I'm back, after swearing off this godforsaken website. Quarantine finally got to me. I found myself noodling away at this nugget of a premise, and was like – sure, why the hell not. It's not like I'm doing anything better with my time – so here we are. I've written a bit in advance, so I will upload as frequently as I can edit.
Paper Thin – Lianne La Havas
Paper-thin
God only knows the pain you're in
But the future's bright
You've got God on your side, He's listening
Love yourself
Or else you can't love no one else
I know your pain is real
But you won't let it heal
Paper-thin
If you're trying to lose, you'll never win
It's your life
But you're not the only one suffering
That's enough, I know you're made of better stuff
Baby, you gotta roam free
Please don't forget about me
They said they're scared of you
I'm like, "Me, too, me, too"
You say you're scared of me
We both just want to be free
Olivia had a plan. She tapped her pen against her textbook nervously. It was 7:57am. Her plan was dissolving.
"Liv." Abby's voice cut through her intense tapping.
"Sorry." Olivia set her pen down and took a deep breath. "I know that college professors run on their own time, but where is he? I was going to introduce myself before class."
"Just do it after." Abby took a sip of her venti latte and shifted to get more comfortable in her lecture seat, reclining so her Fendi sandals could rest on the back of the empty seat in front of her.
"With all of the others?" Olivia asked as if doing so would be the end of her.
"You need to relax." Abby rolled her eyes. "It's bad enough that I had to register for an 8am. I don't need you radiating stress like a freaking energizer bunny."
"You should be more excited. Professor Reston is a six-term congressman, two-term governor. This is the only undergrad class he even teaches. Learning from him is like drinking form a fire hydrant of political knowledge and experience. Impressing him means a letter of recommendation that can get you anywhere you want."
"Like Harvard Law School?" Abby raised an eyebrow.
"Which is why I wanted to introduce myself before class. Which won't happen. Now it's 7:59."
"Look around. You are the only one who has even bought the textbook yet. You are also the only one fully dressed and not in sweatpants on this Monday morning. That alone will catch his eye." Abby squeezed her arm encouragingly. "But for real. Cool it. You are giving me anxiety, and I can't even remember the name of the class."
"Political Science 481: The Image of the Politician."
"Right." Abby nodded. "That sounds familiar."
When former governor Samuel Reston walked into his class promptly at 8:00, nobody noticed except for Olivia. He seemed shorter than she expected. Dressed in khaki slacks, a button down and a sweater vest, he looked like any other ordinary professor. She micro-adjusted her pen, notebook, textbook, and coffee on her desk as he approached his podium and connected his laptop, adjusting the mic.
"Good morning, my bright eyed and bushy tailed pupils. I can't wait to shape your minds to lead our country to a better future." He said in acidic sarcasm to the lecture hall. "I see that out of the 200 that registered for this course, only half of you showed up. There is no need to reprimand you, because you are here. However, know that attendance will be taken promptly at 8:00 every morning by my TAs. If you miss it, then you get a half a grade mark reduced from your final grade."
A couple of groans went out from the class. At least five students got up and left.
"The weak are already weeding themselves out." Reston smiled slowly. "If you can't show up on time to a college class, then why would anyone believe that you could show up for an actual career? If you show up at 8:01, I will ask you to leave. I don't want to hear any excuses, because you have already shown me that you have other priorities. I have a strict no-electronics policy. That means laptops, cell phones, tablets, and even those smart watches. Break that rule, and you will be asked to leave. Your attendance for that day will be revoked."
"What a nark." Abby mumbled, earning a sharp elbow jab from Olivia.
"But without further ado, let's begin. I expect that you bright young thinkers have already familiarized yourselves with the syllabus. This isn't Boston Community College, so I won't hold your hand and read through it with you. Starting with lesson 1: What does it to have an image?"
Olivia weighed her options of raising her hand. She did know the answer, word for word from their reading assignment for Wednesday. But Reston was proving to be arrogant, and she didn't want to get on the wrong foot the first day of class. When nobody else spoke up, she raised an unsure hand.
"Yes, in the fifth row."
Olivia beamed at the fact that he was calling on her. "To have an external facing brand that is easily digestible to the public at la—"
"If I wanted you to recite tonight's readings, I would have pulled the text up onto the screen." Reston cut Olivia off. She felt heat rise to her cheeks, as she quickly brushed it off. At least he knows I did the reading. She cursed herself for not saying her name before answering.
"Anybody else."
The door to the lecture hall opened, and a few students turned to see a student enter. He was still wearing his sunglasses. His hair was pretty tousled, but just long enough to where he could get away with it. He had a single pen twirling in his hand and no paper. He sauntered to a seat on the last row, like he was ten minutes early to class. There was something familiar about him. Like she had seen him before in pictures, or maybe met in a former life.
"Excuse me, sir. This class started at 8:00."
"Oh my god." Abby whispered, with a huge grin on her face. Olivia didn't know why she was so happy to see someone piss off the teacher like that.
The guy finally pulled his sunglasses off of his nose and pocketed them in his shirt. "I thought it started at 8:07."
Olivia sneaked a glance at the time on her phone. It was 8:05. Who did this guy think he was?
"You are disrupting class. Leave." Reston said, turning back to his notes. The whole class kept their eyes trained on the intruder, as he didn't bulge. He didn't even make a move to open his notebook, he just sat there with his ankle crossed across his knee. Reston chuckled sardonically, "I said to leave."
"I heard you."
Olivia took in a soft gasp. This guy really had some balls. The last thing she needed was for Reston to be in an even worse mood when she introduced herself to him after class.
"Then why are you still here?"
"Because, technically, you can't kick me out of class. Just like you can't enforce whatever attendance policy you arrogantly claimed to enforce. Well, I wasn't here for that part, but I can assume you put on quite a show talking about deducting grades for being a few minutes tardy... The university has policies that strictly prohibit that."
