Title: Scenes from an Italian Restaurant - Bus Stop Diner

Author: Carla

Email: cmfloresfd@yahoo.com

Fandom: Popular

Rating: R

Pairing: f/f no names till the end I am afraid

Archiving: Ask and ye shall receive

Disclaimers: I don't own them and don't really know who does. But my extreme gratitude for letting me play with them.

A/N: Well I got some positive feedback to Secret Talents and also some requests to give their background story. This is my attempt. So far I have one of those old marble notebooks filled with snippets stories and ideas. It's funny how what began, as a one shot seems to be turning into quite a bit more. Series title taken from the Billy Joel song of the same. Chapter title inspired by The Hollies' song Bus Stop.

Thanks to Aeryn for letting me bounce ideas off of her and for talking late into the night with me when I needed it and even when I didn't. ;?)

Also thanks to Hope Libby whose signature tag inspired me yet again.

Megan for her gorgeous prose, it stuck with me and generally helped me capture the feel I was after. (Though that may not be readily apparent in this piece)

Chapter One

Brooke grabbed Sam's hand in hers and dragged the brunette with her towards Nicole and Carmen standing closely together focused only on each other.

"Carmen"

"Sam"

"Brooke"

"Nic"

"Quite the show there Nic...the dancing wasn't bad either"

"Thanks" Nicole looked up at Carmen who was standing behind her and smiled "It was her idea"

Brooke raked her eyes over both girls in front of her. Her gaze stopped at Carmen and Nicole's hands clasped tightly together. She closed her eyes and visibly swallowed. Opening her eyes once again, Brooke turned to Sam "I guess you really weren't seeing things, Sammy, no new meds for you"

"Well that's a relief it's a pain in the ass getting adjusted to new ones I tell you"

"How long Nicole... how long has this been going on? I thought we told each other everything… I told you everything about me my darkest secrets...everything Nikki... I trusted you I thought you trusted me. I see I was wrong"

"No Brooke you weren't wrong I DO trust you please believe that... I can explain"

"This I gotta hear" Sam muttered

"Shut up Spam I'm not talking to you"

"Hey Satan here's a little advice for the future if you don't want people to talk don't give them something to talk about." The brunette towered over the petite blond as she continued talking "You two have certainly given people reason to talk. So forgive me if I'm curious. Brooke's not the only one with questions. I mean Carmen never said anything, not a hint not even a little slip of the tongue, no pun intended, and she's never been one to keep a secret. So obviously this is a BIG thing. So yeah THIS I gotta hear."

"Fine, not here though"

"Where then?"

"We'll go to my place" Carmen said finally speaking up. She smiled down at Nicole "I'll get the car love, why don't you give Brooke and Sam the directions"

"Directions? Directions to where... I know where you live Carmen"

"No Sam, I can to keep a secret, I haven't lived at home since early junior year. Didn't know that did you?"

"Carm…."

"No you're right I did keep this a secret. I had my reasons and that's all I am going to say about that for now. You know what it'll be easier if you just follow me to the house Brooke. Nikki why don't you ride with Brooke this way you two can have some time alone. Sam and I will do the same. Is that okay with you?"

"Sure you have the keys to the car right?"

"Right here" Carmen waved the keys in front of her girlfriend's face. She bent her head slightly and gave Nicole a quick peck on the cheek. "I love you, sweetheart" she whispered in the blonde's ear "Angelbaby"

"Me too" Nicole said as she turned her head towards Carmen and kissed her briefly on the lips "Let's go Brookie"

Brooke noticed the flush creeping up Nicole's neck and face and couldn't stop thinking about what it meant as she followed Nicole to the parking lot.

Brooke's Car:

The two cheerleaders sat in Brooke's car each waiting for the other to speak first. Finally after a space of about 5 minutes Nicole spoke "Brooke, you're like my sister I love you, you know that … you're my best friend and I need you in my life. I didn't tell you because…well I don't really know why except that... it...me and Carmen… it belongs to my life away from school... the life where I'm not defined by popularity, by money by being the Bitch Goddess of Kennedy High. It was a private thing untainted by the 'me' everybody thinks they know. The 'me' I let people see here at school. You and Carmen are the only two people who can honestly say that they have seen the softer side of me, no strings attached."

"I can understand that really I can. It just hurts that you didn't say anything especially given some of the things I've told you...about...you know. Did you think that you couldn't tell me? Did I ever give you any reason to think that I wouldn't be okay with the fact that you're a lesbian? `cause there is no problem as far as I am concerned" Brooke reached over and gently squeezed Nicole's hand " I love you Nikki that doesn't change you're still my best friend. You will always be my best friend."

