A/N: Hey there! After several years of reading fanfiction, I decided to write my own! I've always loved writing, but never had the time. Well, the pandemic changed that. I'm working from home and wanted to put effort into something that makes me happy. I've been craving Richonne, as I'm sure all of you have as well! I hope you enjoy this story. There will be several chapters. The first few give the background to a much larger story. Please drop a review and let me know what you think! Stay safe!

Prologue

The woman sighed as she smoothed out the silk fabric of her dress. The cream color and floral pattern was something her mother would have chosen. Her hair was pinned up into a perfect bun adorned with rhinestones. She wore simple pearls in her ears and around her neck. Her pale gold Louboutin heels complimented the outfit well. Smiling to herself, she thought about how the gift was finally being used…she rarely wore heels, and certainly none these expensive.

She sat down at the smooth cherry wood desk and admired the craftsmanship as the sun's rays hit the wood. Opening the album in front of her, she began perusing the pages of photos…memories captured in a moment of time which was long passed but not forgotten. Lost in her thoughts, she didn't hear the door open. A man with stark blue eyes and brown hair entered the room. "It's time," he said…"are you ready?"

She let out a deep breath, "as ready as I'll ever be". The pair left the room holding hands, closing the door behind them.

Chapter 1: What Lies Ahead

1996…

Michonne St. John threw her backpack over her shoulder and rushed down the stairs…just in time to see her mother loading up a plate with bacon, scrambled eggs, and toast. "Ugh, mom…don't we have any yogurt or fruit instead of all the carbs and cholesterol?"

"Michie, you have a long day ahead of you. You need to have a solid meal before you start your first day at the new school...and since when do you turn down a full breakfast? Are you nervous about today?" her mother, Faye asked.

"A little," Michonne replied.

"I'm sure things will be fine. Now eat up and I'll drop you off on my way into the office".

She sighed as she took the plate, sat down at the kitchen table, and began eating. "Where's dad? Did he go in early?"

Faye flipped her wavy dark hair over her shoulder and responded, "yes, and Sasha had an early morning class, so she left with him. It's just you and me kiddo, now hurry up before we're late."

Woodbridge High School sat in the center of the small town. The campus was well-kempt with perfectly manicured lawns and droves of students roaming about. Michonne took in the surroundings as she waited in the office for her guidance counselor to show her to her first class. Twirling a strand of her long, bone straight hair around her finger, she wondered how her first day would go. She resented her parents for moving her and her older sister, Sasha, to King County, Georgia. The slow pace of the town was decidedly different than her home in Atlanta. To add to her apprehension, the racial and ethnic demographics of the town were notably homogeneous compared to the diverse community from which she came. There weren't many Black families in King County.

Still, when her father got the call to be head of pediatric surgery at Harper Memorial, he couldn't pass up the offer, no matter how much his daughters protested. Oliver St. John was not a man you argued with and Michonne knew the move was going to happen…regardless of her opinion on the matter. Her mother also jumped at the opportunity to start her own practice in the small town. There weren't many clinical psychologists in the area, and she figured her services would be appreciated.

So, here Michonne was, in the middle of Countryville, USA starting her 11th grade year with no friends and hardly anyone who looked like her. She worried about fitting in with the students. She was fairly popular and had just made the debate team at her old school. She hoped to quickly acclimate to this new environment, and maybe even get involved in some extra-curricular activities.

"Michonne…Michonne." Her guidance counselor, Ms. Peletier's voice broke her out of her thoughts. "Come with me dear. I'll show you to your first hour Biology class with Mr. Greene." Michonne followed the thin, gray-haired woman down the hall to Mr. Greene's room. Once a short introduction was made, she quickly took a seat near the back of the class, trying to avoid bringing more attention to herself. Other students were just filing in as the first hour bell rang in the hallway. Michonne took note of their casual appearances and lively chatter. A girl caught her eye…she was tall with long brown hair and a thin frame. The girl was wearing tight black leggings and a flowy pink tank top, which stopped mid-thigh. She was laughing and chatting with a medium height blonde who wore her hair in a high ponytail with skin-tight jeans and an even tighter red V-neck t-shirt, which did little to hide her cleavage. Attention-seekers, Michonne thought to herself…I hope Becky and Karen don't plan on talking during the entire class.

