A/N: Responding to Tingtorn78 - Yup! Olivia is 21, Elliot is currently 20 but turning 21 in a few weeks, and both Casey and Alex are 18!

Chapter 5

Study Hall

Alex had gone the next few days without sending or receiving a text from Olivia. Every so often, she would open her phone to Olivia's contact and think about sending her a text, but she chickened out every time. She couldn't help but feel a little sad that Olivia hadn't texted her either, but she also didn't want to sound desperate to talk to her again – even though she was.

She sat at her desk in her room, tapping her pencil next to her open Economics book, staring at her phone. After a few moments of incessant tapping, Casey turned to her and groaned.

"Lex. I love you. But if you tap that pencil one more time, I'm going to smother you."

"Sorry," Alex said, setting the pencil down across the spine of her book and turning to meet Casey's gaze. "I can't focus."

"Got soccer girl on the brain again?" Casey asked with a raised eyebrow.

Alex let out a sigh and put her head in her hands. "Yes… I don't get it. I've never had a problem focusing on my work before. But I just… can't get her out of my thoughts, Case."

"That's a crush for you, Alex. It's like a drug. Has she not texted you yet?"

"No," Alex said, checking her phone and sighing.

"Then why don't you just text her? Don't you also have her number?" Casey asked, arms folded.

"I can't do that! I'll seem desperate." Alex panicked and threw her phone on the bed, immediately regretting the decision. She locked eyes with Casey, who immediately sprang up and dove to Alex's bed to grab her phone. Alex dove on top of Casey to try and wrangle it away from her.

"Casey Marie! Don't you DARE text her!" Alex was grabbing at Casey's arms which were tucked into her abdomen, bringing up Alex's texts. "Casey!" Alex pleaded, but it was too late.

"Did it!" Casey said, handing the phone to Alex, whose heart was thumping in her throat. She carefully looked down at the text Casey sent to Olivia.

Alex: Hey!

Alex let out a puff of air before looking at Casey.

"That wasn't so bad, now was it?" Casey smiled. "Lex, I wouldn't say anything that would be crazy or embarrass you. But I'm also not gonna let you sit here and mope about the what-ifs. It's a simple 'hey.' You got this." She patted Alex's back as she continued to stare at the phone, waiting for a response. "Wanna go to the study hall? I need to get out of this room."

"Sure," Alex said, grabbing her books and placing them into her backpack. "I think I need a change of scenery too. I can't focus on this homework."

"Alright, let's go!"


Alex sat alone at a table in the quiet study hall, finally finding a rhythm to her Economics homework. She took a sip of her Gatorade before checking the phone next to her, still no notifications.

Casey was sitting alone at a table 2 down from Alex. She knew that if they sat next to each other, they'd never get anything done. So she gladly distanced herself so they could finish their assignments.

After about 10 minutes, Alex's phone lit up with a text message. She quickly grabbed the phone and opened the message.

Olivia: Hey, you! What's up?

Alex felt her heart begin to beat a little faster as she gave a slight smile while typing out her response.

Alex: Not much. Just in the study hall trying to do homework. Bored.

After a few more moments, her phone lit up again.

Olivia: I see that (;

Alex, confused, furrowed her eyebrows and began scanning the hall until she met Olivia's gaze. She was on the other side of the room, her backpack on the table. Once they locked eyes, Olivia waved at her. Alex smiled and waved back.

Alex: You want to come sit over here?

But before she could even register what was happening, she noticed the presence of someone sitting in front of her. She smiled at Olivia who checked her latest text message.

"Sure, I'd love to," she whispered and laughed, pulling out a Criminology textbook and a folder of homework.

Alex smiled and looked down nervously at her own homework. "I hate Economics. This is stupid."

Olivia cracked open a Blueberry Red Bull and loudly slurped it before leaning over to look at Alex's homework. "Yeah, that looks stupid," she laughed.

Alex could smell the blueberry flavor on Olivia's breath and suddenly wanted to know what it tasted like, too. She flicked her eyes over to the can. "You know," Alex started. "Those are bad for you."

Olivia picked up the can and scanned over the nutritional information on the back before shrugging her shoulders and slurping more of it down. "Oh well. They keep me focused. And they're delicious. Wanna try it?" Olivia extended the can to Alex, who hesitantly grabbed it.

She couldn't help but think about Olivia's lips just being on the can. And while Alex normally tried to stray from caffeine, she was interested in tasting any hint of Olivia's lips that she could. So, she took a small sip of the can. She licked and smacked her lips together after, and nodded her head. "Not bad."

Olivia smiled at her. "I thought they were bad?"

Alex blushed. "Yes, bad for you. But they taste pretty delicious. Do you drink them often?"

Olivia pulled out another unopened can from her backpack. "Sure do. Every time I have to study."

"Are you drinking two?!" Alex asked in shock.

"Nope," Olivia said, sliding the can to Alex. "This one is for you, since you liked it."