Brooke started the car and the gentle sounds of music filled the air The words of the song became clear

// Honesty is hardly ever heard and mostly what I need from you //

"Seventeen months"

"Huh?"

"Seventeen months that's how long Carmen and I have been together"

"Jesus! Nicole how do you keep something like that under wraps for so long?" Brooke glanced over at Nicole, in the passenger seat, who smiled sheepishly at her.

"At first it was new and private and truthfully...I was embarrassed. There I was Nicole `Fashion Nazi – Bitch Goddess – Spawn o' Satan' Julian and my girlfriend and her friends have been my number one targets in the past. See the irony there...I did. I was embarrassed of how I had acted in the past and at the same time I couldn't bring myself to stop acting that way at school or when I was with people from school. Part of being with Carmen though meant learning to curb my tongue around her...one day after we had become friends outside of school she told me that if I wanted to be her friend I had to stop being so rude to her friends when I was around her. And for the first time in my life I wanted to please someone else so badly that I agreed to try it her way. As you know I am not always successful but if you think about it you'll realize it's true; I am hardly ever outright rude to, nor do I call her friends names, whenever she's around."

"I noticed but I thought that you were finally doing it because I had asked, make that begged, you not to so many times. Not to mention the whole cheerleading tryout thing. I mean really, I had to bribe you with MC to get Carmen on the team."

"It wasn't like that with us then. But that's part of what I was embarrassed about, you know and part of why I never said anything in the beginning. Then when I wasn't embarrassed anymore...we agreed between us that it was private and special, our safe haven away from the hell that is high school and our respective homes. Now...well we graduate in a month... I don't care anymore who knows that I love her and want to spend my life with her. I love her Brooke she makes me feel she makes me feel. You of all my friends should understand what that means for me...to me... about me."

Brooke smiled at her childhood friend and protector, her best friend and sometime co-conspirator. Nicole in turn smiled back and it seemed to Brooke as if the other girl's smile came from deep within her. From a place of peace, security, warmth and love things one did not often equate with Nicole Julian but tonight, in Brooke's opinion, they lit Nicole up from the inside and Brooke could not help but be happy for her best friend.

Chapter 2

Kennedy HS – Parking Lot

Sam and Carmen slowly made their way to the parking lot each unsure where to begin. Finally they reached Nicole's car and stood awkwardly by the passenger side door.

"Er…um….so here we are" Carmen nervously fidgeted with the keys she held in her hand "Um…why don't I open the door for you. I'm sorry Sam I'm a little nervous I guess"

"I'm sorry for what I said inside…you know about not being able to keep a secret and all that. I know you know how to when it really counts." Sam thought of her own secret which to her knowledge Carmen had never shared with anyone else.

"Thanks…I'm glad you remembered. FYI though I have never repeated that conversation to anyone not even to Nicole and I pretty much tell her everything." Carmen opened the car door and held it open for Sam as she got in.

"I don't get it Carmen…Satan of all people. But lets put that aside for the moment shall we? How come you never told me you were gay too? I told you about how I felt about you all those months ago and even then you didn't tell me that you were gay." Carmen shut the car door and walked around to the driver's side and got in as well.

"I didn't feel a need to `confess' and maybe it was kind of shitty of me to not come out to you but look at it from my point of view. One of my oldest and dearest friends comes out to me and confesses that she's attracted to me all at the same time. My life outside of school is in turmoil to begin with and to top it all off I'm falling in love with the one person at school whose mission it seemed was to make me and my friends lives a living hell. The same girl who was such a bitch at school was so different away from school and I loved that girl but I didn't think I could share that with you. Not just because of how you felt mostly because of me."

"You still could have said something"

"I thought if I told you I was gay that it might make things different between us because then of course there would have been a million questions from you and frankly Sam I just did not want to deal with it. Sorry if that seems harsh to you but that's what it comes down to. Poor judgement on my part perhaps but it's the past and we can't change it and now you know."

"So you were already with her when I told you about me? That was what first semester junior year so we're talking what two years you've been going out with her for two years?" Sam's voice held a note of incredulity and accusation too.

"No we were just spending time together then. Time outside of school and I was falling in love with the Nicole that I knew away from Kennedy. It was confusing as all out and things at home were going from poor too worse and then some. My mom found my diary and read it. Ever since all she did was call me names, tell me I was a mistake a freak of nature. Mom was drinking again…still…whatever she was drinking and things were getting unbearable at home. Overall it was just not the best time for me and yet at the same time it was great `cause I was getting to know Nic and feeling all these possibilities opening to me. Sorry babbling will now stop."