Reston smiled slowly, but Olivia could tell that it wasn't pleasant. "What is your name?"
"Fitzgerald Grant." The boy flashed a lopsided grin. "But you can call me Fitz, since we are already such close friends." He glanced in their direction, and Olivia could have sworn that he winked in their direction. Then it clicked for Olivia: Abby had a close friend named Fitz. He was a common character in a lot of her wildly colorful stories of growing up in the 1%, but she never actually met him. Was he the one that got expelled? Or the one who got arrested for hitting 112 mph in his sports car in Manhattan? Or maybe the one that planted cocaine in the Headmaster's office? A lot of Abby's dizzying tales blurred together after a while.
Reston maintained a neutral face. He knew exactly who was challenging him in his classroom. "Well, Fitzgerald. Since you refuse to abide by my rules, why have any at all? Class is dismissed. To answer your questions: yes, this lecture will be on the midterm and no, I'm not going to upload the PowerPoint to Blackboard." A couple of students moaned and voiced their annoyance. "Everybody should thank their new friend Fitz."
Reston collected his things and exited through the back door before Olivia could catch up to him.
"Great." Olivia sighed, sitting back down to gather her things. "Now, I can't even introduce myself."
"Just know that you aren't his least favorite student in the class." Abby said. "Now that we have an hour of free time, want to grab a celebratory senior year brunch?"
"Fine. It's not like I have anything from this class to study for, thanks to that asshole."
"That asshole has a name." Olivia turned on her heels to see Fitz Grant standing behind right her. He had the same smug look on his face. "Hey, Abby." He winked at Olivia's friend.
"Hi, Fitz." Abby hugged him tightly. "What the fuck, dude? I thought your daddy had you shooting down the bad guys overseas."
"Is that what he told everyone?" Fitz smiled a perfectly white grin. "This pretty face was never meant for combat."
"Are you here for a tour? Or just to torture Big Gerry's old political adversaries?"
"I'm a student. Picking up where I left off."
"Why didn't you let me know you enrolled?"
"I prefer the element of surprise."
"I'm high key surprised your dad didn't tell my dad who would have told my mom who would have told me." Abbey chuckled. "So you are a Crimson boy now. Yale didn't accept you back with open arms?"
"Turns out when they said I was never welcomed back on campus… They meant it."
Olivia watched in shock at the familiarity of the conversation between her best friend and worst enemy – of the morning, at least. "I should go. I have a lot of things to do before my next class." Olivia said, trying to inch away.
"Don't let this asshole keep you." Fitz smiled sweetly.
"Oh come on, Liv. You just agreed to brunch. It's on me. Fitz, you are coming too. We should kick off our final year with some type of bang."
Fitz looked from Abby to her peeved friend and back. "I'd love to, if your friend permits. I already ruined her morning once. I would hate to do it again."
"Olivia loves brunch." Abby pinched Olivia's elbow until she held out her hand to meet Fitz's. "Fitzgerald Thomas Grant the Third, meet Olivia Pope. Olivia, meet Fitzgerald Thomas Grant the Third."
"I hate it when you call me that." Fitz wrinkled his nose.
"I know." Abby quipped, linking her arms in both of theirs. "Onwards to mimosas."
"How do you know each other?" Olivia asked, as they walked through campus. She was trying to piece together her understanding of the man in front of her.
"We grew up together. We went to matching prep schools, at least when Fitz could stay out of expulsions." Abby explained. "He chose Yale and I chose the better school, only he didn't last longer than Freshman year."
"I lasted a couple of weeks into my sophomore year, thank you very much." Fitz's bright blue eyes shown with animation. "But I got expelled over a minor infraction and was shipped off to training camp for the Navy. I paid my penance in drills and 5am wakeup calls. Now I am back pursuing a rounded liberal arts education."
"Fitz is the golden offspring of Big Gerry Grant, the California—"
"I know who the former Secretary of State is." Olivia cut her off, never taking her eyes off of Fitz as they walked to a cafe. Big Gerry was a household name in American politics. He inherited the million dollar weapons & defense manufacturing company his father started, turning it into a billion dollar behemoth that profited from numerous – and at times, controversial – contracts with the government in the 70s and 80s. He transitioned into the role as Secretary of State in the late 90s and early 2000s, handing over his corporation to be publicly owned and governed by a board of trustees – to avoid special interests. His diplomatic legacy was his vindictive foreign policy in the middle east. Olivia disagreed with his politics, but she had to admire his tenacity and skill as a politician. Men like Big Gerry were also the reason why she wanted to enter politics – to change the systems that let people like Big Gerry amass so much wealth and power.
"Since you know so much about me now, tell me about yourself?" Fitz looked Olivia over. "And why you were so eager to be a teacher's pet."
"Be nice." Abby swatted Fitz in the arm. "Olivia's smarter than the both of us. If we aren't careful, our generational wealth and privilege run out. She's going to be our boss one day."
"I'm intrigued." Fitz waited for Olivia to talk about herself.
"Olivia Pope. Double majoring in Political Science and Communications."
"Where are you from?"
"New York."
"The city?"
"The only one."
"I have a lot of buddies that were on the school expulsion tour with me in high school and ended up in New York."
"Unless that tour included Public School M460, I doubt it." Olivia responded.
Fitz was taken aback by how feisty she was. She didn't blink when Abby mentioned his father, but she also obviously wasn't from his world. They reached the café and sat down at in a booth. After ordering, Olivia let Abby and Fitz catch up on the years they had missed. She tried to pick up as much details from their inside joke-filled conversation. They seemed to be cut from the same cloth: ivy league legacies who got by on daddy's money. She had known this about Abby ever since they moved in together freshman year. She accepted it from her, because as out of touch and spoiled Abby could be, she was also her best friend – fiercely loyal, hilarious, and fun. This was the first time she had ever seen Abby so happy to be with one of her old friends. Yet, there was no sexual tension. It was like they were long lost brother and sister, magnetic and constantly quipping at each other. Olivia couldn't help but feel out of place, especially with how Fitz kept looking at her throughout the conversation.
