Chapter 5
Dance classes continued and now with the production coming up, they became longer and more demanding.
Grace was working harder than she had in her entire life. A couple of weeks went by before Brian was able to tell her what was on his mind.
"Grace, I'm worried about you. All you do nowadays is dance. You have time for nothing else. You aren't eating, you are getting thinner and I miss seeing you."
Grace glared at him. "Oh so you think you have this all figured out don't you? You think you know everything that is going on."
"I never said that," Brian started.
She gave a short curt laugh. "Oh really? Then what would you call it?"
Brian felt anger starting to burn up inside of him. "Grace you have to start taking care of you self or else something bad is going to happen to you."
Grace stood up. "Oh please you are just jealous."
"Yeah" he asked standing up to meet her, �Jealous of what? Jealous that I'm not trying to kill myself?"
"You are jealous of me. Jealous that I am the best damn dancer in the whole school and am making something of myself. And what are you? NOTHING!!" Grace then walked to the door let herself out and slammed it behind her.
Brian sighed upset. He loved Grace and didn't want her hurt but she was too stubborn to see anything past ballet. But she was wrong about one thing. Brian was not a nothing. He was going to be something, and something big. The boys and he had signed the contract. Brian was now a part of the Backstreet Boys. He walked out the door knowing that the relationship between him and Grace was over. She was mad and she was not ready to talk.
Chapter 6
* One Month Later*
Grace danced on the floor during class. She danced as hard as she could. She poured her whole heart into the music. Julia loved how Grace was devoted. Julia noticed how much better Grace was dancing and how well she was doing.
Graces toe shoes swept softly on the floor, the music poured out from the stereo. She danced her part perfectly. When the music was done, everyone clapped loudly.
" I don't care who you are, where you from, what you did as long as you love me." Brian looked at the others while they sang the last few notes of the song.
He smiled at the progress they were all making. They all sounded pretty good. He looked over at Nick. Brian could tell that they were going to be great friends. Nick smiled back at Brian.
They all got ready for the next song. For a moment Brian thought of Grace and wished that she was here, but her knew that she was probably dancing or exercising or something along those lines.
He and the rest of the guys worked hard with the songs for three more hours until they called it a wrap. Brian grabbed his things and walked with Nick.
"Dude, what is wrong with you? You seem a million miles away." Nick told him
"I'm sorry Nick. It's just that I really miss Grace. I am usually always with her." He looked down at the sidewalk thinking of her. Wishing she were with him at that moment.
Nick studied his friend. He wished there was something that he could do for him. Then he got an idea. He would find Grace and talk to her tell her how much Brian was missing her and make her understand that Brian needed her in his life. Nick smiled to himself as he walked down the street with Brian.
Grace was sitting in her room holding a picture of herself and Brian wishing he were with her. She had one of her favorite cds playing, the song was Pink's �Don't Let Me Get Me�.
Every day I fight a war against the mirror, I can't take the person staring back at me. I�m a hazard to myself. Don't let me get me. I�m my worst enemy. It�s bad when you annoy yourself. So irritating. Don't want to be my friend no more, I want to be somebody else.
Suddenly there was a knock at her bedroom door. She quickly put the picture under her pillow and stood up quickly and rose on pointe.
"Come in!" she called out. She looked up as a handsome young guy walked into her room.
"Hi, I�m Nick. Nick Carter" the boy told her. He looked at Grace who was giving him a weird look. "A friend of Brian's" he added.
"Oh, ok" she said. She sat on her bed. She had the stereo still on and now another song by Pink was playing.
Where I can run, just as fast as I can, to the middle of no where, to the middle of my frustrated fears and I swear you're just like a pill, instead of making me better, you keep making me ill...
"Listen Grace, I just stopped by because Brian is dying without you. I swear you are all he thinks about night and day."
Grace didn't look at Nick. She couldn't admit that she was also thinking about Brian all the time. That she felt lost without him.
"If he loved me, then he would understand what is going on in my life. He doesn't care he just thinks I am trying to kill myself and that is not true."
"Is there anything he can do to make you forgive him?" Nick questioned desperate to know if Grace loved Brian.
"Well this reminds me of one of the Beatles songs."
"Which one?" Nick pressed.
She blushed slightly. �She Loves You.�
"Oh so you do love him?"
"Yes but it is up to him to fix things"
Nick talked to her for a little longer before he decided to leave. A plan had formed in his mind and he had to go to the store and then find Brian.
Chapter 7
Nick ran to Brian's house. "Brian let me in. It's me Nick. I have something important to tell you."
Brian opened his door. "What is it Nick?"
"It's Grace", he panted, "She loves you she really does love you I know she does"
Brian frowned. "Nick please don't lie to me."
Nick sighed and walked over to Brian's stereo and put the CD in. "She said this song reminds her of you." He got ready then turned and faced Brian. Waited for the music to start and then began to sing.
She loves you yeah, yeah, yeah. She loves you yeah, yeah, yeah. She loves you yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. You think you've lost your love, well I saw her yesterday. It's you she's thinking of, and she told me what to say: she said loves you and you know that can't be bad. Yes she loves you and you know you should be glad. She said you hurt her though, she almost lost her mind. And now she says she knows you're not the hurting kind. She says she loves you and you know that can't be bad, yes she loves you, and you know you should be glad, woo. She loves you yeah, yeah, yeah, she loves you yeah, yeah, yeah. With a love like that, you know you should be glad. You know it's up to you, I think it's only fair, pride has hurt you too....
Nick continued to sing the song. He watched as Brian quietly began to cry. A few moments later Nick finished the song. He turned off the radio and looked at Brian who was silent for the moment.
"Nick, that was beautiful. But are you sure she means it?"
Nick nodded. "Yes Brian, she means it."
