AN: Thank you for all your support in response to this story. The first chapter was, obviously, much shorter than I intend to make the rest - which will probably be around fifty chapters. If you haven't read my previous and first fanfiction (called 'Only One' and is also Olitz centered), here's a couple of things about me!

My name is Sara, I'm fifteen and from DC! Olitz is my OTP and as always, endgame for my stories. I'll always reply to any PMs and even if I don't acknowledge your reviews, I always read them!

I'm just testing the waters so far with this story, so please feel free to tell me what you like and what you don't. It's my first time writing something that's not in first person's point of view but I might switch it back to that, if that's what y'all prefer.

Oh, and everything in this story, in terms of locations is and will always be pretty much accurate. The name was the club was real and Blake HS is where I'm actually going to school come August!

The pace of this story is also going to be pretty slow - I'm sorry for that, but that's the only way it'll flow. And it'll be worth it.

Anyway - enjoy. And keep blessing me with your kind reviews, PMs, follows and favorites!

August 28th, 2015

12:04 AM

Grant Estate

Los Angeles, California

"Fitzgerald made the top of his class every year during his undergrad," Gerry Grant bragged on across the dining room table.

His twenty two year old son smiled tightly, as if he hadn't heard his father tell this story five hundred times ever since June.

Gerry went on nevertheless. "And in about a week, Fitz will start law school in Stanford. Isn't that just amazing?"

The lunch guests beamed and congratulated Fitz, who thoroughly wished he was not sitting at the table. "Thank you. Thank you."

As his father went on about his family's academic achievements, Fitz excused himself and left the mansion dining room. He went to the balcony and rested his arms on the railing overlooking the busy city before pulling out a small white box of cigarettes from his pocket. Smoking wasn't something Fitz did often - he knew what type of damage it could do to your lungs and he thought it was disgusting. But he did indulge when he was stressed - which was practically every minute he was with his father.

Fitz stuck a cigarette in between his lips and sighed. Going back to Stanford would be the best thing that could ever happen to him. At least there, he could escape the wrath of his overbearing father.

Behind him, Mellie walked up and wrapped her arms around his waist. "Fitz? You can't leave your own father's lunch party."

Fitz closed his eyes and tried to stay calm. He really did not need to snap at his girlfriend, who had done nothing wrong. Mellie, however, didn't have to try to be annoying. She just was.

He turned around and forced a smile. "I already did."

Mellie gaped in horror, pulling the cigarette out of his mouth. "What the hell, Fitz?"

Fitz grimaced. Another plus to leaving LA - he could get away from his equally overbearing girlfriend. "It's just a cigarette, Mel. Calm down."

But Mellie just shook her head in disgust, her brunette curls bouncing. "You don't fucking understand, Fitz! How do you think it's gonna make me look when you shrivel up and die from lung cancer? All you ever think about is yourself and I've had it up to here. Screw you."

Fitz tried to collect himself. He had know idea why Mellie had a need to be over dramatic and emotional but she did and he had to put up with it. "Mells-"

"Don't you 'Mells' me!" she snapped, dangerously close to tears. "Why do you have to be so goddamn selfish all the time, Fitz?"

Fitz pressed his lips. 'Selfish'. A brand new accusation he had to deal with. He had no idea why he put up with all the shit Mellie threw his way - maybe because his father wouldn't let them break up. Maybe because she was perfect poster girlfriend for him before he launched his political career. Or maybe because underneath all her crazy, Fitz did truly love her? "Mellie, come on. It was just a stupid cigarette. It won't happen again. I'm sorry, okay?"

Mellie nodded slowly, accepting the apology he had no idea why he was giving. She reached out and gave him a hesitant hug, her hands traveling up his heavily muscular arms. "I love you, you know that? And I'm gonna miss you."

Fitz clenched his jaw and returned the hug reluctantly. "I'm gonna miss you too."

