Chapter thirteen: One Step Closer to Heaven

"What is she doing here?" Mrs. Benson grumbled as she walked into her apartment to find Freddie cuddling on the couch with Sam. They were watching a movie together.

Freddie looked up at his mom. "We're on a date," he said, matter of factly.

"Oh, I see." Mrs. Benson looked Sam up and down in disgust.

"Nice to see you too, Marissa," Sam forced a smile.

Mrs. Benson rolled her eyes and walked into the kitchen, mumbling to herself about how much of a demon Sam was. Freddie heard her, but ignored it. His mom was kind of used to him and Sam dating. Of course, that doesn't mean she likes it very much.

"Freddie?" Sam said quietly, her head rested on his shoulder. "Can we have your mom make us some popcorn?"

Mrs. Benson heard, her head whipping in the direction of the couch. "No, I'm not making anyone popcorn. It's salty and buttery and completely unhealthy, and I'm not your servant.

Sam sighed and sat up, glancing at Freddie's mom. "You could at least answer politely."

"You could at least ask me politely!" she countered, storming over to the couch. Freddie pinched the bridge of his nose. This was going to start getting out of hand soon. His mom and Sam had been arguing a lot lately. It was getting ridiculous.

"I didn't ask you. I asked Freddie! And maybe now you know why."

"Don't talk to me with that tone, Samantha."

Sam rolled her eyes and stood up. "The movie we were watching is insanely boring, so lucky for you I'm gonna leave now." She turned around started walking to the door when a firm hand grabbed her arm.

She looked back. Freddie was staring at her intensely, gripping her arm tightly. "Sam, don't leave yet."

Sam couldn't take it anymore. She's been fighting with Mrs. Benson for weeks about the stupidest thing and it was getting frustrating. She practically exploded all over the place.

"Your mom hates me! What's the point of me staying here with you?"

"We're in the middle of one of our special Lifetime movie dates. Please stay," Freddie begged.

"See, you couldn't even deny that your freakish mother hates my guts," Sam stated firmly.

"Well, you keep giving her something to hate. Just be nice to her."

"Fine. I'll be nice to her."

"Really?" Freddie smiled brightly.

"Sure. Now, goodbye."

Freddie frowned and didn't let go of Sam's arm. "What? If you're gonna start being nicer to my mom then aren't you gonna stay?"

"No," Sam almost laughed. "The only way I can be somewhat nice to your mom is if I don't ever talk to her, therefore I should leave now."

"Sam..."

"Let me talk to her," Mrs. Benson interrupted. She put her hand on Sam's shoulder and sighed. "Listen, I don't hate you. I don't really hate anyone unless they hurt someone I love."

"You think I'm gonna hurt Freddie?" I asked in disbelief. "We've been dating for a pretty long time. We've been through some rough patches, but we love each other. I can't believe you think I'd hurt him."

"I never said that Sam-"

"It sure sounded like it."

"Just let me finish, please."

"Okay, keep talking," Sam mumbled.

"I know you love my son," she said, pausing to let that statement sink in for a moment, "but if you two plan to stay together for an even longer amount of time, then we're going to have to get along better. I apologize for being so snappy towards you. You're just so opposite of Freddie, I've been a little worried you might rub of on him a little bit. So how about this? We start attempting to not argue about every little thing. Sound good?"

Freddie grinned.

Sam looked up at Freddie's mom in wonder. "Alright. We'll see how long this lasts. Can I sleep over?"

She pushed Sam away from Freddie. "WHAT? NO WAY AM I ALLOWING THAT, YOUNG LADY. NOT WITH MY SON IN THE SAME APARTMENT AS YOU- I mean... I don't think that's a good idea," his mom lightly smiled.

Sam raised an eyebrow. "You're gonna need some work."

Mrs. Benson took a deep breath and walked out of the room, leaving Sam and Freddie alone. Bold move on Mrs. Benson's part. Sam and Freddie exchanged awkward glances and finally, Freddie pulled her into a loving hug.

"I'm so happy you and my mom are on your way to working things out. I hate it when you to argue all the time," he said sincerely.

Sam chuckled and hugged him tighter. "Aw, but it's fun seeing you all mad and stuff." She looked up at him, still holding him happily. He leaned down quickly and pressed his lips against hers for a few seconds.

That wasn't enough for Sam. Her hands gently touched Freddie's face and she hungrily kissed him. His arms wrapped around her waist without hesitation, almost lifting her off the ground. He deepened the kiss passionately.

"AH! STOP IT!" Mrs. Benson screamed as she walked in the room. Sam and Freddie pulled away and stared at her. "I THOUGHT YOU TWO KNEW BETTER THAN TO DO THAT- Sorry, please tone down the public displays of affection."

"No one else is in the room," Sam replied. "It's not public."

"YOU KNOW WHAT I'M- Oh, boy. This will be a little more difficult than I thought."