Their friends were all waiting for them the next morning in the commons area. “Well, if it isn’t the dynamic duo!” Casey teased.
“Walkin’ a little funny, Alex,” Serena joked. “Wonder what you guys did the rest of the weekend!”
Alex shoved Serena’s shoulder. “Whatever!” She turned to Olivia and whispered, “I’m not, am I?”
Olivia grinned and kissed her on the cheek. “No, baby. You’re walkin’ just fine.”
“You did remember that we still have practice today, right?” Serena asked. “Although I don’t know how flexible you’ll be.”
Elliot noticed the shit-eating grin on Olivia’s face. “I can tell someone’s not too worried if Alex will be able to perform her routines or not.”
“She’ll be ok,” Olivia said, patting Alex on the back.
“You shouldn’t be so smug,” Alex shot back. “Cragen is gonna rip you a new one when you’re a little stiff in the water today.”
“Oh my muscles will be working just fine. I bounce back quickly,” Olivia replied, grinning widely and wrapping her arms around her waist.
Alex draped her arms over Olivia’s shoulders. “That bed sure had a lot of bounce.”
“Wooo!” Casey exclaimed. “I bet you two bounced all over the place.”
“You guys came straight from the hotel?” Kathy asked.
“Yep,” Olivia answered, sitting on a bench.
Alex sat down in her lap. “I’m tired. This should’ve been a three-day weekend.”
Olivia rubbed her back. “Too bad your birthday wasn’t the weekend before Spring Break.”
“Ooh, that reminds me!” Alex interjected, looking at their group of friends. “At lunch we have to get everything figured out.”
“Oh, I don’t think we’ll be able to make it,” Elliot said regretfully. “There’s a Spring Break retreat for Catholic teens that our parents want us to go on.”
Olivia smirked. “Sounds fun,” she said sarcastically.
“Serena, why aren’t you going?” Kathy asked. “Aren’t you Catholic?”
“Yeah, but luckily my parents aren’t making me go. It’s enough that my father drags me to church every Sunday morning and even midnight mass at Christmas,” Serena replied.
“Lucky you,” Elliot said dryly.
“Well, while you’re sitting around a campfire singing kumbahyah, the rest of us will be lying on a towel catching some sun and checking out hot girls,” Olivia said.
That warranted a swat on the arm from Alex. “Um…I mean Serena and Casey will be checking out hot girls,” Olivia corrected.
“Well, if you’re too busy looking at other chicks, I guess you’ll miss me walking around in my thong bikini,” Alex announced.
“When did you get a thong bikini?!” Olivia demanded.
“When you weren’t looking,” Alex replied with a sly smile.
Olivia gave her a serious look. “You’re not wearing that.”
“Yes, I am.”
“Well, then I guess I’ll take off my top,” Olivia retorted.
Alex’s mouth dropped open. “You wouldn’t!”
“If your ass will be hanging out, then so will my tits.”
“That’s not equal exposure! And if some guy’s walking around taking pics, your tits will be on some fucking Girls Gone Wild site and you’re underage!”
“And you think it’d be ok for your asscheeks to be on a site like that? You’re younger than I am!”
“Kids, play nice,” Kathy teased.
Alex turned around so that she was straddling Olivia’s waist. “But I look so hot in my thong,” she pouted, looking down at her. “Will you really be mad at me if I wear it? Just for a little bit?”
“Not if you wear it in the Jacuzzi where the only other people will be Serena and Casey.”
Alex grinned victoriously. “I wasn’t really gonna wear it on the beach. I just said that cuz you said you were gonna check out hot girls.”
Olivia gave her an annoyed look. “Alex, why do you have to get me riled up like that?”
“Cuz I want you to pay the most attention to me,” Alex pouted again.
“Sweetie, we already went over this. I told you I would, baby.”
“Alex, what are you gonna do? Tape her eyes shut?” Serena asked.
Alex glared at her. “No, smartass. I was just messing with her head. I’m not gonna get all upset if she looks at other girls.”
“Rightttttttttttttt,” Serena responded.
“Quiet, Southerlyn,” Alex snapped.
“Rawr,” Kathy teased.
Alex turned back to Olivia and gave her a kiss. “I wish you could come to Euro with me.”
Olivia snorted. “And listen to Stevens drone on and on? I think I’ll pass.”
“Girls, separate from one another or I’ll write you both up,” Mrs. Petrovsky ordered.
“Being written up is the only punishment being handed out for PDA these days? I thought surely this was the 16th century and we would be disemboweled and quartered,” Alex replied sardonically.
Petrovsky pursed her lips and glared at her. “Save the wit for your friends, Miss Cabot.”
Alex rolled her eyes and got off Olivia. “What an annoying old prude,” she muttered when Petrovsky was out of earshot.
“I hate when she has morning duty,” Olivia grumbled.
