#prophet-cunningham

I thought of you every single day. I thought about what it would be like to be a million miles away, anywhere but here. I thought about us having a house, with a big, green yard - so we could fall asleep under the stars and remember when it was only just a dream. I thought about us getting a car, so we could drive all over the place, wherever we wanted, ‘cause there’d be no one there to stop us. 

We could go swimming in the ocean, because you can do that when you’re free. You can do so much when you’re free, Arnold.

“Look at us,” he says, huffing out a laugh. “— who’d’ve thought we’d end up like this?”

Kevin’s laugh grows louder, and he buries his face into Arnold’s curls.

“Not me,” he admits. “—- but I’m glad I was wrong.”

 “Well, that’s just great.”

Kevin shoves the papaya he is holding against Elder Cunningham’s chest, before stomping off towards their newly-framed eating hut. His hands are balled up into tightly clenched fists.

Thanks to last night’s storm, everything seems to have shifted precariously to the left.  Some of the logs have sunk into the muddy earth, and the thatched roof threatens to slide off completely. It is only half-covering the structure now, and Kevin prays that the wind does not pick up again. It was a pain getting it set up the first time; he cannot imagine having to do so, twice.

“Can you believe this?”  He kicks up a lump of mud, before turning back towards his companion. Arnold does not seem as phased by the mess situated before them; even when fat drops of rain start to fall again, his expression remains maddeningly neutral. 

“--- all that work, for nothing.”

The Elders do not need an eating hut. They have their own room to eat in, albeit small, in the mission hut; but Prophet Cunningham thought it would be nice to eat meals with their entire congregation – hence the hut; and the accompanying hours of hard labor beneath the blazing hot sun.

Elder Zelder passed out twice.

As the rain starts to fall harder, Kevin gazes longingly in the direction of the mission hut. Thunder claps loudly overhead.

“Well, shoot,” he mutters, reaching out for his companion’s hand. He tugs Arnold towards what’s left of the eating hut. 

    it’s an early saturday morning. his dad is still at work. TOM & JERRY is still playing in the distance. the teen was still draped in pajamas. his pants are colorful swirls of tye-dye with hints of orange that match his faded CAMP HALF-BLOOD shirt. he sleeps in it some nights to remind himself that it’s all real.

     “ it’s really never been my forte. sorry, man. hey-- i can offer you some dry cereal for the road though ? we have.. lots. “ maybe it was a demeter-spawn thing, but sam LOVED his cereal. by now, his dad has learned to keep it around. his current favorite is the raisin bran with chunks of oats. 

To say that Kevin was surprised when he received an invitation to the (former) Elder Church’s wedding would be an understatement.

Not that the two of them were remarkably close, or anything, but Kevin did keep up with everyone via their various social media accounts, and from the looks of things, Church had a whole lot of love to give to a whole lot of people ---- and constantly.

Still, Kevin happily ‘Saved the Date’ and wrote his girlfriend in as his plus one, praying that they’d still be together in six months’ time.  

They weren’t; and Kevin can’t help but wonder why he ever thought they would be. 

He doesn’t exactly have a great track record with relationships; they just ---- never work out. Not through any fault of his own, of course; he just has a tendency to choose girls who want stuff he isn’t willing to give: like his undivided attention, for example.

His current girlfriend, Emily, is nice enough, but she tends to deal with Kevin’s hang-ups by poking fun at him, as opposed to being supportive. She thinks it’s cute that he wants to wait until marriage to sleep with her, and her favorite pastime has become mocking him for having once been a Mormon.

----- little things like that.   

Connor gave this one three months. But it’s been three months and two days, and Kevin can’t wait to rub that in Connor’s face.

But ---- Connor is nowhere to be seen, and Kevin and his girlfriend are still the only people hovering awkwardly in the lobby of the MGM Grand. And how is that even possible? Las Vegas hotels should be bustling with drunks and tourists, and yet everything is oddly still – save for the sudden ear-splitting laugh that floats towards them from the revolving doors up front.

“Shoot,” he mutters under his breath, taking hold of his girlfriend’s elbow and ushering her towards the reception desk He wants to find out where exactly this wedding is taking place, so they can go there --- preferably before his former mission companion catches sight of them.

Not that he doesn’t want to see Arnold; it’s just ----  he’s not ready to.