"Hey, I'm Lori"…the girl's voice startled Michonne. "Hi…Michonne", she said in a less than friendly tone. "So, you're from Atlanta?" Lori asked as she flipped her long hair over her shoulder. "Wow…what makes you automatically assume I'm from Atlanta?", Michonne shot back.

"My mom will be working with your dad at the hospital". Michonne stared at her, obviously confused. Lori laughed…"this is a really small town…my mom mentioned the new doctor has a daughter my age. I kinda put two and two together," she shrugged. "I didn't mean any offense".

Michonne immediately felt bad for her harsh tone. Her first thought being the girl's assumption was based on her race. "Sorry, I'm just kind of worn out from the move…yes, we just moved from Atlanta". Lori and the blonde looked at each other and smiled. "Well, Michonne…this is Andrea. We'll show you around and get you acquainted."

The day was flying by and so far, Michonne was enjoying her classes. She was skeptical at first, but the courses seemed to be on par with her old school. She was serious about her academics, a trait she no-doubt inherited from her parents. Education was important to them and they never let her, or Sasha forget the importance of hard work.

She joined Lori and Andrea out in the courtyard to eat lunch. As she approached the girls, she noticed they were sitting with a group of boys and laughing hysterically at something one of the boys said.

"Oh, there you are", Lori announced as Michonne took a seat on the bench. "Guys, this is Michonne. She just moved here from Atlanta. Her dad is the new big shot surgeon over at Harper."

Michonne instantly felt uncomfortable at Lori's words, but gave a timid, "hi".

One of the boys spoke up, "Hey Michonne, I'm Shane and this is Mike and Rick, he said pointing to the other boys…nice to meet'cha." Mike and Rick both greeted her with a smile and a nod.

Shane was a good-looking guy with dark hair and olive skin. Mike was easy on the eyes as well, with his strong build and smooth cocoa skin. Yet, Michonne couldn't take her eyes off Rick. His deep blue eyes immediately caught her attention and wouldn't let go. They stared at each other for what seemed like a long time. The stare wasn't lost on Lori who decided to break up the awkwardness by asking about everyone's plans for the weekend.

Rick responded, "The guys and I are gonna go bowling. Y'all are welcome to come", he said looking at Michonne. She blushed, before saying, "thank you for the invite, but I've gotta finish unpacking." Rick seemed disappointed, but it was Mike who spoke up, "well, Michonne…that's a pretty name, by the way…hopefully, you'll be able to come another time." Rick and Shane shot each other a knowing look, both shaking their head.

Shane slapped his hand on Mike's shoulder, "okay, playboy…let the girl get settled in before you overwhelm her with your charm". Mike playfully shrugged off Shane's hand… "whatever man, I'm just being friendly…Michonne, ignore him," he waved back at Shane.

Michonne found the whole exchange to be humorous…"like I said, thanks for the invite…hopefully, I can make it next time."

Michonne laid on her bed looking up at the ceiling and replaying the day. It had gone much better than expected. Her classmates seemed alright. Her thoughts soon drifted to Rick and his cerulean blue eyes and curly brown hair. He was attractive for sure, but her dad would have a fit if she even thought about dating a white boy. His view of things was largely shaped by his experiences growing up in a predominantly white town in rural Alabama. He told his girls stories of being bullied in school and often talked about the microaggressions from his colleagues at work.

Her mother had grown up in a very different environment than her father. Both of Michonne's maternal grandparents were academics, who taught at Clark Atlanta University. Faye grew up in a middle-class home near Buckhead. Although, with her rich dark skin and thick hair, she was no stranger to discrimination and colorism, Faye's views were more open when it came to love…after all, her long-term college boyfriend was white.

Michonne quickly buried her thoughts about Rick. She didn't need to be focusing on boys anyway. She just wanted to make some good friends and get through the year without any hiccups.