"You will never believe where Alison ended up." Abby grinned.
"Pregnant by junior year with some grey hair Wall St. executive?"
"Close! It was a pharmaceutical rep. She tried to hide it but ended up dropping out when the news got around."
"As much as we all saw that coming, it sucks for her."
"Not really. She's living the life of the Upper East Side socialite. Her baby is adorable though, according to Instagram—" Abby paused when a phone call popped up on her screen. "Oh, shit. It's my sister, hold on."
They waited in silence, while Abby answered her phone. "Jess, hey, what's up? Oh," Abby's face fell, "No, I didn't forget. I am just running behind. Traffic is a bitch. Don't worry, I'll be right there. Have an extra glass of champagne for me… No, I'm not still on campus, I swear. I'll be there. Fifteen minutes tops." She hung up and gathered her things. "I completely forgot that I was supposed to meet Jessica for her dress fitting. How long do you think it will take me to get downtown?"
Olivia checked her watch. "It's still morning rush hour, so twenty minutes?"
"Shit. I have to run. You two should stay and enjoy breakfast."
"No worries." Fitz leaned back in the booth, stretching his arm over the back of it. "Tell Jess, I said congrats. I didn't realize she was tying the knot. I've been so out of the loop."
"Your father RSVPd the invitation, but I didn't realize you were home. I'll have you added to the guest list. She'd love to have you there."
"Send me where she is registered, too. A nice wedding gift is the least I could do for all of the liquor she used to buy us." Fitz winked.
"I'll text you later." Abby nodded to Olivia before running out of the restaurant.
Then it was just them two. Olivia shifted under Fitz's intense gaze that didn't seem to go away. "Leave it to Abby to schedule something when she should be in class." Olivia said absently, moving her food around her plate with a fork.
"She hasn't changed one bit since high school." Fitz chuckled. "How do you two know each other?"
"Freshman roommates. We had different budgets for sophomore year housing but stayed close… You know Abby from high school?"
"From as long as I can remember. We were in an unspoken competition to see who could disappoint our parents the most."
"Why did you get kicked out of Yale?" Olivia asked. That was the one thing she couldn't discern from their conversation. He must have done something terrible, to be the son of a Secretary of State and still be expelled.
Fitz smirked, leaning back in the booth. "Do you really want to know?"
Olivia nodded, getting lost, momentarily in his crystal blue eyes.
"I didn't do so well my first year, grade wise, so I was already on academic probation. The second week of my sophomore year, I went on a crazy acid trip. Apparently, some of my friends and I went skinny dipping in every single fountain on campus."
"And that was enough to get you banned for life?" Olivia raised an eyebrow.
"I took it one step further and went to the president's mansion. I thought it would be cute to recite Romeo's soliloquy from Act II Scene 2. Only I forgot to put my clothes back on."
As much as Olivia wanted to laugh at the absurdity of it, she kept a straight face. "What happened next?"
"Naturally, the president came to his window to see who was yelling out from the sidewalk. Campus police had me handcuffed in five minutes. I was still tripping balls, so they declared me a threat to the other students. They searched my room and found other illegal substances. Just like that, I was out."
"Big Gerry couldn't save you from that one?"
"Ha. I can be a fuck up in private all I want, but the second I embarrass him... He had to save face and make an example of me. I was thrown into the military." Fitz watched Olivia's growing frown. He couldn't quite figure her out. "Why don't you like me?"
"Excuse me?"
"I get that I ruined your morning, but I am getting serious get away from me vibes." He shrugged. "I can leave you to eat your yogurt and granola in peace, if you would prefer."
Olivia immediately fixed her face. It wasn't that she didn't like him. It was that she was feeling pulled in by him. She hated rich, privileged kids who got away with so much, and never saw the consequences. She worked so hard to get where she was, never making any mistakes. And yet, there were so many others who were given second, third, fourth, and so on chances that were in her same position. Yet with him, she couldn't help but be pulled to him. He was the antithesis of the type of person she liked to surround herself with. Yet, she wanted to know more about him. "I don't hate you. I don't even know you."
"Why don't we change that?" He ran a hand through his loose curls, that made her wonder how he could grow his hair out if he just left the military.
"I should be going." Olivia checked her watch. She still had 45 minutes before her next class, but she had to stop by a student housing complex to pick up a secondhand copy of the course reader from a student who took the same class the year before. She also wanted some time to flip through it to get a grasp on the class. "I have a class to go to."
Fitz knew that she was lying, because it wasn't even 9:00. She would still be in Reston's class if it wasn't for him. Yet, he let it slide. "Don't worry about breakfast, I'll cover it." He held his hand up when she pulled out her wallet.
"I can pay for my own food." Olivia rolled her eyes discretely, placing a few bills on the table.
"It was nice meeting you, Olivia." Fitz called after her as she exited the café. He watched through the window as she waited at the crosswalk before crossing back to campus. Once away from him, her scowl dissipated. He didn't know anything about this girl, but he did know that his new mission was to find out.
/
"I'd like to report a problem, Miss RA."
Olivia jumped when she heard Abby's voice behind her. "You know you can't just come and go here as you please. This is a closed dorm."
"And freshman boys are more than eager to let senior girls in. Blame them, not me." Abby smirked. She had just spent three hours at a designer wedding atelier for her sister's wedding. They were not only choosing her sister's dress, but also Abby's maid of honor dress. Abby was still buzzed off of champagne, even though it was still early afternoon. "Do you want to see a picture?"
"I'd rather be surprised on her big day." Olivia loaded her clothes into the washer and inserted quarters to make it work.
"I meant my dress." Abby rolled her eyes, holding out her phone with a picture of her in custom Vera Wang.
"Wow." Olivia gasped. "That is gorgeous."
"There are still some minor alterations, but I am in love. I won't even need a man on my arm, wearing this."