“Alex is pissed cuz she had to give up her favorite seat,” Casey said to Serena.
“Damn right,” Alex said. “This bench is cold; Liv’s lap is warm.”
Lexie walked into the commons area. “Hey, Alex, great party!” she shouted a few feet away from them.
“Yeah!” several other kids echoed around her.
“I’m surprised Abbie isn’t with her,” Olivia whispered as she watched Lexie mingle with her friends.
“Well, rumor has it that Abbie had something to do with the crashing,” Elliot said.
“Yeah, some kids were saying that she paid a couple of the guys and their buddies just wanted in on the fun because they were mad they didn’t get invites,” Casey added.
Alex turned red. “I wouldn’t put it past her.”
“Speak of the devil,” Elliot grumbled.
Abbie walked in and joined Lexie and the others. She shot a smug glance at Alex while talking to Lexie. Olivia glared at her and balled up a fist. “I’m gonna wipe that smirk off her face.”
“Liv…it’s just rumors. Calm down. Don’t do anything stupid,” Elliot warned.
“Did you see the look on her face?” Olivia demanded crossly.
“Yeah…but we all know the girl’s a bitch. It’s not worth getting suspended over. If Abbie really did pay them off, I’m sure she’ll get in some trouble. And if not, then it’s just rumors we should ignore,” Elliot reasoned.
Alex rubbed Olivia’s shoulder comfortingly. “Elliot’s right. Let’s not say anything to her unless she says something to us first.”
At that moment, the first bell rang. They all stood up and started gathering their stuff. “Where to first?” Olivia asked.
“Let’s go by your locker.”
“Ok,” Olivia said, grabbing her hand and leading them down the hall.
“Geez, baby, how can you find anything in here?” Alex asked in wonder as Olivia opened up her locker and a landslide occurred.
“Hey, I was in a rush Friday afternoon. So I just kinda shoved everything in there.”
Alex bent down and helped Olivia pick up various papers and notebooks. “Oh, I can certainly tell.”
Olivia shoved what she needed into her bookbag. “You can help me reorganize later on.” She started to shut the door when Alex stopped her.
“Ooh, wait, are those Skittles back there?”
Olivia smirked. “Yeah. You can have them if you wish.”
Alex gave her a huge kiss on the cheek and hurriedly reached inside her locker and retrieved the pack of candy. “I can snack on these throughout the day.”
“Ha!” Olivia said as they headed towards Alex’s locker. “They’ll be gone by the end of first period.”
Alex grinned and linked her arm through Olivia’s. “Probably in the first five minutes.”
**************
Fifteen minutes into first period, Mr. Stevens left to get his coffee. Alex turned around to Serena and whispered, “Psst! Wanna see some pics from the party?”
Serena stopped writing in her notebook and looked at the door apprehensively. “We have to be quick.”
Alex opened up her laptop and moved to the side so Serena could see the screen. “Ok. These are the ones the photographer sent.”
“You and Liv look so adorable there!” Serena gushed.
Alex grinned. “I know! Wasn’t she gorgeous?”
The pictures attracted the attention of the other students. Soon a little group had gathered around Alex’s desk to look as well.
“Oh, that’s the pic of Jason trying to break dance,” Alex said.
“Wait, didn’t Jason try to crash your party?” Sara asked.
“That was another Jason,” Alex answered. “This Jason isn’t even friends with Dustin and the rest of those losers.”
“Hey, make more room so I can see!” one kid ordered, trying to shove his way in so he could get a better look.
Alex kept scrolling through the pictures. “Here’s another one from our belly dancing routine with Yasmin and the girls. Ooh, and here’s one from when I cut my cake!”
“Miss Cabot, I know you think you’re the star of this school right now, but in my class, there’s only room for one and that’s yours truly,” Mr. Stevens said sternly, standing in the doorway. “Finish your work.”
The group quickly scattered and returned to their seats. Alex rolled her eyes. As soon as he turned his back, she turned around again and whispered, “Hey, you want me to send some pics to you and Casey? I’m sending them to Liv right now.”
“Yeah, that’d be great,” Serena replied.
“Ok.” She was in the process of emailing the pictures to them when her cell phone started blinking. She smiled when she saw it was a text from Olivia. She discreetly put her phone under her desk so she could type a reply.
“Alex, would you come up to the board and write three facts about the Dachau concentration camp?” Stevens ordered.
“Shit,” Alex muttered as several students around her snickered, including Serena. She closed her laptop and coolly walked to the front of the room and picked up a marker.
Stevens frowned when she successfully completed the task. She turned to him with a smug grin and asked, “Will these suffice or should I continue?”
Stevens turned to the laughing students and glared. “Well, Alex, it appears you have quite an audience. And since the class is so entertained by your antics, I’m sure they’ll be overjoyed to know that you have won them a special treat for the day—a pop quiz. So everyone, take out a piece of paper.”
