Serendipity (Book 2)

iShould've Told You by Edio

Chapter 8

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Freddie Benson woke up to a new day. For the first time in months he felt rested. It was a good way to wake up. He shrugged off his sheets and rolled out of bed. The air in the room was stale so he opened a window to let some fresh air in. The outside air was chilly but it did little to dampen his spirits today. The sounds of a waking city flooded his room as he leaned out and smiled - mornings after a storm always felt brighter. There was a knock on his door.

"Are you up, sweetie?" his mom asked.

"Come in." he answered.

Marissa Benson smiled widely as she walked in and gave him hug. "Good morning, dear." Freddie even allowed her to ruffle his hair like she did when he was little with no complaint. It amazed Freddie how much his mom had changed. He felt ashamed thinking about what he put her through for so long, but Freddie was glad to see joy and hope in his mom's eyes again. "Sam left a message on the machine just now when I was getting the paper. She said she'll meet you over at Carly's. She tried to call you but your cell still wasn't working. She's such a nice girl." Some of the changes were definitely weird, Freddie admitted - creepy even. He couldn't have imagined his mom saying anything nice about Sam just a day ago. He told his mom last night about everything - especially how Sam played a role in his decision to go to Maryland. Marissa Benson was definitely grateful to Sam for that. She looked him over critically. "Are you sure you don't want to go back to sleep? It's ok for you to miss school today. I know you've been exhausted lately."

"No mom, I'm fine," he reassured her. "I actually feel really good. Besides," he grinned sheepishly, "I have some important stuff to take care of."

Marissa put her palm on his cheek and smiled knowingly. "I'm glad." She turned to leave and said, "I'll be making breakfast before I go out to see Dr. Sorensen. So tell me what you want."

"Coffee, bacon and eggs," Freddie asked hopefully. His mom arched her eyebrow at that. "Soy milk, whole grain toast and fruit then," he corrected. She nodded and walked out of his room. Some things won't change, he guessed. He shrugged and headed for the shower.

In the shower, he thought of how he would tell Sam and Carly about his decision. He was sure Spencer was right about how they would react. He was done thinking negatively, so he put it out of his mind for now. He let the hot water sluice away all the tension in his body. When he finished, he dried off and pulled on his jeans. He headed downstairs shirtless with a towel around his shoulders. His mom had left him his breakfast on the table with a note that simply said I'll talk to you after school - Love, Mom. Freddie was only able to take a few bites before something banged loudly against his front door. Startled, he called out, "Hello?" The only answer he got was another set of sharp bangs. Frowning, he got up and walked to the door. The banging continued. Freddie peered through the peep hole and saw a blond head on the other side. There was no mistaking who it was. He opened the door quickly and stood before Sam.

She stopped banging in mid swing and dropped her arms to her sides. She was looking down at the floor so her face was hidden by her hair. Sam didn't look up at him but Freddie could see her shoulders shaking. "Sam?" Alarmed, he put his hands on her shoulders and asked, "Are you alright?"

Whatever her response might have been, Freddie didn't hear it. The next few seconds became a blur. He tasted bile in his mouth and he coughed as the acid seared his throat. He couldn't tell whether his eyes were watering from that or from the excruciating pain that suddenly bloomed in his abdomen. Not sure if he was ever going to be able to breathe again, he gulped a lungful of air. Something else slammed into his side and that took the air out of him again. He blinked rapidly and the room finally swam back into focus. He lay crumpled on his side on the floor. The first sound that assaulted his ears was someone screeching, "ARE YOU FUCKING KIDDING ME!" He stared up at Sam who still had he fists balled in a rage. She looked like a madwoman. The rest of her words were incoherent. He also wished whoever it was that was groaning would stop, until he realized it was coming from him.