Chapter 14: Looking Up

As Olivia sits up in her room, she can't keep the smile off her face caused by the fact that she got into the best school on her list. She was going to USC—but that wasn't the only reason she was excited. After a lot of deliberation, Fitz had made a firm decision to attend UCLA. Instead of being a whole country away from each other, they would both be going to school in the same city and they would get to see each other every day without worrying about what anyone thought and without anyone getting in their way. Things would only get better from here on.

She hears a knock on her door while she's messing around on her phone and hollers, "Come in!"

The door swings open and Simon walks in slowly. "Can we talk?" He asks hesitantly.

She nods, wondering what he was going to say. They hadn't really spoken too much to each other since the scuffle with Abby, mostly because she didn't know how to approach him without telling him what he didn't want to hear. But he appeared to be making the first move to patch things up—or maybe he was here to tell her that she had been right, but whatever the case, she would listen to what he had to say. He sits down next to her on her bed and smiles slightly at her as he says, "Congratulations on USC. You'll do great there."

She smiles back. "Thanks. Congrats on MIT…I can't believe you're moving all the way to Massachusetts," she says, pondering that this will be the first time in their lives that they'll be apart from each other for several months.

"Me neither. It's all a little scary—growing up and everything, but I'm excited for the future."

"Me, too," she says, thinking of what the future had in store for her and Fitz.

"But I just came in here to smooth things over with the whole Abby-situation. I don't like it when we fight and I think that you and Abby should make up."

Olivia rolls her eyes but deep down inside she does miss her friend.

"I know you think that she's using me but she told me that her feelings for me are real but she just needs time to commit," he tells her, his eyes pleading with her to understand.

"Time to commit? Simon, you know what she's going to be doing during that time."

He nods slowly. "Yeah…but I'm okay with that."

She looks at him like he's crazy but all he does is shrug as he continues, "She says she just needs to get the bug out of her system, and I'm fine with waiting because I love her."

She shakes her head at him, still not happy that Abby appeared to be leading him on but deciding not to push him on it any further. She falls back onto her bed and looks up at the ceiling, saying, "I think you're crazy, but whatever…"

He smiles and follows suit, flopping back on the bed with her. "I know, but love leads you to do somewhat irrational things in hopes that it'll all work out in the end."

She nods, relating to that statement. For the next hour, they lay on her bed, continuing to stare up at the ceiling as they discuss any and every topic that comes to mind. She realizes how much she's missed just hanging out with him. She loved how in sync they were to the point of repeating the same phrases and how there was another person besides Fitz who she could be herself around. She would miss moments like this that would surely decrease as they both moved on with their lives to greater and bigger things.

Later that night Olivia and Fitz go out to eat at a pub to celebrate her college acceptance but even though they were supposed to be celebrating, Olivia finds herself pretty much having a one-way conversation with Fitz about her problems. "I mean, things have just gotten so messy. I can't even hang out with my friend group anymore because Kenny barely says anything to me and keeps acting all awkward, and Abby won't even acknowledge my presence. Simon thinks that I should just apologize to her but the whole situation just doesn't sit well with me. He's infatuated with her and he's just going to continue to allow her to string him along until she feels like committing but you know that's never going to happen because bad habits die hard…" She stops and sighs, feeling like she's been talking for too long. She looks over at him and sees that he seems more interested in the pasta on his plate and knows she's been pushing the issue to much. "I'm sorry for bothering you with all my stupid high school girl drama. I feel like I've been talking you to death about it. It's just frustrating."

He wipes his mouth and says, "I know, and you're not bothering me at all. But I think you should take into consideration what Simon said and apologize to Abby."

"I have nothing to apologize for," she mutters.

"Maybe not, but the end of the school year is approaching quickly and you guys will be branching out in different directions, so it'd be a shame for little fight to ruin your relationship with her. Don't you think that your friendship is more important?"

