Tack

"Yes, Granddad," Carly said, unlocking the front door of her and Spencer's apartment. "I took Spencer to his doctor's appointment, but they still don't know where that-Ah!"

As Carly opened the door, she was greeted by the sight of Sam and Freddie taking part in a very intense make-out session.

"Um, everything is fine, Granddad," Carly said as Sam and Freddie pulled apart and turned to look at her. "Just, um, stepped on a piece of Spencer's tack sculpture. I'm going to go nurse my foot now, bye! Okay, you two," she said as she hung up her pearphone. "How many times have I told you, if you must make out here, can you at least give me some warning so I don't have to walk in on it? A text, a call, anything!"

"We locked the door," Sam pointed out.

"Oh, well sorry for not taking the hint that since my own front door was locked, I shouldn't use my key to go in like I always do!"

"We're sorry," Freddie sighed. "We'll try to remember to text you or something next time."

"Thank you," Carly said, taking off her jacket. "It's not that I don't think you guys are a great couple; I really do. No one was happier when you got back together than I was. It's just that it's a little weird for me to walk in and-Are you guys making out again?!"

"We figured you walking in the first time was your warning," Sam said, pulling away from her boyfriend yet again.

"You two just can't keep your hands off each other for more than a few minutes, can you?" Carly asked, rolling her eyes.

"Hey, we have over a year to make up for," Freddie said.

"Well, I have my own date coming over here in a few minutes," Carly said.

"Who?" Sam asked.

"Troy Richards," she replied. "And I have to warm up all this frozen food I bought at the store and pretend that I made it, so you two need find a new place to make out for a few hours."

"Can't we just go up to the studio?" Freddie asked.

"No, the door is still glued shut, thanks to Gibby," Carly said. "Why don't you two just go across the hall to your place, Freddie?"

Sam and Freddie both let out a laugh.

"Yeah, right, Carls," Sam snorted. "Because Mrs. Benson is just so welcoming. Besides, she doesn't even know Freddie and I are back together."

"What?" Carly frowned. "You guys, its been almost a month!"

"What's your point?" Freddie asked. "Look, my mom tried very hard to break Sam and me up last time. Clearly she's not crazy about us dating. I just think it's best if we wait awhile before telling her."

"Ugh, why's your mom have to be so crazy, Freddie?" Carly said.

"What about Freddie's crazy mom?" Spencer asked, walking through the front door. "I just passed her on the stairs. She was saying she was heading to some important lice convention."

"Wait, she left?" Freddie said.

"As in there's an empty apartment across the hall?" Sam said.

"Yeah, I guess," Spencer nodded. "Anyway, who wants to hear the funniest story about me at the shoe store? So I'm trying to buy these sneakers, but this nun won't let me-Hey, where are you going?"

But Sam and Freddie didn't even hear him as they ran out of the apartment, across the hall.

"I forgot all about my mom's lice convention!" Freddie said as he quickly pulled his key out of his pocket and unlocking his apartment door.

"How long will she be gone?" Sam asked as Freddie swung the door open.

"Those conventions go on for hours," Freddie said. "A bunch of crazy ladies debating the best way to kill head lice…she might not be back for days."

"Good," Sam said. "Then let's not waste time." She pressed her lips to his. He eagerly responded as he led her over to the couch.

The couple fell onto the sofa, still attached at the lips. Freddie pulled Sam closer to him and Sam wrapped her arms around his neck, deepening the kiss.

But suddenly, the front door of the Benson's apartment door swung open, and Marissa Benson walked in.

"I don't remember leaving the door unlocked," she said, turning on the light in the living room. "I wonder what-Oh! My sweet cheese!"

Sam and Freddie broke apart at once.

"M-Mom!" Freddie stammered as Marissa grasped a nearby coffee table for support. "What-what are you doing here? I thought you had a lice convention."

"I do," Marissa snapped. "But I forgot my travel sanitation kit for the train ride there." She motioned to a large bag that was sitting next to the couch.

"Probably should've noticed that," Sam mumbled.

"Now, what is the meaning of this?" Marissa said firmly. "What is my sweet baby boy doing kissing that-that-that-"

"She has a name mom," Freddie said. "And me and Sam were kissing because…we're back together again."

"What?" Marissa exclaimed. "Since when?"

"Since about a month ago," Freddie said hesitantly.

"A month?" Marissa yelled, her eyes bulging.

"Well, I think I should get going…" Sam said, getting to her feet.

"No, Sam, stay," Freddie said. He turned back to his mom. "Look, Sam and I are in love and-"

Marissa let out a gag and clutched her stomach.

"-And there's nothing you can do that will stop us from seeing each other," Freddie continued. "So you can either learn to accept that, or you'll just live with it anyway."

"I most certainly will not accept it," Marissa said, narrowing her eyes at Sam. "My son will not fraternize with a delinquent, grungy, unkempt-"

"Sam's not any of those things!" Freddie said, taking Sam's hand. "She's beautiful, kind...she's perfect."

"Really?" Sam smiled.

"Really," Freddie nodded.

"Oh please," Marissa said, rolling her eyes.

"Mom," Freddie sighed. "You should be very happy I'm dating Sam."

"And why would I be happy about it?" Marissa said, crossing her arms.

"Because," Freddie said. "You remember how I turned down my college acceptance to MIT earlier this month, and decided to go to Seattle Tech and earn a degree in their program? You remember how happy I was that I wasn't going to be moving across the country?"

"Yes," Marissa nodded. "But what does that have to do with anything?"

"Because I didn't decide to stay here because I didn't want to move so far away," Freddie said. "I did it so I could stay here with Sam."

Marissa blinked. "W-What?" She turned to Sam. "You got my Freddikins to stay here?"

"Um, yeah," Sam nodded. "I guess I did."

"You still think she's so bad?" Freddie asked, putting his arm around Sam.

Marissa pursed her lips. "…She can stay…for now. But, you two are going to carry out this relationship in a traditional manner. That means I want no more of the…activity I saw this evening."

"Um, okay," Freddie nodded.

"We won't let you catch us," Sam said.

"Sam!" Freddie hissed.

"Kidding," Sam said quickly.

"Well, Sam and I have to go to our…community service project now," Freddie said, grabbing Sam's hand to lead her out of the apartment. "So I guess I'll see you after your lice convention, mom."

"Okay, I'll work on preparing a puppet show to revisit a few questions you might've had from our Birds and the Bees talk last year," Marissa said.

"So," Sam said as her and Freddie closed the apartment door behind them. "By community service project, I hope you don't really mean community service project."

"Not unless there's some organization called make-out with my hot, blonde girlfriend," Freddie grinned.

"Cute," Sam laughed. "But hey, about what you said in there…I thought you said the reason you decided to go to Seattle Tech was because they offered you a scholarship. Was it really just so you could stay here with me?"

"Going to any college where I could only see you through a computer screen or a few times a year wouldn't be worth it for me," Freddie said, kissing her. "So yeah, you're the reason I stayed."

Sam smiled. "But you've always wanted to go to MIT; it's been your dream since you were like, nine."

"Yeah, well," Freddie said. "I have new dreams now."