OKAY, so yeah I've had to split this chapter in half because it was getting WAY too long, but that means one extra chapter guys! The next chapter is a Rich/Grace only chapter. NO OTHER CHARACTERS holla. Wow, you sexy bitches, thanks for all the reviews on the last one, it means a lot to me.

What you can expect from here on out: recycled skins quotes, ladies showdown, weird RG interaction and :'( grace

HOPE YOU ENJOY EVEN IF IT'S NOT AS EXCITING AS I HAD PREVIOUSLY PROMISED (new chapter by latest monday 3)

Chapter 9: Trim your garden

minixoxo (20:46) liv and I'll be round in 15. X

violetsaregrace (20:51) what? I thought I was meeting you later

minixoxo (20:53) Nope. We're dolling you up!

violetsaregrace (20:53) Oh…

minixoxo (20:54) Not excited?

violetsaregrace (20:55) I am! It's just I already started getting ready.

minixoxo (20:57) Then stop! Just make sure you freshen up and you know trim your garden x

violetsaregrace (20:58) EW

minixoxo (20:58) Babe, you are going to be so sexilicious that you'll defo get laid.

violetsaregrace (20:59) LOL… no

violetsaregrace (20:59) Uhmm… Mins, be nice to Alo tonight please.

minixoxo (21:01) Can't promise anything. See you in a sec! Xxxx

I am an idiot. I am a stupid little girl who thinks that telling your best friend you have romantic feelings for them is a good way of getting out of a friendship. I could have said so many other things! Like…. I'm moving to Switzerland? I'm going to just be friends with Mini and Liv from now on? My Dad demands I don't be friends with you anymore? I can't stand you anymore? So many other things other than the darn truth!

Anyway, I don't want to think about it. I mean, it's the only thing I have been thinking about since, but I'm sure I can just stop thinking about it if I try really hard. I can think about cats instead, or Disney, or just sing. Oh yes, singing.

THERE'S SOMETHING SWEET, AND ALMOST KIND,

BUT HE WAS CRUEL AND HE WAS COARSE AND UNREFINED.

I start to dance a little around my room as I hum the tune aloud. I'm waiting for Mini and Liv to come over and it's making all a bit nervous to be perfectly honest. I chose out a fabulous lilac party gown that makes me feel like Audrey Hepburn herself, but Mini wants to do me up herself. 'Get me laid' in her words.

Ew.

I can't be flirting with anyone, I don't think, as my affections for Rich are still present. I mean I think this crush business is even worse now that we're not talking anymore. No pub, no hangouts, no phone calls and no texts. I hate it, I miss him being grumpy with me at my bizarre early morning phone calls and when I turn up unexpectedly at his house with ice cream and a movie he'll so obviously hate. It's been two days but I miss him. Alo texted me about tonight, because he's still coming and all that was mentioned of Rich was that he had a date tonight. Uhh… no, got to stop thinking about this, got to be happy for tonight.

"TRUE THAT HE'S NO PRINCE CHARMING

BUT THERE'S SOMETHING IN HIM THAT I SIMPLY DIDN'T SEE"

"What the fuck?" I sit up from my bed where I was rolling around and singing the words loudly to see Liv and Mini both standing in the doorway staring at her and laughing. I can only shrug and give a sheepish smile.

Uh-oh, Mini is carrying a huge duffel bag; this must mean there are a lot of beauty preparation stuff for me in there. Or it's empty and it's for my dead body later. Oh no, that's something Rich would totally say. Time to hum the tune in my head again. I, Grace Violet Blood, promise that if I think of Richard Hardbeck tonight I will hum immediately.

"Well, okay, princess let's get you dolled up."

Forty-five minutes later (I know, I know, what kind of time is this to be leaving the house, but Mini said herself this is when all the cool kids go out) and I look drastically different to how I did with my classic dress on. My hair has been straightened slightly, I say slightly because with curly locks like mine it's difficult to get it properly straight but it's got a nice bounce to it now. Liv worked on my hair whilst Mini did my make-up. My eyes look like little fairies have come and physically stretched each individual eyelash and then delicately pattered along my eyelid to add a strong line of eyeliner. That maybe doesn't sound as pretty as it actually looks. I've got on bright red lipstick as well and I just basically look unrecognizable in the mirror before me right now.

Sure I've done my make-up myself for a long time now, but I barely put any on, mostly because I'm not sure what I'm really doing with any of it. My Mum has been the only female in my life who has been able to show me what to do with make-up and seeing as she's not a real fan of it herself, it was the bare basics.

I haven't even spoken about my dress! A black, bustier, sweetheart and above knee-length dress. Oh, I have no idea what I just said, but I'm sure it'll make sense to someone. The only thing I'm having an issue with right now are the heels. Thank goodness I'm a ballerina, otherwise there would be a 100% chance of me falling over tonight. I've pulled that percentage back to at least 75%.

