I'm back with chapter thirty nine. I hope you guys enjoy it.

To My Reviewers:

brightshadow16: Thanks for saying so. Sam is one of favorite characters to write because there are so many layers to her besides being the tough and agressive tomboy.

White Firebird: Thanks for reviewing. A lot of people want Sam and Freddie to be back together...But we'll just have to see. ^^

sockstar: Right now there isn't even suspisions, so they might not find out soon...or at all...

XxXDukeOfAwesomenessXxX: Thanks for reviewing and no I think that the next new episode comes on this weekend, I think.

xTheDarkPrincess02x: Thanks for reading, it's always nice to have a fan like you.

MissSteffy: I like to create original stories. After all, what's the point of writing a story that's already been written. Thanks for reading and reviewing.

Kirsti-Anna3567: I like how Nevel's sort of the relief in the story. That's not a lot of angst when it comes to him. Thanks for reading and I hope not to disapoint you.

discostick0shalala: Sam is very troubled, as you can tell, and will go very far to exercise her anger and whether or not she has control is sometihng to be debated.

Crazii-fan4all: It is updated, my friend.

AlexLuvsAirwalks: I don't think it'll leave damage, so go for it if you want to. Keep on reading and I'll keep on updating.

what_lurks_beneath: I'm sorry about that. I hope things get better. :( Annoyingly happy stories irritates me. I like a book with at least a little bit of angst. I hope you keep on reading and reviewing.

-Seddie-Rulez-: You got that right, smart one. ^^ Keep on reading.

Roseheart: Thanks for reviewing. I like how you point out little things that not a lot of people notice or recognize. I hope you keep reading and reviewing and that this chapter does not disapoint.

Chapter Thirty-Nine: City of Sin

I opened my eyes as I looked around. I saw my stepfather next to me. He was wearing a bathrobe and the newspaper was in his hand. He hasn’t changed since the last time I saw him. He still had messy black hair, angry eyes, and that disgusting disfigurement on his face. He opened the door to the house and stared at me, “Well, come on in…” He went inside the house.

I sighed as I got off the swing and went inside the house. It was a beautiful home, like something out of Better Homes And Gardens Magazine. It was clean and it smelt of bleach and Frebreeze. Lewbert turned to the staircase and screeched again, “Marissa!” I then heard my mother, “I just got out of the shower, honey! I’ll be down in a minute.” Lewbert grunted as he sat down in the living room and opened the paper. Hesitantly, I sat down on the couch. Lewbert glanced up from his paper and stared at me.

I looked down, self-consciously. “…Cheated on her again, did you?” Lewbert asked, referring to the bruises.. I glared at him, offended. Lewbert smirked at my reaction and turned back to the paper. I faintly heard the sound of a hair dryer. Then a door opening. Closing. Feet going down the stairs. “Now, what’s the matter?” I heard my mother ask as she went into the living room.

She stopped short as she saw me. She looked at me with a look of surprise. I smiled slightly, “Hi, Mom…” She let out a cry as she ran over to me, “Oh sweet Jesus! My baby!” She hugged me and pulled me up, “Oh, my sweet little boy. It’s been so long!” I winced slightly as she put pressure on some of my wounds, but it still felt good to be hugged by her, “It’s nice to see you, too.” She pulled away, “Oh, let’s look at you.” She took my hand and raised my arm as she looked over me, “Oh, look at you. You are absolutely filthy. When’s the last time you took a shower? And your clothes…These are the same that you wore in high school. Where’s your self-respect? Oh, and you’ve gotten so thin…” I muttered under my breath, “Not really…”

My mother then put her hand on my cheek, caressing it. She looked at me with a look of sadness, “My…my baby…It’s been so long…You need a tick bath.” I groaned at that, “Mom. I’m a grown man. I don’t need a tick bath.” Lewbert added, “Well, they say that if you lie with dogs, you get ticks.” He laughed, obnoxiously at his joke. I balled my fists at the joke, offended by it. I have had enough. “This was a stupid idea,” I said as I went to leave the house. My mother kept her firm grip on my wrist, “No, don’t go. Lewbert doesn’t mean anything by it…Just, go take a shower, baby, and I’ll cook you something to eat.” I sighed, “Alright…” She smiled at me as she pointed upstairs, “Last door on the-“ I interrupted her, “I remember where the bathroom is.” She sighed and said, “Okay…There’s clothes in your old bedroom.” I nodded, “Thanks.”

