Just like I promised, this chapter is a lot longer. I hope you guys enjoy it and let me know what you think. As always, reviews are appreciated.
I kind of need your help with something. Last chapter, I mentioned that Sam has come up with new nicknames for Freddie. If you guys have any suggestions or ideas for these new nicknames, please tell me and I'll use some of them in this story (and of course, I'll credit you for your idea).
Ch. 2
"Aw come on, Sam! Why can't you go make someone else miserable today?"
"Look, it's not my fault. Carly was supposed to hang out with me today. But, she called me last night and said that she has to go with Spencer to some place to deliver his penguin sculpture. So, sadly, you were the only option left." She finishes with a sigh.
We ate our breakfast in peace. Well, as peaceful as possible, considering that Sam and I can't actually be quiet when we're together for more than 10 minutes. After finishing my plate, I immediately get up and starting gathering all the dirty plates and forks on the table. Once they are in the sink and the water is turned on, I look behind me to see that Sam has repositioned herself on the couch and has her legs stretched in front of her. I think I'm smart enough to realize there is no way she would get up and help.
About two minutes later, I feel a movement behind me. I can't believe it! Sam Puckett, one of the laziest people I've ever met, is helping me clean! I don't acknowledge her in any way in case it sets her off or makes her stop. I can hear her picking up the rest of the food and putting them in the fridge. Occasionally, I sense a faint smell of lavender and know that she's on my left putting the clean plates back in the cupboard. Lavender…Really?
I finally finish washing the dishes. I grab a towel to dry my hands and turn around only to find Sam casually leaning against the counter. Her eyes seem to be locked on the spot where I'm standing. I not-so-subtly clear my throat and her eyes meet mine. She looks as if she was caught off guard, but she still doesn't say anything.
"Ready to go?" I successfully end the silence. Awkward moments between Sam and I don't last that long. We always find a way to fill the silence. Our way includes some of the usual and out of control bickering.
"Yup! Let's go!" She opens the door and walks out while I follow behind her. I grab my cell phone and keys…wait, where are my keys?
"Sam, I'll be right there," I yell as I run to my room to look for them. I can't find them anywhere and I'm really starting to freak out. Surprisingly, Sam is still waiting and not yelling at me to hurry up. I realize she's probably already downstairs. Right when I walk into the parking lot, my eyes land on the shiny (and recently cleaned), black pickup truck with the blonde curls softly peeking out of the driver's seat window. It takes a moment for this to register.
"I can't believe you!" I let my frustration out when I reach the open window of my truck. "I was going insane upstairs. Do you know how long I've been looking for my keys? Did you just forget to tell me that you took them?"
"Well, you didn't ask me for your keys. If you did, then I would've told you I took them. And stop whining, you've only been up there for like five minutes. So, what are you waiting for? Get in!"
"Get in," I mutter. "What do you mean 'get in'? Sam, get the hell out of my car, right now!" I'm so happy my mom isn't here. The things she would do to me if she heard me use that word again. But, I just couldn't help it. Sam takes my keys, doesn't bother to tell me, and then acts like nothing even happened.
"Ooooh! Well someone's a little bit too feisty this morning." Even though she says this in her usual "arguing" tone, I could see the little smile she tries to hide. "Ok fine, if I just say sorry, will you get over it and just get in?" she says impatiently.
I let out a loud, sarcastic laugh. "Yeah, you're really funny if you think I'm actually gonna let you drive. Very funny, Sam." I smirk at her.
"Why not? I already made myself comfortable."
"Did you forget what happened last time? And anyways, you still never got your license back after it got taken away last week. So, it's either you get out, or I'm not taking you anywhere." I cross my arms across my chest and stare at her expectantly. I guess I'm feeling braver than I thought.
"Did you forget I could break your face, Frediffer?" Yet, she knows she has no choice this time. While still insulting me, she gets out and walks over to the other side. She gets in again, this time in the passenger seat, and slams the door so hard that it makes the entire truck shake.
"You know you're acting like a 5 year old," I laugh at her. When I get in, I find that Sam has indeed made herself comfortable. It takes a few more minutes for me to readjust my seat to the way I like it. Then I turn to face her and say, "Ok Princess Puckett, where exactly are we going today?"
