Chapter Text
1. Concrete Angel
The teacher wonders but she doesn't ask.
Hudson University
Housing Director's Office
November 7, 1987
Nineteen-year-old Olivia Benson put her hands on the housing director’s desk and tried to explain herself.
“Mrs. Watson, you don’t understand! I only transferred from Siena to Hudson because my mother…works here.” Olivia finished lamely.
Mrs. Watson raised an eyebrow. “If that’s the story you’re sticking with, dear. But you know, the rumor mill here at Hudson is very active.”
“Among the students?” Olivia asked. “I don’t care about them. What do they know?”
“Even more so among the faculty. I know Serena asked you here to keep her on the straight and narrow after she was put on professional probation for the way she showed up to that campus Halloween function the other week. If you ask me, she should’ve asked you here sooner and if she didn’t have tenure, they would’ve fired her.”
“She was almost fired for showing up to a party a…a little under the weather?”
“Your mother was feeling no pain, dear. She was drunker than the frat boys at the kegger she was supposed to be breaking up.”
“Look, Mrs. Watson, if you know about my mother’s… problem, then you’ll understand that rooming with my friend Rebecca is the only thing that would make this transfer to Hudson tolerable for me.”
“I get it. But as I’ve already told you, Miss Hendrix’s dorm is full.”
“I don’t even know this Alex chick.”
“Alex Cabot is a lovely girl. She can show you around and if you had transferred with your friend…”
“Well, I didn’t, did I?” There had been no reason to and Olivia had very much enjoyed being away from any reminders of her mother and her former life. Until her practiced façade of being a normal girl with it absolutely not toxic mother fell exactly one weeks ago when Serena Benson had called her daughter’s dorm half-screaming and half-sobbing demanding that Olivia come home and fix her latest drunken mess.
Luckily, Mr. and Mrs. Hendrix didn't much care where Olivia's roommate got her college degree as long as she got one and was happy with it. Unluckily, Rebecca had managed to transfer a week sooner because Professor Benson had somehow forgotten to pay Olivia's room and board fees.
And there also wasn’t any need for Watson to know that Olivia and Bec were becoming more than friends. It wasn’t easy being bi even in the eighties.
“I’ll show you to your room,” Watson said.
“Wait a second, why does Alex need a roommate?”
“Her previous roommate failed out. Pre-law is a very hard major.”
“Pre-law?”
“Yes, and you’re criminal justice. A perfect match, I believe.”
“When was she born?”
Watson sighed. “May 1968, Miss Cabot is a semester behind. I’ll let her tell you why, but I warn you, it’s not exactly ‘nice to meet you’ conversation. If you’re going to be any good at your major, this is a start.”
Hudson University
Dorm Room of Alexandra Cabot
November 7, 1987
The good thing about being back in the city was that none of the students themselves looked askance at Olivia’s attire or hair. All she had to do was hide her last name from everyone but Bec.
Butterflies fluttered in Olivia’s stomach as they crossed the quad. How would she manage to do that?
“Knock, knock,” said Watson, as if doing the action on the door of Olivia’s new dorm room weren’t enough.
Giggling girls quieted. Two of them. And Olivia heard the creaking of bedsprings.
“Miss Bernardo, you’re here too. Good, you and Miss Cabot can help Miss Benson with her things.”
So much for hiding my name.
Watson left.
“I’m Alex Cabot,” said the girl on the bed with the silk sheets. She was blonde and dressed like a preppy girl.
This is my perfect match roommate?
Olivia seriously doubted that. If she didn’t have a girlfriend, she’d be more attracted to the brunette on the other bed. Her bed.
“Got a first name, Benson,” the brunette sneered. “What does your drunk mommy call you?”
Or not.
“Yeah, my name’s Olivia Get-Off-My-Bed Benson.”
“Gina,” Alex hissed. “Why don’t you use that naughty mouth to go tell Serena I won’t make it to class so I’ll need her notes.. I can help Olivia with her stuff by myself.”
“Yeah, whatever.” Gina hopped off Olivia’s bed. “She doesn’t seem to have much.”
“Screw you!” said Olivia.
“Wouldn’t you like to?” Gina whispered in Olivia’s ear as she left.
“You won’t be screwing anyone if you don’t shut the hell up!” Alex said, and then threw her hand over her mouth.
Olivia went to the door, which was still ajar. “It’s okay, I don’t think anybody heard.”
“Anybody but you,” said Alex, tearing up.
Tears in those ice blue eyes made Olivia realize she had seen Alex before. Crying with her family on the news in a story about the nephew of State Appeals Court judge Bill Harriman being in a medically induced coma last year. She knew Alex was one those Cabots and it had made the news even at Siena. From the looks of the news footage, the boy in the hospital bed and Alex must have been fraternal twins. That was why Alex hadn’t moved up a year.
