Grace Hooper and her family; her father, the dentist. Her mother, the maid. Her younger sister, and her grandmother, all moved to their new neighborhood, due to a fantastic pay raise in her father's job. Instead of living in the slums of the poorer sector of the town, or the "colored" section, they got to be able to live among the very few coloreds in the better part of town. A couple people tried to stop them from moving, but nothing could stop her daddy from trying to raise his family in a better environment.

But Grace still had to attend the all black school in the other side of town, because she wasn't allowed to go to the nearest school in her neighborhood. But according to the news, Thurgood Marshall was working on rectifying that right now. She, alongside her family, had high hopes that he would win the case so she that she didn't have to wake up at 5 A.M. to catch the hound to school. But while they were battling that out in court, Grace was stuck going to school across town.

She woke up at the crack of dawn, and walked over to the room her little sister and her grandmother shared. She shook the young girl softly until she woke up. "Ella," she whispered. "Time for school," she told her.

"No...." Ella groaned. "I'm sleepy..."

"Well if you would have went to bed early like I️ told you to, you wouldn't be so tired," she scolded. "Now up!" She patted her arm before making her way to the bathroom for a cold shower, betting on it to wake her up. Careful to not wet her hair, she hurried up and then got dressed.

Around 5:15 A.M., she and her 7 year old sister were ready to go out the door, trying to hurry to make sure they weren't too late for the hound. The good thing about waking so early, was that not many of their white neighbors were awake to bother them.

They finally made it to the hound stop with ten minutes to spare, and although they were both hungry, she knew they'd have to wait till they got to school to eat anything. When the bus finally arrived, she paid their fare before heading towards the back of the hound. She actually didn't mind sitting so far in the back. She actually preferred it, because she would be left alone with her thoughts, and she wouldn't want it any other way.

Ten more minutes pass and they make it back to the other side of town. They're picking up a lot more black folk and a lot less white folk as most of them had already gotten off at their respective stops. Soon, she heard someone call out her name, making her look up and smile as she spotted her best friend Josephine make her way towards her and Ella. "Hey there stranger," Josie greeted as she sat down next to them both. "Hi Elle," she waved over to her.

"Josie, hi!" Grace smiled at her bestie.

"You must have it made in the shade with your new pad on the other side of town," Josie gushed. "What's it like over there Gracie?" She wondered.

As soon as she asked, they had arrived at their stop. The three of them got up and exited, starting their one mile trek to their run down school. "Well, it's not all it cracks up to be if that's what you're thinking," she tells her as she hold on to her sister's hand.

"How come?"

Grace sighed and thought back to the old white man who yelled at her in the store. She wasn't even doing anything and even pleaded with him to let her buy something sweet before her grandmother completely collapsed. "I️ was trying to buy a coke for my granny and the White man who probably owned the places barely let me step foot in it," she told her, making her gasp. "But luckily-" she stopped when the thought of Danny entered her mind.

"What?" Josie wondered as Grace left her hanging. "What was so lucky?"

Grace looked down at her sister and wondered if she should even open her mouth about Danny in front of the little ankle-biter. "I️ guess I️'ll tell you in a little bit," Grace promised her as she walked her sister over to the elementary school to drop off her off while Josie went on ahead to the high school.

It was their first day of senior year, and Grace and Josie were really excited about their time as seniors. They were finally the ones in charge and it felt great. When Grace finally reached the high school, she entered and made her way to her homeroom class just in time before the late bell could catch her. She sits quietly as the teacher calls out attendance and makes sure everyone is present. Josie didn't have her same homeroom due to their last names being different, so she would have to wait till lunch to catch Josie up.

Unwillingly, Grace's mind did shift to Daniel, and soon she found herself wondering what he was doing, whether they were learning the same things, and if he was thinking about her the same way she was about him.

But then reality caught up to her, and she shook her head at herself for even thinking such foolery. As if a boy like him, would be thinking about her. But they were friends, he even said it himself. So she must've piqued his interest somehow...

"He's playing with you," Josie said as they sat down at a nearby lunch table with their trays in hand.

Grace's mouth dropped at her accusation. "He is not-"

"Grace," Josie looked at her with a sympathetic expression. "I'm sorry to say this but I️ don't believe this white boy's bit for one second."

"It's not a bit. He seemed really genuine," Grace defended the both of them. "And he's nice. Plus, doesn't hurt that he's a dream," she giggled, making Josie roll her eyes. "Oh Josie, hasn't it occurred to you that not all white people hate us?"

Josie sighed and gave her a sympathetic look on her face. "Gracie...don't be so naive," she frowned. "White people just don't like black people, and that's how it is," she explained. "I'm saying this, so that you won't get hurt," she put a hand on her shoulder, "he's just playing you," she dropped on her. "He's probably one of those boys who want to be with a colored girl just so he can brag to his friends about it," she said.

Grace's whole mood shifted when she heard Josie said that. She could've been right. There were a couple of white men in their area that liked to take up black women as mistresses just because they could. Yet when a black man even looked at a white woman, they're called to be lynched. But as much as Grace felt in her heart he wasn't like that, she knew Josie's words had some truth to them.