"Yes…"

"You should just talk to her. Let her know what's going through your head and see if the two of you can reach some kind of understanding," he says with a shrug.

She nods and smiles. "Maybe you really are a therapist."

"I know, right, I should be charging you by the hour," he says, winking at her.

She feigns being offended. "Are you implying that I have a lot of problems?"

"Kind of, but I still love you anyway," he says, giving her what was most likely a plain smile to most but it was moments like this when he didn't try that he was most irresistible to her. How could anyone be so perfect? Here she was, this lost girl who often made unnecessary messes out of the situations in her life but he was always there to pick up the pieces and guide her in the right way to go.

She blushes, looking down at her food and twirling some fettuccine onto her fork as the server comes to their table to check on them. She expects Fitz to just tell the waiter that they're doing great but instead, she watches as a mischievous smile forms on his face and he turns to the server, saying, "I understand that every Friday you have karaoke night…"

Oh, hell no. "Yes, we do," the man answers, checking his watch and smiling back politely at Fitz. "It starts in about fifteen minutes. Were you interested in signing up?"

Fitz glances back at Olivia and she glares at him, daring him to say yes. He looks back at the server and with a smug grin and simply says, "What's in your song collection?"

"I'll be right back with the pamphlet." As soon as the man is gone, Olivia turns to Fitz. "I hope you don't think that you're going to get me to sing up there," she says, referring to the small stage near the front of the restaurant.

"Yes, I am. We're going to do it together," he says with a wide grin.

"No, we're not," she challenges.

"Yes, we are. It'll be fun, Liv. And I think you need a little fun to get your mind off your problems—we're supposed to be celebrating," he tells her as the server comes back and hands Fitz the pamphlet. He thanks him and then the man takes off.

"Karaoke isn't my thing."

"Looks like they have a list of duets, but I barely know any of these songs. Do you know these songs?" He says, pushing the pamphlet over to her.

"Are you even listening to me?"

"Liv, I've heard you sing before and you have a lovely voice. If anyone's going to embarrass themselves, it's going to be me. Sing with me, Livvie," he says, boring into her with those gorgeous blue eyes of his that she could never say no to.

She sighs and gives in. "Okay. How about we do 'Don't Go Breaking My Heart'? That one's kind of fun."

"Mmm…I think Elton John's voice might be a little too high for me on that. How about… 'Beneath Your Beautiful'? Do you know it?"

She nods. "I guess we could do that."

He smiles satisfactorily. "Great. We're going to shut this place down."

She laughs, shaking her head and taking a sip of her drink as Fitz gets up to go sign them up. Thirty minutes later, the two of them are being called onto the restaurant's tiny stage as the small crowd claps, welcoming them up.

They're both handed microphones and then the music begins to play. Olivia was already pretty nervous but since there was no backing out now, she tries not to look at the crowd and instead focuses on Fitz who already has his eyes on her as he begins to sing.

You tell all the boys "no"
Makes you feel good, yeah
I know you're out of my league
But that won't scare me away, oh no

You've carried on so long
You couldn't stop if you tried it
You've built your wall so high
That no one could climb it
But i'm gonna try

Would you let me see beneath your beautiful
Would you let me see beneath your perfect
Take it off now girl, take it off now girl
I wanna see inside
Would you let me see beneath your beautiful tonight

She feels her cheeks getting warm as he continues to gaze into her eyes and in that moment it's just them. She nearly misses her entrance into the song because she's so focused on him, but shakes herself out of her daze as she softly starts to sing.

You let all the girls go
Makes you feel good, don't it?
Behind your broadway show
I heard a boy say "please, don't hurt me"

You've carried on so long
You couldn't stop if you tried it
You've built your wall so high
That no one could climb it but i'm gonna try

They begin to walk towards each other as they sing in unison.

Would you let me, see beneath your beautiful
Would you let me, see beneath your perfect
Take it off now boy, take it off now boy
I wanna see inside
Would you let me see beneath your beautiful tonight?
Ohhh, Tonight
See beneath, See beneath,
I...Tonight
I... Tonight

They're now right in front of each other and Fitz takes her hand in his as they sing the bridge to each other.