Mellie pulled away and locked her eyes with Fitz's bright blue ones. "You better not get into any trouble, okay? I mean it. No drugs, no booze, no partying and absolutely no sleeping around with sluts you just met."

Fitz scoffed. When did he ever do any of that? He was so boring and academically centered it made his wilder friends cringe. He had never even smoked pot a day in his life. Mellie truly had nothing to worry about. "Alright."

Mellie's expression softened and she ran her hand through Fitz's light brown wavy hair, which made him shift. He hated that. She knew he hated that, but made no attempt to stop. "Fitz, I'm really gonna miss you, baby. You'll be home for the holidays?"

Do I have a choice? Fitz wondered resentfully. But he just forced a smile. "Of course. I'll be home for both Thanksgiving and Christmas."

"Good," Mellie beamed. "I really do love you, babe. I just want you to have what you need."

Fitz nodded, not quite understanding what his girlfriend of four years meant, but knowing well enough to bring it up and start a whole other fight. "I love you too, Mel."

He leaned in to kiss her but she pulled away without explanation. She reached into his pocket and plucked out the carton of cigarettes. "I'll be taking these."

Fitz sighed as Mellie crumpled up the cigarette in her hands and tossed it into the half empty carton. "Mel -"

"Stop it," she instructed. "And if you pull any of this shit at Stanford, I'll come down there and make your life miserable."

Fitz watched as Mellie walked off back into the California mansion.

She already had.

August 28th, 2015

1:30 PM

Pope Estate

Baltimore, Maryland

"Which bra do you wanna take?" Abby held up two articles of clothing up in front of her best friend's face.

Olivia laughed, waving them away. "Why can't I take both?"

Abby rolled her blue eyes and gestured to Livvy's last suitcase, which was already packed to the rim. "Look at this. You only have room for one more. So pick."

Olivia cocked her head, analyzing the two bras. One was a regular cotton light blue one from Wal-Mart - the other a lacy black Victoria Secret one. She pointed the latter with a grin.

Abby sighed and tossed it into the suitcase. She had no idea why she was the one packing up all of Liv's things. Scratch that - she did. Liv had snuck out at three that morning and met Abby in another club. She had drank her liver out and was too hungover to move from her bed. And that was terribly inconvenient because as fate would have it, their flight was in just three hours from Dulles Airport.

Eli knocked on the door and opened it. "I hope I'm not interrupting you girls." He looked around the empty room. It was littered with boxes and suitcases his little girl was taking with her when she left him in just a few short hours. He rubbed his hands together. "I told myself I wouldn't get emotional, yet here I am."

"Dad," Olivia managed to collect the energy to prop herself up on her elbows. She sat up on her bare mattress. "Don't worry about me, okay?"

"Liv," Eli smiled softly. "I trust you, but it's my job to worry."

"I'll be fine," Olivia protested, looking at her best friend. "Abby's gonna take care of me, right, Abs?"

Abby rolled her eyes but grudgingly nodded.

"Good," Eli patted the redhead's shoulder. Before he left the room, he looked back at Abby and said with a playful smile, "I'm gonna hold you to that."

Abby forced a tight smile at Eli and as soon as she left, she turned back to her best friend and scoffed.

"I hate you," Abby mumbled, zipping up the navy carry on suitcase.

"You love me," Olivia smirked, scrolling through Instagram from her iPhone. She stopped at a picture her high school friend had posted. It was Liv herself - looking completely wasted at a bar. She was perched on the bar counter and was gulping down a glass of vodka. "Look at this. Someone actually posted this. Who would do something like that? And when was this taken?"

Abby squinted at the photo Liv was showing her. "Huh. That's from last night. And you're lucky that's the picture they chose."

Olivia's eyebrow went up. "What are you talking about, Abby?"

Abby raised her eyebrows as well. "Last night. You went completely crazy, Liv."

Olivia cocked her head. She had no recollection of last night. "What happened?"