"So you moved out of the homestead? Where are you living now then? I know you've been working for awhile now but I always just assumed it was for spending money and college not rent and real life expenses."

"Oh I have to stop at the store to get some things okay?"

"Hey your car you're driving I go where you go."

"Well it's really Nic's car" Carmen's voice trailed off.

"I can't believe she lets you drive it…Brooke won't let me drive her car all that much she thinks I'm going to damage it"

"Well if someone, who shall remain nameless, hadn't had something like 3 fender benders in 8 months then that someone's step-sister might let someone drive her car."

"Oh sure throw that in my face why don't you?"

"Ah here we are you coming in or do you want to wait here in the car I won't be long"

"Nah I'll come in with you" The girls got out of the car and went into the supermarket.

"Let's see we…that is I was not expecting company this evening so there isn't anything really suitable for company. Unless you like strawberries and fresh thick cream."

"Yum! Why'd you have…never mind I don't want to know" Sam looked around for something to put in the cart as she blushed furiously with embarrassment. "Chips how about chips…here we are Lays you can't eat just one…Oh God that did not come out right"

"Sam relax its just snack food. How about Doritos, some dip and some soda? Oh also I need some eggs, milk and bagels it's my turn to make breakfast tomorrow."

"I see. You're really just the picture of domesticity there Carm."

"Ha-ha missy it just so happens that we take turns and since tomorrow is the first Saturday that I have had off in quite some time I promised Nikki that I would make her breakfast in bed. Besides this is our anniversary weekend and I wanted to do something special for her."

"Anniversary weekend?"

"Yep"

"Which anniversary?"

"Two anniversaries really, we admitted our feeling to each other and kissed for the first time seventeen months ago and then also one year ago the first time we made love"

"What's it like making love to a girl"

"Prurient much. I don't kiss and tell. Let's just say that for me sex making love with Nic is better than anything I could have imagined"

"I am not prurient I wasn't asking for details not that I wouldn't be interested in details if you did share them" Sam said as she winked at and nudged Carmen.

"Still not sharing"

"You're going to make me pay for that comment earlier about you not being able to keep a secret aren't you?"

"Magic 8 Ball says `most definitely'"

"Why Satan Carmen?"

"First please for my sake her name is Nicole and secondly I just fell in love no rhyme or reason. Sam you don't know the Nicole that I know. She's sweet and loving, gentle and careful...careful of my feelings. She shows me how much she loves me everyday that we are together in little ways and in big ones too. She makes me feel special and I want to make her feel the same way. It just feels right bieng with her it may seem so wrong on the surface but underneath where it counts it's right"

"Right okay then Nicole it is"

Chapter 3

Carmen pulled into the space next to Brooke's car, tapped the horn twice and then put the car in park. "Could you get the groceries Sam there's something I need to get from the trunk"

"Sure Carm. Why did you honk anyway?"

"To let Nic know that I'm home. When I first moved here the doorbell was broken and a couple of times she came upstairs and opened the door on me unexpectedly. Damn near gave me a heart attack so after the third or fourth time we decided that she would honk before coming up sort of like a doorbell and well even though Frank fixed the doorbell a few weeks later we still kept doing it. I don't know its just tradition and well sometimes at night when I'm in bed missing her I lay there just waiting to hear that honk telling me she's come home to me." Carmen opened the trunk and took out a florist's box. Placing the box on the now closed trunk she opened it to inspect the contents. Sam peered over her shoulder and let out a soft whistle.

"Wow that must of set you back some. What are those orchids? How many are there?"

"The big ones are birds of prey the others are orchids and of course one perfect long stemmed red rose. Seventeen in all…cost me a whole day's worth of tips. She'll love them."

"She'd better. I mean who wouldn't" Sam followed Carmen up a flight of stairs and waited while the other girl opened the door at the top.

"Well this is it `home sweet home'" Carmen motioned for Sam to enter and take off her jacket. "I can hear them on the back porch. C'mon I'll give you the grand tour. This as you can see is the living/dining/study area. Through the door on your left is the bathroom and behind that curtain over there is the bedroom. It's small but then Frank and Lucille let me have it for almost nothing so I can't really complain and at least it's not my mom's house. Hopefully with all four of us in the room we'll still be able to breathe normally."

Grabbing the grocery bag Carmen began to store things in the fridge and cupboards. "You want something to drink… we have the usual soda, milk, juice or there's some wine that some friends left here the other day if you'd like that instead. You're not driving so it's not an issue other than the under age thing I guess."

