"I'll have to interview her too then." I nod and the interviews commence. They don't take very long, so he's out of the house before I realize it. I collapse on the couch. "That was particularly enervating."

"You're telling me!" Freddie says while collapsing next to me. Mrs. Benson brings us two mugs of hot chocolate. "That took forever, mom."

"You shouldn't rush perfection."

"Thank you, Mrs. Benson."

"You're quite welcome." Freddie turns to me as I belt a yawn.

"Wanna watch a movie?" I nod sleepily which causes him to get up and put in a cinematic adventure. I put my cell phone on the coffee table and predict that I won't last even twenty minutes.

-----

I try to open my eyes and I'm pretty successful at it. The heavy aroma of breakfast floods my nostrils as I rub an eye. "Finally!" Says Freddie from an unknown part of the house. I sit up frantically, forgetting where I am, and look around a few times skeptically. He's standing in the kitchen in pajamas. "My mom had to go to work. She'll be back around one." He pauses to flip a few things. "Your mom wants you home by noon."

"What time is it?"

"Nearly eleven."

"Do you have a toothbrush and hairbrush I could borrow?"

"Yeah, they're on the counter in the bathroom." I nod and yawn as I begin the trek to the upstairs bathroom. Lo and behold, there's a toothbrush and hairbrush. I use them well and jog back down to the island. I stand on the side nearest the living room and Freddie places a small plate in front of me. I snatch up a piece of bacon and take a bite. "Not bad, Benson. It's really good!" I saunter to the other side of the counter and lean against it.

"Hey, Brooke…do you think I'm a geek?" This look comes onto my face -0.0-.

"No! Where did that come from?!" He shrugs. "I'm a geek, dude!"

"…You're a geek?" I nod. "And I'm not? …Are you okay?"

"Yeah…I've played and beat every single Final Fantasy, I go to Sakura Con every year, I get obsessive over things like Harry Potter and The Lord of the Rings." I sigh. "I'm even working on my Sakura Con costume right now."

He gets an incredibly love-struck look on his face as he says, "Marry me!" in a dreamy, nerdy way. I chuckle.

"Maybe when we're older." I pat his shoulder and sit up.

"Man…Sam isn't going to be able to make fun of me and my love life now!"

"You're very physically attractive and your knowledge of shiny metal components is a huge turn on too."

"Really?" I nod.

"Yeah, physical attraction with your smarts… It's not common at all."

"Thanks. Hey, do you wanna go to the Star Wars convention with me this weekend?" I sigh.

"Okay, I went to one. Just one…and I never want to go back. They're fat, smelly losers and…" I shudder. "I don't even wanna discus it. I will anyways… I was mobbed by a bunch of those fat losers. They enclosed me in a circle and…" I shake my head. "I still smell it from time to time."

"What did you go as?"

"Princess Leia…"

"That's not so ba-…"

"In the slave costume."

"The slave costume?!" I nod.

"I'll go, but only one day."

"Never mind. You don't have to go if you had an experience like that." I nod.

"It's for the best."

-----

I sigh as I walk up the slight incline to my own apartment building.

-----

I close my locker and stand to find Freddie. "Freeeediiie!" I hug him. "What's up?" He shrugs.

"Not much, but I believe…this is where we first met, girlfriend."

"I do believe you're correct, boyfriend." It's been about three months since we first started dating. He's the boss of boyfriends. "Did I ever tell you that you are the boss when it comes to boyfriends?"

"Really now? Did I tell you that you're the…president, governor, and mayor when it comes to girlfriends?" I smile and see Sam coming up beside us. I lean in and kiss him quickly.

"I don't believe my eyes. Freddie and Brooke kissin' in public!"

"We've been kissin' in public for two months, Sam." Freddie says while shaking his hands mockingly, like it's a big shock.

"Well, this is the first time I've seen ya kiss." She returns the gesture, but leans forward slightly. "And it's kinda gross."

"Now that I have a girlfriend…" He puts his hands into his pockets and very slowly walks forward. "that loves me for me…you can't make fun of me in that respect anymore." He stops in front of her and he's about an inch and a half taller.

"You've grown, Freddie."

"In more ways than you can see, Sam." He says matter-of-factly. A look of disgust falls over her face.

"Oh…that's just wrong." He smirks.

"Yeah…you know you want some of this."

"Oh, in your dreams, super-geek."