"Jesus fucking Christ," Mini murmurs as I stare at my reflection dubiously. I can never tell with Mini if she's swearing in a good way or a bad.

"Yes?" I ask, my eyes widening curiously at her reflection in the mirror too. She's looking beautiful herself in a deep pink halter neck dress and strappy heels which are at least double the size of mine.

"Fuck me sideways levels of smoking." Liv contributes, which I assume is a good thing. Mini approaches me from behind and tucks a piece of my now luxuriously straight hair behind my ear to say,

"You look bloody amazing, every guy is going to be drooling over you tonight." A grin starts to spread on my face to mimic hers, as she grabs my hand and twirls me around once before we start to leave. My Dad is still out for some work-y conference-y thing so thankfully he won't be around to tell me to go straight back upstairs and change. Also my parents think I am simply going to a cute girly sleepover (which I will be afterwards!) so they won't be worried when I don't come back early tonight.

As we waltz out my front door, decked in our night outfits and massive coats to stop us from catching pneumonia, I can feel a warm tingling feeling welling up inside me, a feeling so strong I don't need to sing to forget about Rich, because I finally feel like I've reached the moment of being a proper girl. Sure this feeling is only going to last a few minutes and I'll be straight back to thinking about how I threw away a five year friendship over some stupid romance that I've probably made up in my head, but… I can make the most of it for now.

"Ladies," I smile at the ever so familiar voice that comes from behind me in the queue for drinks. Oh yes, the queue. I showed a lot of surprise that you were expected to wait half an hour to get into a club and then further waiting time for drinks, but Mini insisted this was how these things work. I don't know enough about clubs to either confirm or deny this statement. Ha, I sounded like a Prime Minister or just somebody really mega important then!

"Alo!" I cheer with a massive grin, yet my eyes are on Mini as I see her pull a face at Alo's entrance.

"Holy shit, Gracey," Alo says, eyeing my hair and dress.

"Almost forgot we were supposed to be expecting you," She cuts through the cheeriness with that statement. I don't know what else to do except give her a wide-eyed expression, hoping she remembers my warning from before. She gets distracted by the bartender asking for our order so I try to smile once more at my best friend.

"I tried texting you once we got here, but it didn't seem to work. Sorry," I say, hoping he knows I wasn't trying to stop him coming. I need my friends to merge. The two groups – Mini and Liv and then… well, Alo, just Alo, I guess. It doesn't matter if they get on with my ex-best friend I suppose.

"Yeah, signal's shit. I was on the phone to Rich and it just cut off." Even though I try to control my facial expressions it's obvious how intrigued I am by just that one sentence.

"What?" I shout to match his shouting, as the noise levels in this place making talking at a normal level absolutely impossible.

"Huh?"

"Rich? Why was he on the phone? Doesn't he have a date?" I realize I just asked way too many questions in one breath as Alo cocks an eyebrow up at me.

"Slow down, shortie. I don't know, he was just asking where we were and stuff." I crinkle my nose in confusion and Alo seems to be doing in response to my actions.

"Why?" The one-word question that could quickly lead to me spilling the truth once more. This time though I take the smarter option and keep my mouth shut, opting for a simple shrug instead.

"All right, this round on me," Alo states, leaning around me to access Mini and Liv with the drinks. I don't turn around to the others immediately as I feel like now is the time to attempt to sing once more in my head. Just forget about it, Grace. Forget.

"Nobody at this table is drunk enough. SHOTS!" Liv shouts, placing yet another tray of shots on the table. I've never drank this much in my entire life. My little gang have drank quite a lot before, but I usually backed out because of the taste; I tried backing out on the second round of shots but Mini was trying to guilt me, so that's that.

"Shots!" The rest of us cheer, before clinking glasses and swallowing the hard vodka. Despite how awful the shots are, the fact that you have to queue for everything and the loud, deafening music, I'm having a very pleasant time.

Alo spins me as I begin to twirl around on the spot with Liv coming over and dancing too. Due to my head now feeling like a lady doing the can can, I spin probably a tad bit too enthusiastically. Spinning, spinning and falling right into some poor passerby. I look up to either say sorry or to laugh, when I freeze completely.

I think it's obvious who is currently holding me and trying to stop me from falling further.

"Rich?" I ask, momentarily forgetting that I told him I liked him and that we can't be friends anymore. A smile, a small one, but still a smile, is appearing on my face as he turns around from Alo to look at me. He seems confused and then I remember. We seem to stare at each other for what feels like an eternity.

"What are you doing here?" I finally ask, stepping out of his arms and brushing myself off, trying to avoid looking at him, but finding that I can't just not look at him.

"Uhm… Jade is sick so…" He practically mutters yet I still manage to understand what he's saying. It's ever so strange, all I've been trying to do tonight is forget about him, but in the space of a few seconds I've managed to forget the existence of everyone else in this club.

"Oh," I breathe with a nod.

"Mate," Alo breaks in between us to pull his best friend into a hug. "You never said you were coming."