"Just some water actually would be great" just then Nicole and Brooke came in off the back porch. Nic's eyes went immediately to the coffee table and the florist box on top of it. She went over to Carmen and gave her a hug.

"For me?"

"No one else"

"Score!" Nicole pumped her fist in the air.

"No that's later"

"Brooke!" Three sets of eyes stared at the blonde cheerleader who had the decency to look embarrassed.

"What it's true isn't it?"

"Brooke!" Sam rolled her eyes in exasperation. All of a sudden Carmen laughed and then Nicole did too.

"No Brookie's right. Or at least I hope she's right." The petite blond moved closer to her brunette lover and lowered her voice "she is right…right?"

"Isn't she cute when she's insecure" Carmen gently teased "Yes love Brooke is right"

"Umm could I have that glass of water now"

"Sure thing, Brooke can I get you something to drink? Nico?"

"Do we have any of that wine from when Tim and asshole were here for dinner"

"Yes we do and his name is Martin"

"Whatever" Nicole turned towards the other two girls "Tim is a friend of ours and asshole, excuse me Martin, is his new boyfriend. I don't like him if you can't tell…could I have some of that wine sweetie?"

"Me too please Carmen"

"You're driving Brooke remember"

"I have a feeling we'll be here a while Sam one glass won't kill me. Besides if I can't drive think of it as your chance to get behind the wheel again. On second thought we could always just stay the night … Nic says the couch turns out into a bed."

"Here you go" Carmen passed out glasses "Why don't we sit down" She gestured for Sam and Brooke to sit on the sofa while she herself went and perched on the arm of the overstuffed chair where Nicole sat.

"Hey Nic you didn't open your box. Let's see" Nicole jumped up and squealed in a high-pitched cartoon voice.

"Mine, mine, mine, mine, mine all mine"

"No more Cartoon Network for you young lady…Daffy Duck in the Arabian Nights one where he shrinks to almost nothing and is trying to move this mondo big pearl" Carmen explained to the others."

Sam and Brooke looked at each other and then at their friends and then at each other once more.

"They are just too damn cute" Sam muttered "How did they hide this?"

"I don't know but they really are just too damn cute" Brooke whispered back.

"So…"

"So?"

"So, so we… that is I" Sam cut in

"We, most definitely we" Brooke nodded her head in acknowledgment of Sam's words and continued

"We were wondering… come on guys help us out here"

"You were wondering what's in the box?" Nicole prodded

"That too but that's not what I was getting at and you know it Nic"

Nicole opened the box and took out the arrangement inside "Honey they're gorgeous. Thank you so much. Look Brooke aren't they beautiful, I want to put them in water right away"

"Here you go sweetie" Carmen handed the shorter girl a vase with some water already in it.

"Actually Brooke the story of how Nicole and I got together sorta starts with how I ended up living here and working at the diner downstairs."

"You in a rush Sam" Brooke asked her brunette stepsister.

"Nope. You?"

"We're all ears all night if need be"

Chapter 4

"Well it's no secret my mother's a drunk, one night things were really bad with us. We argued and I left the house and just started walking…"

Lucille looked up from her crossword puzzle at the young girl shaking out her raincoat and umbrella ((Lord it's raining cats and dogs out there what's she doing out in this mess))

"Can I sit anywhere?"

"Actually honey do these old feet a favor and sit at the counter why don't you"

"Sure" Carmen sat a few feet away from the older woman "Could I have a cup of coffee and some toast please"

"That all, we have a great chocolate caramel cheesecake, my Frank baked it this morning"

"I'm afraid I left my wallet at home....I was in a bit of a rush"

"On the house you look like you could use some cheering up"

"How can you tell?"

"Well let's see...it's a Friday night a pretty girl like you should be out on a date not walking around in the rain. You just said that you left your house in a hurry which makes me think that you probably had an argument with your folks. No doubt everyone said things they don't really mean to each other and you stormed off. Am I right?"

"Sorta..." Carmen hesitated. She really did want to talk to someone but on the other hand she didn't even know this woman didn't even know her name for that matter.

"Name's Lucille by the way." The waitress said offering Carmen her hand "What's yours sugar?"

"Carmen, Carmen Ferrara and I think I will have some of that cheesecake"

Lucille went to the dessert case and took out a cheesecake. Holding up a can of whipped cream she asked if Carmen wanted any. The grimace on Carmen's face was all the answer she needed.

"My husband Frank and I own this place"

"Oh I've never seen you here before, usually Sandy's here when I come in but it's been awhile since I've been here"

"I'm usually here in the mornings but with Sandy gone someone's got to work the closing. So until we find a new victim I'm it."