I'm gonna climb on top your ivory tower
I'll hold your hand and then we'll jump right out
We'll be falling, falling
But that's okay
Cause I'll be right here
I just wanna know..

Would you let me see beneath your beautiful
Would you let me see beneath your perfect
Take it off now boy, take it off now boy
(Take it off now girl, take it off now girl)
Cause I wanna see inside
Would you let me see beneath your beautiful tonight?
Tonight, see beneath your beautiful
Oh tonight, we ain't perfect, we ain't perfect, no
Would you let me see beneath your beautiful tonight?

They stand together and look out at the small crowd below them that whistles and claps, with a few even rising to give them a standing ovation.

"Told you we had this in the bag," he says into her ear. "I've never felt more like a superstar in my life."

She laughs and he side hugs her, laying a kiss on her cheek. She smiles contently and they bow to the crowd together before walking off the stage.

"Were we really that good?" She says as they walk hand in hand to their cars after leaving the restaurant, shortly after their duet.

"Everyone seemed to think we were, but I personally think that you stole the show with that beautiful voice of yours," he says, bringing her hand up to his lips and kissing it. She loved the feeling of his large, warm hand enclosed around hers and can't help but lean more into him.

"Why thank you," she says back playfully. "You were pretty good yourself, too." His naturally low voice had been able to hit the higher notes of the song and he actually ended up sounding amazing. If she could have his sexy voice sing to her every day, her life would be complete.

"Told you it would be fun." They stop at her car but as she unlocks it and opens the door, he says, "I wanted to ask you something."

"Yeah?" She asks, putting her hand bag on the passenger seat.

"Would you go to New York with me?"

She looks back at him, quirking her eyebrow. "What?"

"After the school year is over. I have some friends over there that I was planning on visiting for about a week or so, but I wanted to you to come with me as an end of the year celebratory vacation for the two of us. Will you?"

"You want me to come with you all the way to New York?" She asks incredulously.

"Yes. After graduation. I'll take you to all the hot and famous spots and for the most part, it will be just us. I'll take care of all the expenses. I just want to spend time with you. Come to New York with me, Livvie," he says, pulling her into him and holding her at her waist until their faces are inches away. She feels herself swooning in his arms and she doesn't know why she seems to lose all control of thought whenever he touches or looks at her in the way he was now. Kenny had invited her to go with him to New York four months ago, and here she was getting the same offer, now with the one person she would follow anywhere if he asked.

"Okay," she says softly. He smiles and she does the same as he lightly kisses her lips. She pulls back and says, "but at least let me pay for my own plane ticket and other little expenses."

"Do you ever let anyone take care of you?" He asks with a smirk.

She smiles. "Sometimes. So, I'll come over tomorrow to help you with those pumpkin muffins for your mom's luncheon. You really need to start learning how to do some of this on your own—I don't think I've ever baked this much in my life," she says, referring to the number of dishes she's cooked and baked for him in an effort to help him continue the lie about him being an excellent cook to his family. She had a feeling though that he was actually getting pretty good but had been playing stupid just so they could hang out and bake together, so even though she was exhausted from all the kitchen work, she didn't mind it too much since she got to be around him.

"I know…I'm glad I have such a great teacher like you, though," he says. "See you tomorrow, Liv."

"Bye, Fitz." He heads to his car as she gets in hers. As she starts her car, she can't help but smile like a fool. Never in her life did she imagine she would meet someone who would have the power to affect her this way. He was truly a dream.

Liv is totally sprung on Fitz lol! I hope you enjoyed that chapter. Olitz will still stay together for college. How did you like their karaoke duet? The song I used is "Beneath Your Beautiful" by Labyrinth and Emeli Sande. How do you feel about them spending their first week of summer in New York together? Other thoughts? Thanks for reading!