"I dunno; I mean, I am by no means in love, but how do you tell that to a thirty something man who thinks you're "the one"?" Olivia asked Rachel. She had not given up on the Jake issue since the night nearly a week ago. They were walking to their literature class, each toting a large anthology.

"I don't know what to tell you Liv; I mean, sure he's attractive and apparently good in bed or you would have dumped him by now." She smirked as Olivia blushed. "But if you don't love him, then that is so not fair to either of you, but especially not him, since he thinks you're "the one"." She said, holding the door open for Olivia.

"I mean seriously, what kind of thirty year old, college professor thinks that he is in love with one of his students." She said throwing her hands up. "I would never, ever expect a professor to love me; I know it is all about the sex, and I accept that."

"Did you ever think that maybe you're his first?" Rachel asked as they sat down in the back of the room.

"Impossible; what kind of thirty year old man is still a virgin?" she asked, her voice dropping to a whisper when people began to filter into the classroom. "He is so good and he always talks about the women he's slept with--- oh my god, he's a virgin." she said dropping her head into her hands. "What kind of a pathetic guy falls in love with the first girl he sleeps with? Now I really need to get out of this relationship; if I thought he was clingy before now he's a hundred times worse."

"You can be a massive bitch sometimes, you know that?" Rachel asked, but she couldn't hide her smile.

"Okay people, let's take out your books and turn to page 1,596." their professor said, walking into the classroom.

"I know." Olivia said, not a hint of remorse in her voice. "But sometimes that's what it takes."

"Oh well, maybe after you rip his heart out, he'll come crawling to your hot roommate who is a convenient shoulder to cry on."

"You wish." Olivia muttered as they both stifled a laugh. They sat through the class, making small comments to each other here and there to pass the time, as the professor analyzed "Paradise Lost". An hour and twenty minutes later, they were packing up their bags and heading towards the door.

"So what are you doing this evening?"

"I think I'm going to head out to Queens and visit my parents; it's been a while since I've been home."

"Sounds good; tell Professor Benson I say hi."

"I will." Olivia said, turning down the sidewalk leading to student parking. "Have a good night; don't cause too much trouble." Rachel simply waved and smiled. The ten or so mile drive to Queens took almost an half-hour in the rush hour traffic as Olivia sat in the Toyota Cressida that her parents had bought her for a graduation present and blared Livin' on Prayer by Bon Jovi. She finally pulled into the driveway of the split-level in Queens that she had grown up in. She turned down her radio and closed the sun-roof before she got out of the car.

"Olivia, we weren't expecting you!" her mom said from the front door.

"Sorry I didn't call first; I wanted to surprise you."

"It's a wonderful surprise. Come in!"

"How's everything going with you and dad?"

"Great, great." she mumbled, walking towards the kitchen. "What about you, how are classes going with the quarter winding down?"

"Good, I think. Hard to tell sometimes."

"I know it is." she said, pulling a frozen lasagna from the freezer. "How about social life? Any love interests?"

Olivia rolled her eyes. "No mom. You know me, all work and no play." Of course she didn't tell her mother about her life style, what kind of young adult does?

"And what about Rachel?"

"She's doing fine, she wanted me to tell you 'hi'."

"Aww… isn't she sweet." she said, smiling. "Well, tell her 'hi' back. Your father should be home any minute." she said, looking at the clock on the wall.

"Where's my Livy?" he called from the front door, right on cue.

"Hey dad." she said, standing to give him a hug. "How are you?" she asked, stepping away to sit back down.

"I'm good, I'm good." he said, grabbing a beer from the fridge and kissing her mother on the forehead before sitting next to her. He ran through the same list of questions her mother had, which made Olivia chuckle, and then flipped on the television and began to watch the news. She sat and watched him shake his head at the awful things happening around New York. He had been so much to her as a child; she didn't know where she'd be without him. This man who had stepped in after her biological father left her and mother shortly after her birth. He cared so much for her mother, and he gave her faith that it was all going to be alright. By the time Olivia was one they were married, and he was the only father she had ever known. She didn't even want to know who her biological father was, the one who had left her, she didn't care. All she needed to know was that John would always be there for her and mother.

"Dinner is ready." her mother shouted from the kitchen. Olivia looked at her father and smiled, he smiled back. She sat and ate dinner and talked about life with her mother, and the father that she had almost lost out on. She wondered where she would be right now, if John had not come into their lives. She quickly shook the thought from her head; she did not want thoughts like these to ruin a lovely dinner with her parents.

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