"Sandy's gone?" Lucille placed a plate of cheesecake and a cup of coffee in front of Carmen.

"Three weeks now." Lucille held up a fork "Mind sharing?"

"Uhm...oh my god...this is the best cheesecake I have ever had...please have some. Frank is a genius"

"Hmm...yes he really outdid himself this time."

They sat side by side silently eating cheesecake till Lucille spoke up "parents don't like your boyfriend huh?"

"No, no boyfriend...my mother re...My mother's a drunk a mean one. I can't do it anymore the fighting the drinking. I'm tired of being yelled at being told I'm a freak a mistake. She read my diary..." Carmen sniffled and brushed tears from her eyes. "I'm gay that's what she read; tonight she...she brought some guy she met at the bar home…they got drunk drunker...she told him...she told him that all I needed was a good lay from a guy to get over this whole `gay' thing. My own mother...she said she brought him home for me...how could she..."

By now Carmen was crying freely and Lucille was rubbing her back in circles and making all sorts of comforting sounds. Finally the tears and hiccups stopped and Carmen continued.

"I can't live there anymore...I turn sixteen next month and I'm getting a job saving some money and getting a room someplace. I can't live like that. She's like a pimp or something...she would rather let some drunk she picked up in a bar paw me than accept me as I am. I don't need that."

"No you don't, no one does. I don't know what to say other than some people shouldn't be parents and I'm sorry that yours' is one of them. You know we haven't hired Sandy's replacement. You think you could waitress. You're on your feet a lot but you can make a decent living. Sandy worked 2 nights and Saturday / Sunday mornings she did okay money wise."

"When?"

"Help close up Tuesday, Wednesday and then wait tables or bus on Saturday and Sunday mornings starting at 6 AM till around 2 PM. During the week we close at midnight on Friday and Saturday we're open around the clock. Sandy usually made somewhere in the neighborhood of $200 cash a week. Not a lot but should be okay for your needs."

"Okay when do I start"

"It took me about three months to save enough money to put down first and last months rent on a room in a boarding house not far from here when Lucille and Frank offered me this place."

"Wow Carm I never knew it was that bad for you at home. You should have said something"

"Said what Sam? I wasn't ready to come out and everyone already knew my mom was a drunk. Her little performance at Leo's graduation party saw to that" she couldn't help the bitterness that tinged her voice. Nicole reached out and placed her hand on her brunette lover's thigh. The blond slowly rubbed her thumb on Carmen's thigh in an effort to calm the other girl down.

"Its okay you're okay" Nicole murmured gently. Carmen smiled back at her and laced her fingers with her petite lover's and brought their joined hands to her lips.

"I'm fine Nikki. We're here I'm fine" Carmen said as her lips brushed Nicole's knuckles.

Brooke watched the lover's interaction and wondered how she could possibly have failed to notice the true nature of the relationship between the two. It was true though that Nicole and Carmen were hardly ever around each other during the school day, they had only two classes together and did not sit near each other in them. During lunch period they sat with their respective `groups', except for cheerleading they generally did not interact in school.

((But)) Brooke thought ((I did notice that Nic had been acting more `human'. She stopped going out of her way to be rude to Sam and her friends including Carmen. She stopped ragging to me about Carmen even in private. That should have been my first clue I suppose. She stopped doing all those things because she fell in love, who would have thought that Nicole of all people would fall in love. It explains so much though, I knew it couldn't have just been the therapy Nic's been going to.))

Sam's voice broke Brooke's inner musings.

"So far so good though I'm still not seeing where Sat…I mean Nicole figures in here." She shot Carmen an apologetic grin and a small shrug of her shoulders.

Now it was Nicole's turn to speak.

"Well it's like this Sam, I've been in therapy for the past couple of years and my therapist has an office not too far from here. I started going to the diner when I got my car for my 16th birthday. I use to drive by it on my way home from therapy any way I started coming in for dinner. Long story short she was the waitress. I was extremely rude about it, rude to her that first time. The next time I went in I started in on her she pretty much let me have it and I never did get my dinner. Next time I came in I ordered she served I paid no words. Went on like that for a few weeks until…" at this point Carmen interrupted.

"Until she came in crying one day and I asked her what was wrong and she told me. No pretense no belligerence just Nicole telling me what was wrong. After that we started talking" now Nicole resumed the story

"After awhile dinner started getting longer and longer. Pretty soon I just started hanging out till she was done with work and coming by even when I didn't have therapy. Next thing you know we're friends and I fell in love with her. Lucky me she was in love with me too. Eventually we told each other how we really felt and the rest as they say is history"