"I texted," Rich replies, trying to keep a stony expression, but he can't help but smile at Alo kissing him on the cheek.

"Yeah, shit signal. Drinks?" He asked the last question in a louder yell, as I guess it was directed at all of us. Mini pulls on my arm from behind in the midst of all this.

"Silly bitch, bust some moves?" She pulls on my arm a little more and I let out a giggle. We haven't even gone onto the main dancefloor yet, it'll be so exciting. Twirling, spinning and not knocking into Rich-like figures on the floor. SUCCESS!

"Woo...Ooh, I'm going to dance then." I probably slur, turning to chase after my girlies, but I feel a hand lightly grasp around my wrist and before I have time to look for the face belonging to the wrist, I can feel hot breath on the side of my neck.

"Be careful." Rich has stooped down to my level just to tell me that. I ignore the fact that my heart is beating so fast, the hairs on the back of my neck are standing up straight and that all my urges tell me to do is stay right where I am. Instead I listen to my head. He didn't listen to anything I said, did he? Otherwise he wouldn't be here right now, telling me what to do and acting like… like he actually cares about me. In a more than friendly way.

Oh no, I'm so drunk. Why am I listening to my drunk self?

"Of what?" I snap, fully listening to my drunk self. Rich looks like he expected me to simply say okay or something, but he doesn't back down.

"You know, sleazy guys or whatever. I mean, when you look… so," I don't want to be part of this conversation anymore and I don't have to be. I don't want to know if he's going to tell me I look good or that I look like a… slut or something like that.

"Well, fuck careful." And I walk off.

Dancing and being silly with my girlies is fun, but 'sleazy guys' is definitely something that comes with that

"Heya gorgeous," I stick my nose up in disgust, as someone not so subtly brushes his hand up against my lower regions. Ew.

"No, thank you," I say, trying to remain as polite as I can. He backs off a little bit, but I can feel his eyes still on me. Liv gives the guy the evil eye, which I fully appreciate, but Mini shakes her head at me.

"He was fit, what's up with you?" She has this horrible habit of making me feel bad for something I know I shouldn't feel bad for. I give a shake of my head and try to get back into dancing, but she holds my arm still.

"Nah, Mini, he was a fucking creep." Liv joins, which seems to annoy Mini more.

"Please, Mins, let's just dance and forget boys?" I shout, wishing I could do exactly that. Forget one boy in particular anyway.

"You've gotten all moody since you came to dance, what's up with you?" She says the last part of her question very slowly, making sure I can't run away from that question. I drop my head, feeling the truth rising in my throat once more.

"Rich is just being weird with me…" I say a little quieter, secretly hoping she won't hear my response.

"Uh, earth to Grace, he's always really weird." She says in that harsh tone she always seems to use about Rich. I snap my head back up to look at her and she's raising an eyebrow as if she's challengingly me to argue back.

"Hey –," I start a little feebly, which makes it easy for Mini to interrupt me.

"You said it yourself," She states, which starts to make me angry, because I never said that and would never say that. He's not like that at all.

"But I can, because I -," And she interrupts me once more, I clench my fists, never feeling so much anger towards someone before.

"He's a fucking dick and super judgmental. I mean he acts like he's better than everyone else when he's practically the scum of the -,"

"Mini," Liv half pleads and half warns. I wonder if that's because she can see my face turning red. I can't hold it in anymore.

"No no, just stop it. I've had enough of the way you talk about him, okay? It's really mean. He's my best friend and the nicest person I know. So, if you can't say anything nice about him then we… we can't be friends anymore."

Mini at first looks shocked, blinking several times at my worn out, exasperated expression. However she soon straightens up, giving me a smug smile.

"I knew it. I fucking knew it. You're in love with Valhalla." She laughs, shaking her head at me. I open my mouth to argue, but I can't think of anything to say. It would be a lie anyway.

"Just leave." I say, before storming off the dancefloor myself to go back to the table to get my bag.

Maybe she's been testing me all this time. Maybe she's known all along, maybe I've been so stupidly obvious with my feelings that she's known the whole time. Not that I love Rich, I don't, I just have a really big crush on him. There's a difference between those things.

"Grace? GRACE!" I look up, beginning to realize my eyes are smarting up. Alo is staring at me like a concerned mother hen and Rich… Well, I'm not sure how to describe his facial expression. I grab my bag, wanting to get out of this place as soon as possible.

"Where you off to, gracey face?" Alo asks, attempting to walk over to me. I shake my head, not wanting to wipe at my eyes, in case it brings more attention to the fact that I'm on the verge of crying all because of a small confrontation.

"I told you to be fucking careful, Grace. These places are shitholes full of creeps and skanks -," I make a loud groaning noise out of frustration.

"Then why are you here if you hate it so much?" I yell, hearing the croakiness in my throat from the tears that are now falling. He simply stares at me, looking like he wants to argue back, but I start walking away already.

I hate him. Yet Mini is right as well.