Chapter 15
Party Prep
"I can't believe we're going to our first party tonight!" Casey exclaimed as she put her makeup on in the mirror.
"I know," Alex said, rather nervous. "Are you gonna drink?"
"Of course I'm gonna drink, Lex! It's a college party. That's what you do!"
Alex couldn't help but feel extremely apprehensive about drinking. "How are you so calm about this?"
Casey turned to look at Alex, who was quietly putting on her own makeup at her desk. "Lexie. Why are you so nervous?" Casey then got up to drag her chair over to Alex's desk to face her.
Alex let out a sigh before turning to face Casey. "I don't understand how you're not nervous. We've never drank before. And…" Alex couldn't finish her sentence.
Casey gave an understanding smile. "You're nervous about Olivia, aren't you?"
Alex hid her face in her hands, which seemed to be a frequent activity as of late. "Yes. What if we kiss tonight?!"
"Oh, you will be kissing tonight. Or I just might have to do it myself and get it over with," Casey laughed.
Alex rolled her eyes and gave a weak laugh. "Ha ha. I want to kiss her, Case. I'm just so… nervous but also excited?"
Casey stood up and placed her hands on Alex's shoulders to rub them. "Yup, that's how it feels. It'll be great, and you'll be just fine Lex. Now come on, let's keep getting ready!"
"Liv, come on! We gotta get going!" Elliot yelled from the bottom of the stairs.
A slam of a door could be heard as Olivia ran down the stairs. "Chill, El. I was finishing getting dressed. Happy birthday!" Olivia practically jumped in Elliot's arms to give him a giant hug as he squeezed her tightly. "Love you dude."
"Thanks, Liv! Love you too. Got your keys? Kathy, you ready babe?" Elliot turned to look towards the bathroom as Kathy emerged.
"Yes I am, my handsome man!" She walked over to give him a big kiss before saying "Happy birthday Elliot."
Olivia tossed her keys up in the air and caught them before holding them out and jingling them in front of Elliot. "Got the keys."
"Sweet. There gonna be enough room in the Mustang for all this?" Elliot asked as they made their way outside and to Olivia's car. Elliot opened the passenger side and drew the seat forward so Kathy could slip in the backseat of the 2-door.
"Yeah, there will. The trunk is huge." Olivia turned on the car and revved the engine a little as she looked over to Elliot and smirked. "God I love this car."
As a teenager, Olivia had worked every summer since she was 13 in hopes to save up money for her own car one day. Once she was 19, looking around for cars, she fell in love with a Windveil Blue 2005 Mustang GT and bought it. While she didn't drive it around New York casually, she relished in the comfort that she could leave and go anywhere at any time she chose.
"Yeah, you should let me drive it for my birthday," Elliot suggested with a grin.
"Uhh, we'll see." Olivia pulled out of the driveway and headed towards the liquor store. "So, what's on the list?"
Elliot pulled up his phone and began reading the list. "We got… 3 bottles of Jack Daniels, 4 bottles Malibu Rum, 5 bottles Blue Curacao, 3 bottles of Smirnoff Vodka, 4 bottles of Jager, and 4 32 packs of beer."
"Jesus Christ are we getting everyone on campus wasted?" Olivia asked, clearly shocked at the big list.
Elliot laughed. "I have no idea how many people are coming tonight, Liv. I think the word spread pretty fast."
Olivia sighed. "Great. Just make sure everyone stays the hell away from my room. I don't want people screwing on my bed!"
"Yeah, except for you and Alex," Kathy teased from the backseat, which immediately made Olivia go red.
"Kathy!" Olivia said, unable to hide her shit-eating grin. "I still need to kiss her first."
Elliot and Kathy both shot a look at her. "Seriously? You still haven't kissed Blondie?"
Olivia sighed at the nickname for Alex she knew Elliot would never stop saying. "No."
"Not even at your date?" Kathy asked. "You looked hot, Liv!"
"She did too. It just… I don't know, we both got super nervous when it came down to it."
"You… froze? You? Olivia Benson froze when trying to kiss a chick?" Elliot couldn't contain his shock at the admission. "Holy shit, this girl has a hold on you."
"No kidding," Olivia muttered. "She makes me feel tingly. And I don't know how to react. That's what I've been trying to say for weeks! It's different with her."
Kathy reached up from the back seat to rub Olivia's shoulder. "You actually genuinely have feelings for someone. And I'm so happy for you. Take your time, the moment will be right."
