Hey guys. Thanks for all the reviews on the last chapter. Glad you guys are enjoying the story. This chapter has a cuter little flashback in it. Its also a little shorter than the others but the next chapter is long so it balances out.

Sam's Session

Chapter Five: iDon't Hate My Mom

Carly and Freddie stuck close behind Sam as she led the way down the sidewalk towards her house. She couldn't blame them for being antsy, she didn't exactly live in the best neighborhood and usually they avoided it by spending all their time at Carly's. The only reason they were even going to her house was because Sam's mom texted her that there was a surprise at home and Sam was afraid she might need back up.

"So the text didn't give any hints as to what the surprise is?" Carly asked.

"Nope, just to come straight home after school."

"Did it sound good or bad?"

"It was a text Freddork, it didn't sound like anything." As they approached Sam's house they cut through the uncut yard and climbed the old porch steps.

When Sam reached out to turn the door knob Carly skeptically asked if maybe they should lock the door. Sam shrugged, "What are they going to steal?"

Sam tossed her bag aside and turned to the others indicating that they should do the same. Freddie set his bag down carefully and Carly clung more tightly to her own. "Whatever." Sam rolled her eyes. "MOM, I'm home, and I brought Carly and Freddie."

The trio entered the living room where Pam Puckett was on the couch laughing hysterically at the television and didn't notice them. "Mom," Sam said in an attempt to get her attention. There was no acknowledgement just more laughter brought on by a program none of the teens recognized. "MOM!"

Carly and Freddie flinched. Mrs. Puckett finally looked up.

"What do you want?"

"You texted me to come home?"

"Oh, right, right, in the kitchen." She waved them off. Sam rolled her eyes, lifted herself off the wall she leaned against and turned wearily for her kitchen. She peered through the doorway expecting the worst but didn't immediately see anything out of the ordinary.

"Did she get you food or something?" Carly asked. "Maybe you could check the fridge or cabinets."

"Hey do you hear scratching?" Sam and Carly turned their attention to Freddie. "It sounds like its coming from over there." He pointed suspiciously to a pile of cardboard boxes, some still in cube form and others broken down flat. Sam cautiously moved towards them. She didn't know what to expect. She briefly thought her mother had cornered a rat but they weren't usually a problem with old three legged Frothy still running around the house.

"Careful Sam," Carly warned as she reached for the pile. She lifted a flat box away from the rest and uncovered a makeshift cage. She prepared herself for a rodent baring its teeth but when nothing jumped at her she relaxed. Then her eyes widened and her mouth fell open. On closer inspection she had spotted a white and honey colored fluff ball. She reached out to touch it and a nose popped out. Long ears popped up. Feet appeared and sprung the fluff ball forward into her hand.

"Sam what is it?" Carly asked. She was hiding behind Freddie in case anything did feel the need to jump out.

"It's a bunny." Sam replied. She wanted to laugh at herself. She sounded about five years old but it was a bunny and that was very exciting to her. Carly and Freddie moved forward and peered into the box where the bunny was pawing at Sam's hand, insistent that it be picked up and removed from its prison.

"It's so cute." Carly squeaked. Sam picked up the bunny with both hands and held it close to her chest. She started giggling against her will when it started burrowing into her hair and tickling her neck with its fluffy feet.

Sam was in awe. When her mother had said that they could get a new bunny she never thought it would happen. She honestly thought it was just something to say to get them out of the therapy box. She glanced at Carly who would understand the significance of the whole thing. Her smile was very knowing and in her eyes she could see that her friend was yearning for her turn to hold the small animal. She pulled it free of her hair and passed it to Carly. The brunette's eyes lit up with excitement.

"It is cute; can you tell if it's a boy or girl?" Freddie asked. Sam glanced from him back to Carly. She lifted the bunny. It nipped at her finger.

"I think it's a girl." Sam and Freddie nodded in agreement. "Here," Carly held their furry friend out to Freddie who looked skeptical.

"You afraid of her Benson?" Sam asked amused.

Freddie's scrunched his nose. "My mom always said I was allergic to rabbits but she may have just been being paranoid." He held out his arms, the bunny scuttled from Carly's hands to Freddie's larger ones. He brought it closer to his face to test his senses. No running nose or watery eyes plagued him.

"Guess your mom's just paranoid."

"Yeah, she said the same thing about cats, dogs, hamsters, reptiles-"

"Sounds like your mom's not an animal person." Carly said.

"His mom isn't exactly a people person either." Sam added.

"It's sad really, I always wanted a pet, I wonder why she's so against th-" He paused and his face contorted to something between confusion and disgust. "I think she just peed in my hand-take it back please." Carly looked utterly grossed out but Sam took the bunny back with an even more loving smile than she had upon first picking her up.

"That's Mama's girl."

"I knew she'd be a good pick for you." Mrs. Puckett was standing in the doorway now. "You should have seen her at the pet shop, smallest one of the bunch, I watched her climb over all the others at feeding time and then when I went to pick one out it bit some kid's hand and I knew it was meant to be."

"It's like you two were separated at birth," Freddie said sardonically as he washed his hands at the kitchen sink. Sam didn't pay him any mind. She cuddled the rabbit back against her chest and smiled at her mom.

"Thanks, I didn't really think you would replace Fluffles."

"Replace Fluffles?" Dr. Bliss asked. "What happened to the original Fluffles?"

"My mom sold him." Sam replied casually.

"You're mother sold your pet?!" That was a surprise to hear and Dr. Bliss heard a lot of strange things in her office.

"She told me he ran away."

"Wow, when did she tell you what really happened?"

"Not too long ago when Carly made me and my mom go to family therapy."

"Aw, well I said I would kiddo, but you're taking care of the little rat." Sam smiled. She supposed she didn't really want the responsibility but she also didn't want to start a fight when her mom had tried to provide a kind gesture. She stepped forward wrapping her free arm around her mother. "Got any ideas for a name yet."

Sam looked her little white and honey colored bunny in the eyes. She couldn't call this one Fluffles too. That wouldn't be right. She needed her own name. "I'm too hungry, get back to me on a name."

"So what did you end up calling her?" Dr. Bliss asked curiously.

"My mom had picked up a bag of Caramel Crèmes at the gas station on her way back from the pet shop, Carly pointed out that one of the spots on the bunny's side happened to look like a Caramel Crème so that's what I called her." Sam explained. Just the thought was making her hungry.

"Cute, my daughter has one of those little purse dogs, she calls it chocolate chip, makes me think there must be some kind of psychology behind naming our pets after our favorite foods."

Sam considered the thought for a moment before shaking it off. "Anyways, that's the most recent of the happy memories I have with her, my mom that is."

"Do you think things have improved since you and her have been going to see the family counselor?"

"We're not as hostile," Sam replied. "She still treats me more like a friend than a daughter unless she's reprimanding me."

"It sounds like you get a lot of mixed signals from your mom, she wants you to me more like your "perfect" sister but still encourages some negative behavior through positive reactions and her own example."

"I guess she can't decide if I'm capable of rising above my foreseeable fate or if it's inescapable." Dr. Bliss nodded and watched as Sam's attention seemed to shift to something far outside the confines of the office. From the look on her face Dr. Bliss knew that it wasn't only Pam Puckett who was uncertain of Sam's future.

So yep its a shorter chapter. Next chapter we move on to the next person in the line up; Spencer.

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