So, as I said before I want to individually thank you for reviewing! Thanks to hardletfan, iryne, Violet Eternity and sjklsaklj. And a huge special thanks to those who have reviewed more than once: DeArPrUdEnCe03, lucywatson, jackiehyde4eva, Phangirling and pure-simple-adoration. If I've missed anyone out just let me know and I will include you :)

Seriously guys I never thought I was actually good with this fanfiction stuff and you've made me feel so great about this story. It really is a great motivator so please don't stop reviewing and putting this on alert! :D

I've been watching your world from afar,

I've been trying to be where you are,

And I've been secretly falling apart,

I'll see.

Aqualung – Strange and Beautiful

His phone rang for the third time that day and he ignored it like he had done for the previous calls. He sat on the edge of his bed staring at the buzzing phone that sat on his bedside table. He shook his head angrily and lit up the cigarette he had been holding between his fingers for about ten minutes. His mind had been elsewhere thinking about Grace like usual.

He exhaled and a satisfying puff of smoke drifted upwards. He knew he didn't really have a right to be depressed right now, but he just was and there was nothing he could do about it. She was alive, but she didn't really want anything to do with him. How long would he have to wait for her? He whacked his forehead with his hand at that stupid question. He would wait for fucking ever if he had to. He knew there was no other girl like Grace and maybe she was the only one for him.

It had been a long two weeks since Grace had basically told him she didn't want to try to remember her life with Rich. He had tried to seem fine at school and smile at her from across the corridor as if nothing was wrong, but when he was at home he curled up in his room away from the world.

"For fucksake." Rich muttered coldly when his phone buzzed for the fourth time. He rolled over to the table, while trying to keep the cigarette away from his bed sheets.

"What?" He snapped down the phone.

"Woah mate! Calm down." He rolled his eyes as he realized it was Alo.

"Yeah, what?" He was still snapping down the phone. He took another drag on his cigarette while Alo began rambling down the phone.

"Well, we're at the pub… the regular one and just wanted to know if you're coming or not?"

"Who's 'we'?" Rich tried to sound casual and annoyed, but realized it wasn't working. Alo let out a small sigh before replying.

"I don't know if she's coming… Mini and Liv will be here though. Look just come and have fun with us. You can't mope around in your crusty boxers staring at photos of you and Grace forever."

"I'm wearing a shirt…" Rich said sullenly. However he had spent time looking at old photos of him and Grace. Plus text messages, voicemails he hadn't gotten around to deleting, twitter and facebook messages.

"Yeah, whatever. Just come out… Please."

"Fine." He hung up the phone before debating whether or not he should bother showering. After sniffing his armpit area, he decided yes he definitely should. Besides if Grace showed up he wanted to smell his best.

He entered the pub and gave a quick nod in a form of a greeting to his gang. Liv and Mini weren't there yet, but Alo, Franky and Nick were sitting down having a laugh over something.

"Hey Rich," Franky said, giving him a friendly smile. She had cheered up a lot since Grace woke up from the accident, but before that she was wracked with guilt. At least Grace never forgot who she was, Rich thought bitterly. Yeah sure, she only really remembered Franky's name and the fact that they were friends, but that's more than he can say for him and Grace.

"Hi," he said moodily and thumped down on a seat next to Alo. Nick gave him a casual pat on the back and opened his mouth to say something, but closed it and waved at something behind Rich.

He eagerly twisted in his seat and saw Mini and Liv enter the pub. Rich slumped forward when he couldn't see Grace in tow.

"Alright, Rich?" Liv said, as her and Mini sat down on seats near to him. She studied his face for a few moments before knowing what he was thinking.

"She's not coming." Mini said before helping herself to a shot. Her and Liv shared a meaningful look before Liv started talking.

"She still doesn't really remember you…" She chewed on her lip before continuing. "She's been talking a lot about some guy in her ballet classes."

"What?" Rich couldn't hide the outrage in his voice or facial expression.

"Calm down, Mr. Metal." Mini's nicknames were rather annoying and stupid more than often. "She hasn't screwed him or anything."

It still didn't make Rich unclench his fists or make his heart unclog itself from his throat or make his ears stop ringing. She liked this ballet twat… she liked someone who wasn't him. If this wasn't a confirmation that Grace wanted to move on and never remember Rich again, then he didn't know what was.

"She just seems to like him quite a bit. They've got a lot in common." Mini finished. Rich stared at the half-empty pint sitting in front of him and considered just getting up and going back home. He didn't want to be around his friends right now.

"Is he good-looking?" Alo loudly whispered, so Rich could still hear him clearly. He began to bang his head against the table in an attempt to drown out the noise.

"We haven't even seen him yet." Mini said, while trying to pull Rich back into a sitting position.

"I'm going to be honest with you, Rich" Liv continued. "He seems pretty perfect from the way she's describing him -"

Rich let out a loud groan; was Liv purposefully trying to torture him?

"She's never wanted perfect though, as she picked you to begin with." Mini said, rolling her eyes at Rich's behavior. Rich was about to open his mouth to say something harsh at this indirect insult.

"She was always happy with you." Franky piped in sensing an argument about to occur. And Nick nodded his head in agreement.

Rich gave a pathetic sigh.

"I've already tried everything I could think of… She doesn't remember me and she said herself... she wants nothing to do with me." His voice sounded all choked up and absolutely desperate. He used his hands to emphasize what he was saying and ended with a hand running through his hair.

"Try harder." Mini said bitingly with her teeth grinding together. She looked almost physically exhausted listening to Rich whine.

"Shut up, Mini," Liv said, giving Mini a small shove. "Stop trying to make her remember and just try to make her fall in love with you again."

She gave him a comforting pat on his arm and Rich turned to Alo as the words Liv had been saying began to sink in. Why hadn't he thought of that? He had been so preoccupied with trying to make her remember that this had never even crossed his mind. He must have been so irritating the way he got frustrated so easily when she couldn't remember, so of course she wouldn't want anything more to do with him. He needed to act like this was a whole different girl and not his Grace, not the girl he had a past with.

"Yeah, you can do it… You did it before." Alo said with a reassuring grin and went up to the bar to get another round in.

The only problem was; was it too late? Had this stupid, flouncy, gay as fuck and ostentatious ballet dancer replaced Rich in Grace's heart?

So, that last line is in Rich's POV… I have nothing against male ballet dancers!

If I had to choose a song for this fic it would probably be the song I used at the beginning of the chapter. It fits this story so perfectly.

Sorry there's no hardlet interaction here, but Rich and Grace interaction again in the next chapter!

Hope you're all still enjoying; I know this is a filler chapter :P

TheCheeryCherry