The Allen County Literature Competition (More Pride, Less Prejudice) [Censored]

1

     "You're a very interesting kid, Coop."
     Mr. Grant skimmed over the story Cooper had been anxious to show him.
      "Take this to Mrs. Anderson in the library. I'm sure she could help you do something big with it. Edit it, publish it, put it in a contest, anything!"
     Thrilled, Cooper walked to the library just before lunch. The story they had written was just 4 pages long, but Mrs. Anderson was surprised to see such effort.
     "What is this Cooper?" she asked.
     "It's a short story I wrote. Mr. Grant told me to show it to you."
     "Alright. Come back tomorrow and I should have it read."
     "Thanks!" Cooper headed towards the door, but Mrs. Anderson called back to him as he walked out:
    "I appreciate it Cooper!"

                                        ***
     Cooper had a few friends in which he was happy with. He ate lunch with two of them, but near their lunch group was another lunch group with, let's say, an interesting agenda. It wasn't three minutes that Cooper sat down that a copy of the Bible slid their way, knocking down his coke.
     "Leave it be Cooper," Rory says, "they aren't worth it."
     "Well surely they'd want their Bible back, right?" Cooper picked it up and walked it over to the group of interesting boys.
     "Cooper!" Rory called, but realized that it was no use. She said quietly to herself, as if it may make them change their mind, "please."
     Cooper held the Bible next to the group of boys. "Did you lose something?" He said, showing them the scriptures.
     "Nah that was a gift," one of them said, "read a few pages, maybe it will teach you a thing or two."
     "If you valued this as much as you said you do you wouldn't slide it across the floor for the pages to be stained by my soft drink." He dropped it at his feet, "If I want to read it, I'll read the one in my house." Cooper turned and began walking away.
     "Really? New or Old Testament?"
     Cooper turned back and smiled, "Both."

                                        ***
     "Cooper, I think your story is wonderful. However the themes are quite... advanced, one might say," Mrs Anderson said the next morning, "Do you think you can perhaps change some minor details before I send it anywhere. Maybe change the name 'Julia' to 'Julian' so it's not so obvious they're both women."
     "But Mrs. Anderson I want it to be obvious they're both women."
     "I know that meant something but I found a good short story contest to enter this in. Judges don't care for these new ideas. They want a cute, old-fashioned love story- and this is what it is minus the uh... the two women."
     "I don't want my story to go into any contest that won't appreciate the story that I have now. If you're not going to enter it as is, then I'm afraid I don't want it entered at all."
     "I'll enter it for you. The entry fee is fifteen dollars. Bring it to me in cash or check by next week. But chances are that this story is going to get torn apart by those judges and you'll be short fifteen dollars."
     "I'll have fifteen dollars for you next week, Mrs. Anderson.