Kim turned around and gasped when she saw who it was.  “Abbie?  Abbie Carmichael?”  She looked over the injuries on Abbie’s body and added, “Wow, you look like death!  What happened?  Get hit by a bus?”

 

“Oh, ha ha,” Abbie stated dryly, hobbling slowly over to her on her crutches.  She wished her pain meds would hurry up and kick in.  “I got into a fight with some bitch.”

 

“Oh, my god!  Did you call the cops?  She really did a number on you.”

 

Without thinking, Abbie tried to roll her eyes and hissed at the pain it caused her swollen one.  “Yeah, Greylek, rub it in.  No, I didn’t call the cops.  I wasn’t even gonna go to the hospital but the pain got so bad that I gave in.”

 

“Ouch.  Well, I didn’t expect to see you here.  Guess it really is a small world, after all, huh?”

 

“You could say that,” Abbie replied, leaning against the doorframe to take the weight off her hurt leg.  “So I haven’t seen you since the last debate tournament before I left Westminster.  What have you been up to?  How’s Brad?”

 

Kim looked down as she tried to push down the sadness that came over her.  “We broke up.  Now I’m getting ready to transfer to Madison because Dad got a new job.”

 

“Yeah, my dad’s company relocated him and that’s how I ended up there.  How do you feel about the move?”

 

“Not too thrilled, to say the least,” Kim replied.  “But the good news is that I met a few girls from Madison just a little bit ago and we hung out and got to know each other.”

 

Abbie raised her brow.  “Oh, really?  Who?”

 

Kim looked skyward as she ticked off the names on her fingers.  “Um…Alex, Serena, Casey, and Olivia.”

 

All the blood drained from Abbie’s face.  “Are you fucking serious?”

 

Kim wrinkled her brow in confusion.  “Why?”

 

“Olivia Benson is the bitch who did this to me!” Abbie exclaimed.  “She and those three cunts set me up just so she could attack me!”

 

Kim’s mouth dropped open.  “Are you kidding?  They all seemed so nice!”

 

Abbie scoffed.  “Yeah, right.  If I were you, I wouldn’t get involved with that gang.  They are all bad news.”

 

“How did it all happen?”

 

Abbie let out a groan and complained, “Ugh, I ache all over.  Can we go inside your room so I can sit down?”

 

“Sure,” Kim said, sliding her key card and opening the door.  She turned on the light, threw her purse down on the floor, and walked over to the bed.

 

Putting her crutches down and gingerly easing her way up onto the bed, Abbie began, “Well, Alex and I once had a thing and Liv is a jealous psycho who is afraid I’m gonna steal her away.  She’s been starting shit with me the entire time I’ve been at Madison and a few days ago, it just escalated.  Alex sent me a text saying she wanted to talk, so I met up with her.  Before I knew it, Olivia, Serena, and Casey came out of nowhere and Olivia just started in on me while the rest of them stood back and cheered her on.”

 

Kim put a hand to her mouth.  “Wow.  They totally didn’t give off such a sinister vibe when I was around them.”

 

“Yeah, well, they’re all fake,” Abbie said. 

 

“Why didn’t you report them to the police?” Kim asked.

 

“Because Alex’s parents are filthy rich and even if I did, she’d make everything go away.  Her uncle is a judge, for crying out loud.  They have connections so deep it would make your head spin.  Serena comes from money, too.”

 

“What about Casey and Olivia?”

 

“Casey’s dad is military and she’s working-class.  Olivia’s mom is an English professor and no dad is in the picture.  I think they’re both gold diggers who were all too happy to land two rich girls.”

 

“I dunno…” Kim hesitated.  “They both seemed really in love.”

 

“Don’t tell me you’re that naïve, Kim,” Abbie retorted.  “Olivia is obsessed with Alex.  As for Casey, I heard she had a serious boyfriend before getting with Serena.”

 

Deciding to change the subject, Kim asked, “Are you running track this semester?”

 

“Nah, I’m doing gymnastics.  Alex and Serena are both on the team.  It’s so annoying.  I’ll probably do track again next year, though.  I miss it.”

 

“You’d probably just lose against our school anyway,” Kim teased.

 

“Oh, please,” Abbie responded.  “Belmont has nothing on Westminster.  And the times you beat me in debate, you just got lucky.”

 

Kim laughed.  “Riiiiiight.  Keep telling yourself that, Carmichael.  I didn’t get the nickname ‘The Crusader’ for nothing.”  A few moments of silence passed.  “So you’ve told me about who everyone else is dating…what about yourself?” she asked, throwing her dirty blonde hair over her shoulder and leaning back on her hands.

 

“I’m dating a girl named Lexie,” Abbie said.  “She is smoking hot.  Big boobs, nice ass, dark brown hair…she is sex on legs.”