Not exactly nice to meet you conversation…
Olivia could hear Mrs. Watson's voice in her head, but she couldn't help herself. “Can I…can I give you a hug?” she asked.
Alex seemed taken aback by the request. “Why?”
“For you know, getting Gina out of here.”
Alex gave her a watery smile. “I’ve never been hugged by a punk girl before. Sure, why not?”
Olivia laughed. “This is a first for me too, Preppy, but don’t worry.”
“Why not?” said Alex against her shoulder.
“I’m taken, have been since freshman year at Siena.”
“What’s his name?”
Olivia pulled away. Her eyes snapped and her voice was sharp. “How is that any of your business?”
“Answering a question with a question. You’re certainly honing those interrogation skills. Watson told us your major.”
“I’m the one being interrogated and who is us? You and Snippy, you mean?”
“The three of us actually. Don’t mind Gina, she’s just jealous because she wants to be the Rizzo to Alex’s Sandy and then here you come looking like a genuine Pink Lady.”
“Maybe, but I go by Olivia, and what can I call my interrogation savior?”
“Oh, that's just Alex’s curiosity, but you're welcome anyway. I’m Serena Southerlyn.”
Alex seemed used to this good-natured ribbing and threw her pillow at her friend. Olivia, on the other hand, tried not to curse or curl up in a ball in public.
“What's the matter?” asked Alex in alarm.
“No—nothing,” Olivia lied.
“The look on your face says otherwise,” Alex argued.
“Now who's the one acting like her major,” said Olivia crossly. “You'll make a good prosecutor one day.”
Alex held up her hands. “Okay, okay, I'm sorry.”
“You-you didn't know.”
“Didn't know what?” asked Serena, helping herself to the edge of Olivia's bed.
“That Serena is my mom's name too. We don't have the best relationship.”
“I can see why,” said Alex.
“No,” Olivia snapped. “You can't. You don't know the half of it.”
“Do you two want to try hugging it out again?” Serena suggested, making both of the other girls blush.
“Shouldn’t you be in class?” Alex countered.
“With Professor Doesn’t-Take-Attendance. He won’t miss us. Just tell him you were upstate visiting…” But Serena stopped when Alex drew her finger across her throat with a stop-right-now growl.”
Olivia looked down at her chipped nail polish, pretending that she hadn't heard and didn't know anything whatsoever about the male Cabot twin.
“Olivia, Olivia, hey!” Alex snapped. “Didn't you hear a word of what I just asked you?”
“She needs to know how much closet space you're going to need,” said Serena helpfully.
“None,” said Olivia. “Letting my mother convince me to come here with a mistake. I'm going to tell admissions at Siena that I fell and got a concussion but have now come to my senses and want to come back.”
“Oh, cheer up,” said Serena. “Hudson isn’t all that bad and I can prove it.”
“Oh yeah?” Olivia took a piece of gum out of her pocket. “How are you gonna manage that?” She glared at Alex, who was staring at her. “What’s your damage?”
“I just figured punks like you liked cigarettes, not gum.”
“I'm criminal justice, remember? As in the police academy. Smokers don't do very well over there.”
“Guess not,” said Alex, shrugging.
“Anyway, that just proves how little you know me and what a bad idea coming here was in the first place.”
“So let's get to know you,” said Serena, “come to the Halloween party I'm going to drag Alex to.”
“The hell you are. My social anxiety and I hate parties.”
“And besides,” said Olivia. “Halloween is over.”
“On the calendar maybe. But the ATO are having a little redo of their masquerade on Alumni Night.”
“ATO?” Olivia repeated.
“Alpha Tau Omega technically,” Alex replied. “They’re a frat here on campus.”
Olivia knew that already. Her ex-fiancé Burton had been an ATO. And he was the last person she would want to see on Alumni Night.
“Thanks for the invite, Serena, but I’m with Alex. I don't think it's a very good idea.”
“Thank you.”
“Look,” said Serena patiently. “I am her friend, and I'm trying to be yours. Why would I steer either of you wrong?”
Friends.
Not having the best home life had ensured that Olivia hadn't been the most popular girl in school. In fact, the only true female friend she’d had in high school was Simone Bryce, the law student who had kept her out of jail after an altercation with her mother. So the idea of having more than one friend at college was perhaps more intoxicating than it should have been. Maybe she could survive going to college feet away from her mother. At the very least, she hoped she wouldn't need Simone again. Maybe more friends would keep her sane while going to college near her mother.
“I’ll go if I can convince my friend Rebecca to come too.”