Chapter 8. –It doesn't matter

It doesn't matter who hurt you, or who broke you down. What matters is who made you smile again.

~Author Unknown

"I can't believe it. I just can't believe it!" Spencer was pacing through the room. "I'm going to call child protection." Mrs. Benson said, while carefully picking all of the tiny pieces of glass out of my arm. I swear, sometimes it actually came in handy to have a nurse living across the hallway –although I wouldn't admit it.

"No you won't." I said. "Firstly, I'm not a child –I'll be eighteen next month, and second, I don't need protection! I'll just, never go near her again, is all." "Well of course you're never going near her again!" Spencer shouted with a shaking voice.

"But…" Mrs. Benson began again. "Mom, she doesn't want that, let it be!" Freddie said. "Okay! Okay, I won't call child protection." She gave in. "But that woman needs help –she's an alcoholic!" she decided. Spencer flinched. "That woman doesn't need help, that woman deserves death! I'll kill her myse…"

"Spencer!" Freddie interrupted him. "For once, I'm going to be with my mom on this one. Mrs. Puckett is an alcoholic, she needs help." Mrs. Benson didn't even comment at the 'for once'. I sighed. "Okay, maybe you're right. But I'm not going to be the one giving her that help!" I said firmly.

"Me neither!" Spencer said immediately. "No, of course not!" Freddie said. "None of us would want to do that, and besides, she needs professional help –some institution. Now, mom, you can make sure someone gives her that, right?"

"Yes, I got connections at the hospital." Mrs. Benson agreed. "Okay, dear, this may sting a little." She continued nursing my arm. Luckily, the cuts weren't that bad. And I even had a professional removing the glass. It was supposed to be all better in just a few days.

"I still can't believe I let you go in there alone." Spencer whispered. "If only I had gone with you, maybe…" "I wouldn't have let you come with me, anyway!" I cut him off. "Spence, this isn't anybody's fault, okay? Don't blame yourself!"

"Do we need to go to a hospital or something, or…?" Freddie asked. "No, I think she'll be just fine." Mrs. Benson said. "It was just a minor injury. Keep the bandage on it for a week, just so there won't be any infections. But otherwise, you're okay, Samantha."

"Sam." I corrected. She knitted her brows. "Sam." She repeated. I looked at the bandage on my arm. It was wrapped tightly around the wound, but not so tight it hurt. "Thanks Mrs. Benson." I whispered. Her face expression softened. "You're welcome Samantha. -I mean Sam." I couldn't help but smile at her.

Spencer got up and paced to the kitchen. "I'll go make dinner." He mumbled. Freddie and I shared a concerned look. We all knew Spencer could set anything on fire, but kitchen-stuff were his specialty. And especially when he was angry.

"Yeah, why don't we order a pizza or something, okay?" Freddie said quickly. His mother didn't seem too amused with this turn of events, but she also didn't argue, so I saw that as permission to grab my cellphone and call my favorite pizza-dude.

We spent the rest of the night together. And although the pizza was delicious and the company was good, it wasn't as cozy as it normally was, it was quieter. It was like nobody felt at ease. I decided to leave for bed early.

"Hey, I'm going to turn in, so…" I stood up. "But Sam, don't you want to skype with Carly tonight? We always do." Spencer said. I sighed. I didn't feel like talking to Carly. Or to anyone, really. Plus, I knew I'd have to tell her about my mom. If I wouldn't bring it up myself, she'd ask.

"Yeah, I know." I said. "Sam, she's going to have to know tonight. Whether you'll tell her, or I." Spencer said. "I know." I sighed again. "I'll tell her myself."

If there was one thing I'd hate more then to be forced into talking to Carly about what happened with my mom, it would be knowing Spencer was telling Carly about it. He was a good friend and I loved him very much. But I just knew that he was going to blow this whole thing out of proportion and have Carly worried sick.

If I'd tell her myself, Spencer was probably still going to blow it out of proportion and I was also pretty sure Carly would be worried sick either way. But at least she would first see me being okay, and that counted for something.

"Well then, it's almost 10, which means about six in the morning there, so let's get our butts behind that computer and get it over with. She's probably up and awake already. " I said, cheerier then I felt. Freddie got up and started the program. Not too much later, the familiar voice of Carly Shay echoed through the apartment.

"Hey you guys! How's it going in America?" "We're doing fine, how are things down in Italy?" Freddie asked. "Great!" I could see she wasn't about to make small talks. "Sam? How was your day?" she asked carefully.

I smirked. "Not too well." I bit my lip. "Oh, no, Sam. What happened?" she said worriedly. "My, eh... she was… she was drunk, so..." I knew what to tell her. The words just wouldn't come. "So, well, she got angry, told me to leave, so… I left." I said with a 'simple as that' tone of voice.

Carly, tough, did not seem to be satisfied. And if I would have looked around me, I would have seen by the faces of the other people in the room that they weren't either. "Sam, what happened to your face? Your cheek's bruising." She said.

"Oh, yeah, as I said, my mom and I had a fight." I said, knowing exactly how she'd react. Her mouth dropped. "Your mom did that?" she said incredulous. "It's not that bad." I tried to convince her. Spencer couldn't hold himself back anymore.

"Not that bad? Carly, she hit her in the face! And look!" he jammed my sleeve up, to show Carly the bandage. "Look what she did!" Spencer said raging. "Spence, would you calm down, I was going to tell her that!" I said. He backed off.

"I'm sorry." He whispered. "I'm just…" he shook his head. "Sorry." Carly had tears in her eyes. "Sam? What did she do?" she whispered. "Carls, listen to me," I started "it's really not that bad. Mrs. Benson here is a nurse, and she told me herself that it was just a minor injury, you understand? It's not that bad."

Carly's eyes grew wide, but she nodded. "But what did she do?" she emphasized the word 'what'. "She hit me with bottle, the glass got some cuts on my arm –not that big a deal." I said. The brown eyes on the computer screen filled themselves with tears again.

"Well I happen to think it is that big a deal." She said softly. I sighed. "Carly, I told you, I'm fine! Spencer already told me I can move in with him permanently, and we're just going to forget about her, okay? I'm fine –we're fine without her! Let's just forget about it all, okay?"

She nodded slowly. "Let's talk about something else. How was your day?" I asked. Carly nodded again and took a deep breath before throwing herself into some funny story about a school project that had failed miserably.

While she talked and we laughed, Carly's tears slowly vanished. And the thought of my mom sank away deeper and deeper into the depths of the oblivion.

Next chapter will be all about how Sam and Melanie became such close sisters!