 

Kim laughed.  “Wow.  Well, good for you.  So have you sworn off guys forever or what?”

 

Abbie smirked.  “No, but girls are more fun.  Although my mom is still holding out hope that I’ll marry a doctor.  Ugh.”

 

“How serious are you two?”

 

“Not that serious.  We just started dating a couple months ago.  She’s bi, too.”

 

“Interesting.  How is Madison compared to Westminster?”

 

“Eh, I’ve met some cool people, but I’d rather be at Westminster,” Abbie replied.  “At least the psychos there are relatively mild compared to Olivia and her ilk.”

 

“When you say you and Alex dated, do you mean like this year?  Olivia and Alex told me they broke up sometime last semester but have been together again ever since December.  Did they break up again?”

 

“No, I met Alex at cheerleading camp last summer and we broke up before it was over.  It was only like a couple weeks anyway.”

 

“Oh, ok.  What did your girlfriend say about all this drama?”

 

“She was pissed.  I didn’t tell her that it was them.”

 

Kim thought it odd that Abbie didn’t tell her girlfriend who had assaulted her.  “Why not?”

 

“Because Lexie is friends with both Serena and Alex.”

 

Still, something about it seemed off somewhere to Kim.  She decided that she’d ask Olivia or Alex about it the next time she saw one of them so that she could get the story straight. 

 

**************

 

Late the next morning, Kim got a text from Alex telling her that they were at the beach and that she could meet them there if she wanted.  So she gathered her things and headed out the door. 

 

“Glad you could make it,” Serena greeted her as she walked up to them.

 

Kim smiled and sat down on a towel next to Olivia.  “So what have you guys been up to?  Staying out of trouble, I hope.”

 

Olivia chuckled.  “Define trouble.”

 

Alex lightly thumped Olivia’s arm.  “I promise you she was very good—we both were.”

 

“Lies,” Casey uttered through a fake cough.  Serena giggled.

 

“Alex and I just did some surfing early in the A.M.,” Olivia explained.  “Serena and Casey claimed they were too tired to join us,” she continued, looking at them pointedly.

 

Serena and Casey both blushed.  “Well, we were!” Casey said in their defense.  “It was an um, long night.”

 

Olivia smirked.  “Oh, I’ll bet.”  She turned to Kim.  “So did you crash after you left our room last night?”

 

Rubbing some sunscreen on her legs, Kim answered, “No.  I actually ran into Abbie.  I hear you guys don’t really get along.”

 

Olivia groaned, Alex and Casey rolled their eyes, and Serena let out a low “ugh.”  “How the hell do you know Abbie?” Alex asked.

 

“Our schools used to compete against one another.  She and I have gone head-to-head multiple times during debate tournaments.”  Grinning smugly and leaning back on her hands, she continued, “I kicked her ass.”

 

“I’m sure she told you a bunch of lies about us,” Alex stated.  “So spill.  What all did she say?”

 

Kim recounted their conversation.  “Are you serious?” Olivia asked when she had finished.  “That’s bullshit.  She has been trying to get into Alex’s pants since she walked into Madison.  When Alex rejected her, she started harassing us, so finally we just got fed up about it and decided to teach her a lesson.  She’s been provoking us for months.”

 

“Yeah, she even emailed Olivia’s mom photos of Liv and me making out during this very break,” Alex chimed in.  “And although we don’t have concrete proof, I’m pretty sure she was the one who called my mom and pretended to be someone who worked at the school just so she could say she’d seen us kissing.  I also am pretty sure that she had something to do with those jerks trying to crash my birthday party.”

 

“Really?” Kim asked.  “That’s low.”

 

“Yeah, tell us about it,” Olivia said.  “So we set her up and Alex and I pretended to fight so she could go complain about me to her.  It took Abbie all of two seconds before she started making the moves on Alex.  Serena and Casey were videotaping so we could have proof to show to Lexie.  Once I’d had enough of her shit, I went up to Abbie and told her that she might as well give up because she’s never going to get Alex and she’s just jealous of what we have.  It all led to a knockdown, drag out fight.”

 

“If anyone is psycho, it’s Abbie,” Casey attested.

 

“Yikes,” Kim replied.  “She didn’t tell me all this.”

 

“Of course not,” Serena said matter-of-factly.  “She’s Abbie.  ‘Liar’ is her middle name.”

 

“I just want her to leave us alone,” Olivia said.  “Did she tell you that in the short time she and Alex dated that she cheated on her?”

 

Kim’s eyes widened.  “No.”

 

“How convenient,” Alex said.  “She paints herself as a victim yet neglects to tell you all the crap she’s done.”

 

“I wish she’d go back to Westminster,” Serena stated, laying her head on Casey’s shoulder.  “If she gets bored with starting drama in Alex and Liv’s lives, she’ll probably come after us for the hell of it.”