"Technically the best man is the designated man on your arm." Olivia reminded, gathering her things and walking back to her room. Abby followed.
"The best man is the handsy cousin of the groom with a wife who has a stick up her ass. I will be avoiding that as much as possible." Abby followed her into her modest residential assistant room and plopped down on her bed. "Have you found a dress yet?"
"Still working on it." Olivia said, moving about her dorm and cleaning up. She knew that the wedding between Jessica Barret Whelan and Henry Oliver Samson was going to be a runway of designer dresses. It was an elite marriage uniting two of the oldest and wealthiest families in America: the Boston Whelans and the Manhattan Samsons. She knew better than to try to compete with the thousands of dollars being poured into the wardrobe choices of the guests. She figured that she would just rent a simple dress and try not to look too out of place... If she actually went.
"Still working on it? The wedding is in a month. You can't just wing your wardrobe. Vogue is doing a spread on it."
"I'm still not sure if I'm going." Olivia said quietly, sitting down on her bed as well. She pulled some textbooks from her desk and opened them up.
"Olivia Carolyn Pope, you are going to this wedding. There is no way that I am watching my sister get married without my best friend at my side."
"I don't have a date, and you know how I feel about your family." Olivia absent mindedly flipped through her textbook, pretending to absorb the dry, critical theory.
Abby knew Olivia well enough to know what was bothering her. "I'm taking you shopping tomorrow."
"Absolutely not." Olivia hated it when Abby bought her things. Even though it was as simple as a swipe of her platinum card and a drop in the bucket, Olivia was uncomfortable with it, every time.
"I am going to—"
"No."
"You didn't let me finish. I was going to say that I am lending you a dress. Just for the wedding."
"None of your dresses will fit me. You are too tall."
"Then I should go shopping, shouldn't I?" Abby winked.
Olivia looked up from her textbook. "I'm not going to win this, am I?"
"What does your schedule look like for tomorrow?"
"Work until 5."
"Meet me at Neiman Marcus at 5:15. No excuses, I know it is right down the street from your work office."
"Fine. I'll meet you there." Olivia gave in.
"And you can go with Fitz."
"What?"
"He will need a date, now that I know he is coming. Problem solved! I am the bestest friend you could ever ask for." Abby beamed.
"I don't think that is a good idea."
"Why not? He's super hot. A bit of an ass, but he can behave himself when necessary. He'd be great."
"I'll think about it."
"I'll tell him to ask you."
"No." Olivia said faster than she meant to. "I said I'll think about it."
"Fine…" Abby wondered why Olivia was so defensive over it. It didn't bother her too much, though. Abby knew that she could sway Olivia to it over shopping for evening gowns the next day.
"Olivia." They both turned to the voice outside of her door with a knock.
Olivia got up to answer it. It was Kai, a freshman living on her hall. His tall lanky frame still had water droplets on it. He clearly fresh out of the shower, with a towel around his waist. Olivia liked Kai. Mainly because he was one of the only other black residents of the hall, but also because he was quiet, but incredibly smart. Olivia noticed that he wasn't as social as the others during orientation, but it never seemed to bother him. "What is it, Kai?"
"Joseph sexiled me, again. I have class in thirty minutes, and I really need to get back into my room. But a sock is over the door, and I left my keys in the room."
"Did you try knocking?"
"Of course."
Olivia sighed deeply, walking down the hall to where their room was. Abby followed, intrigued by the ordeal. When Olivia reached the room with the sock over the door, she banged her fist against the door so loud, it could be heard down the hall.
"Joseph. This is Olivia. Let Kai in, or we'll have to have a pow wow about why you have a girl in your room with the door locked." She listened to the frantic scrambling inside of the room until thirty seconds later, when a boy appeared in sweatpants, carefully keeping the door open only enough to squeeze his body in.
"Hey, Liv." He grinned. His hair was a mess, and his cheeks were red. "I was just taking a nap. What's up?"
"Did you lock your roommate out to get an afternoon quickie in?" Olivia asked.
"No." He feigned offense.
"There is a sock on your door."
"Oh, that?" He looked at the unspoken rule of do not disturb, "Oh, someone must be playing a joke on me. I bet it was Sam."
Olivia raised an eyebrow and crossed her arms. She looked down at the obvious tent in his sweatpants. "I will give you thirty seconds to let your guest get dressed and leave. Or else I'll have to write you up."
"Yes ma'am." He dipped back into the room, and on cue, a girl ran out of the room holding her shoes in her hand.
"Please talk this out." Olivia told Kai. "I'm your RA, not your damn mother."
"Thanks, Liv."
Olivia returned to her room and plopped back down on her bed.
"You make a great mother hen." Abby teased.
"Shut up." Olivia tossed a pillow at Abby who skillfully caught it. "Do you have that thing you wanted me to proof?"
"Yeah, let me email it to you." Abby opened her laptop, typing into it.
"How do you have an essay due on the first week of the semester? It makes no sense."
"It's not for a class." Abby grinned.
"Oh?" Olivia raised an eyebrow, opening the file. "This is for the Weatherford Scholars Program… I had no idea you were considering it?"
"Not seriously, but…"
"A thirty-page application essay seems serious enough." Olivia said. "Where is this coming from? I thought you wanted to graduate as soon as possible, not enter an elite scholar program that would extend your time as a student for another year?"
"I would graduate with a Masters, Liv. And travel the world."
Olivia was proud that Abby was finally taking advantage of Harvard, but she was confused. Abby never ever showed any interest in higher degrees, and she had been to every posh country on vacations with her family. "Abby, what's going on here?"
"I'm scared, Liv." Abby sighed. "I don't want to end up like Jess."
"Isn't Jess about to be happily married to the love of her life?"
"Yes, but she graduated Magna Cum Laude from Princeton and top of her class from Yale Law. Now, she's talking about reducing her hours to help keep up with Henry's schedule. She's about to sign her life over for good to a guy that honestly isn't on her level at all. I mean, she's happy, but I'm scared that it is the only path for me. I'm not ready to become someone's wife, no matter how rich or important they are."
