Oz Victorious

Chapter Four: Dreamer

I always knew there was something more; something better in the world. I always believed there was more than just this life. My name is Freddie Benson, and this is how I lived my dreams...

Endless green plains cascading with red, white, yellow, and purple flowers illuminated the brilliant crimson-orange horizon. Streams shined as they reflected the sky's unnatural beauty. All the trees were coated with bright green, orange, yellow, and red leaves while bushes spread snow-like petals in the breeze. It was a miracle; a dream; a vision of passion and imagination. Walking forward, the boy felt the soft, damp grass under his feet; the warmth of the sun on his head; the whistling breeze on his neck. Every single cloud resembled another dream; endless and limitless in its expression. Gazing into the sun, the boy witnessed an overpowering light that emersed him in brilliance and warmth. Feeling his mother's hand gently shaking his shoulder, the young man opened his eyes to find himself in his bed in his mom's apartment in the Bushwell Plaza complex in New York City.

"Wakey, wakey, sleepy head," Marissa Benson warmly whispered to her son, gently stroking his back. "It's seven o'clock. Time to get up for school."

"Thanks, Mom," Freddie mumbled, slowly rising out from under the sheets. The dream was beautiful, but like any dream, it had to come to an end. Only vague images remained, though they were still inspiring.

"Addie called you last night," the boy's mother said, opening the shade and letting in the sunlight. "Don't forget to call her back."

"I won't," the young man happily answered, pulling the sheets of his bed back, then folding them over once to make the bed. "I'm gonna take a shower." Dropping his pajamas on the bathroom floor, Freddie stepped into the lightly chilled shower, pulled the curtain closed around him, then turned on the hot water. Closing his eyes, the brunette boy felt the thousands of warm beads colliding with his body. Letting out a sigh, the teenager stroked his hair back, letting it soak in the comforting water. I had the dream again...so gorgeous. It's getting harder and harder to forget about it... Shutting off the water, the young man got dressed, gave his mom a farewell kiss, and headed off for school.

Taking his cell phone out of his pocket, Freddie dialed Addie's number, listened to the electronic ringing sound, then heard her pick up. "Hello," the young woman greeted.

"Hey, Addie, it's Freddie," the boy replied, tucking his left hand into his pocket. "Just wanted to call you back. Sorry I missed you last night."

"That's okay," Addie responded, her voice kind and forgiving as always. "Hey, I have to go, but can we meet for lunch?"

"Sure," the young man answered. "Sounds great. See you then, bud. Bye." Hanging up, Freddie walked down the hard gray sidewalk, taking it one step at a time until he reached Ridgeway High. Departing from the comfort of massive surrounding buildings, the young man pushed open the mostly glass doors of the school, slung his back pack over his shoulder, and made his way to his locker. Rounding the corner, the boy saw that Sam Puckett and Carly Shay were already at the surrounding lockers, discussing the newest webisode of iCarly. "Hey, guys," Freddie greeted, entering his combination.

"Hey, Freddie," Carly warmly replied, giving her usual, welcoming smile.

"Fredward," Sam mumbled, barely taking her eyes off her books.

"Hey, Oz," several male students called out from the hallway. "How's your fantasy world?" Ignoring them, Freddie gathered his books, all the while gathering the courage to ask Carly the question he had mused over for so long.

"Why do they call you Oz?" the brunette girl asked, expressing concern as only she could.

"When I was a kid, I used to talk about this imaginary place called Oz," the young man reluctantly answered. "I had dreams about it, and the other kids thought it'd be fun to tease me for it. And after about six years, they don't think it's gotten old." But I really want to talk to you about something else...I know you and Sam are looking for a new tech supervisor for iCarly, and I...

"That sucks," Sam replied, almost sounding like she cared.

"Yeah," Freddie answered, losing his concentration and will to persue his proposal.

"Sorry, Freddie," Carly said, her voice sweet. "Hey, we'll see you later."

"Bye," the boy replied, giving a quick wave as the two young women departed from him. Watching Carly walk away, Freddie felt himself letting out a sigh.

When lunch hour came, the young man sat down across from a younger girl with golden hair and an innocent expression on her lovely face. "Hey, Addie," he said with a warm smile.

"Thanks for meeting me, Freddie," the young woman replied.

"Thank you for hanging out with me," Freddie responded. "How's your day been?"

"Pretty good," Addie answered, taking a sip of her juice. "Yours?"

"Long," the brunette boy answered with a slight groan. "But it's better now that you're here." The two exchanged a smile. "How was homeroom?"

"Okay," the girl admitted. "Some of the other girls were picking at me again, though." Nicknamed and mocked for her shyness, Addie Singer found herself the victim of frequent bullying, leaving her at a loss for friends.

"I'm sorry," Freddie replied. "I don't get why they're so nasty to you. You're a sweet person." Catching himself, the young man blushed at the same time Addie did. "So, um, how'd you do on that English test?"

"I think I did okay," Addie answered, flashing back to the questions of knights and dragons she had to read through. "Hey, did you hear they're looking for a new tech producer for iCarly? You should try out."

"I was thinking about it," the young man replied. "But, I don't know."

"Why not?" the golden-haired young woman insisted. "You're great with cameras and special effects. You'd be perfect."

Freddie bit his lip, trying to keep from smiling. "I'll think about it," he gave in. It's only my dream...Images danced in the boy's head; being close to Carly, working with special effects and equipment for hours, editing footage, and being a part of a hilarious web show. Auditions were in five days. That meant five days to get ready; five days to make or break the chance at a dream.

"How was Addie doing today?" Ms. Benson asked her son, setting a plate of cookies on the coffee table before him.

"Thanks, Mom," the young man said. "She was doing okay. Had some trouble with bullies again."

"That poor girl," the boy's mother declared. "She's so nice. Why would anyone treat her like that?" Freddie looked down, shaking his head to answer.

Sitting in his bedroom, Freddie flicked on a switch and watched a projection of his family running through the park; The images were comforting, though their loss and the loss of those times truly hurt. The boy then dawned his headphones, and turned on a recording of "In My Arms". Gazing at the peaceful images dancing on the ceiling, the young man set his arms at his side, and slowly fell asleep.

Walking down a seemingly endless road, the rest of the world in a blurr, Freddie breathed in the cool, fresh air, and continued on his way. Each yellow brick glistened under the pure light of the sun, and the crisp smell of autumn filled the air. Tucking his hands in his pockets, the young man watched the blue sky fade into the awe-inspiring scarelt horizon over an emerald-hued city.