" Our first stop is gonna be 'We Fry Our Chicken'. They opened a new location right here in Seattle and I've been craving it for days."
"How can you be thinking about food? You just ate."
"Well, it's about 1 hour away from here. So, by the time we get there, I'll be hungry again. It's perfect," she declares with a smile.
I roll my eyes at her logic, "Alright, just tell me where to go."
1 hour later
"You know, Fredlumps, for a nerd, I never expected you to actually have good taste in music," Sam admits.
"I honestly think you are the only one that is capable of both insulting me and complimenting in the same sentence," I reply.
"You're welcome," she says with a cheeky smile. "We should be getting closer, just make a left at the next light."
"Are you sure? Last time you told me to make a left, we ended up running away from hobos."
"Yeah and I have it all on video. The way you were screaming for your mommy when one of them chased you away with a hammer."
"It was not a hammer, it was an axe. Anyone with a brain would've reacted the same way. And may I remind you that the reason he chased me with an axe was because you stole his ham sandwich," I reply defensively, "and then you just left me."
She looks at me and starts laughing like it's the funniest thing in the world. I try to resist, but her laugh is too contagious. Soon, I find myself laughing just as loudly. After we both clam down, I refocus my attention to the road ahead of us.
"Sam, are you sure we're going the right way?"
"Yes, Freddie, I'm sure we're…Uh oh!" She's probably referring to the yellow sign in front of us that reads: DEAD END! "You know, I'm thinking maybe you should've went right instead of left."
I give her an annoyed look as I make a quick turn back. "I don't even know why I'm the one that has to suffer. How did I agree to this?" At this, she wiggles her eyebrows at me suggestively and giggles.
It takes a while before we make it back to the main road. Sam stays quiet the entire time, too busy changing the radio station every five seconds. She finally stops and a song I like starts playing. Without realizing, I begin humming along with the song. Once Sam notices that I'm actually enjoying it, she turns off the radio purposely. I ignore her and turn it on again. She slaps my hand and turns it off. I join in her childish behavior as we keep turning it off and on.
"Just stop Sam, you're gonna break it."
"Hmm…thanks for the idea Fredward. Let's see how many things I can break."
"I swear I will kick you out of the car and leave you in the middle of the road." I probably should not have said that. We start screaming at eacher other with equal intensity until I'm no longer paying attention to where I'm driving. I make a turn at the next street I see and stop the car there.
"What's WRONG with you?" I turn to face her as I yell. "We've been driving around for hours just to find that stupid restaurant you want. I don't even know where we are right now or where to go." I take a few deep breathes. She just looks at me with an unreadable expression. If only she would yell back, then maybe I wouldn't be feeling this guilty right now for yelling at her. "Look, I really don't mind driving you all around Seattle," I say in a much lower voice. "I just need you to calm down for a little. Actually, we both need to calm down and stop screaming at each other until we know where we're going."
"Yeah whatever, let's just go. Mamma's getting hungry."
I smile at her then turn the keys to start the car again. I press on the gas pedal, but the car doesn't move. "That's weird," I say out loud. I check to make sure the car is in fact on drive and then try again. The car still doesn't move.
Sam sits up in her seat (she doesn't have her seatbelt on, of course) and leans over. I'm too distracted by how close she is to see what she's doing. Her curls fly in my face as she sits back in her seat.
"You forgot to fill up on gas. Way to go, Freddie."
"You say it like it's my fault."
"It is your fault. Who's driving?"
"You know what, just forget it. It's not even turning on anymore. Now what are we gonna do?" I ask.
"I don't know. Can't we like push this thing to a gas station?"
"Yeah, I guess. But one of us has to stay in the truck and keep a foot on the gas pedal. And before you even think about it…the answer is no. I told you I'm never letting you drive my truck ever again."
"Fine! You stay here and I'll get out and push."
"Umm, Sam," I start hesitantly. "I'm not doubting your strength or anything, 'cuz trust me I know exactly how strong you are. But, I'm not gonna sit in here and let you push. I mean I know it's hard to believe, but you are a girl." She recognizes my joking tone when I say the last statement, so she punches my arm lightly.