"I'll proof this for you." Olivia squeezed Abby's hand. "And I think it is really cool that you are applying for this… Can I ask a question that might offend you?"
"Is it about my GPA?"
"Yes. Programs like this are very competitive."
"I already worked it out. I've petitioned to have those Cs I made freshman year wiped from my transcript. I have to retake them next semester out of pocket and beef up my community service hours, but I worked out a deal with my advisor. If I finish this last year strong, I can squeeze it up into the 3.5 range."
"Wow… I am so proud of you." Olivia got a glint in her eye. "Does that mean that when we study together, you will actually study? And not distract me the entire time?"
"I guess…" Abby rolled her eyes. "But don't tell anybody. I don't want it to be out there, if I don't get in, which honestly, is a real possibility."
"You have my word."
"Thanks. And, before I sign my life over to the boring life of being an upstanding student, I want to invite you to a party on Friday."
"You know I don't have time to go out."
"It's more like a kick back at my place. You don't have to stay for long, but I want to properly ring in our senior year."
Olivia looked at her gorgeous friend, knowing that she was using her green eyes to sway her. "Fine. I'll swing by."
"Thanks. It's going to be so much fun." Abby grinned. "Now, I'm going to sit here and be a responsible student and study."
"Let's see how long that lasts."
/
FRIDAY
"What are you wearing?" Abby asked.
"You sound like a creepy phone sex operator." Olivia laughed, finishing her glass of wine. Technically, it was prohibited for RAs to have alcohol in the dorm buildings, but she was discreet. She also needed the warm buzz to make her actually go out.
"If you won't tell me, then I'll have to facetime you."
"Abby, no–" Olivia sighed as her screen hung up the conversation and was replaced by Abby's face, requesting video. She answered. "Fine."
"Going smoky with the eyes, I like it. Now show me the rest." Olivia rotated the camera to show the mirror. She was wearing black skinny jeans that rose up to her belly button, tightly hugging her curves, and a loose sweater that covered much of her curves. "Fuck yes to the jeans, but that top has got to go."
"What? No. It is comfortable, and—"
"Nobody goes to a party to be comfortable. Wear that corseted top that you wore when we went to Miami that one time."
"First off, you pitched this as a chill kickback. Second, why the fuck would I wear that top? That is for Spring Break, not an August kick back." Olivia shook her head. "It is way too slutty and dressed up."
"Which is why you should wear it! Please? You look so hot in it."
"I'll freeze."
"Liv, it's August. Try harder."
"Fine. I'll wear it. But I'm bringing this sweater as a jacket."
"I'll see you in a bit." Abby hung up the phone, leaving Olivia no choice but to dig out the top from the back of her closet. She had reservations about it fitting, but when she zipped it up, it hugged her body like a glove. She rotated slowly in the mirror. She did look hot. The top was strapless black faux leather and lifted her breasts up just enough to make them noticeable perkier. She sighed, thinking about how great it would be to take it off that night after she showed her face for a respectable amount of time.
/
When she arrived at the party, she greeted the friends in her friend group who had stuck together since freshman year. It was nice to catch up with them and hear about their summer internships/adventures since she hadn't seen many of them since May. The "kickback" was bordering on a full-blown party, as the guests kept arriving and more alcohol was distributed.
"Who are you trying to snag with that hot ass outfit?" Quinn giggled. It was obviously not her first cup, as she was swaying gently to the music.
"I was planning on coming in sweatpants, stealing a bottle of vodka and retreating to my warm bed. But Abby insisted."
"Well you look super-hot. Do you need more to drink?" Quinn slurred. "I'm going to get us more refills."
"I'll get it." Olivia took her cup and went into the kitchen. She filled Quinn's cup with water and poured a mixed drink for herself.
"Hi." A deep voice startled her. She turned to see Fitz standing behind her, leaning against the counter with a beer in hand. Had he been there the entire time? The kitchen was pretty much empty, aside from a few people passing through.
"I didn't see you there." Olivia acknowledged him.
"Rum and coke…" He nodded towards her drink. "I didn't think you were a dark liquor type of girl."
Olivia's eyes narrowed. "What type of person did you think I was?"
There she goes being so... indescribable. Fitz thought. He couldn't quite place it yet, but everything about her was intoxicating. It was like he couldn't figure her out, but he knew her intimately, despite only spending half a brunch together. "A wine person."
Olivia let out a surprising laugh that was so candid and unfiltered.
"What, am I completely off base?" Don't laugh at me, he wanted to beg.
"No, you are spot on. I could drink red wine by the gallon, but my stomach has never really preferred this shit." She swirled the contents of her cup, before taking a sip. "But I'm trying to blend in here."
"Standing out isn't such a bad thing." Fitz said in a low voice. His eyes wandered over her body, and what little imagination it left up to him. "You look beautiful." He said softly. He wasn't sure if she even heard him, as she changed the subject.
"I didn't peg you as a beer guy." Olivia nodded to his drink of choice.
"Oh?" Fitz accepted that his compliment fell on deaf ears. He didn't want to make anything awkward. "What type of person am I, then?"
"When you aren't snorting coke off of strippers' asses or popping ecstasy, I imagine you to be a whiskey guy… Wait." Olivia stopped, as if she had an epiphany. Her eyes narrowed. She looked him up and down with a buzzed smirk. "Boys like you are raised to drink scotch with their old men at dinner parties over cigars and 'business'." She made air quotes around the word. "So my final answer is scotch. I bet you love a limited batch single malt."
"Wow." His ears turned red. "How did you know?"
"I was right?" Olivia laughed. The liquor was beginning to hit her senses, and she welcomed it. "You should try to be more original."
"What can I say?" Fitz said sarcastically, "I was born this way."
