A/N: Thanks for the reviews. They really made my day :)

Two days had passed since Olivia had called Alex; two days of crying, moping around the beach house, and refusing to eat, but she swore to bring herself out of that rut. She had realized that crying over Alex wasn't going to make her situation any better. If she wanted Alex back, she would have to take action. There was nothing she could do to win Alex over while she was at the beach house, but she vowed to do somethingonce her vacation was over.

That morning, she woke up at a decent hour, made herself look presentable, and walked downstairs to the kitchen. Her mom and Tiffany had made pancakes and Olivia was ready to eat to her heart's content.

"Someone's in a better mood," Peter pointed out as they were all sitting at the table for breakfast.

"She had an epiphany," Abbie told him. "And a wet dream about Alex."

"Abbie!" Olivia said with her mouth full of pancakes.

"What?" Abbie asked and started laughing. "You haven't had sex in two months so I figured it must have been a good one. You were moaning, 'Alex, oh, Alex. You're so tight, baby.'"

Abbie and Olivia were laughing hysterically, but Peter told them that wasn't appropriate family conversation.

"Aren't you going to say something about this?" Peter asked his girlfriend.

"Why should I?" Serena responded. "My girls are 18 and it's normal for them to be exploring their sexuality. We don't shy away from that topic in the Benson household, do we, Livvy?"

"No way," Olivia told Peter. "Ever since I was a little girl, my mom would answer any questions I had about sex and sexuality. She wanted me to have a healthy attitude toward sex and I do. So, let's drop this topic of conversation before another argument breaks out. My mom raised me one way and you and your ex-wife are raising your daughters another way. One way isn't better than the other. My mom is just a little more open than most people and I love her for that."

"Speaking of sex," Abbie said to ease the tension. "It's 11 o'clock, Livya. Time for Trisha to sunbathe."

"Who is Trisha?" Peter asked.

"A goddess," Olivia answered.

"A major babe," Abbie added. "She makes me weak in the knees and she makes Olivia's mouth hang open."

"She's the girl next door," Serena told Peter.

"She's not a girl," Olivia told her mom. "Trisha is 27."

"That makes her a realwoman," Abbie and Olivia said in unison and then started laughing.

"I talked to her yesterday," Abbie told them. "She's as sweet as she is gorgeous. And she's a police officer. That gives her at least a thousand more hotness points."

"I'd love to see her in her uniform," Olivia said dreamily.

"I'd love to take it off of her," Abbie added.

"Eddie, you have a girlfriend," Serena reminded her.

"I know, I know," Abbie sighed.

Abbie and Olivia scarfed down the rest of their pancakes and hurried to the room to change into their bikinis. Their plan was to head to the beach for the duration of Trisha's sunbathing. Abbie was faithful to her girlfriend and Olivia knew she had no shot with a 27-year-old but they both figured it wouldn't hurt to take in the scenery for as long as they could.

Alex walked into a coffee shop on campus in hopes that she'd see Dana. Dana had been her orientation counselor and although there were other students in her orientation group, Alex noticed that Dana gave her special attention. They had exchanged numbers on the last day of orientation and Alex waited less than an hour to call her. Spending time with Dana was nothing like spending time with Olivia. Olivia made Alex laugh and they shared a history, but Alex was starting to feel like she was beyond that. She began thinking of Olivia the same way she thought of Casey, as nothing more than a child with no direction in life. Olivia was her high school sweetheart, but Alex kept telling herself that this was college and no matter how much she was in love with Olivia, there was no way they'd have a future together if Olivia had no idea what she wanted out of life. Alex thought of Dana as a grown woman with direction. She was a 21-year-old senior and political science major. She was already studying for the LSATs and working on law school applications. Dana was everything that Alex wanted to be and she felt grateful every time she was in her presence.

"Alex, you can sit over here," Dana called out from a nearby table. Alex nodded toward her and walked over there with her latte in one hand and a history textbook in the other. She wanted Dana to think she had went there with the intentions of studying and not because she knew she would be there.

"How is your day so far?" Alex asked even though she knew it was a dumb question.

"It's better now that you're here," Dana told her.

"What are you doing tonight?" Alex asked after they had shared a few minutes of small talk.

"Just studying for the LSATs," Dana responded. "Why?"

"Bree is going to a party tonight so I have the room to myself," Alex told her. "Maybe you could come over."

It was a bold move seeing as they had never been on an actual date, but Alex didn't care. Alex knew Dana wanted her as much as she wanted Dana. Dana was a busy woman who didn't have time for a relationship, but Alex figured no one could pass up friends with benefits.

"I have an apartment," Dana told her as she started rubbing Alex's arm. "You can spend the night and we can do anything we want with no interruptions."

Her words made Alex start to quiver. "Do you want to go right now?" Alex asked, unable to wait another second.

"She's a doll," Abbie said to Olivia after they returned from the beach. Being in the sun had wore them out, so they decided to change into their pajamas and spend the rest of the day relaxing indoors.

