Saving Grace #Wattys2016

Chapter One

CHANEL IMAN AS GRACE STEWART

In the darkness came a beautiful thing.

"Sorry." He said. It was in the middle of town with a million people walking,

bumping into me and he was the only one, the only one that said that.

To me: a black person.

I just had to look back and surprisingly he did too, staring for so long it almost made me shiver in the hot sun. I reluctantly turned back around before I had to hop on my bike and head home. Yeah, the year was 2012, but in Eren, a small town in Texas, it might as well been 1962. Nothing has changed since then even the fact of race. Nevertheless, I used my Parisian-like yellow bike to get home. It wasn't far but long enough to concentrate on the guy's features; the bright blonde hair, the lake like blue eyes and just him all around. He looked like the starring high school quarterback from heaven. It was annoying; I mean I knew a guy like that would never be interested in a black hair, bright brown eyed black girl.

And even if he was, it wouldn't be possible.

Our separate worlds would've never accepted it.

Finally, I got home to where I belong, passing the pretty white people houses to the not so pretty houses left for us but they worked out for us so no complaining for me. I parked my bike next to the stairs and headed inside.

"Hi, Mama, I'm back." Abigail Stewart sat at the dinner room table with a book in hand, her hair pulled back by a ribbon. I always liked it that way; it made her look even more beautiful than she was.

"'Bout time you did. I thought I was gonna have to call Danny to go out and

found you." She looked me up and down to make sure all my limbs were attached and was satisfied as a mother with what she found.

"Thanks for your confidence in me." I said dead-panned, going upstairs. Even though the house wasn't so nice, we made do since Daddy died.

Daddy.

It's been three years and I still couldn't get used to him being done. Now

Danny, even though wasn't ready, was the "man of the house". En route to my own room, I had to pass his room.

"Hey you." I leaned against his door frame. He turned to me and smiled. People always said we looked alike because we were twins but I never really saw it until now. The black hair and bright brown eyes were obvious but the face structure was all Daddy's. "What are you doing?"

"Getting ready to go out." His deep manly voiced proving he definitely went through puberty.

"Can I go?" My eyes lit up with excitement. Even though I was twenty, there was nothing to do in this town that was fun. Most girls my age were expected to be in the house cooking, cleaning and whatever else would prepare us for marriage. Another thing in this town is that it wasn't weird to get married at my age; they actually embraced it and hoped you would. Mama hasn't pushed me so much but she's worried about me. Some of my friends are engaged or newlyweds.

And I haven't even got a boyfriend.

I hate to see her worry like this but this is the simple truth: I didn't really like any of the guys available. Now I knew what they meant by all the good guys were taken.

"Grace, you know what Mama's gonna say; no."

"Yeah, but she'll let me if you say it's okay. Please?" I pleaded. "I hate being here in the house all day long while you have a life." Danny looked at me the way Daddy did when I begged to go out to town with him to get a new book; good thing he did or else...