Eternal Sunshine ✓

21. Parents

**excuse any errors**

FLASHBACK LATE '90s

Before becoming Mrs. Morrison, or George Morrison's wife, or even Steve's mom, she was simply Grace, mostly known as Gracie.

She was the neighborhood girl, the next-door sweetheart that every boy in high school thought was cute yet too quiet, too reserved to flirt or mess around with. In truth, what these boys didn't know was that girls like Gracie, the 'sweet ones' were crazier than most.

Girls like Gracie were good at school. Not the valedictorians, yet they received almost straight A's, except for those exceptionally difficult classes. These girls had bright futures ahead of them, and they knew it too, so they basked in the knowledge of their assured future success.

Girls like Gracie had many friends but trusted few, maybe even none, of the girls that they called 'friend.' And the friends they did trust were never fully aware of who girls like Gracie were. Although these friends thought otherwise.

For no particular reason, girls like Gracie didn't have close male friends. It just never happened, though they desperately craved for a just a little bit of male attention, maybe an admirer, someone who would care for them, unlike their neglecting fathers.

Because girls like Gracie always had neglecting fathers. Men who thought that they were workaholics because they needed to provide for their families, failing to realize how much damage they were bringing to their wives and kids in their constant absence.

Funny enough, men like their fathers were who girls like Gracie ended up marrying and having a family with. Only realizing years later how they'd failed to break the cycle, they'd failed to keep the promise they'd made to themselves, a promise to not become like their mothers who married badly.

But as senior year came, Gracie Lester was sure she broke the mold. She had met him, the one, the man who would make her different from her mom.

She'd met Jeremiah Simmons Jr.

Their relationship had started off rocky. But that was expected, they were polar opposites in every sense. She was small, petite, almost breakable, with long blonde hair that accentuated her sky blue eyes and pale skin. Jeremiah, on the other hand, was big, muscular, almost scary-looking. Unlike her, he had short coily dark hair that almost matched his clear dark skin.

They met in art class, a class neither of them cared about, but since it was required they'd both reluctantly taken it.

Gracie would forever remember his first words to her, "Is someone seating here?" he's asked her, his voice a deep tremble that waved through her body.

She had simply nodded though, barely giving him any attention. She wasn't one to show emotions, especially to guys who knew the effect they had on girls. No, she would simply act as though she was above him, despite the way her core started to ache at him seating next to her.

He was so close to her and he smelled delicious. A mixture of coconut oil and aftershave, a smell that would make way to her dreams every night after that day. After those dreams, she would wake up sweating and panting.

Jeremiah was one of the only four black guys at Crest Bay High School, and one of the ten black teenage boys in the small town of Crest Bay, Alabama. The other boys attended the other local high school and middle schools.

Even in the late '90s, Crest Bay was yet to widely accept the integration of white and black students. Yet schools were beginning to integrate more and more and with that black students began having white friends, although friendships by the same race were more prevalent.

Jeremiah only hung out with black friends. Gracie has noticed that by observing him in the halls, as her obsession for him grew every day. Jeremiah was popular among his group of friends, she noticed. He was the guy that made everyone laugh, with his beautiful smile and strong build, he attracted the ladies as well.

Gracie noticed that his eyes seemed to train on a specific girl-Kayla Jefferson-for longer than usual. She was short, with a cute afro and chubby cheeks. She had beautiful blemish-less dark skin and nice curves, so different from Gracie's pale skin and skinny build.

Jeremiah liked Kayla, something easily evident from the east way he smiled at her and found every opportunity to touch her. That's when Gracie started hating Kayla Jefferson.

But Jeremiah's interest in Kayla did not stop Gracie from obsessing over him and his friend group, learning more about each of them without their knowledge. Or so she thought.

She was unaware of the fact that Jeremiah had noticed the way Gracie looked at him and he knew very well of her little obsession for him...

CONTINUED IN THE NEXT PART

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A/N: Hope y'all are staying safe and healthy. Thanks for reading!