Alex took the can and held it in her hands examining it. She rotated it to the side and read the nutritional information. "114 milligrams of caffeine!?" Alex exclaimed. "That's a ton!"

Olivia couldn't help but chuckle. "Alex… you're going to start realizing caffeine is your friend in college. As much studying as you have to do? You'll need it."

"Okay. Well, maybe I'll give it a try. But only for you," Alex smiled, proud of herself for being a little flirty.

Olivia smiled back as she sat her head in her hand and bent down to study her textbook. Alex couldn't help but notice the way her straight brunette hair fell graciously in front of her face. She noticed the myriad of bracelets on her arm, which ranged from silicone to metal to twine. She let her eyes wander lower to the bit of cleavage that was exposed with Olivia bending forwards; her breasts pushed close together and her tank top dipping low.

Alex swallowed at the sight, feeling an unfamiliar burning in her core. She felt her skin prickle a little, blush threatening to creep up her pale skin.

Alex… stop staring at her chest. If she catches you, you're in trouble. But wow, do we want to see more… Alexandra!

Luckily, Alex's peripheral vision caught someone a few tables over flailing their arms. Looking over, it was Casey, whose mouth was wide open and pointing frantically at Olivia, mouthing something unintelligibly.

Alex just raised her eyebrows at Casey.

Casey then pointed at Alex, then at Olivia, and made a humping gesture. Alex's eyes went wide as she frantically shook her head 'no' at her friend.

Casey gave a devilish smile and nodded her head as Alex brought her right hand up to flip Casey off, who let her mouth hang open in response.

Looking back to Olivia, she noticed her looking at her with a half smile and an eyebrow raised. "Casey being Casey again, I take it?"

Alex blushed as she hid her hands under the desk. "Yes. She's insufferable sometimes."

Olivia looked over to Casey and waved, who gladly gave a big smile and waved back. "Why aren't you two studying together?"

"We would distract each other. She'd tell me all about boys she's drooling over and I'd tell her all about…" But Alex stopped her sentence.

Olivia studied her for a moment, awaiting her response. "Girls?" Olivia suggested.

"Yes. Well, no… Not girls, plural... But not just a girl either... Uhh…" Alex was bright red again, not knowing where her thoughts were going.

"You blush so easily. It's so cute." Olivia was giving Alex a big smile, which only made Alex blush more.

"It's a curse. Everyone knows what I'm thinking all the time because of this skin." Alex folded her arms across the desk and laid her head on them, looking up at Olivia.

"Is that right?" Olivia said, dropping her pencil to her book and putting her chin in her hands. "Hmm. So, why are you blushing now?"

"Isn't it obvious?" Alex said.

Olivia pondered for a moment. "Yeah. It's because I mentioned you talking about girls. And then you lit up like a Christmas tree." She giggled after the words.

Alex groaned, hiding her face. "I don't know why I get so nervous about this stuff."

"Hey, it's completely normal. Did you not date a lot of girls in high school?" Olivia asked curiously.

Alex shot her head up. "No. I've never had a girlfriend."

Olivia raised her eyebrows in surprise. "Seriously? You?"

Alex smiled a waning smile at Olivia's response. "Why is that so surprising?"

Olivia scoffed, raking her eyes over Alex. "Are you kidding? Have you seen what you look like? You're hot, Alex. And I don't mean that in a platonic friend way." Olivia's eyes flickered up to Alex's, who was now again, fighting a new wave of blush that was creeping over her skin.

Olivia immediately smiled wide. "Wow, you're right. Your skin really does let everyone know what you're thinking."

Alex couldn't respond. Her mouth was dry, her heart was thumping in her head, throat, and her core, and her brain was running so fast she couldn't find words.

"And, uhh…" Alex finally choked out. "What… am I… t-thinking?"

Olivia leaned in closer to tease Alex. "You're thinking that I make you nervous. And, you're thinking that I'm hot, too. Which, I am." Olivia leaned back in her chair to watch the effects of her words.

Alex was breathing rapidly as she swallowed, unable to focus on anything that wasn't Olivia Benson. Olivia watched her chest rise and fall as she smirked. "We better get back to our homework." Olivia picked up her can of Red Bull and chugged the rest of it before crushing the can and letting out a quiet but deep belch afterwards. "Sorry," she smiled at Alex.

Olivia picked up her book and scooted back in the chair, propping her legs up diagonally on the table. She put one arm behind her head as she continued to scan the pages.

Alex watched in awe before looking over to Casey, who wasn't paying attention to what just happened. Alex carefully picked up her phone to text Casey.

Alex: Casey. Holy shit. Casey. Red alert. I don't think I can move.

Casey looked over at Olivia who was laying back in the chair reading, her legs on the table. She then looked over at Alex and saw the sheer panic on her face.

Casey: What's wrong?!

Alex: My heart is beating so fast right now and I'm as red as a tomato. My… you know what is on fire. What is happening?

