Josephine noticed the shift in Grace's emotions.

Just a couple days ago, she seemed to be over the moon. Nowadays, for the past week, she seemed really absent-minded and distant.

"Gracie?" Josephine called out, catching her attention. "Come on now, this was my fourth time calling out to you. You're so distracted," she points out as they walked to the cafeteria for lunch. "What's wrong?" She asks.

Grace takes in a deep breath. "Nothing," she quickly responds. "Just...boy trouble," she lets slip.

"A boy?" Josie's eyes widen in excitement. "Who? Do I️ know him?" She asks.

Definitely not.

"No, he's a summer thing. We don't talk much...anymore," she trailed off. "And it's bothering me but I️ can't do anything about it," she tells her.

Danny missed their scheduled hangouts the last two weeks and it was worrying her sick. On one hand, she figured he was finally taking school seriously like she told him to. On the other, she had half a mind to go over to his house and find out what's going on. But, knowing the consequences of the latter, she was resigned to sit around and wait for him to appear.

"Oh, I'm sorry," Josie hissed slightly. "But you know...." she had this sly smile on her face and it made Grace wonder what she was up to. "They say, to mend a broken heart, you gotta distract yourself with another," Josie advised, making her look over at her curiously. She then looked up behind her and she followed her eyes to see Joseph making his way towards them.

""Hey Joe," Grace greeted warmly.

"Hi Joe," Josie smiled at him.

"Hi-ya there Grace, Josie," he said shyly before clearing his throat awkwardly. "Um Grace," he started, "a couple of us were gonna go to the diner on Thursday. I️ was hoping maybe you'd want to come with me?" He asked hopefully.

Grace smiled sadly at him. "Thanks for the invite Joe. I'm not sure what my mom has planned for me that day. She might make me clean something crazy like the V-8," she laughed off. "I'll let you know?"

Joe nodded enthusiastically, since it wasn't technically a no. "Neat-o! I'll check you later," he grinned before walking off.

Josie giggled a bit on her side. "Your parents don't have a V-8," she said.

"It was the only way to not completely shut him down," Grace tells her as they finish their lunch and walk to their next class.

"He's been chasing you since we were curtain-climbers. Just give the guy one chance," Josie pleaded.

Grace sighed. "I'll think about it," she told her, before going their separate ways. After school, she and her sister took the hound home, but Ella kept tugging on her skirt and asking many times if she could get candy from the store. And Grace, being the doting older sister she was, obliged. They walked towards a store she knew wouldn't attempt to kick her and her sister out, and Ella excitedly went and grabbed a couple pieces of candy. "Do you want one Gracie?" She offered her, making her smile.

"I'm okay Ella. Just hurry up, I️ don't want mom to wo-" she gasps when she spots Daniel two aisles away from them. "Ella, on second thought...can you bring me some pop?" She asked her sister to distract her. Ella nodded eagerly and happily skipped towards the back of the store where the drinks were. Grace walked over to the aisle he was and whispered, "Danny."

Startled, he turned around to face her with confusion written on his face, instead of joy, like she expected. "Grace?" He sounded distant. He looked around to check if the coast was clear before proceeding to talk to her. "What...what do you want?" He asks, confusing her further.

"What?" She said. "What do you mean what do I️ want?" She scoffs, now starting to get visibly angry. "You missed our last five hang-"

"Danny!" Cece calls out from behind them, making them both turn to face her. "I️ couldn't decide between M&M's and Dum Dums so I️ figured-" she looked up and stopped talking when she saw Grace, a familiar flash of disgust crossing her features before making it with fake civility. "Danny...who's your...friend?" She sounded as if she almost gagged on the word "friend".

"Nobody. Just some girl," he simply shrugged, carelessly breaking her heart in public.

Cece smiled, pleased with that answer. She then walked over to him, rudely shoving Grace aside. "Cool beans," she says, checking her nails. Grace looked between them, still trying to make sense of what was going on. Was this a joke? Cause it wasn't funny.

Cece looked up from her choices to see Grace was still standing there, gawking. "Would you go away?" She hissed. "You're interrupting our quality time together," she waved her hand at her, as if she'd disappeared if she did that. Grace simply scoffed and turned away, walking back out to find her sister. And when he didn't try to stop her, beg for her forgiveness for his atrocious behavior, that's when she knew it was truly over for them.

Grace kept herself together as she paid for her sister's stuff, on their walk home, and through the front door. But the second her face hit the pillow on her bed, was when she let out all screams of frustration and cries of anguish. She hit her pillow a couple of times, imagining that it was his stupidly handsome face instead.

She was just so confused. One day they were okay, the next he was parading around with a white girl on his arm. And it doesn't seem like he was going to explain himself to her anytime soon. No...it seemed like he was trying to forget her entirely. He literally iced her out at the grocery store, and let that white girl talk to her any way she wanted to. What kind of boyfriend does that?

But that was the thing. He wasn't her boyfriend. Not anymore.

Maybe he was never hers to begin with. Maybe Josie was right. He just wanted to play with her feelings cause she was black, and white people get such a kick at torturing black folks in anyway they can.

So Gracie let herself cry for that night. But the next day, she was determined to get over him in anyway that she can. And that started, with accepting Joe's request.

The next day at school, she walked up to him and his friends during lunch, tapping him by the shoulder. He turned around to face her, pleasantly surprised that she was standing in front of her. "Hi-ya Grace," he smiled kindly.

"Hi Joe. About that date...turns out my mama doesn't need me that day so I'm free!" She tells him with a grin. "See you Thursday?"

Joe almost fell out of his seat. "Uh...yeah. Yeah!" He exclaimed. "Thursday. Yes," he nodded. "I️ will see you...Thursday."

"Thursday," Grace said, waving bye as she walked back to Josie, who watched the entire thing. Grace sat down and lets out an exasperated sigh. "Am I️ doing the right thing?" She asks her.

"Trust me. You're doing the right thing," Josie nodded encouragingly.

So why did she feel so crappy?