Chapter 2

Over the next couple weeks, Beca and Chloe form a tumultuous friendship. In other words, Beca will now hold an actual conversation rather than giving one word answers.

Aubrey has finally stopped glaring at her, but they still don't interact much. Well, not beyond Beca finding herself watching Aubrey when she isn't looking, and the blonde doing the same to Beca. Though this too changes one night.

On Friday nights, the diner stays open later—until 12:00 a.m. All three girls and Aubrey's parents are working that night; however Beca is the only one to actually witness the scene.

Aubrey was clearing the last table of the night which consisted of a particularly rowdy group of college guys. It's when she leans over to grab the empty plate from the guy sitting on the inside of the booth that she feels the hand touch her backside. The plate clatters to the table as she stands straight up and stares at the unbelievably crass idiot in shock.

Beca had been clearing one of her own tables when she happened to glance up and notice the smug look on the guy's face right as he began to lift his hand towards Aubrey's ass. She stood still for only a second before storming over to the table.

Aubrey's stupor is broken as Beca arrives next to her cocking back her fist and slamning it into the guy's nose.

Aubrey's parents and Chloe had come running out of the kitchen at the noise of the dropped plate. They stood in total shock as they saw the guy slouched in the booth holding his bleeding nose and Beca standing next to the booth doubled over in pain as she cradled her bruising fist. Aubrey just stood at the head of table looking between the two in awe.

Thomas quickly took control of the situation. "What the living hell is going on out here?" he bellowed over the two's pained cries.

"This bitch just fucking punched me in the face," the jerk shouted.

Beca's eyes glinted with anger. "Because he totally just touched Aubrey's ass."

Thomas looked at Aubrey to confirm Beca's story. She nodded before glaring at the guy in the booth.

"All of you get out of my restaurant. Now!"

The guys shuffled out of the booth. The quiet guy that had been sitting beside the jerk was the only one to hesitate in leaving.

At the door, he turned, "I'm really sorry about my brother. He totally deserved that punch. I promise you'll never see us again."

Thomas simply nodded once and the guy took his exit.

They all turned to look at Beca who was still cradling her hand. "Why does no one tell you that punching someone hurts that fucking much?"

Elaine smiled at Beca. "Go sit at the counter. I want to look at that hand. And also, I don't appreciate the language."

Thomas laughs and claps Beca on the shoulder as he goes back into the kitchen to finish cleaning up. Beca looks sheepish as she goes to the counter and climbs up onto a stool. Chloe follows Thomas into the kitchen to get some ice.

Elaine walks around the counter. She makes Beca lay her wrist flat out on the counter before she begins poking and prodding at Beca's swelling fingers and bruised knuckles. "Well I don't think you broke anything other than that boy's nose," the older blonde concludes with a chuckle.

Beca hisses as Chloe comes back and gently places a dishrag full of ice on top of Beca's hand. "Sorry." Just then a car horn honks outside the diner. They all turn to see Jesse leaning out the driver's window of his pickup, grinning and waving. The three of them wave back as Chloe takes off her apron. "Bye guys. I'll see you all tomorrow."

"Bye, Chlo. I'll call you in the morning."

"Okay." The redhead calls cheerily as she heads out the door and kisses Jesse through his window before going around the front of the truck to get in the passenger's side.

The first thing she says as she settles in the bucket seat is: "You'll never guess what Beca just did."

Finally, they are actually closing the diner. Beca gets ready to begin her walk but Aubrey stops her.

"Beca, wait. I can give you a ride home."

"Oh, no. I'm fine. I don't want to bother you."

"Beca. Get in the truck," Aubrey commands as she points to her gray Dodge pickup.

Beca smiles at her before getting in as Aubrey slides into the driver's seat.

As they drive through the town, they are mostly quiet until Beca just has to ask a question.

"Why did you hate me when we first met?"

Aubrey looks at her in confusion. "I never hated you. I didn't particularly like you but I didn't hate you."

"Sure didn't seem that way."

Aubrey pulls up to the curb at the house that Beca indicates as hers. It's a rundown two-story house. The porch railing obviously needs a new coat of paint, the shutters are faded and some are broken, and the grass appears to have not been cut in quite a few weeks. She unbuckles her seat belt and turns in her seat to face Beca. "It wasn't you that I didn't like. I hate change. I like having a routine and sticking to it."