"Well then what should I do? What do I say to her? When am I going to see her?"
Nick laughed. "Dude, calm down alright. You and Grace have been dating practically since you guys were in dippers."
Brian laughed knowing that was true. His parents had been friends with her parents and had brought the two of them together almost as soon as they were born. He had always been protective of her and he thought he loved her way back when he was 3.
He thought back to a time when they were seven. She had claimed that she had loved him, but was devastated to find out that he had his first girlfriend Alice. He remembered her saying that she would win him back no matter what. Truth was, she was jealous that she wasn't getting attention so she had made up a plan.
She went over to his house, claimed she had something she needed to say to him, popped in Madonna's CD and began to sing.
I don't know why I thought that you could make me happy, these tears I cried for you are so hopeless, yeah. I don't know why I thought that we were going somewhere, but you grabbed your coat and you were out the door and now I know you don't care. I know you're gonna take your love and run, I know you think I'm the foolish one, I know you're gonna turn around and say good-bye. I used to think you were my pretty angel coming down, well now you've just proven me wrong, yeah, what about the letters we have written, all the things we've said and done, well I'll just stand here while you count the battles you have won, I know you're gonna take you love and run, I know you think I'm the foolish one, I know you're gonna turn around and say good-bye, I know it, but I'm not gonna cry, for you, cuz that's what you want me to do no I�m not gonna cry, for you, anymore...
He smiled thinking of her high-pitched voice singing that. He had back then thought it was the sweetest thing anyone could say to him. He broke up with Alice and spent all of his time with Grace. No back then she wasn't his girlfriend, but she mattered the most to him. She still does he thought to him self.
"Dude," Nick called out interrupting his thoughts, "Are ya just gonna stand there all day off in dream land? Or are ya gonna go over to your girl�s house and make up?"
Brian smiled at him. "All right dude, I�m out." Brian got up and walked over to Grace's house. Like always, he let himself in. He climbed the stairs to her room and knocked on the door.
"Come in!" she called out.
He walked into her room. Her back was to him; she was like usual, practicing. She turned to see who it was and almost fainted.
"Wha- what are you doing here?" she asked completely surprised.
"Grace, we need to talk." he told her moving toward her, "The fight we had was stupid, I can't believe that we broke up for no good darn reason."
Grace looked at him carefully. She looked deep into his sapphire blue eyes that were gleaming with hope.
"Please Grace, I know I love you and that you love me, so I think we should just stop playing these silly games already and make up."
Grace gave a slow smile, "Alright Brian I forgive you. And you are right, I do love you." She went over and gave him a hug.
"Grace, I�m so glad to have you back, I was so lost without you. Always worrying if you were sick and still not eating right..."
Grace pulled back and away from him. She gave him a dark look.
"Brian, I do not have problems. I want to be the perfect ballerina. You know how much it means to me to have even gotten into the New York City Ballet, and now that I just so happen to be one of the best dancers in the class, you can't even be happy for me. I just want to continue to be the best and bring out my career as much as I can. You know you can't dace ballet forever Brian. I expected you to understand."
"What, you want me to understand that what you are doing is hurting yourself? You want me to understand that you can't go on like this, but you are going to just to make yourself happy? I'm sorry Grace, but I am not just going to stand her and watch you hurt yourself."
"Then Brian I suggest that you leave." Grace pointed to the door.
Brian sighed, he couldn't believe this had happened again, but he just didn't want to watch Grace hurt herself. He gave her a pleading look but she turned away from him. He gazed at her back wishing she would turn around, but she didn't. Finally he let out an exasperated sigh and turned and left.
Chapter 8
Brian went back to his house where Nick was still waiting for him.
"Well?" asked Nick wondering why in the heck Brian didn't look as happy as he should have.
"We made up for about two seconds and then we got into another fight. I can't believe it, but I think that I have really lost Grace." Brian sat on his bed and put his head in his lap. He just wanted to cry right then and there but he couldn't.
Nick sat down next to his friend and put a hand on his shoulder. "It's ok man. We'll think of someway to show Grace that you really love her and have you win her back. I know we will." Nick only hoped that what he said would really happen.
"I really hope so Nick because I really do love her more than anything in this world. I always thought that we would end up married, but now from the way things look, I may never get to hold Grace in my arms again."
"How many more days until the performances?" Nick asked trying to form a plan in his mind.
"The first performance is the day after tomorrow on the 15th of December." Brian remembered the grand opening of The Nutcracker.
"Great" Nick said, "Cuz whether you want to or not, we are going to go see her and then we are going to have a talk with her and the two of you are going to work things out."
Brian sighed. He knew that he was not going to win this one. "Ok Nick, we'll go. Is it going to be just you and me or are the other guys going to come also?"
Nick thought for a moment. "We are all going to go and give you support. And also it will be five against one so she will have to listen." He smiled at his thought thinking that it was a great idea.
"Ok then." Brian agreed. "We will all go to the performance tomorrow."
Nick smile. "I will go call the other guys and let them know that tomorrow we get Brian out of depression and make him smile again. Tomorrow we get Grace back!"
"Dude, you are so dramatic" Brian told him rolling his eyes and smiling.
"Yeah, and that's why you wanted to be my best friend."
The guys sat around in Brian's room talking about different things. Three hours went by and they talked about things from music to basketball to Grace. Finally seeing that it was getting late, Nick stood up and announced that it was time for him to get going.
"Well be ready for tomorrow. All of us are going to be there for you so I hope you get some rest and look the best you can cuz tomorrow is going to determine you future with Grace." Nick said stretching his arms up and over his head.
Brian gave a laugh. "Don't worry bro. I'll be ready." In his mind he added, I hope.
Brian walked Nick to the door and as he watched him leave he really did hope that tomorrow would be the change of things and that he and Grace really would make up and not get into another fight.