"Glad you finally noticed, nub."
"What do you mean?"
"Nevermind. Let's just figure out what to do. Maybe we should call someone." She flips open her phone while I stare at her with a dumb expression trying to decipher the meaning of her words.
"Who else can we call?"
For the past hour, we've called Carly and Spencer five times, but both phone were apparently turned off. Sam called her mom twice before she answered and told her she's getting a plastic surgery and doesn't have time for anything. We've both agreed that getting out and asking people for help would be a bad idea, especially after seeing a guy with a butcher's knife walk past us. Seriously, who walks around with a butcher's knife hanging on their belt?
"Well, there's one option left," I say nervously. She gives me a look which shows that she knows exactly what I'm thinking. It's weird how good she's become at figuring out what I'm thinking.
"No way! No freakin' way. The last person I want to see right now is your crazy mom," she says. She digs into her pockets and takes out a small bag filled with bacon.
"Where'd you get that?" I question slowly.
"Oh, I packed some bacon with me while cleaning the table, just in case I get hungry," she explains. She offers me the bag and I quickly take advantage of this. It's completely rare for Sam to ever share food with anyone. We sit in silence for a while and enjoy our bacon.
"It's almost painful for me to say this, but we almost look like best friends right now," I say.
"I knew it was a bad idea to share my bacon with you, you're starting to hallucinate" she replies, and I can tell from her eyes that she only means it as a joke.
"Why do I always end up in these messed up situations with you?" I ask, only half-serious.
"At least I make your life interesting, Benson" she laughs. I savor the moments when she's laughing, instead of taking out her anger on me. "I'm getting really bored. Can you put on some music at least?"
"This thing won't turn on, remember?"
"Ok then, I'll sing."
"You can sing? That's never been established."
"Well yeah 'cuz I usually don't go around singing in front of people, especially nubs like you."
"Why, Sam? Are you that scared to show your emotions?" My analysis of her behavior does not please her. She gives me a warning look that stops me from going any deeper into this subject.
The sound of her cell phone ringing breaks the tension in the atmosphere. "It's Carly," she says before answering. She explains the entire situation thoroughly, making it seem like what happened is my fault. She nods her head and says 'yeah' a couple of times before ending the call. Sam fills me in on the part of the conversation I could not hear. According to Carly, Spencer accidentally (or purposely) ate something that she can't really identify, and now he's sick in bed. The conclusion? He can't drive and therefore can't pick us up.
A couple of minutes pass by. Sam is staring out the window at nothing in particular. That's how I know she's thinking of a way to get us out of this mess. The only thing I can think of is calling my mom, but I'd rather leave that as the last option. I continue to watch Sam, amazed at how peaceful she seems. My ringing phone shakes me out of this daze and I quickly reach for it.
"Hello," I answer.
"Fredward Benson, where are you? I come back from work to find the house empty and my baby is missing. How could you leave me worried like this?" She's talking too fast and I can barely understand her anymore. Sam shifts around in her seat to face me with a teasing smile. Apparently, my mom is way too loud and Sam can hear her as well as I can.
"Mom! Mom, calm down!" I attempt to talk over my mom's hurried words. I inform my mom about my situation, leaving out as much details as possible.
"Are you with someone, Freddie? I know my baby boy and there's no way you would just leave the house for no reason and not tell me. Whose with you? Did you sneak out with a girl?" Yeah, I may have forgotten to mention that part to her. She keeps firing her questions at me while Sam's smile gets bigger and bigger.
I avoid looking at Sam as I answer my mom. "It's no big deal, mom. I just went out with Sam for a while and we got lost. I didn't sneak out or anything." I realize that I'm talking as fast as my mom.
"SAM? You went out with Sam? Oh I knew it! I knew this girl would have a bad influence on you. What are you guys doing? What is she doing to you? Are her lips anywhere near you?"
At this point, Sam is laughing uncontrollably as I try to hide the blush rising on my cheeks. I can't believe my mom said that. As quickly as possible, I try to describe my surroundings to give my mom any clues as to where Sam and I currently are. And trust me, when my mom needs to find me…she will, no matter what (especially when she knows I'm with Sam Puckett)!
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