So that thought lingered with her throughout the rest of the school day. She and Jasmine went to go pick up Ella from school so they could all take the hound together. Josie tried to talk to Grace about some boys in their class, and how Joseph Henry, a boy that has had a crush on Grace since forever, was determined to make her his this year.

And it's not that Grace didn't like him or that he wasn't pleasant or anything. In fact, Joseph was a nice guy, gentlemanly and even her parents know of him and like him. But she just didn't like him the way he likes her.

But Daniel...

He made her heart hurt. Made her feel things she's never felt before, and made her excited and scared all at the same time. She's never felt so strongly about a boy before and she couldn't help but wonder deep down, if something was trying to tell her about him.

"Grace?" Ella's voice broke her out of her thoughts. "I️ think this is our stop."

Grace looked out and realized she was right and quickly got up before the bus moved again. They got off and walked hand in hand towards their home. After three minutes of walking, they passed up a corner filled with greasers, smoking and laughing and messing around. Fear suddenly struck Grace as she kept her head down and kept Ella in front of her, trying to be invisible, but her skin color made her stick out like a sore thumb cause as soon as one turned his attention of her, they all followed suit.

"Hey!" She heard a deep voice call out.

Ella moved her head to turn around and Grace stopped her, moving her head back forward. "Do not look back," she told her sternly, and Ella nodded, hearing the urgent seriousness in her sister's voice.

"Hey baby! What's the rush!" Different voice said now. She turned around only to see four of them now following behind her and her sister now. They had playful grins on their faces and she figured they were gonna follow her all the way home if they had to. And nobody would even bat an eye to four white boys annoying a black girl because no one cares about black women.

"Ella, just go on without me," she stopped and turned her sister around to face her. Ella looked behind her in concern before looking back at her sister's face. "I'll be fine," she reassured her. "I'll be right behind you, okay?" She told her. Ella didn't argue, and instead nodded her head and hurried on home, which was around the corner and a couple houses down.

She then turned around she crossed her arms, trying not to seem afraid. "Can I️ help you?" She asked.

"Hot mama, you are a dolly," the boy who looked like the leader of the group, spoke. Grace rolled her eyes and he eyes her up and down. "You the new colored folks I've been hearing about?" He asked.

Grace shrugged her shoulders. "Maybe," she avoided his gaze. "I️ got to go," she turned her back to them to she could get on home, but as soon as she did that, he caught her wrist, pulling her back to her surprise.

"Don't be a wet rag. Come hang out with us for a minute," he insisted.

"No thank you," she hissed, pulling her arm back.

"You bitch-"

"Johnny!" Another voice interrupted them, catching their attention. "What's buzzin' cousin?" Danny wrapped his arm around that guy Johnny's neck. "Who's your new friend?" He asked.

Johnny laughed as soon as he asked that. As if it was the funniest thing on the planet. "Me? Friends with her? Get out of town Danny!" He laughed, alongside the four other boys.

Danny looked between them. "Well, you guys are getting kinda close I️ assumed-"

"As if. I️ was trying to see if she was as fast and lose as everyone said black girls were," he scoffed, offending her. She turned away and continued on walking, feeling humiliated.

Three minutes later and she heard someone call her name, and the only person that knew her name in that neighborhood was Daniel. "Grace!" He called out, but she continued on ignoring him. "Grace! Wait up!"

"Cut the gas Daniel! I️ don't want to talk to you," she tells him, still not looking at him. Daniel caught up to her and stood in front of her, blocking her path. "Move," she demanded.

"I️ understand why you're so frosted-"

Grace continued shoved him aside and continued walking. "Grace! Can't you stop for one second?"

She stopped and turned around to face him, looking into those clear blue eyes of his. "Why are you trying to hard to be my friend?" She asked him. "Am I️ some sort of challenge to you? Do you think I'm easy?" She asked him, making his eyes widen.

"What? No! No," he shook his head. "I️ mean, sure, you razz my berries but-"

Grace scoffed and turned around, annoyed. "I'm not some fast black girl if that's what you're thinking," she tells him. "Leave me alone-"

"Grace, I️ like you!" He said, making her stop and look at him in shock. He then took this opportunity to walk closer to her. "I️ don't know why, and I️ don't think I️ want to know why, but every since I️ met you, I️ don't know, it feels good that I know you," he admitted. "Plus, you're a dolly," he complimented.

Grace giggled and looked up at him. "I️ think you flipped your lid," she chuckled.

"Yeah, I️ think so too," he laughed alongside her.

Grace was quiet for a second before speaking. "I like you too," she nodded, making him smile harder than before. "And I️ think you're the bees knees."

"Well aren't you too kind," he laughed. "How about I️ take you out one of these days?"

Grace's excitement left as soon as it came when he said that. "But where would be go?" She wondered.

"Leave that up to me dolly," he winked at her. "But just know, we're gonna have a blast."