"You better kiss her tonight, Liv," Elliot said.
"She will kiss her whenever she's ready, El," Kathy responded.
"She's… never kissed anyone. What if I screw it up?" Olivia asked.
Elliot nearly jumped out of his seat. "What?! You're going after a girl that has had no girlfriend, and no kiss? Oh my God. She's a virgin too, isn't she?"
Olivia kept her eyes on the road and didn't say anything.
"Holy… Benson," was all Elliot could say.
"Do you see one of the reasons why I'm so nervous? I really like her. I don't want to push her too far to where she runs," Olivia admitted.
"Didn't you sext her though?" Elliot asked.
"Yeah."
"Then you're fine. If she didn't want you, she wouldn't have texted like that," Elliot said. "Just go with the flow."
Olivia sighed before asking a question that changed the subject. "Has Tim got the weed yet? How much is he getting? And what about the kegs Johnny is getting?"
"Tim already got it. It's in his room. He got an ounce."
Kathy tensed up in the back. "That's enough to put you in prison for a while."
Elliot gave her a smile. "Honey, it's okay. If the cops come we all just take a small bit and say it's personal. They can't prove it otherwise."
Kathy folded her arms and laid against the backseat.
"As for the kegs, Johnny's dad is dropping them off later. We got 2."
Olivia nodded her head as they pulled into the liquor store. "Hang on a sec." She pulled out her phone to text Alex.
Olivia: Hi cutie (:
Alex: Hi (:
Olivia: I'm getting stuff for tonight. What do you like to drink?
Alex: Idk. I've never drank before lol.
Olivia: No problem! I'll just grab something I think you'll like then (: you like lemonade?
Alex: Love it
Olivia: Perfect. See you tonight around 7?
Alex: C U (:
"Come on, Liv!" Elliot said frantically.
"Calm down, I had to see what Alex wanted to drink," Olivia said, getting out of the car and walking towards the store.
Elliot held the door open for her. Kathy stayed in the car; she was still 20. "And what is our tall blonde drinking?"
"I think I'm gonna grab her some Smirnoff Ice Blueberry Lemonade." Olivia grabbed her wallet out to give Elliot money to cover the drinks.
"Oh, no you don't. It's like $10, Liv. I can spare $10 to get your girl something to drink."
Olivia gave a slight smile and put her wallet back in her pocket. "Thanks, El."
He wrapped his arm around Olivia's shoulder. "Of course. Now come on, let's get this shopping done."
Alex whistled as Casey spun around and showed off her outfit. "You look so good, Casey!"
Casey smiled as she spun Alex around to survey her outfit too. "And so do you, oh my God. Olivia's gonna be all over you, Lex." Alex decided to wear a pair of tight short jean shorts with a form-fitting white crop top that showed off her stomach. Her blonde hair was down and straightened and her glasses sat perched on the bridge of her nose as always.
"Thanks, Casey. I hope so. I can't wait! I'm so nervous, though." Alex was talking fast as her nerves began to get the best of her.
"Hey." Casey grabbed Alex's shoulders and looked her in the eyes. "You. Got. This."
Alex nodded.
"Now, come on." Casey grabbed Alex's hand and headed towards the door. "We got a party to get to."
Olivia, Elliot, Kathy, Tim, and Johnny were setting up everything in the townhouse as they prepared for people to start showing up soon.
"Hey, Liv?" Johnny asked as he was pouring ice into a giant cooler.
"Sup?" Olivia responded, placing cans of beer in the cooler with the ice.
"You know that Amanda chick?"
Olivia stopped and looked up at him. "You know I do."
Johnny nervously chuckled. "Yeah… well, is she coming tonight?"
"Doubt it. I haven't talked to her in a while."
"Oh. Nevermind then."
Olivia studied him for a moment, her eyes slightly squinting. "Do you want her to come?"
Johnny just smiled as he poured more ice in the cooler.
"Alright, hold on. She owes me a favor." Olivia stood up and wiped her hands off before grabbing her phone from the counter.
Olivia: Hey. You still wanna make it up to me?
Amanda: Hey. Yes, I do. I'm still sorry, Olivia.
Olivia: Come over to Elliot's birthday party tonight. Johnny wants you to come.
Amanda: Johnny? Your roommate Johnny?
Olivia: Yeah
Amanda: Oh. Okay… I'll be there.
Olivia: K
"Alright, she's coming."
Johnny hugged Olivia. "Thanks, Liv."
