((I bet you know what I've been listening to))

Connor looked down at the papers in front of him. He had so many release forms to sign for the elders who were leaving Uganda to go home. He sighed as he reached one of the missionaries' papers in particular.

Kevin Price.

Connor sat back in his chair. He hadn't spoken to the boy in months- literally, months.

He had left early, without receiving his release forms to show that he had completed his mission...he'd left the Church all together.

Connor set the papers down and pinched the bridge of his nose before being shaken out of his trance, "C-come in!" He prayed for a moment that it was Kevin, as he always did, though he knew it wasn't, and he was right. Poptarts entered the room with a sheepish smile...and a suitcase.

"Ah, Chris." Connor smiled.

"Hey, Con.." He closed the door, "How are you holding up?"

Chris always asked this, as Connor hadn't been doing too well for the past few months.

"Well, the world is still spinning, so, in turn, so am I." Connor answered.

"I'm sorry we're all going to have to leave you...it sucks that the district leader has to stay an extra week." Poptarts sat in the chair across from Connor on the other side of his desk.

"It's okay, I'm used to being left." It slipped out of Connor's mouth and he cringed.

"Oh, Connor...I'm sorry..." Poptarts gasped softly.

Connor quickly shook his head, "No, no, it's fine. He's gone."

Poptarts nodded, knowing Connor was talking about Kevin, "It's not your fault..."

"I know. It's taken me awhile to realize that...but I know."

"Good." Poptarts smiled, "Uh, but, if you don't mind me asking...you've been cooped up around here for months...mind telling me what happened between you and Price anyway?"

Connor looked at the ground with a heavy sigh, "Well, perhaps it'll be therapeutic, in a way, to get this off my chest finally."

Poptarts nodded encouragingly.

"Well, we'd...been off and on...Kevin was always busy with his mind, and I was busy with work here...but...then he came up with the most absurd proposition..."

***
[Two and a half months earlier]

Kevin burst into Connor's office.

"Kevin?" Connor chuckled at the boy's enthusiasm.

"Connor! Let's leave the Church!" Kevin grinned widely.

Connor's eyes went wide, "E-Excuse me?"

"You said it yourself, they won't let me date you as district leader." Kevin sat down in the chair parallel to Connor, "And if they ever find out- heaven knows what they'd do- I- I want to ensure our safety, Con."

"Kevin- I- we can't!"

"Why not? I've been considering- they're against us being together, Connor- against love- we could branch off! M-make our own- our own way. If...if we want to be serious...we can't keep lying, that's terrible for a relationship."

"Kevin..." Connor's eyebrows tilted helplessly, "We can't leave the Church...it's all we have to hold on to..."

"We...have each other?" Kevin's eyes rounded.

"I-I know but- being so brash..." Connor sighed.

"We can't continue to lie, Connor...it's killing me and- we can't hold hands around the others- other than Church and Poptarts- let alone anyone else, if we just leave we could-"

"We can't give up on the Church, Kevin!" Connor shouted.

Kevin shrank back, "Why not...?"

"It's just- we can't, I can't."

Kevin looked away, suddenly growing bitter, "You'd choose faith over love?"

Connor's heart sank, "That's not what I said-"

"But you implied it." Kevin stood up.

"Kevin?"

"Choose." Kevin bit back.

"Wh-what?" Connor said breathlessly.

"Me, or the Church."

"Kevin! That's- that's unreasonable! This has come out of nowhere and-"

"Really? Because I thought it was quite a build up of pain, every time you drop my hand in public- o-or won't even be near me!" Kevin scoffed.

"Kevin- just think about this and-"

"I have been thinking about this." Kevin whispered, pausing, "Now choose."

Connor shook his head in disbelief before looking away, "I can't...I can't give up my faith."

Kevin's eyes simply sunk in brightness and he curtly nodded, and that's the last Connor ever saw of him.

***

"Oh my gosh, Connor...that's terrible." Poptarts gasped.

Connor shrugged, "It's just the way of the world...We can try to change it, but in the end...knowing me knowing you is the best I can do..."