"So why are you taking it easy tonight? I kind of want to see the infamous Fitzgerald Grant III that took acid and recited Shakespeare in the nude."
"I'm taking it slow – easing back into the collegiate atmosphere." he sighed, as if there was more there. His tone changed with the subject. "So how has Operation Kiss Reston's Ass been? Have you recovered lost time?"
"It's going just fine, no thanks to you." Olivia took a sip. "Office hours are a great resource. You should try it sometimes."
"What are office hours?"
Olivia's jaw dropped. "It's how you get to know your professors and get help with the material."
"I'm kidding. I know what office hours are." Fitz earned a playful swat on the arm. "I just didn't realize people actually went."
"Of course people go." Olivia defended. "You should try it, sometime."
"Okay, I will." Fitz promised, knowing that he would probably never do so. "What borough are you from?"
Olivia was surprised by his change of subject. She wasn't used to talking about herself. Compared to most of her classmates, she was boring – a pull yourself up by your bootstraps cliché that never really impressed anyone, when they had private jets and unlimited credit cards. "Queens."
"What neighborhood?"
Olivia laughed softly. "Like you know any neighborhoods in Queens."
"Try me." He challenged.
"Jamaica."
"I have actually never heard of that." He chuckled in embarrassment. "Are your parents… Jamaican?"
Olivia rolled her eyes. "No. They are American. As American your ancestors who owned my ancestors."
"Woah, now. My great grandfather immigrated from Ireland to Minnesota in the early 1900s and never owned any slaves." Fitz felt uncomfortable under her disapproving gaze. "But, yes, slavery was a very terrible thing, and I am sorry that any of your people – I mean – anyone related to you went through it. Or racism in general."
Olivia laughed at how deep he was digging his hole. "I'm just fucking with you. I don't know if my great, great, whatever was enslaved. Most black people don't have the luxury of genealogical charts."
"Sorry… about that… again." Fitz's face was a bright red, so he changed the subject. "So, what are your parents like?"
"Why are you asking so many questions?"
"I am just trying to get to know you…" He leaned closer to her, until their arms were almost touching. "I've never met anybody like you before."
"So I'm your case study into the 99%." Olivia raised her eyebrows.
"No. Damnit. I just meant—"
"I'm kidding." Olivia laughed at his defensive stance. She really had him sweating, which was a welcome change from how arrogant he always seemed. She was beginning to see the man behind the façade of wealth and privilege, and she honestly liked the Fitz that was blushing and stammering. "My father has never been in the picture. My mom teaches middle school English."
"I'm sorry… About your dad." Fit said sincerely. He instinctively reached over and squeezed her hand.
"I'm not." Olivia didn't remove her hand from his. "It's his decision to be in or out of my life, and I'm glad that he was consistent."
"No man should abandon his responsibility." Fitz said, not meaning to challenge her, but more so confused that she would be so nonchalant about missing a piece of her family.
"My mom was pretty great at filling his shoes." Olivia shrugged. "No dad is better than a bad dad."
Fitz made an indistinguishable noise at that comment. He finished the rest of his beer, successfully tossing it in the trash can across the room. Quinn came into the kitchen with an annoyed look.
"Liv, where have you been? You said you were getting drinks like forever ago."
"I'm sorry, I ran into a friend." Olivia handed her the water cup. "Here, drink up."
Quinn immediately started drinking, until she realized it was water. "This is just water."
"I know. Drink that, then you can have some more liquor. Chug up."
"Fine." Quinn rolled her eyes. She chugged the water and slammed the cup down to the counter. "Happy?"
"Yes." Olivia handed her the mixed drink, which Quinn accepted and left to join the party. Fitz replenished a mixed drink for Olivia, handing it to her.s
"Are you always this responsible?" Fitz was still smiling from when she called him a friend. It was a leap from asshole.
"Some people have no choice."
"What was your high school like? All I've ever known is uniforms ivy walls and manicured lawns. I imagine it was not the same for you."
"My middle school in Queens got shut down for asbestos in 6th grade. My mom was smart enough to petition the school system to let me go to the school she taught at, instead of being rezoned into the next subpar school. I took the train with her to a middle school in lower Manhattan, then followed with my peers to a high school nearby."
"Were their lawns manicured?"
"It was in Manhattan." Olivia laughed. "It was in an eleven storied building. But they didn't have metal detectors and actually offered AP classes. It was a step in the right direction."
"And now you are at Harvard – the most prestigious institution of higher education in America."
"And now I'm here." Olivia was suddenly aware of how close they were. His arm was completely pressed against hers, as they leaned against the counter, facing the same way. She finished her drink as a distraction.
"Do you want more?"
"It's getting late." Olivia set her cup on the counter. "I should head home."
"It's 11:25." Fitz raised his eyebrow. "The party is still in the first quarter."
"I wasn't planning on staying that long, anyways."
Fitz found that hard to believe, especially given what she was wearing. Nobody dressed that fine to spend less than an hour at a party, then he corrected himself for making that assumption. What she was wearing had no basis on what she was planning on doing. "Let me walk you home. Where do you live?"
"Straus Hall."
"You live in a dorm? I thought you were a senior like Abby."
"I'm an RA." She explained.
"That makes sense that you don't want to return drunk." Fitz bemused.
"Or, because I don't want to get drunk tonight." Olivia defended, but she was unconvincing.
"So responsible." Fitz mocked in good nature.
"You must think I'm so boring." Olivia raised an eyebrow.
"Prove me wrong."
"Okay."
Fitz saw the flare of something competitive inside of her. He pulled a shot glass out of the cabinet behind him and poured her a shot of tequila. "Take this shot."
Olivia smirked, downing the shot before he could tease her anymore. She forgot how rough pure alcohol was. She coughed slightly, but managed to keep her cool, despite the tears warming her eyes. "Am I still boring?"
"You are impressive, that's what you are." Fitz poured another and extended it, but she shook her head.
"Do onto others."
