18. Lips

I open my locker and a note falls out. I'm scared, thinking it could be Karen or Claire, but it isn't. The handwriting is messy so it has to be from a male.

Logan.

It reads:"Meet me at my locker after school. By room 219. Locker 2056."

And I'll do just that.

After gym, I feel like I should back out, though. We had to run laps. 8 around the track. Which is 2 miles in total. And even though I can run just fine, - fast, too - I'm competitive so I went for as many extra credit laps as I could go be number one for the day. When it get to the locker room to change, I can feel the heat radiating off me. I change and go to the mirror a bunch of girls are at. My face is red from running.

Greaaaaaaat.

I get some paper towel and run the sink water - the freezing cold water - over it, then put it on my face.

It doesn't help much, but the locker room is always really hot. Once the bell rings, I rush to my locker and get my bottle of water I forgot to grab. I have a mirror on the inside of the locker door even though I rarely use it. I can see I look way better now that I'm somewhere that isn't super hot.

I lock my knees to see if that helps while I chug water.

I know I'm stalling, so I close my locker and go to Logan's.

He's on his phone, leaning against his locker when I walk up.

"Did I make you wait that long?" I ask him.

"No," he says with a shrug. "My last class is like right there," he says.

"Can we switch? Gym sucks."

"I don't want gym twice in a day, sorry," he says with a smile.

"Well, I guess it is my fault for trying to get extra credit laps."

"You? Extra credit laps?"

"I guess I like running. Kind of in my blood," I say. "My mom has to run to be a cop."

"Ah," he replies. "So you got the note?"

"I would've been halfway home by now if I hadn't," I say.

"Good. Cuz I wanted to walk you there."

I smile up at him. "Why? It's like...freezing out."

"So? Does the cold bother you?"

"No, I usually walk. I was wondering what went on in your head."

"I like you. That's what." He's so blatant about it it takes me off guard.

"Okay," I say.

We start walking. We're just about outside when I feel him take my hand. But it's not any more time later that I feel someone yank me back by my shoulder.

Karen and Claire.

"What?" I ask, really bitchy.

"We just wanted to apologize for our behavior," Karen says in a fake-innocence voice.

I cross my arms. "Oh really?"

"Yeah," Claire continues, "is that so weird?"

"Yeah. It is." I don't care if they really care or not. I don't want them to.

"Well maybe if you didn't have your head up your ass we could be friends."

My eyebrows rise higher than the top of the Empire State Building. "Why would I ever do that?"

"Cuz you don't have any friends anymore and we were trying to be nice."

Why couldn't these two have gotten kidnapped instead?

"Jordyn and Ashley are still my friends. And I don't want to be friends with fake bitches who call themselves 'nice'."

I didn't really need to say that, but I'm angry enough to do so. They step forward in sync.

I hear Logan behind me. "El, maybe..."

I turn around. "Please stay out of this. Please."

I turn back. They look pissed. It is funny.

"Really wanna call us fake bitches?" Karen asks.

"Have trouble with the truth?" I know I'm egging them on. But I really hope they get expelled. Whatever the expense.

Karen gets within a foot of me.

"You're weak. I'm giving you one last chance to take back what you said."

"Your only weapon could be taking off the five pounds of makeup."

I hear "ohhhh's" around me. Oh god. A crowd formed.

I know they want to see this.

Before I can react, Karen punches me in the face. I taste blood - my lip.

She tries to come near me again, so I grab her arm and twist it up behind her back. She screams. I know this could easily break her arm so I release her and slap her as hard as I can. I guess that makeup thing is true. My hand comes back with foundation on it.

"You are such a bitch!" Claire yells.

Karen is still on the floor, and I know she's gonna stay there.

Claire, I can tell, is not as much talk as Karen is, but she will definitely fight.

I know not to extend my arms unless necessary, but I know she doesn't.

She pulls my hair instead. The one thing that causes me pain. Well, the getting-punched thing hurt, but pulling hair is just a trigger for me.

I scream and jab my elbow back. It hits her, I just don't know where.

I turn around when I get the chance, and grab her arm and pull hard. I know it didn't break or dislocate her shoulder, but it was enough to get her to the ground.

When I go to grab my bag, I feel something against my ankle and I trip, hitting my face on the floor.

I hear laughs from all around. Even though the girls are in pain still, and lying on the floor because of my doing, I still feel heat on my face.

I get up with my bag and start running, wondering why no teachers or anyone stopped it.

I'm nearly out of the parking lot when I hear my name. I turn to see Logan.

"Just, please. I have to go. I'll call you...when I can. I promise," I tell him, feeling heat behind my eyes.

*Olivia's POV*

The case wasn't even a case. Just a delirious, drugged girl. The cops only called us in case the rape kit was positive. But it wasn't.

I get home early. Early enough to where Elliot had just woken up and showered.

"Why are you back so early?" he asks me.

"Rape kit was negative. She was just on Xanax or something," I explain.

"So you don't have to be at the precinct all day?"

"Not unless there's another case," I say with a smile.

He smiles back.

"What?" I ask.

He comes closer to me, taking my purse and dropping it on the floor.

"I was just thinking about working at SVU."

"Is that good or bad?"

"Well it was mostly you, I was thinking about, so you could say good," he smiles.

I smile back, walking closer to him. All I've done all day is think about him. I just...last night I thought he would kiss me, but he didn't. Just on the forehead to say goodnight...while I was half asleep.

But he does right now. For no reason other than wanting to.

I hold his arms, still feeling the heat from his shower.

My phone goes off but I ignore it. Elliot has enough sense to take it out of my back pocket and glance over at the call.

He breaks away from me just enough to say, "It's Amanda."

I put my head on his shoulder as I answer the phone. "Benson."

"Hey, wanna come out for lunch with the squad?"

I look up at Elliot.

"My invite is plus one, correct?"

"Elliot's at your apartment, isn't he?" she questions.

"Maybe."

"Fine."

I smile as I hang up.

~*~*~*~*~*~

It's just like old times, eating lunch with the squad. Amaro and Rollins get to meet Elliot, and they all get along great.

When me and Elliot get back to the apartment, we can't wait to continue what we started.

He pulls me close, pressing his lips to my forehead.

I look up at him, and he runs his fingers through my hair. I love that.

*Elliot's POV*

I just want to kiss her and hold her and make her mine.

Well so far, I'd say I can mark the first two off my list.

I pull her close and her head falls to my shoulder. She fits so perfectly.

But I hear a door slam open and shut, and it brings us both to our senses.

Olivia turns and my hands fall to her waist. We both see Ellie rushing to her room and slamming the door. Olivia goes straight to her door and knocks on it.

"El, open the door," she says.

"NO! GO AWAY!" she yells.

Liv tries to open the door but it's locked. She bangs on the door now.

"Eliana, open the door!" she yells.

"Just because you use my full name doesn't mean I'll do what you want!"

Before Olivia can reply, I take her arm.

"Let me get it open," I tell her.

I don't remember when I learned to pick locks, but I've been able to do it for a long time. I get a paperclip and stretch it into a straight line. It doesn't take me long to get the door open.

Olivia goes to argue with her when I see she's actually hurt.

"Liv," I say to distract her, but it doesn't work.

"Seems like you've really got your priorities as a parent in check! I don't have a busted lip or anything!" Ellie yells before pushing past Olivia rudely and slips past me, mumbling "excuse me."

She rushes out of the apartment with a slam of that door too.