Abby sat down by her best friend's legs, simply looking at her. Olivia was beautiful. She could easily get any guy or girl she wanted. But it was almost as if she didn't know just how amazing she was and treated herself like crap. "You really don't remember?" Olivia shaked her head, looking worried. Abby sighed before grabbing her friend's toned light brown arm and pointing at the slight needle marks on the fold of it. "Liv, you were so wasted. You shot something up, downed it with vodka and started literally stripping in front of everybody. You took off your bra. I had to drag you out of the club and on to the street in your underwear."

Olivia raised her eyebrows. That was insane - even for her. "Are you serious, Abby? I actually did that?"

"Yes," Abby frowned. She could see that Olivia was genuinely shocked. "I need you to not only hear what I'm about to say but truly listen. I get the drinking...I even get the drugs and the one night stands. But if someone took a video from last night and it got back to the Admissions Board at Stanford...I just don't want to lose you. You're like a sister to me."

"Why didn't you tell me?" Olivia whispered, her jaw trembling. She was worried if she raised her voice, it would break. "You've been here for an hour, Abby...and you didn't think to tell me?"

"I didn't know it would be such a big deal to you," Abby admitted, her perfectly shaped eyebrows raised. She was surprised this meant so much to Olivia. "It's okay, Liv. It was kind of trashy, but hopefully nobody thought quickly enough to snap any more pics or videos. It was kinda whorish...but it's okay."

Olivia turned away. She didn't want Abby to see her crying and felt tears in the rims of her eyes. "I-I...just can't believe I did that, Abs."

Abby sighed, crawling up to the bed and wrapping her arms around her best friend. Olivia completely broke down, tears rushing down her high cheekbones. For some reason, it really bothered her that she actually did that. The drugs, the alcohol, the meaningless sex - that was okay. But acting so reckless as to actually strip in front of everyone - where anyone could see her naked and take a picture? Olivia had more class than that. Granted, just barely. But still.

Abby curled her fingers along Olivia's black wavy, shoulder length hair and just let her cry on her chest. She wanted to be candid with Liv but she never wanted her to sob like she was doing right now. "I worry about you, you know that? Ever since your mom-"

Olivia stopped crying momentarily and looked up at Abby. "Stop. I don't want to talk about this anymore, okay?"

Abby nodded understandingly. The last thing she wanted was for Olivia to feel attacked. "Okay, okay. But hear me out, Liv. Something's gotta change. You can't be acting like this, not when we get down to California."

Olivia frowned. She didn't want to agree and lie to Abby. That's one thing she never did - lie to her best friend. Therefore, she couldn't promise to stop partying, because that just wasn't a possibility. It was the life Olivia had lived every night for two years. She had been careful - she always used protection and she always brought Abby along with her to make sure nobody drugged her drinks or anything. There had been some close calls but in the end, Abby was very protective of her. And Olivia was more than grateful for that.

Olivia simply hugged Abby. "Thank you for everything. Thank you for being there for me."

Abby smiled but couldn't hide her concern. She wasn't judging Olivia - she never did. She didn't have a right to - Abby drank and slept around just as much as Liv. She was just a little more discreet about it. Olivia was a little younger than her and definitely more vulnerable. Abby felt the need to protect Olivia and wasn't doing such a bang up job of it.

"Abby?" Olivia looked up at her best friend and swallowed. "Be candid with me, okay? One hundred percent honesty. Am I going crazy?"

Abby pressed her lips together and considered the question, still holding her best friend. As reckless as Olivia was being, she was still young and her mistakes and actions were understandable. At last, she replied, "No. But I need you to be careful, okay?"

Olivia nodded, only semi meaning it.

She firmly believed that this free spirited, loud, ambitious party girl was the person she was meant to be. She thought it was embedded in her. Fate. And she wholeheartedly had no plans to change.

More than that, she didn't think she was any better or deserved any more