He smirked, taking the shot. He didn't even wince as it went down. "Ah."
"Oh, so I'm the impressive one?" Olivia felt the rush of alcohol to her head. "I proved myself. Now, I should definitely be getting home now." She reached for her phone off the counter, but her drunk fingers fumbled it, and it went bouncing to the floor.
"Careful." Fitz chuckled, retrieving it off of the floor. He looked at Olivia with narrow eyes. "I think I should walk you home."
"No, I'm fine. I…" She stopped. "Did you get me drunk just to have an excuse to walk me home?"
"I didn't think one shot would get you drunk." Fitz chuckled. He used his buzzed state as an excuse to softly touch her elbow. "But you said it yourself: now I have to walk you home."
Olivia rolled her eyes. "I'm fine. I know the way."
"Campus is over half a mile away and Straus is on the other end of campus."
"Look at you, memorizing the campus map."
"I'm walking you home. Either that, or I will walk fifteen feet behind you, so that you think you are walking alone."
Olivia didn't say a word, as she took her phone from him and turned on her heels. He followed without saying a word. When they got out to the street, he kept his distance behind her, like he promised. He enjoyed watching the sway of her hips from a safe distance. How she pulled her sweater over her shoulders and hugged it closer when the wind picked up, made him wonder what she was thinking of. Was she thinking of him? Was she really annoyed by him, or did she also feel the magnetic pull between them.
After a minute or two, Olivia turned around with a heavy sigh. "Fine. You can walk me home."
Fitz couldn't wipe the victorious grin from his face as he jogged to catch up with her. They walked in comfortable silence for a few more minutes until he spoke up. "So, how do you like being an RA?"
"It pays my rent, so it's a generous trade for making sure horny 18-year-olds don't kill themselves."
"I bet all of the guys on your floor have the biggest crush on you."
Olivia laughed uncomfortably. "I will say that the boys on my floor are way whinier than the girls."
"Really?"
"Oh, yeah. They come to me with all of their problems, whereas the girls just sort it out themselves… It's honestly fun. I get to bond with freshmen and help them stay on the straight and narrow."
"I'm sure that you are a great mother hen to them." Fitz teased.
"I hate that phrase... Mother hen." Olivia rolled her eyes. "What was the Navy like?"
"Boring. It was just a bunch of training. Once I passed training, it was endless drills that never really went anywhere. If anything, it was a workout session that lasted 2 years."
Olivia cleared her throat, at the thought of Fitz running drills in his perfect physique. Was she already fantasizing about him? She shrugged the thought away. By now, they were on Harvard's campus. Olivia's dorm was a good trek through the campus. Olivia took a content breath, taking in the beautiful campus at night. Even though she had been there for three years, it really took her breath away. Harvard was so peaceful at night – except for a few drunk students stumbling to a party. The architecture was grandiose and esteemed. Sometimes, she had to pinch herself to remind herself that she studied at the greatest college in the country.
"What are you thinking about?" He broke her train of thought. She looked over to see his warm eyes searching hers.
"This campus. How beautiful it is. And peaceful at this time of night."
"If you didn't get into Harvard, then where would you have gone?"
"Cornell. That was the next on my list that accepted me. If Columbia accepted me, it would have been a tough decision, because I could have been closer to my mother. Harvard is obviously better, but I do miss her."
"Boston is a day trip from Queens."
"I know, I just get so busy… Which makes it worse." She didn't want to mention how train tickets were outside of her essentials-only budget.
Fitz shoved his hands in his pockets to keep himself from reaching out for her. She was so beautiful in the dull streetlights. Maybe it was the alcohol, or maybe it was just the way she worked, but she was so honest with him now. So open about her feelings. He wanted to ask her to Abby's sister's wedding. Abby had mentioned not-so-casually that she didn't have a date, and the last thing he wanted to do was have to spend the day as his father's side. Even aside from that, he wanted to get to know her more. He wanted to spend more time with her, just to talk and hear about her life. She was so beautiful. He watched her pull her hair off of her shoulders, letting it fall down her back, and wondered what it would be like to run his fingers through it. How her body would feel beneath him. How her skin would taste.
"What are you thinking about?" Her innocent question broke his daydream.
"Uh, nothing." Fitz didn't realize that he had been staring at her for the past minute. He deflected his gaze and looked at the ground. "Would it be cool if I sat by you in class on Monday?" Fitz cursed himself for asking such a question. This wasn't grade school. Why was he so tongue tied around her?
"Hmmm… I don't know." Olivia said with a teasing smirk. "I am genetically programmed to sit in the first five rows of any classroom. I don't know if you can handle that pressure."
"Oh, I can handle it."
"What about arriving before 8:00?"
Fitz let out a sigh. "There's the real issue."
"It's not that hard. Just pretend that class starts at 7:45." Olivia giggled. "Isn't being on time, like a requirement in the military?"
"You don't have a choice. It's a siren in your ear at 4:45am in the morning. Pretty hard to sleep through that."
"So you are saying that I need to stand outside of your window with an air horn every morning to get you out of bed?"
Fitz could think of better ways she could wake him up, but he knew better than to fantasize out loud. He just chuckled and kept walking. Fitz pulled his hands out of his pockets and let his hand swing by her side. He wanted nothing more than to take her hand in his – then her body. He wasn't sure how much of this she was feeling. Was she as into him? Or was she just that irresistible to everybody?
Olivia squinted ahead to Straus Hall in the distance. Red and blue lights were flashing were off of the side of the building.
"What is going on?"
"It's probably an alcohol poisoning call. We get them a lot in the first month of college with freshmen who didn't drink in high school. I swear, it better not be one of mine. I do not want to fill out the paperwork tonight." As they got closer, Olivia and Fitz saw an ambulance and two police cars. Students were gathering around to see what was going on. Olivia saw a fellow RA from a different floor. "Kennedy, what happened?"
