I admit that writing this little story was therapeutic for me and allowed me to reflect a lot about my insecurities in regard to girls like Stacey. Although Mia and Stacey did not initially get along, they ultimately learned that there is still good in everyone and that even the people with the most irreconcilable differences can still find common ground and form an unlikely friendship. I hope you guys like it!
“Anastasia "Stacey" Donovan- Italian-American (mother); Irish-American (father); Stacey is an attractive, athletic student who attends Syracuse University and develops a gradual friendship with Mia Carmichael once they first meet each other at freshman orientation. She is a seemingly kindhearted soul who sees every person she encounters as a potential friend and generally tries to have a positive attitude towards everything and everyone, easily hugging others during her interactions. She has a classic femininity with her outward gentleness, sensitivity, empathy, and sweetness, which earns her significant popularity with the opposite sex.
Unlike Mia, she is very much attuned to her environment and has an affinity for sports, continually adapting physical activity into her daily routine with her love of soccer and involvement in her school's dance team. The daughter of a well-to-do father who earns his living as a pediatrician and an equally beautiful stay-at-home mother who was formerly a widely acclaimed equestrian, Stacey comes from a relatively privileged background and had a seemingly stable upbringing in her early years. She had a particularly close relationship with her younger brother Wyatt, with whom she would spend quality time as they sat through his favorite Star Wars films, and was seldom seen without her considerably large group of girlfriends.
She is known for her recurring love for Taylor Swift, spreading Nutella on her bread, and eating sushi because "it looks so cute on a plate". She also has a penchant for showing off her assets through form-fitting leggings and crop tops in her downtime. Stacey has a part-time job at a local Bath and Body Works on the side to earn some extra spending money for her outings with her friends. Her personality clashes with Mia's at first, who experiences envy towards Stacey and sees her as "basic" upon noting her good looks and natural charisma when interacting with others.
This jealousy was particularly augmented once Mia erroneously concluded that Cason Hughes had feelings for her upon seeing them interacting together and briefly embracing in a private moment after class, despite Cason's admitting to having an interest in Mia instead. Beyond Stacey's surface-level warmth and hospitality lay a deeply competitive streak however, as she was full of ambition and lived primarily to meet her goals, both socially and career-wise. She had a certain coldness that defied her previous geniality and often felt threatened by any female who could potentially best her or threaten her social standing.
Stacey also had an aptness for slighting others through polite insults and had an ongoing rivalry with Mia during their initial interactions as they subconsciously tried to outdo each other. Mia nonetheless sees a more vulnerable side to Stacey while reluctantly spending time with her, allowing the two to bond during a heartfelt conversation despite their differing interests. She learns that beneath Stacey's cheery and affable demeanor lies a much darker side as well, with Stacey admitting as they spoke that she could be quite envious herself and sometimes had fluctuating self-esteem, claiming that she had always found Mia beautiful with her dark curls and tan complexion and wished she could have some of her natural beauty and innocence.
She shared part of her background as a formerly insecure high school student who thrived off every compliment she received and had little self-respect when it came to her interactions with men. She had promiscuously lusted after and become sexually involved with multiple love interests in her spare time. This fact was unbeknownst to her widowed father, whose wife Carly passed away from a rare form of ovarian cancer in her late 30s.
She was always a well-meaning, but impressionable girl who had a recurring desire to succeed and surpass her female rivals, and previously relied excessively on her looks to achieve her social status among her peers. She had an inherent confidence issue and often believed she was "simply not good enough", which led her to force herself upon random men who provided her with the false flattery she desired, despite her seemingly self-assured demeanor.
Stacey admitted that what ultimately caused her to reconsider her life choices was her conversion to Christianity after being introduced to God by a good-natured young girl who would later become a sisterly figure to her, her best friend Dione Morris. She claimed to have never felt at home with the repetitive and ritualistic traditions of Catholicism and that Christianity somehow filled that void in her heart and gave her the stronger sense of identity she needed. She gradually evolved through her faith from a feeble-minded, insecure young girl who was easily imposed upon to a grounded, even-tempered humanitarian who sought to help others by becoming a counselor who could guide people with similar experiences, as she pursued a major in Psychology with a complimentary minor in Sociology in her late mother's native New York. Although Mia could not fully relate to Stacey's strong devotion to God and questioned how she could believe so strongly in "something she couldn't see", her conversation with Stacey gave her a new perspective on religion, as well as a much more open-minded view on spirituality. The girls' friendship further strengthened as they spent a semester studying abroad together in Urbino, Italy during their undergraduate studies and continually bonded over their shared unfamiliarity with and simultaneous curiosity over a foreign culture.
As Stacey begins to introduce Mia to some of her hobbies and interests upon encouraging her to attend morning yoga classes with her after their return and inviting her to go horseback riding with her on a trip back to her family's farm near Bakersfield in her native California, Mia offers Stacey assistance by revising her papers for her psychology assignments upon informing her roommate of her strong writing skills, in addition to broadening her perspective and being receptive to Stacey's beliefs during periodic bible studies together. Stacey also encourages Mia to have more confidence in her appearance by periodically inviting her on shopping sprees to the local mall and teaching her how to better enhance her natural features with makeup, meanwhile Mia encourages Stacey to have more faith in her intellectual abilities once she claims she lacks Mia's natural ability for communication and self-expression.
Stacey becomes Mia and Cason's biggest "shipper" as well alongside Hannah Quigley once the two become romantically involved and openly provides her roommate with occasional love advice regarding her relationship, leading her to become genuinely disappointed and saddened once Mia later reveals she and Cason have amicably broken up and parted ways. She gradually begins to get along well with Hannah over time and earn her trust as their friendship with Mia brings them closer together during their time studying abroad. The two were initially at odds however due to Hannah's concerns over the sincerity in Stacey's motives in befriending Mia and desires to protect her best friend from potentially being hurt.
Despite the misunderstandings that initially weakened their connection, Stacey and Mia developed a significant friendship over the course of their college years. They learned that no matter how irreconcilable the differences between yourself and others may be, it is better to not jump to conclusions and rather, judge a person for the true character that lies beneath the surface. The two remain in touch for some time after they've graduated college and Stacey has gone on to pursue her master's in Clinical and Mental Health Counseling, with Stacey attending Mia's future wedding to her childhood sweetheart, Anthony Vargas as a guest alongside Hannah Quigley, Mia's designated maid of honor.
Stacey is seen as being a very pretty young woman with long copper hair that is usually styled in a side braid. She is described as having a kind face with her large, rounded blue eyes and rosy complexion, along with her full cheeks and dazzling smile. She had a full-figured, if slightly plump appearance with slight traces of baby fat that had yet to be lost while she was growing up, but has since slimmed down and developed a proportionate, well-endowed physique. Stacey eventually weds and has a happy marriage to a man she meets while working named Collin Biggle, becoming the mother to two daughters she names Aubrey and Delaney and a son named Ross in honor of her father.
Collin also supports Stacey alongside her close friends and loved ones even as she has a cancer scare in her late 40s once a suspicious mole becomes noticeable on her back, leading to her having it surgically removed and trying to cure the cancer quickly through sessions of radiation and immunotherapy due to its discovery at an early stage. Stacey remains in remission from melanoma after a year of treatment and retires alongside her husband toward East Islip in the southern tip of Long Island to be closer to the beach, feeling at peace in her early 60s as all her children are grown and married while enjoying the company of her grandkids. ISFJ 3w2”