"How was the beach?" Tiffany asked from her spot on the living room couch. She had spent the whole day there listening to music and reading a magazine Abbie and Olivia had never heard of. Everyone else was paired off except for her. Abbie and Olivia had each other and so did Ashley and Brittany. As a twelve year old, she was caught in between her kid sisters and her teenage future stepsister, and Olivia was starting to feel sorry for her.

"It was cool," Olivia said nonchalantly. "What's haps?"

"Not much," Tiffany said as she pushed stop on her walkman. "I'm just listening to a tape I made before we got here."

"Let me guess, it's Paula Abdul, Marky Mark, and Amy Grant," Olivia teased.

"Hardly," Tiffany told her. "It's Bikini Kill, L7, Babes in Toyland, and Bratmobile."

"Babes in Toyland? Bratmobile?" Abbie asked. "Are those little teenybopper bands?"

"We listen to Nirvana, Pearl Jam, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Radiohead, Smashing Pumpkins, you know, cool bands," Olivia told her.

"Ugh, you two are so mainstream," Tiffany said. "You think I'm a ditz, but you two have no idea of what's going on around you. If it's not about video games, sex, or girls in bikinis, it's like you don't even care."

"She has a point," Abbie told Olivia.

"So enlighten us," Olivia said to Tiffany. "There's a stereo in my room. Pop the tape in and try to convince us that your kiddy pop is better than Nirvana."

"Gladly," Tiffany agreed. The three of them went to the room and Tiffany popped the tape in Olivia's stereo. Abbie and Olivia had expected pop music but what they heard was edgy and raw.

"I'm not hating this," Olivia admitted after the first few songs. "That song 'Rebel Girl' reminds me of Abbie."

"I was just going to say the same thing about you," Abbie told Olivia. "I think 'Double Dare Ya' speaks to me. And 'Fuck Yr Fans' is just rad. I've never heard girls use that word so much in a song."

"I told you they were great," Tiffany said.

"I like Tiffany. Tiffany can hang," Abbie told Olivia.

"Fine with me," Olivia agreed. "This music has inspired me. Let's do something crazy."

"Like what?" Abbie asked.

"Let's get something pierced, all three of us," Olivia insisted. "It'll be a bonding experience. Abbie, you're like a sister to me and, Tiffany, you're probably going to be my stepsister. I want to start this off right."

"I'm in," Abbie said.

"I'm 12. I can't get pierced without a parent's permission," Tiffany reminded them.

"You're with us and we're 18," Olivia pointed out. "You're golden."

Alex left Dana's apartment a little after 9 o'clock that night. Dana had asked her to spend the night, but Alex realized she wasn't ready to take that step. Unfortunately, she realized it after she had already had sex with Dana. As she walked home, she began thinking about how sex with Dana was nothing like sex with Olivia. Dana was older and more experienced and she had done things to Alex's body that she had never thought possible. To be honest, Alex was amazed that she could even walk after what Dana had done to her.

Regardless of how great sex with Dana was, there was still something missing. When they were finished, the two of them laid there naked and tried to make conversation as if they were obligated to. It was awkward and Alex couldn't stop thinking about Olivia.

As she continued walking, she started to think about how sex with Olivia was innocent, sweet, and so full of emotion. There were plenty of awkward moments between them, but Alex knew it was because they were so young and new to all of this. Making love was a learning experience for them and they knew they were experiencing something new together. They'd occasionally stop in the middle of what they were doing to tell each other 'I love you' and, afterward, they would always cuddle and open up to each other about everything. Olivia would hold Alex close and tell her why she was beautiful and why she was so lucky to have her as a girlfriend. Alex missed Olivia's strong, loving arms and gentle kisses. Most importantly, she missed being young with Olivia and the crazy things Olivia would do to make her laugh. She started to feel bad about every negative thought she had about Olivia. She didn't care if Olivia didn't have a career in mind because Olivia had always seen Alex in her future and that was all that mattered.

When Alex reached her dorm room, she threw herself on her bed and started to cry like she did last night and the night before. She wanted Olivia and she fell asleep wondering if Olivia was thinking about her, too.

"That hurt like hell," Olivia said after getting her nose pierced. "But it was so worth it!"

"This is the liberation!" Tiffany told her. "You're your own woman now."

"Some woman," Abbie said sarcastically. "Livya, you screamed like a bitch when that guy shoved a needle through your nose."

"Details," Olivia insisted. "At least I didn't bitch out like you did. Even Tiffany got second holes in her ears."

"And rad lightning bolt earrings," Tiffany added.

"Regardless, that hoop in your nose is sexy," Abbie told Olivia. "Alex is going to be on her knees for you next time you see her."

"This isn't about Alex," Olivia said as they started their walk home. "This is about me for once. Forget Alex. I've been in love with her since I was a little girl and now she's probably off fucking some Princeton girl. She doesn't give a damn about me and I'm finished with her. I have my best friend and my little sister with me tonight and I'm finally going to be okay."