Chapter 3

Steff was deep in the throes of a "fight or flight" conundrum. He was positive that the girl who had just walked in was Andie, but he didn't have the first idea what he should do about it. When he first saw her, he thought perhaps his mind was playing tricks on him. He had, after all, just spent the last 3 months fixating on her. She was always the last thing he thought of at night, and usually, when he was driving, his mind would wander to thoughts of her. And of course, he always thought of her while he was in the shower. And every time he felt himself falling back into old habits; of acting rudely, or being bored and condescending, he stopped and thought about what Andie would say if she could see him. He spent so much time alone these days that he obsessively replayed every interaction with her that he could recall. So he wasn't surprised, when over the summer he started seeing her face in crowds. What stunned him this time was that it actually was her that he was seeing. The realization slammed him in the chest and robbed him of breath.

She looked as beautiful as ever. Her hair was a bit longer, but it suited her. Her wardrobe was still a mess, but underneath the 2nd hand style, there was a chic elegance to the ensemble that was solely due to Andie's unique flair. Steff knew that kind of eye couldn't be taught; you either had it, or you didn't. Her owlish glasses, which he secretly thought were adorable, were gone. Must've gotten contacts, he thought. He watched as she searched the crowded auditorium looking for a seat, simultaneously praying she wouldn't look his way, and terrified that if she didn't, he wouldn't get to talk to her.

Steff never heard another word that the instructor said the rest of class. Every fiber of his being was focused on Andie. When she finally found a seat, he relaxed a bit, knowing that he had 55 minutes to calm his shit down and get it together enough to go talk to her when class was over. He began to fret over what to say. He couldn't take his eyes off her – what were the odds that Andie would come back into his life so unexpectedly? He sent up a silent thanks to a God he had only recently started to believe in again – thank you God! Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!

While papers were being passed out, he watched her glance around the lecture hall. His heart beat wildly in his chest as she looked his way, her gaze landing directly on him. She looked perplexed at first, her brow furrowed in puzzlement, as though she didn't recognize him. Well, that's disheartening, he thought, three months and she's already forgotten me. He gave her a shy smile and a small wave.

After a moment, Andie's eyes widened in shock and she realized who was waving at her. Steff?, she mouthed. He nodded again, smiling bigger this time. Andie's face lit up as she grinned back, and waved at him in return. Oh my God, what is Steff doing here? she thought. It was so unreal – she had just been thinking about him last night, and then here he was in her first class. Her mind flashed back to what Duckie had said; that the reason Steff had been such a shit to her was to cover up the pain her rejection had caused. It had genuinely never occurred to Andie that Steff felt anything for her other than contempt. If the opportunity ever presented itself, she intended to get to the bottom of that mystery.

Steff could breathe again. He inhaled deeply, the tightness in his chest and throat loosening up. "Wait for me after class" he mouthed while pointing in the general direction of the door she came in through. Andie smiled and nodded; even though she couldn't see him well enough to read his lips, she got the gist of the message that he wanted to talk to her after class.

Steff never took his eyes off of her the remainder of the period. When at last the instructor's interminable yammering reached its conclusion, class was dismissed. Steff watched as Andie gathered her belongings and said goodbye to the girl she was sitting next to, however, she remained seated. Good. When the crowd thinned out, Steff stood up, took a deep breath, and walked over to where she sat, waiting. Andie tracked his movements from her peripheral vision, and as he neared, she stood and turned to face him.

"Andie!" Steff exclaimed, a note of genuine pleasure in his voice.

Andie smiled a trifle nervously. "Hi Steff" She paused. Now was the awkward part – the follow up. Was the "old asshat" Steff going to appear, or would it be the "real human" incarnation from the last day of school?

"I'm gonna give you a hug" he said, stepping closer and wrapping his arms around her. "Because I'm really happy to see you. I hope that's okay." Not that he planned on giving her a chance to object – he had her in his arms, and wasn't going to squander the opportunity. To his shock, and relief, Andie returned his hug.

Steff knew he only had to the count of "three Mississippi" at the most, before he would have to release her, or run the risk of it getting weird, and he planned on savoring every one of those precious Mississippies. He closed his arms snugly around her and pulled her in close. He closed his eyes and breathed in the scent of her hair, and gently kissed the side of her head. He was astonished when, after a moment, he felt her relax into his embrace and heard the smile in her voice as she softly said, "I'm glad to see you too."

He couldn't stop himself from pushing his luck a little bit, and held onto her until "four Mississippi". When at last he stepped back, he was pleased to see Andie's cheeks blushing very prettily. Steff was secretly enthralled by the involuntary reaction he had caused. He actually couldn't recall having ever even seen a girl blush before; all the girls of his acquaintance were just like him, jaded and bored. He felt like he couldn't wipe the silly grin off his face for managing such an accomplishment.

Maybe…maybe she might like me! At least I don't think she hates my guts anymore. Steff was afraid to follow that train of thought any further.

As Andie looked up into those heavy lidded blue eyes that had lately been haunting her thoughts, she thought Dammit. He's still the most beautiful guy I've ever seen. Her face felt hot, and she barely suppressed the urge to fan herself. She had been stunned by the feeling of being in his arms; she hadn't expected to feel treasured. Get a grip girl! It was just a hug!

He searched her eyes, and with a hopeful note in his voice asked "So, you wanna get out of here?"

Author's Note: Thank you for the very kind reviews, and thank you for reading! As always, I'd love to know what you think!