Rachel smiled at herself in the mirror she truly looked a horror. Her hair was tangled up behind her head and her skin was pale white, she was pulled into a long black dress and she was ready for her college debut as Mrs Lovette in Sweeney Todd.

True that it wasn't a role that would show off her perfect vocal range but it was good enough for a start and it was still a leading role.

College was treating her well, she had worried about getting lost in the crowd and sinking in but the opposite had happened she shone. Her voice was the best in the class and although she wasn't the best dancer she gave everything a go and her professors admired her for it.

Rachel felt an arm on her shoulder and as she turned her professor stood behind her with large rimmed spectacles resting on her nose.

"Come on Lovette the first numbers nearly over, it's nearly time for your college debut"

Rachel smiled nervously in reply and began to walk over to the stage when she heard her professor call back to her "Oh and Miss Berry, don't worry you'll smash it" she beamed a smile to Rachel and already she felt herself feel better.

The rest was a blur, she remembered the first curtain going down and she felt her legs travel on stage behind a counter.

Then she found herself singing instinctively.

"A customer!

Wait!

What's your rush? What's your hurry?

You gave me such a -

Fright, I thought you were a ghost!

Half a minute, can'tcher sit!

Sit you down, sit!

All I meant is that I haven't seen a customer for weeks!

Did you come here for a pie, sir?

Do forgive me if me head's a little vague –"

The show ended so quickly and she found herself crying slightly as she stepped of the stage, her friend Gareth (who was playing Sweeney) stopped to check she was okay.

"You ok rach?"

Rachel nodded "I can't believe I just did that they really liked it…"

Gareth laughed "of course they liked it your amazing…I was wondering…would you like to go for a drink?"

"Now?" Rachel replied excitedly, she hadn't been on a date in a while as when she left for college Finn broke it off breaking most of Rachel's heart.

"Well...Yeah unless-"

"I would love to" Rachel said giving him the best show smile she could manage. She turned on her heel and looked back at him as she began to walk "Just let me de-Lovette" She giggled slightly at her own pun and pulled her clothes out of the dresser they'd been stored in.

Just an old red dress and red pumps but she supposed it would do, hoping that he wouldn't be taking her to anywhere to posh. But then again she knew Gareth it would most likely be some dive of a bar, where women wore too little and drunk too much.

She didn't mind too much those sorts of places usually had live music and Rachel did enjoy judging them on her Berry meter of stardom.

Gareth met her outside and to her surprise the bar wasn't too bad. It was still a dive, but not as bad as she expected as Gareth ordered her a drink she listened to the live music and it wasn't too bad.

The female singer was singing her best rendition of "take a bow" by Rihanna; it took Rachel back to when she sang that for Finn. She laughed slightly to herself; he really wasn't worth all of that trouble.

Gareth caught her laughing and turned to her "What? Did I miss something?" he said with his strong Texan accent.

Rachel shook her head "No just thinking about my Ex,"

"should I be worried."

"No-" Rachel began to speak but then she heard a voice, a familiar voice one she knew so well.

"You think I'm pretty without any make up on,

You think I'm funny when I tell the punch line wrong

I know you get me-"

"Blaine." Rachel whispered softly. Gareth spun his head round to meet where rachel's gaze had fallen.

"You know him?"

Rachel nodded "we were friends"

"Just friends?" Gareth said in a unsure tone.

Rachel shot him a look "You don't know him. We would only EVER be friends." She said this thinking of the past, of when he kissed her of how he wanted them to be so much more then friends.

"So I shouldn't feel threatened" he said waggling an eyebrow. Rachel couldn't help but giggle.

"He's gay." Gareth made an oh with his mouth and looked back over to where Blaine had been singing. He was now by the stage, Rachel thought how odd it was to see him with his hair curly and he had scruff that Rachel found oddly attractive. Rachel snapped herself out of it, He's gay she thought.

Her thoughts were cut short when she saw him pull out a piece of paper and hand it to a blonde girl who basically couldn't wear less clothing.

"He just gave that girl his number" Gareth said sarcastically "He's soo gay."

Rachel didn't know what was more disturbing the fact she found her high school friend attractive or the fact he was giving girls his phone number.

The Blaine's chocolate eyes raised and met her's, his lips widened to a grin showing off his perfect white teeth.

He travelled quickly through the bar as if he owned the place and stood in front of Rachel shaking his head in disbelief.

"Rachel Berry."

"Hi Blaine warbler." Blaine laughed shaking his head even more.

"My name is Anderson"

Rachel laughed and he knew she'd never call him Anderson he liked it that way. He looked down at his friend at her tight red dress and the low cut top, the way her hair spread across her shoulders. He'd never thought about it before but she would be the kind of girl he could love.

Blaine then caught the eyes of Gareth and his own eyes widened "Wow this must be your boyfriend."

"No-"

"Yes I am" Gareth said defensively and Rachel's mouth gaped at him. Blaine held back a laugh and looked down his hands in his pocket.

Rachel decided to ignore Gareth knowing that it did no harm, nothing could happen between them anyway…could it?

"Blaine what are you doing here?"

"Me? I OWN this place. What are you doing here?"

"We're…on a date, our FIRST date." Rachel made it clear it was their first date, more for Gareth's Rachel took a double take "Wait. You OWN this place."

"Yeah my dad bought it for me when I left high school…well he gave me the money as a bribe so I'd stay in college."

"And did you stay in college."

"Yeah I did, but only part time the rest of the time I work here…"

Rachel nodded "that's amazing."

Blaine signalled for the bartender to bring over some drinks and he just stared at Rachel with his signature puppy dog smile.

Gareth looked angry stretching his arm around Rachel's waist. "SO your not going for the popstar life?"

Blaine laughed "not yet turns out its harder then I thought. But y'know I've written some songs seen some record labels I wrote my own show and even got a couple of auditions for tv…what about you rach?"

Rachel stood nervously blaine's life seemed amazing and what did Rachel have some horrible flat, and a lead in a college musical.

"I'm at college" she smiled reassuringly and laughed as Blaine handed her a glass of something Rachel couldn't name.

She sipped it and found she liked it despite its strong flavour "Mr Anderson are you trying to get me drunk."

Blaine leaned in with a whisper "Yes but only so I can have my way with you." Rachel cackled and Blaine fell back laughing. "It's great to see you rach. Infact…where are you working."

Rachel pulled a face infact she didn't have a job at the moment, she'd gone for several interviews and every one had turned her down. "I er…I don't have a job."

"well work here for me! I'm one waitress down at the moment and maybe we could duet sometime."

Rachel nodded "that'd be great but I still have college."

"I'm sure we could work around your hours c'mon rach I really want to see more of you."

Rachel looked at Gareth who was just staring at Blaine protectively. "I'll take it thank you."

Blaine looked at his watch "Crap I need to go…got a date" Rachel felt her heart sink a little.

"Hot guy?" she asked

Blaine laughed "Girl." He said as he turned and walked away leaving Rachel with her mouth wide open.

Gareth stared at her "what the hell was that?"

Rachel rolled her eyes "to friends catching up. What did it look like?"

"a straight guy who wants to sleep with you offering you a job to try and get into your pants."
Rachel laughed even louder "Gareth relax you really don't know Blaine even if he was straight he would never bother looking at me."

Or would he?

A/N: PLEASE REVIEW