Fandom: Popular

Series: Three Times Table

Title: The Status of Quo - Brooke

Author: Carla

Email: cmfloresfd@yahoo.com

Rating: PG-13

Disclaimers: The usual not mine, never were never will be. No profit made no harm intended from this work of original fiction.

Archiving: It's all at the Realm my lovelies. http://www.realmoftheshadow.com/carla.htm

A/N: Just a brief note to explain the series title and concept. Mostly I just like the way it flows, Three Times Table, that and I like alliterative phrases.  But also each fic in this verse will have (I hope) three distinct voices Brooke, April and Sam. Each girls take on the events of the day will be shown in turn.  This is more of a challenge to myself than anything else and if I find that its not working for me I shall most likely revert to a standard form.

Also for those of you who have serious problems with the whole concept of Brooke/April...sometimes (in the best of times) we allow ourselves to look past the surface to truly delight in another.

Thanks to Alan, Paul, HL and Lou for the encouragement and the subtle direction.

Monday morning comes and it’s raining cats and dogs so I offer Sam a ride to school. True my motive isn’t entirely pure, I want to talk to her before school and given that she’s pretty much been avoiding me since our little chat Saturday night, this is my last chance. She gets in the car and I successfully fight the urge to beg her to remove that God-awful hooker blue eye shadow she always wears.

"Thanks for the ride Brooke I hate the bus on rainy days."

"Sure no problem Sam. Besides I wanted to talk to you anyway."

"Me too. I mean I wanted to talk to you too."

I pull out of the driveway and head towards school. The entire drive door to door normally takes me 15 minutes and that includes hitting the Starbucks drive-thru for a latte, but today I decide to skip the latte and take the really long way to school so that Sam and I can have time for our little talk. Only I don’t know how to talk all of a sudden. Sam, of course, does not suffer from my sudden affliction.

"Brooke", Sam’s voice is full of concern, "I wanted you to know that…"

"You tell anyone and I’ll kill you."

"Whoa Barbie. Now who’s channeling Nicole? I was going to say that I had no intention of saying Jack to anyone."

"Carmen, Lily Harrison?" If she thinks I believe she doesn’t want to tell them I have a bridge to sell her.

"Okay I SOOOO want to say something to them but I wouldn’t do that without talking to you about it first you know. You’d think you knew that much about me at least."

Oh God now she’s pouting. A pouting Sam is not a good thing. Mainly because a pouting Sam is, frankly, a sexy Sam, add to that she’s wearing a pair of low-riders and a skin tight cropped top and…a belly ring! When did she get the belly ring? I’ve really been wrapped up in April if I missed that.

"Why are you dressed like that?" I have to ask; given her unfortunate choice in eye shadow and the other decorative touches she’s sporting the outfit really does make Sam look like a hooker-in-training. "And when did you get the hardware?"

"Was wondering when you were going to notice. You like?" Sam starts playing with the ring and I almost drive off the road. "I got it done last month."

"Does Mom know?" Dad’s kick is manners, especially table manners. Jane’s is body art and piercings.

"Not"

"Secret’s safe with me. My lips are sealed."

"Same here okay. Not even to Lily and I tell her everything you know."

"Thanks Sam." Out of the corner of my eye I catch her staring at me. "What?"

"Please!!!" she whines.

"No!"

"Why not?"

"Because I’m asking you not to. Not right now okay, I’m not ready."

"Not ready for what?"

"Jesus!" I slam my hand on the steering wheel in frustration, supposedly I am the dumb cheerleader. "Where’s that high IQ you’re always bragging about Sammy, try using it."

"Oh I get it you’re not ready for anyone to know about you. Can’t have that precious public image smeared now can we, God forbid." Sam’s voice drips with disdain. I have no answer to her question mainly because it’s partially true but not for the reasons Sam’s probably thinking. Dad and I are the only two people in the greater LA area who know why my mom left. I want to tell him before he finds out from someone else. I’m just not quite ready to go there yet, having April come for dinner Saturday was the first step.

The rest of the drive is silent until I pull into the school parking lot. Once again Sam’s voice does not fail her. "How do you think that makes her feel, Brooke?" Sam gets out of the car, closes the door and leans down to offer her parting shot through the window. "Or hadn’t you thought past your self at all?"

Shit I need to find April.

Carla

It's a one time thing...it just happens a lot (Suzanne Vega, Cracking)