"I used to envy your floor, because of the views from the window and the vending machine in the lounge... After tonight, you can keep it." Kennedy shook her head. "Room 416. The police might want to take a statement from you."
"Fucking Joseph." Olivia mumbled under her breath, running into the dorm. Fitz kept up with her, sliding behind her past security in the chaos of students trying to figure out what was going on.
When they got to the 4th floor, there were police officers all over the lobby. She saw Kai and Joseph on opposite sides of the room, both handcuffed. There was another boy she had seen a few times with Kai on his side of the room, but he wasn't handcuffed. Kai had a huge gash on his forehead that had already been bandaged up.
"Ma'am. Sir. We ask that you return to your rooms or use one of the lounges on a different floor. This one is closed."
"I'm the RA on the floor. These students are my responsibility."
"I wouldn't claim ownership just yet." Fitz said, earning a chuckle from the officer.
"What happened?" Olivia ignored Fitz's ill-timed attempt at humor.
"A call was made that two boys were fist fighting. When we arrived, one had suffered a wound to the head. We've been trying to get straight statements from them for the last hour."
"Maybe if you unshackled them and treated them like humans and not felons, they would be a little more forthcoming." Olivia bristled, seeing how humiliating it was for them to be handcuffed for all of their hall-mates to see.
"That was for their safety, ma'am. They wouldn't stop fighting."
"Alright." Olivia addressed the boys. "Who wants to tell me their side of the story first?"
"Go on." Joseph slurred, his face a blushed red. "Cry to Mommy like you always did."
"You are drunk." Olivia sighed in deep disappointment. "Not helping. Kai?"
"I was assaulted." Kai said, "I was hanging out with Lewis in my room. Joseph walked in on us and just went crazy. He attacked me with a lamp."
"Lewis, did this happen?"
The boy just nodded but didn't say anything.
"Joseph?"
"These two faggots were fucking each other in my room."
Kai lurched forward at the slur, but an officer held him back.
"Joseph." Olivia warned.
"I am fine with the gays, I'm not a bigot. But I never signed on to having to deal with it in my own room. Do what you do but keep that shit out of my face."
"So your natural response is to grab the nearest IKEA item and go Rambo?" Olivia asked.
Joseph shrugged as if it wasn't a big deal.
The officer was scribbling the new details into his notepad. "Will you be pressing charges?"
"I don't think that should be decided right now with an audience." Olivia said resolutely to the officer. I think the best thing would be for you to uncuff them, and I can let you know if charges will—"
"I wasn't asking you." The officer interrupted, looking past her to Kai. "Sir?"
"I'd like to see you try." Joseph scoffed, before he could reply. "My father—"
"Raised a disrespectful, close-minded, little bitch." Kai snapped. Joseph leaped to his feet, but an officer sat him down with a simple drag of his shirt collar.
"Dude, as someone who has one of those fathers, don't be the douche who threatens his father when he's in trouble." Fitz shook his head.
"Who the fuck are you?" Joseph asked.
"A grown ass man, who doesn't run to daddy when I've fucked up."
"Kai." Olivia brought the attention back to where it needed to be. "Do you want to press charges? You don't have to decide right now, and you can change your mind."
"No." Kai resigned. "I just never want to be in the same room as this prick again, courtrooms included."
"What needs to happen next?" Olivia turned to the police officers.
"We have to hand this over to the campus police, even if charges aren't being filed. Joseph Putney will receive a ticket for an MIP – minor in possession of alcohol, so I suggest you get your paperwork in line."
"Thank you, officers."
"If we un-handcuff these two men, can you handle them? Or should we leave behind reinforcements?"
"I can take care of myself." Olivia said. Fitz crossed his arms behind as if to vouch for her. After the officers left, Olivia sighed deeply, looking at the two boys, and then at Fitz. "You should go."
"Are you sure?" Fitz looked at the freshmen, as if he was worried that they would start swinging again.
"I can take care of myself." Olivia rolled her eyes and instantly, the fiery woman he couldn't quite figure out was back.
"Let me see your phone."
"Why?" She raised her eyebrow.
"Just hand it over."
Olivia did so, and he swiped, holding it up to her face to unlock. "What are you—"
He entered his number into a contact file. "Call me if you need anything."
"I won't."
"I'll see you in class, Olivia." He kissed her cheek gently, and when he withdrew, he could have sworn that he saw the hint of a smile on her lips.
After Fitz left, Olivia turned to the boys with the biggest look of disappointment.
"Joseph, you have five minutes to go pack your things. Just enough for the night, including your bedding."
"Where am I going?"
"301 is empty. The security guard in the lobby can give you the key."
"Lesser stairs." Joseph shrugged. "I like it."
"This is not a reward. You are in a lot of trouble." Olivia said as he went to gather his things. After Joseph was gone, she turned to Kai. "Are you okay?"
"I'm fine." He dismissed. "Head wounds bleed more, because of all of the blood vessels under the skin. The paramedic checked me out, and I don't have a concussion."
"I wasn't talking about your wound." She said, sitting next to him on the couch. "Although you should check in with the health center in the morning just to be safe. I was asking if you are okay."
"Joseph's a homophobe." He shrugged. "Is it that so off brand for him?"
"You'll get a new roommate." Olivia promised. "Or I can get you a single if you want."
"I hate him." Kai said after a moment of silence. "I really hate him."
"Why didn't you want to press charges?" Olivia asked, cognizant that his answer might change, now that there wasn't an audience.
"It would hurt me more than him." Kai scoffed. "His dad is a freaking CEO of a fortune 500 company. I'm not down to be dragged through the court with fancy lawyers over a lamp to the head. People like him always win because they are born to. This whole campus reeks of them."
"There are some good people here." Olivia said. "You just have to look really really hard for them."
"What about Mr. Superman curl?' Kai changed the subject. "He's got a daddy just like Joseph. Is he good?"
"I don't know yet." Olivia admitted. "The silver spoons and powerful dads are inescapable here. You just have to learn how to navigate them."
/