Any resemblance of this story and the characters in the TV show Scandal is purely accidental

Assumptions

Chapter 1

OLIVIA Carolyn Pope 17-year-old wunderkid was spending her last summer in the Hamptons before entering Harvard with her grandmother, Bessie. In the Hamptons, as a worker not in her usual mode of doing absolutely during her stay every summer. .

Her Hampton's visit had been a summer staple since before her teens. While parents did what parents do during the summer Olivia and the other cousins spent the time with their grandmother Bess. It was the best of times and the worst of time. Worse since if was all too short, best because there was so much to enjoy from the foods to spending time with her Pope cousins.

This year instead of lounging all day Olivia joined other cousins working shifts at the nearby Country Club. This was not necessary but her granny told her it was as much of the learning experience as the books she read. Every grandchild was required to spend one summer working , real life experience GM Bess called it. For three summers Liv had put off working finally with her back to the wall she got a job mainly working with the landscaping crew. She filled in at various positions during this summer "experience", as her granny referred to it and today she was pressed into service to fill in as a server for a large party. It was a party for one of the older and richer residents in the area, a combination welcome home and birthday party so the crowd was large.

Not only was she drafted to work as a server she was drafted to work a family table. Each table of twelve had three servers. . The other two servers included her friend Abby and cousin Harrison , the table they drew was the Grants .

The party was going at a brisk pace when Olivia heard a diner, from another table, start to berate one of the servers... The diner was yelling that her drink order was wrong and started speaking in French while Quinn, the server , stood silent her head down. Hearing and seeing the exchange Olivia stepped and in fluent French responded to the diner. Shocked that a server spoke better French than she did the abusive female quickly sat down but not before she demanded that Olivia be removed from the room. In a perfect mix of German and French Olivia told her what she could do with the job then she grabbed Quinn and left the room but not before applause from several diners at the Grant's table.

She grabbed Quinn, went to their lockers and within 10 minutes was in a cab home.

Grandma Bessie saw them coming up the walk "the party is over so soon?"

"Yes , for us" Olivia responded granny gave her the look that demanded an explanation which Olivia gave...

"Good for you, who was the diner, someone at the Carmichael table I bet, was it was daughter Elizabeth or her cousin Melinda, both bad news and have been that way since birth"

"Talking about a bad seed that family has a whole field of bad seeds going back to the first Carmichael who bought the first house", granny Bess continued

Quinn apologized for getting Liv fired granny said," no problem ,working was to give her lasting life experience which she received a great lesson today. I'm proud that she stepped up. I hope she continues in the future. ".

Fast Forward to Harvard late October

Political Science class of Dr. Beene . Olivia Pope and Abby Whelan started for their normal front row end seats to discover one was occupied. They gave the person a side eye as they sat on each side of him. This was two months into the semester didn't he know the two always sat in these seats.

As the class began Abby reached over to give Olivia the notes she borrowed from another class. After they exchanged some comments about that class the male turned to Olivia in the perfect French said" would you like to exchange seats?". Olivia looked up into the bluest ever she had ever seen and could only get out a huh.

He repeated in English "I said, would you like to exchange seats?"

"Why would you ask in French?"

"Because I received a first-hand account that you both speak an understand French. I had a ringside seat when to you took down Elizabeth two months ago, good job by the way"

"I'm Fitzgerald Grant , and you are"

"Olivia Pope, but I assume since you remember the incident and my face you also know my name….….this is Abby"

"What's that saying about assumptions. Which one of us gets to be the ass? , I know its Olivia but it's nice to hear your voice in a much calmer tone"

", hi Fitzgerald"

"Everyone calls me Fitz"

"hi, Fitzgerald, seems you are becoming the ass ", …... which elicited a laugh from him.

"You were there, ?"

"Yup, you served our table "

"Ok, sorry I don't remember"

"You were kind of busy until you got fired. How does waiting tables at a Country Club translate to attending Harvard?"

"Isn't Harvard more about ones' intellect and less about ones economic status but since you inquired I'm her on scholarship".

"A scholarship maybe but not one based on economics."

"Why would you assume that?"

"There is that assumption again…. No assumption, your shoes, bag and the fact that you speak two languages, plus English, fluently,

"Two , I speak five, but who is counting"

"French, German and English and what are the other three?"

" that information is on a need to know and you Fitzgerald don't need to know"

"It's Fitz"

"Ok what about you Fitzgerald , how many different languages do you speak." before he could answer the class started.

Dr. Cyrus Beene , the terror of all the Political Science teachers. He demanded the most, graded the hardest and gave out of a ton of extra assignments which were for not for credit or a higher grade but required by him... One did not get extra credit for these assignments but points were deducted if they were not done. Most students tried their best to avoid his class but if a student wanted to graduate and attend a top law school that student needed his classes on their transcript...

Most students took his classes as 3rd or 4th year students which gave them time to figure out the ones most probable not to be the most terrifying. . Both Abby and Liv are taking his class as freshmen , grabbing the bull by the horn.

Dr. Beene laid his stack of books and papers on the desk and pointed to Abby to distribute the new assignment paper to the class. This exercise was an oral argument about Franklin Roosevelt's decision to seek a 4th term and the ramifications when Congress decided on a Constitution Amendments to make sure it would not happen again. Each student was to present a written argument but everyone would also be expected to participate in the oral argument. Everyone whose name ends "A " to "M", argue from Roosevelt's point, "N" to "Z" for Congress... The papers were due the first Monday after the Thanksgiving break, , office hours are on the assignment sheet, the oral arguments would begin on the first class after the break. One student asked if the paper was due that first Monday, even if the class met on Tuesday, Dr., Beene replied. If you hope to ever have a Diploma that has Harvard printed above you name you will figure it out.

Both Abby and Olivia's names fell into the in "N" to "Z" so they figured they could work together . Their bubble was burst when they were told to meet with Dr. Beene after class ,not knowing what it was about but they both knew it wasn't good, Dr. Beene did not do good. . When they arrived at his office two other students were already there, Fitzgerald, and another male.

Dr. Beene introduced each and told them he was giving them another assignment. He was forming two groups, they were the two groups..

Grant and Pope would argue from Roosevelt's view. Fitzgerald came from a long line of Republican politicians , Olivia was a- political.

Abby and Stephen Bass, would form the other group and argue from the gop point. Dr. Beene knew Abby hated republicans. Stephen was Scottish, born and raised. He wanted each group to be the opposing argument for the rest of the class. When it's all done they were to argue against each other.

. He asked, …."any questions"….. as he stood up from his desk. They all mumbled something but everyone was smart enough not to say what they were thinking. He ushered them out of his office smiling to himself as they walked into the hall mumbling under their breath.

Liv and Abby were unhappy because she they studied together for most classes they had in common. The both signed up for this class because they would have had each other for help. Now they were expected to do battle against each other. And while Liv was a-political, Abby hated republicans

.Fitz was unhappy because being a lifelong republican nothing Roosevelt did pleased his family and he knew he could not present or defend an argument that presented Roosevelt in a positive light

Stephen wondered how he got into this kerfuffle .The four-discussed meeting in the library later that day but that was vetoed by the girls. Liv was trying out for the swim team Abby the track team.

"If we can't find time for a meeting how are we going to prepare?" Fitz argued

"We are opponents we don't need to meet", Liv countered.

"yes, we do, we need to set guidelines, Liv and I are friends first and opponents second", Abby jumped in

Stephen looked at all three, shook his head and wondered what had he gotten into.