Chapter 2: Dinner with the Bensons
I couldn't get over the fact that Freddie and his mom were thinking of letting me move in. After Freddie told me that, he let me into his apartment and I changed into a nice red shirt and a black skirt that I packed. I hated wearing it, but I wanted Ms. Benson to get a good impression from me.
It was dinnertime soon, and I sat at the big table with Freddie and his mom. It was so hard for me to not just stuff my face in the food and eat politely.
It was silent and awkward, so I decided to speak. "Ms. Benson," I said, "thank you so much for even considering doing this for me."
Freddie looked like he almost choked on his food and he was trying not to laugh. I knew why. I'm never this polite, and he knows it.
But he didn't know how serious this was. He got to grow up his whole life with a mom who would never want him to leave. I grew up in a home with no love.
"Please, call me Marissa," Freddie's mom, or should I say Marissa, said with a smile. I think she liked how polite I was being. She didn't know me as a polite person. She always hated me. "Sam, you hurting my Freddie is unacceptable. But I know it must've been hard for you to grow up with a mother like that."
I just nodded. I knew that the only reason she wasn't thinking of letting me move in was because I loved hurting Freddie and she knew it.
"So," she continued. "I thought maybe your mother hasn't been a good influence on you… No offense."
I quickly shook my head. "None taken," I told her. And it was true. My mom was a bad influence on me.
"So maybe if you live with us, we can help you realize what a family is really like," Marissa said with a grin.
And that's when it hit me. I was so desperate that I was about to move in with Freddie the geek and his over-protective crazy mom. I would wake up in the morning and see Freddie's face and he would live with me every single day. We would eat meals together, go to school together, he would see me cry, we would fall asleep together, and go through everything together. But somehow, my heart beat fast and living with Freddie didn't seem too bad.
"Thank you so much Marissa," I said with a smile. I realized that I was being so fake and polite. That's not me. And if I moved in with them, Marissa would realize who I really was. There was a lot on my mind and I decided I'd just figure it out later.
I glanced at Freddie and then I looked back at Marissa. "And you're both okay with this possibility of… me?" I asked.
"Right now it's more than a possibility," Marissa admitted, and I grinned. She continued, "And I know that Freddie's okay with it. It was his idea."
I, eating at the same time as she said that, almost spat out my food. "Really?" I asked as I drank some water to get down the food I almost just choked on.
I looked at Freddie and he looked embarrassed.
Marissa just smiled. "Yes. And Sam... you're moving in."
I almost shrieked. "Oh my gosh, oh my gosh thank you… you won't regret it. I'll get a job… and do chores…" I babbled, but then I realized that I just promised two things that I hated doing. But I didn't care.
I was standing, and Marissa was grinning in a caring way. I was sort of scared of what was in store for me, but at the same time I really didn't care.
"Welcome to the family, Sam," Freddie said with a grin. With that, he stood up and walked over to me. He actually hugged me, and it felt nice.
This time, I hugged him back without giving him a wedgie. I whispered, "Was this really your idea?"
Freddie blushed a bit and he just smiled and didn't answer me but I knew that meant yes.
After dinner, I sat on the floor of Freddie's room unpacking. I couldn't believe what was going on. I was moving in with Freddie.