 

“Only if she wants her ass kicked again,” Casey muttered.

 

“Well…if she’s using your sexuality against you, don’t let her dangle it over your heads any longer.  Maybe it’s time to sit down with your parents and just come clean,” Kim suggested.  She looked at Alex.  “Besides, didn’t you already say that your mom knows and supports you?  I’m sure she’ll be an indispensible ally in making your dad understand.”

 

“I don’t know…I didn’t expect Mom to take it well but I always thought she’d be easier to talk to than Dad.  He defended me when Mom insinuated that Liv and I were romantically involved before she knew for certain, but that was only because he genuinely believed me when I said we were just friends,” Alex answered.

 

Olivia shook her head.  “You don’t know my mom.  Every time she’s brought it up, I’ve denied it, but she’s already told me that she won’t have ‘a little dyke’ living under her roof.  It will be the start of World War III.  If I all of a sudden just admit everything, she’s going to hate me not only because I’m gay but because I lied to her face so many times.  I’m already afraid to go home since Abbie emailed my mom those pics.”

 

Kim slipped her shades on.  “This all brings new meaning to the phrase, ‘lesbian drama.’”

 

“I’ll say,” Alex murmured.

 

“You guys going to the bonfire tonight?” Kim asked.

 

Olivia looked at the rest of them and shrugged.  Turning back to Kim, she said, “Sure.  Sounds cool.  We were gonna go jet skiing this afternoon, so that’ll be a great way to end the day.  You in?”

 

“Sure,” Kim echoed.  “Although I haven’t been on one in years.”

 

“Oh, there’s nothing to it,” Alex assured her with a wave of her hand. 

 

“Yeah, if Alex can drive one, anyone can,” Serena teased.

 

Alex threw some sand at her.  “Shut it, Southerlyn.”

 

“I’ll have to pick out something sexy to wear to the bonfire,” Olivia said.

 

Alex tapped her on the nose.  “Anything you wear will be hella sexy.”

 

Olivia smirked.  “Even my birthday suit?”

 

Alex shoved her shoulder.  “I didn’t mean that sexy!”

 

“I wonder if there will be any cool music,” Casey said.

 

“Probably some broody guy playing his guitar,” Serena joked.

 

“I wish everyday were like this,” Olivia mused, crossing her legs at her ankles.  “There’s always something so peaceful about the beach.”

 

“Sans the crabs pinching your ass, right?” Alex teased.

 

Olivia untied the back of Alex’s bikini top while Alex threw her arm across her chest to keep her breasts from falling out.  “Liv!” Alex whined.

 

“Hey, you know that’s a sensitive subject for me!” Olivia replied.

 

“Wait, what?” Casey wanted to know.

 

Grinning wickedly at Olivia, Alex explained, “When Liv was four years old, she was playing on the beach and a crab pinched one of her ass cheeks with its claw.”

 

Casey, Serena, and Kim all started laughing.  “So that would explain why Liv’s in such a crabby mood about it,” Serena quipped. 

 

“Oh, ha ha.  Very funny,” Olivia stated dryly.

 

“You’re so easy to make fun of, Liv,” Alex said through her giggles as she tied her bikini back.

 

Olivia narrowed her eyes at Alex and pretended to be angry.  “Thanks for your support, Al.”

 

Alex threw her arms around Olivia’s neck and gave her a big, sloppy kiss on the cheek.  “You know I adore you.”

 

Olivia couldn’t stop a grin from forming.  “Promise to protect me from the big, bad crabs?”

 

“If they come within a 10-foot radius of you, I’ll kick their asses!” Alex swore, pinching Olivia’s nose.

 

“Good to know,” Olivia responded, leaning in for a kiss.

 

**************

 

Back at Cabot manor, Alex’s father asked, “Have you heard from the girls?”

 

“Yes, they are doing fine,” Madeline answered.

 

“Good, good,” he replied.  “Wilson Perry called me and asked if Alex would be interested in going to the prom with his son, Chase.”

 

Madeline froze.  She knew that there was no way that Alex would even remotely consider it.  “What did you tell him?”

 

John shrugged and sat down in the armchair across from his wife.  “I told him I’d run it by her.  You don’t think she’s still seeing that Mike fellow somehow, is she?”

 

Madeline had to suppress a smirk.  “I don’t think she is.  But at the same time, I also don’t think it’s a good idea to set our daughter up on dates.”

 

John wrinkled his brow.  “Oh?  What caused you to have a sudden change of heart?  You used to be all for it.”

 

Madeline sighed.  “I don’t want to be so overbearing.  Alex is 16 now and she’s old enough to make her own decisions about who she wants to date.”

 

John folded his hands over his stomach.  “Still, I think Chase fancies Alex.  I don’t think it would hurt to bring it up.”

