It was the eve of graduation and Andie had been invited by her friends to celebrate at their usual bar.

It had been a good night, of course until she noticed a familiar figure in the distance. Andie watched Steff from the periphery, a bottle of beer clutched tightly in her hand. He sat hunched over the bar, the amber liquid of a whisky swirling dangerously close to the rim of the glass. His usually perfectly styled hair was disheveled, his jaw clenched, and a dark bruise bloomed underneath his left eye, a grim testament to the night's events.

This wasn't the Steff she knew - the effortlessly cool, charismatic Steff who always seemed to have the world at his feet. This was a broken, vulnerable Steff, and the sight of him, so utterly unlike his usual composed self, both repulsed and strangely intrigued her.

A wave of bitter amusement washed over her. Steff, the king of his elite social circle, reduced to drowning his sorrows in cheap whisky. Andie savored the sight, a cruel, delicious irony. It was her day to celebrate and he was here, alone, nursing his wounds, while she, with Blaine by her side, was undoubtedly having the time of her life. The thought of Blaines warm hand in hers, his laughter echoing through the room, sent a jolt of longing through her, a longing that was quickly overshadowed by a surge of resentment.

Resentment of Steff, for the way he had tried to sabotage her happiness, for the way he always seemed to get what he wanted. Resentment for Blaine, for being so oblivious to the way Steff still clung to her, a shadow lurking in the periphery of their lives. And most of all, resentment for herself, for the way her heart ached for Steff, for the way she was still attracted to him, despite everything.

Ignoring the prickle of self-disgust, Andie pushed herself away from the wall and walked towards him. Steff, startled by her sudden appearance, looked up, his eyes narrowing as he recognized her.

'Andie,' he drawled, his voice roughened by the alcohol, 'Fancy meeting you here.'

'Likewise,' she replied, her voice deceptively calm. 'Not exactly your usual haunt, is it?'

He scoffed, 'Says the girl who spends her time in this... this.. dive bar.'

'At least I'm here with friends,' she retorted, gesturing vaguely toward the lively group dancing nearby, Blaines infectious laughter reaching her ears. 'Unlike some people.'

Steff's eyes usually so confident, flickered towards the group, his gaze lingering on Blaine. A wave of jealousy, raw and ugly, washed over her. Blaine, with his easy charm and genuine smile, was everything Steff wasn't - genuine, kind and utterly devoted to Andie.

'You seem to be having a grand time,' he muttered, his voice laced with a bitter edge.

'We are,' she admitted, a triumphant smile playing on her lips. 'It's a shame you can't join us.'

'And yet, here you are,' he scoffed, raising his glass in a mocking toast. 'Reveling in my supposed misery, no doubt.'

'Well, you see,' Andie countered, her voice dripping with sarcasm, 'this happens to be my kind of place. Your crowd, on the other hand, wouldn't be caught dead within a hundred yards of it.'

'Oh, really?' Steff drawled, a lazy smirk playing on his lips. 'Never knew this was your personal fiefdom, Andie. Didn't see your name on the deed.'

'Figuritive language, Steff,' she explained patiently. 'Your kind simply don't frequent this area.'

'I'm truly honoured to be deemed unworthy of such esteemed company,' Steff retorted, his voice laced with a dry amusement. He gestured vaguely around the bar, his eyes lingering on a group of punks huddled in a corner. 'You seem to have found your tribe, haven't you? All those...interesting characters.'

Andie felt a blush creep up her neck. 'So is this your purpose for being here?'

Steff leaned back against the bar, his eyes scanning the room. 'And what purpose would that be, Andie? To ruin your party? To disrupt your...social circle?'

'You're pathetic,' she spat. 'Reduced to petty revenge.'

Steff slammed his glass down on the bar, the ice cubes rattling menacingly. 'Don't pretend you don't enjoy this, Andie. The drama.'

Andie felt a shiver crawl down her spine. He was too close, his breath hot on her face. She wanted to pull away, to deny it, but the truth was, she did enjoy seeing him like this, broken and vulnerable.

'Maybe a little,' she confessed, her voice a low whisper. 'But can you blame me after everything that's happened?'

She turned to walk away, but he grabbed her arm, his grip surprisingly strong. 'Don't lie to me, Andie,' he growled. 'You want me, I know you do.'

Andie's heart pounded against her ribs. He was right, of course. She did want him. Wanted him despite the pain he caused, wanted him despite every ounce in her body screaming at her that he was just a player.

She met his gaze, her eyes mirroring the desperate hunger in his own. 'Maybe I do,' she admitted, since it was probably going to be the last time she spoke to him once they graduated. 'But it doesn't matter.'

And with that, she pulled free from his grasp and walked away, leaving him standing alone at the bar, his eyes burning with a mixture of longing and resentment.

xxxx

To explain: I decided to write a fanfiction based on my opinion that Steff and Andie should have been the key couple in this film. They had extremely good chemistry and we all know (or should know) that Steff was more interested in her than Blaine was.

So I wrote a chapter, and then let my AI program rewrite it- because, why not? It gives me some delight in seeing what it comes up with. So if it does seem slightly Mills and Boon-ish, then you know why. But I like it.