Everyone groaned, including Alex. “Come on, Mr. Stevens!” she protested.
“Return to your seat, Alex. And when this class is over, you will stay after 15 minutes.”
“But I have a quiz next period!” Alex heatedly replied.
“Then you should have thought about that instead of disrupting my class. The next time you do it, I’m going to write you up.”
Alex trudged off back to her desk and angrily ripped a piece of paper out of her notebook. I hope this day doesn’t get any worse, she thought bitterly.
**************
Olivia smirked when she saw Alex come in late. Her classmates were finishing up their quizzes. Alex rushed up to Dr. Olivet to quietly explain the situation. Reluctantly, she handed a quiz to Alex and instructed, “All right. But don’t let it happen again, Alex. You’ll have to borrow notes from Olivia or someone else because I’m not going to wait for you to finish before I begin the lecture. And you only have 6 minutes to complete the quiz instead of the usual 10.”
“Yes ma’am. Thank you so much,” Alex said gratefully.
Luckily, the quiz was easy enough for Alex to finish in the nick of time. She quietly placed her quiz in the basket on Dr. Olivet’s desk and then slipped into her seat again.
Dr. Olivet finished up her lecture a few minutes later and announced that they were going to begin watching a movie on Alfred Kinsey. As soon as the lights were turned out, Olivia leaned forward and tapped Alex on the shoulder. “Hey, why were you late?”
Making sure Olivet wasn’t looking, Alex looked over her shoulder at Olivia and answered, “I was showing people pics from the party when Stevens walked in and caught me.”
“Ouch,” Olivia said. “Yeah, I got your text. I haven’t had time to check my email yet.”
“Those pics of us when we were dancing together on the floor before our routines are particularly hot.”
Olivia grinned and whispered, “I look forward to seeing them. I’ll have to make one of ’em my desktop background.”
Alex tilted her head all the way back so Olivia could give her a kiss. “Those upside-down kisses are the best,” Olivia said.
“Dr. Olivet, please!” Abbie protested, gesturing toward Olivia and Alex.
Olivia and Alex both acted like they were deeply entrenched in the movie. Dr. Olivet looked from Olivia and Alex to Abbie and asked, “What seems to be the problem?”
“They were making out!” Abbie exclaimed.
“We were not!” Alex denied.
“Dr. Olivet, I’m sure I’m not the only one who saw them!” Abbie looked at some of the students near Alex and Olivia’s desks but no one said a word. She frowned and sneered, “Oh, that’s nice! I see some of you are part of Alex’s cult of personality.”
“Abbie, please just pay attention to the movie,” Dr. Olivet said.
Alex smiled smugly at Abbie and then turned to watch the movie. Abbie folded her arms angrily and muttered something unintelligible under her breath.
A few minutes later, Olivia leaned forward in her desk and slipped her hand under Alex’s sweater. Alex leaned back as Olivia softly caressed her side. Olivia moved some of Alex’s hair to the side and placed a soft kiss on her neck.
“Dr. Olivet, I know we’re watching Kinsey, but are students actually supposed to demonstrate their places on his scale for us?” Abbie asked crossly, looking pointedly in Alex and Olivia’s direction again.
Olivia quickly dropped her hand from Alex’s side. Dr. Olivet followed Abbie’s gaze and said, “What are you going on about now, Abbie?”
“Those two!”
“Mind your own, Abbie,” Olivia barked. She looked at Dr. Olivet. “Do we have to keep answering to these inane accusations? It’s not our faults Abbie forgot to take her lithium this morning.” The whole class erupted in laughter.
Dr. Olivet let out a groan. “That’s enough! Watch the movie and if I hear another word from either of you, I’m giving you all detention. Keep your spats out of my classroom.”
As soon as class was over, Olivia and Alex waited until Abbie came outside. Olivia grabbed her wrist and growled, “Not so fast.”
Abbie yanked her wrist away and ordered, “Get your hands off me, you scum!”
Olivia pushed Abbie up against the lockers. “Listen bitch, I’ve had about all I could take of your bullshit. Keep fucking with us.”
Abbie glared at her. “Your idea of a threat is pathetic. You don’t scare me.”
Olivia clenched her fist. “You better hope I don’t catch your ass outside of school or I’m gonna beat the living—”
Abbie looked at Alex and cut Olivia off. “Get your violent girlfriend to do your dirty work, huh? Coward.”
“She’s not violent!” Alex shouted. “Just stop trying to cause trouble for us! We never did anything to you!”
They heard the click of heels coming toward the door. Olivia quickly stepped back from Abbie and took Alex’s hand. “Leave us alone or there will be hell to pay,” Olivia told her, giving her one last glare before they walked off.
Abbie gritted her teeth and straightened out her skirt as she watched their retreating backs. We’ll see about that, she thought.