Alex heard Casey laugh out loud, but didn't dare look over at her.

Casey: Your what is on fire? Are you trying to tell me you're horny, Alex?

Alex: …. Yes. Very much so.

Casey: Omg what did soccer girl say/do that's got you so worked up?

Alex: She told me I was hot. And then she was… flirting with me? But not like a normal flirt like you see in the movies. This was… different.

Casey: Different how?

Alex: I think she was teasing me? Idk. Just what she said… she accused herself of making me nervous and told me she knew I thought she was hot too. Then she casually sat back like she is now. And I can't move.

Casey: Wow… Alex, that's amazing. I'm so happy for you!!! Get you a piece of her.

Alex: Casey, stop it! I've never even been kissed.

Casey: Not yet. Apparently she wants to kiss you in other places (;

Alex let out a breath she didn't know she was holding before replying back. She felt another surge course through her lower region at the thought of Olivia placing her lips anywhere other than her own.

Alex: Casey, you can't say things like that. I'm too vulnerable right now.

Casey: You're thinking about it, aren't you?

Alex: ….

Casey: Ha! You're thinking about her head between your legs.

Alex fumbled her hands and dropped the phone on the table, making a loud thud. Casey quickly hid her head in her arms and struggled to contain her laughter. Alex quickly picked up the phone and stuffed it in her pocket before meeting Olivia's gaze.

"You okay?" Olivia asked.

Alex, still red, just nodded frantically.

"You sure? You seem a little… flustered." Olivia gave a half smile.

Alex fought to not let out a soft groan. "I-I'm okay. Really." Alex began to fan her face, trying to get the blush to go down.

Olivia chuckled. "You really are cute when you blush." She pulled her legs off the table and started to put her things in her bag. "Hey, I've gotta go meet El so we can finish our assignment together. Make sure you get your work done too, future lawyer."

Alex smiled at Olivia as she stood up and threw her backpack over her shoulders. "Text me later, okay?"

Alex nodded her head. "Okay, I will. Bye, Liv."

"Bye, Lex." Olivia smiled as she turned to walk her way out of study hall.

Alex watched her walk away as Casey came rushing over. "What happened? Where's she going?"

"She is going to work on an assignment with Elliot. Nothing happened, Casey. Promise."

"I didn't mean for that to happen, Lex. I'm sorry I teased you so bad." Casey really did feel guilty.

Alex just smiled. "I never said you were wrong."

Casey's mouth was wide open. "Okay, so, show me what she did."

"Okay. Well, she told me that it was cute when I blushed, but I told her it was a curse, because everyone could tell what I was thinking. So then she challenged it, and she leaned in like this." Alex got up to lean close to Casey just as Olivia had done to her. "And she said, 'You're thinking that I make you nervous. And, that I'm hot. Which, I am.' And then she leaned back."

Casey gave a low whistle. "Damn, Lex. She's a bad bitch."

"I know." Alex hid her face in her hands again.

Casey picked up the Red Bull can and examined it. "Since when do you drink this stuff?"

"I don't. She gave that to me after letting me try hers."

"You drank after her?" Casey asked.

"Yeah. She wanted me to try her Red Bull. It's actually pretty good." Alex took the can back and placed it in her backpack.

"Wow. Dude, you know she likes you, right?" Casey said.

Alex smiled and bit her lip. "No, she's attracted to me. We don't like each other yet. We don't really know each other. But, we're definitely both attracted."

Casey smiled and reached over the table to hug Alex. "I'm seriously so excited for you, Lex! But if she hurts you, I'll kill her. You'll have to call your dad to bail me out." Alex laughed at the response. "You ready to go back to the dorm? I'm pretty much finished with my homework."

"Yeah, me too." Alex stood up from the table and grabbed her bag, but stopped dead in her tracks once she felt a flood of wetness creep out into her underwear. "Uhh…" she looked down, worried she started her period.

"What?" Casey asked. "Bleeding?"

"I don't… think so?" Alex was confused and afraid to move.

Casey, realizing what she was feeling, had a smile slowly creeping across her face.

"What?" Alex asked.

Casey leaned in to whisper to Alex. "You know how you said you're horny? Yeah, well… that's what that is. Soccer girl made you wet, Alex."

Alex gasped at the realization. While it seemed unrealistic that someone her age hadn't already figured this out, it was true for Alex. Since she never cared for boys, and never paid much attention to anything other than studying growing up, she was really unfamiliar with anything relating to sex. She had never really felt this way until finally admitting to herself over a month ago that she liked girls.

"What do I do?" Alex whispered frantically to Casey.

"What do you do? You go home, text soccer girl, and take care of it." Casey held her hand up and wiggled her middle and index finger together.

Alex's eyes were wide. "Casey! I've… never done that."

"What better place to learn than college? Come on, let's go." Casey linked her arm with Alex's as they made their way back to the dorm.