Beca grins at her and can't refuse the urge to tease her a bit. "Is that why you called me weird? Because I was a change?"

Aubrey looks at her thoughtfully. "That was part of it."

Beca's curiosity has been piqued. "And the other part?"

Aubrey leans closer as she speaks. "I didn't like it because you made a change in me. You made me realize something about myself that I already knew but refused to acknowledge."

Beca stares at the blonde whose face was now only a few inches away. "And what was that?"

Maybe she was still on an adrenaline high from the event at the diner. Maybe she had just given up on trying to lie to herself. Aubrey doesn't know exactly what made her do it. She just knows she had to.

Aubrey's gaze shifts between the blue of Beca's eyes and the bow of her lips as she responds. "I like girls. And I really like you." The last statement is said on a whisper as she leans in and captures Beca's bottom lip between her own. They continue to kiss for a few moments before finally separating.

When they break apart, Aubrey watches Beca's eyes for a reaction. "Go on a date with me?"

Beca's grinning now, wider than she has in a long time. "Yes."

Aubrey grins back. "Tomorrow night. I'll get my brother to cover our shifts after the dinner rush."

Beca grins as she unbuckles and reaches for the door handle. Aubrey stops her and kisses her one last time. "Sorry. I couldn't resist." She lets Beca get out of the truck this time and watches to make sure she makes it into the house before pulling away from the curb. A huge grin making her cheeks hurt.

The next day the diner is relatively busy since it is a Saturday. There is a constant flow of customers so the two don't actually get to talk much. They make up for this in the knowing glances and shy, flirty smiles they cast at each other as they move from table to table.

At 8:00, Brandon Posen walks through the door. By just looking, you would never know the two were siblings. Older by two years, Brandon had obviously gotten a strong share of Thomas's genes as he had dark hair and stood well over 6 feet tall.

Brandon was the "rebellious" child. (Well, as rebellious as it got in the Posen family). After graduation, rather than working in his parents' diner, Brandon had chosen to bum it for awhile in his parents' basement as he worked on his burgeoning art career. He was actually a really great painter. Not that Aubrey would ever be the one to tell him that though. (The two had a great relationship; she just wouldn't want him to get a big head and all.)

"Hey, Bree. I'm here to take over. Get out of here. Go do whatever it is you weirdoes do."

"Thanks, Brandon. Ready to go Becs?"

"Yeah. Just give me a minute." Beca went to the back room to grab her stuff and put her apron away.

"So, is she the hot date you just had to get out of here early for?" Brandon teased with a wiggle of his eyebrows as he took Aubrey's apron as she offered it and tied it around his own waist. Brandon had been the one she went to when she first started realizing she wasn't straight. He, Chloe, and Jesse were the only ones that knew she was a lesbian.

Aubrey rolled her eyes. "Yes, but don't tell mom and dad."

"Bree, you know they wouldn't care."

"I know. I just...I feel like it would change the way they look at me."

"Sis, nothing could change the fact that they just want you to be happy."

Just then Beca came back right as Elaine came out from the kitchen. Beca went to stand by Aubrey.

"We're heading out now Mama. I'll probably be late tonight."

"Alright. Have fun girls."

The two waved as they went out the door.

Aubrey pulled into the driveway of her house. "Come on in. I just have to grab a few things and we'll head out."

She led Beca into the one story ranch style house. Beca followed her past the homey living room and into the kitchen. She took a seat on a stool at the breakfast bar as Aubrey moved about the space.

She watched silently as Aubrey pulled a basket out from under a counter and began filling it with containers from the fridge. Suddenly, the blonde paused.

"You do like sandwiches, right?" Aubrey asked with a slightly panicked tone as she realized she hadn't even asked Beca what she liked. Beca simply smiled as she nodded her head.

Aubrey breathed a sigh of relief. "Good, because I just realized I failed to create a backup plan." She resumed pulling things out of the fridge and making the meal. As she made the sandwiches she kept pausing to see if Beca liked an ingredient before adding it. She was slightly offended when Beca said she didn't like mustard.

"How do you not like mustard? That's comparable to not liking water. It's essential to the sandwich."

"That's nothing like not liking water," Beca gave her an amused look. "Mustard is fine. Just not on a sandwich."

"I stand by my earlier comment that you are indeed weird."

Beca chuckled as she watched the blonde finish packing.