Alana Beck staring right back at her. She found it ironic that the one person she could never seem to use her tricks to touch while they talked happened to be her Soulmate... and she didn't even mean to touch her. Alana's wide eyes found Zoe's for the briefest of moments, and then she just turned tail and hurried in the opposite direction.

Forgotten were the posters scattered on the floor that she had yet to hang up. Forgotten were all plans for whatever event the posters had been promoting. Alana Beck had just found her Soulmate. And she didn't know how to feel about it.

Present day...

"We've been dating for a month and a half," Zoe kept her gaze on the floor. "Once she stopped avoiding me in the halls, we decided to give it a try, but just in private. She made me swear to not say anything to anybody. She didn't want the whole school finding out."

The room was silent as the other three Murphys stared at Zoe. Finally, Evalynn stepped forward, placing a hand comfortingly on her shoulder.

"Well, I think it's about time someone claimed Alana as their Soulmate. That girl needed more color in her life," Evalynn joked.

Zoe gave Evalynn a thankful smile. Mrs. Murphy was the next person to snap out of it, walking up to her daughter and pulling her in for a big hug.

"My baby girl finally found her Soulmate," she practically sobbed.

"Seriously?" Connor demanded, angry. "I announce that I've found my Soulmate and you guys get upset, but the second Zoe says she found hers, you're happy for her? What the fuck is wrong with you?"

"Connor, I'm sure Evalynn is a very nice girl-" Mrs. Murphy began.

"Your Soulmate is a girl?" Mr. Murphy inquired.

They all looked over at him. He was staring at his daughter with a look of controlled anger and disgust. Everyone held their breath as they waited to see how Zoe would respond.

"Y-yes she is. And I love her a lot, Dad," Zoe replied timidly.

"My daughter is a queer," Mr. Murphy continued, voice slowly raising.

"Larry, please-" Mrs. Murphy tried to calm down her husband.

"Get out of my house."

"Larry, no!"

"I said get out!" Larry yelled, fiery gaze still fixed on Zoe.

"I-I'll just go grab my things," Zoe swallowed.

Turning, she ran out of the room and up the stairs. They listened to the slam of her bedroom door and then everything fell silent.

"How dare you?"

Connor, Larry and Mrs. Murphy all turned to stare at Evalynn in surprise as she fixed Mr. Murphy with the coldest glare she could manage.

"How dare I? How dare you speak that way to me in my house," Larry growled.

"She is your daughter! She can't help it if her Soulmate is a girl! So what? My brother's Soulmate happens to be a boy, but that doesn't mean we don't love him any less!"

"I will not tolerate having that kind of relationship under my roof. It's an unnatural, disgusting disease and shouldn't be allowed."

"Dad!"

"Larry!"

Both Connor and his mother shouted at the same time, disbelieving that his father could speak in such a way about his daughter. Zoe was always the golden child, the one who could do no wrong. Connor always got the brunt of their parents' anger. Seeing this side of Larry was a total change.

"The only disease," Evalynn spat, "is people who think like you!"

"Get out," Larry spat right back at her.

"Gladly. Come on, Connor."

Glancing at his mother and then father, Connor followed his Soulmate out of the room and up the stairs. Evalynn knocked on Zoe's door before opening it. His sister was throwing stuff in a suitcase, tears streaming down her face as she did so.

"Hey, I wanted to talk to you before I left. You alright?"

"H-how could he..." Zoe sobbed.

Evalynn grabbed her arm, pulling her into a tight embrace. Connor stood awkwardly in the doorway watching the entire exchange.

"Where are you going to go?" Evalynn asked her.

"P-probably Alana's house... s-she said I could s-stay there sometimes if I-I wanted," Zoe hiccupped.

"Yeah, that's a good idea. Tell her what happened. I'm sure she would be happy to let you stay with her as long as you need. And you're always free to come over to my house if you need a change of scenery."

"T-thanks, Evalynn."

"Hey, you're my Soulmate's sister. We're practically family," Evalynn grinned. "Here, I'll help you finish packing and then Connor and I can drop you off at Alana's."