Serendipity (Book 1)

iDefine Love by xxkissfromarosex

Chapter 2: Mrs. Benson

Ms Benson understood that sometimes she could be a tad overbearing. Maybe vacuuming Freddie's ears whilst he was sleeping wasn't always the best approach, and seeing as he was almost sixteen, maybe giving him tick baths every month wasn't always appropriate.

But at least she cared. Unlike his father.

He'd skipped out on them when Freddie was two, without so much as a goodbye. She struggled to come to terms with his disappearance, and still wondered about him to this day. He wasn't worth it, and she knew it. Yet Ms Benson was sure he took some of her heart with him.

That was why she kept a close eye on Freddie. To keep him close, to make sure he didn't throw back sixteen years of love in her face, like his father had done.

She watched her son fall in some sort of 'love' with Carly, and Ms Benson couldn't help feeling some resentment towards her. Carly had made her little boy grow up fast, and although she was proud of the man Freddie was becoming, sometimes she longed for him to need her like he'd needed her when he was five.

Carly was a nice girl. Sam, on the other hand, was not.

The rambunctious, spirited, and downright destructive girl that Carly called her friend. Freddie'd often come home with his clothes torn in half, or his homework ripped up, or with just a general annoyed expression on his face. She'd take one horrified look at him, and they'd both speak the same word.

"Sam."

She needed no explanation.

She'd met Sam for the first time at Carly's fourteenth birthday party. She'd never actually seen iCarly, instead merely content on hearing Freddie gush about it after the show. She was going the Shay's apartment to give Freddie his ointment, and Sam had answered the door. Immediately, Ms Benson was surprised at how pretty she was. Freddie had described her with less-than-flattering words, and Ms Benson had expected something close to a monster. This couldn't be Sam, could it? She'd thought, pondering wildly.

The petite blonde's expression turned sullen as she cocked an eyebrow. "Yeah?"

"Freddie forgot his ointment," Ms Benson offered the small package to her. A smile spread onto the blonde's face, as she titled her head.

"Fredward! You're crazy mom's here to give you your ointment!" She shouted; making the guests giggle as Ms Benson spotted her son fllushing a deep red. Freddie advanced towards the door, scowling at the blonde.

Ms Benson came to the conclusion that this was Sam.

Glad she could put a name to the face, she wondered how this girl could ruin Freddie's life like she did. What had Freddie done to her, exactly? Ms Benson had raised her son to act like a gentleman at all times, even when it came to demons like Sam. He didn't provoke her, did he?

Ms Benson noticed that, gradually, he seemed to soften towards her. Ms Benson assumed she was laying off him slightly also, as it was now only a rare occurrence for him to stomp home upset. She didn't know what had happened, but she was glad for it. She was going to name 'maturity' for this, but she had another idea.

Unfortunately, she had a tendency to be...nosey.

She remembered letting Sam in one night; her face surprisingly sombre and apologetic. Ms Benson, who had been worried about her son's abnormal behaviour all week, had ushered her in and told her where to find Freddie. He was sitting on the fire escape, music drifting from his PearPod, watching the sun go down. She watched Sam tap the window tentatively, shooting him a tiny smile. Ms Benson hovered around the corner, hoping that Sam wouldn't go crazy and shove Freddie off the balcony. They were out there for about two minutes before Ms Benson could hear what they were saying.

"...That we should kiss?" Sam's tone of voice was oddly light. Ms Benson had to clutch onto the wall, her eyes popping open. She didn't hear Freddie's repsonse, but judging by Sam's sudden movement over to the stairwell, she assumed that he had agreed. She managed to crane her neck closer, just seeing what they were doing.

Her son was kissing Sam.

Her own jaw went slack. They pulled apart after about seven long seconds, an awkwardness settling over them. Ms Benson saw Sam get up, which caused alarm bells to ring in her head. She scrambled back to the kitchen, wielding a knife and furiously chopping a potato. Sam wandered past, offering her a little wave and leaving their apartment.

Freddie followed after about five minutes. Ms Benson shoved the potato in the oven and waited for him to say something.

"What's for dinner?"

"Potato soup," She said, hoping to sound nonchalant. "What did Sam want?"

"She just wanted to apologise for something." Freddie explained, his voice ambiguous. But as he turned to his room, Ms Benson couldn't help observing his expression read something that she hadn't seen for a while. He looked happy.

This, in turn, made her smile.

She wasn't Carly. Definitely not. Sam could be mean, and had no concept of manners, and sometimes Ms Benson really wondered about her sanity.

Sam and Freddie were completely different people. But, if Ms Benson really tried, she supposed could get used to Sam Puckett.

Because she wasn't all that bad, if you really got to know her.