 

“I probably wouldn’t if I were you,” Madeline said tersely.  “It’s only bound to upset her.”

 

“So she is dating someone,” John stated, eyeing her intently.  “Do you know who it is?” he asked pointedly.

 

Madeline busied herself with checking her email on her Blackberry.  “Give me a second, John,” she replied, trying to delay any further questioning.  “I’ve been waiting on a response from a very important client and he finally got back to me.”

 

After a few minutes, John picked up right where he’d left off.  “She’s not dating Olivia, is she?”

 

Madeline didn’t want to lie to her husband, but she also didn’t want to out her daughter and her girlfriend.  “No, John.”

 

John reflected over the times he’d thought that the girls were a little too close for comfort.  He wasn’t quite sure if he believed his wife’s answer but decided to let it go for now.  “Alright, then.”

 

Madeline stood up.  “Well, I need to get going.  I have some errands to run before dinner.”  She gave her husband a quick kiss on the cheek and exited the room.

 

After he heard Madeline’s car crank up, he called Wilson back and said, “I think we have a slight problem.”

 

**************

 

Alex got on the jet ski and Olivia climbed on behind her, wrapping her arms snugly around her waist.  “This reminds me of when we went snowmobiling,” she reminisced.

 

Alex smiled at the memory.  “Yeah.  We had so much fun up at the cabin.”  She inserted the engine shut off clip and then started the engine.

 

“I kinda feel like the Lone Ranger over here,” Kim joked as she started hers, too.

 

Casey laughed.  “Oh, don’t feel bad!  Just think of yourself as lucky for getting one all to yourself!”

 

“Ready to ride, babe?” Alex asked, giving her a confident smile over her shoulder.

 

“You bet!” Olivia replied.

 

Guiding the jet ski smoothly over the waves, Alex felt a rush of adrenaline pumping through her as the cool water sprayed over her and Olivia.  Soaked strands of hair whipped around her face as the salty ocean breeze caressed her skin.  Feeling bold, she upped the speed.  She could feel Olivia’s strong arms tighten around her. 

 

“Sweetie, you’re practically a pro!” Olivia shouted over the noise of the engine.  She felt incredibly free and powerful in the huge expanse of the water.  The scenery in the distance zipped past them, all the colors fusing together in one big blur. 

 

Laughing, Alex shouted back, “Careful!  I hear flattery adds ten pounds!”

 

Kim, Casey and Serena weren’t too far from them.  “Way to show off, Miss Cabot!” Serena yelled playfully.

 

Alex changed directions and commanded the jet ski effortlessly around the curve.  The bright sun projected its rays over the water.  Part of her wished she could just ride off into the sunset with Olivia and never look back.  As she straightened up their path, they both screamed with exhilaration when the powerful watercraft bumped off the face of another wave and they went flying several feet before splashing down again.

 

After another 45 minutes, she led them back to the shore and cut the engine.  “Wow!” Olivia exclaimed, getting off.  “That was phenomenal!”

 

Alex grinned.  “I couldn’t agree more.”

 

A couple minutes later, the rest of them pulled up beside them.  “I totally could do this every single day!” Kim gushed.

 

“Oh, me, too!” Serena agreed.  “I think I still have butterflies.”

 

“From me or the water?” Casey asked, grinning and putting her arm around her waist.

 

Serena laughed.  “Both, baby.”

 

Olivia wrapped a towel around Alex’s shoulders.  “I can’t remember the last time I felt so invigorated.”

 

Alex gave a sly smile.  “So last night doesn’t ring any bells?”

 

Olivia grinned and waggled her eyebrows.  “I dunno, sweetie.  I may need a refresher course.”

 

Alex drummed her fingers down Olivia’s spine and smiled satisfactorily at the involuntary shiver her motions produced.  “If you’re good, you’ll get just that.”

 

Casey smirked.  “Something tells me she’ll still get it even if she’s bad.”

 

Serena and Kim laughed.  “She’ll possibly even get it harder if she’s bad,” Serena chipped in.

 

“I think she’ll appreciate that more,” Kim remarked, drying her hair.

 

Olivia shifted her eyes skyward and pondered, “Hmm…decisions, decisions!”

 

Alex shook her head and rolled her eyes.  “Oh, you guys.  So predictable.  The only decision we need to be making right now is what to get for the bonfire.”

 

“Ooh, corn on the cob is always good!” Kim suggested.

 

“And baked potatoes!” Serena added.

 

“Quick!  We must hurry to the Tweety-mobile to gather our food and supplies!” Casey teased.

 

Everyone laughed but Alex.  “You’re lucky I’m not making you hitchhike home,” she informed her as they started walking.

 

Casey pretended to be offended.  “Aww, but then who would poke fun at you about Tweety?”

 

“That’s a pleasure I could surely do without,” Alex replied sarcastically.