I went up the stairs and I started to hear Lewbert. “He’s not going to lay one hand on the remote.” I heard him say. I sighed as I opened the door to my old bedroom. I haven’t been to this bedroom in years, ever since I was eighteen.

I had left Sam a few days after graduation. The pain of Carly’s death really started kicking in and I couldn’t deal with Sam anymore. I left to Nevada. Unfortunately, I hated being in the same room as my stepfather more than I hated being in pain. After a few days, I went back to Washington. I didn’t tell her that I had gone to Mom’s. Sam promised me that she would never hurt me again if I promised that I would never leave her again.

Three weeks later, I went to the hospital after I “fell down the stairs” and broke four of my ribs.

I looked around my room and opened the closet. I pulled out some clothes and I went into the bathroom. I took off my shirt and that’s when I noticed the full-length mirror in the bathroom. I took a closer look at the bruises on my chest. They were all a mixture of colors like a sick painting. They made my skin look even whiter. The only things that looked better were my eyes. They were gaining back their usual white color. I sighed as I unbuttoned my jeans and slipped them down. The harsh sound of metal hitting linoleum caught my attention. I pulled the hip flask out and set it on the counter in the bathroom. I turned the water on in the shower and started to wash the dirtiness off my body. I winced as I realized that some of the pain was really kicking in now. My back was stinging, my stomach felt like it was on fire, and the bruises on my body really hurt.

After half an hour, I got out of the shower and dried myself. I started to put on my clothes afterwards. As I slipped on my jeans, I frowned at the difficulty I had buttoning them. I sucked in my stomach, but it did little to help. I found my self squirming and jumping like a teenage girl trying to fit into the cutest pants at the store. Finally, I got the jeans on. Sam was right. I am gaining weight and getting fat.

I sighed as I left the bathroom, deciding to leave my old clothes in the bathroom. I walked downstairs to the dining room. You would have thought that Mom was cooking for a family of twelve the amount of food she had on the table. She and Lewbert were at the table and I sat down near my mother. “So, what do you want?” Lewbert asked. I have to say that he can really get to the point. My mother glared at him, “Don’t be so rude.” Lewbert asked, mockingly, “Oh, excuse me? I hurt the poor boy’s feelings? I am so sorry.” Mom sighed as she continued to eat. I poked around at my food. I wasn’t that hungry. I’m not a real breakfast person and I need my alcohol to jumpstart my appetite.

My mother put her hand on my shoulder, “You don’t have to tell us…” I looked at her and sighed, “I need some time away from Sam…” My mother sighed in relief, “Good…Good, good. Well, you can stay here for as long-“ I interrupted her, “No, I wasn’t wondering if you could loan me some money.” Lewbert grunted in satisfaction as he smirked at me. My mother looked at me, “Money? You know that I can’t trust you with money. You’ll end up buying some fancy laptop.” I nodded, slightly. There again was Mom…making every decision for me.

“Just stay here for a few days,” my mother said, placing her hand on my shoulder. Her voice said “That really wasn’t an offer. You’re going to stay here because I’m your mother and I know what is good for you.” I groaned, “Ugh…Fine…” Lewbert glanced at my mother who in return shot daggers at him. I went to get my drink and I heard my mother, “Freddie…Is that a wedding band?” I looked down at my ring finger. I still had my gold wedding band on it, “Yes…”

“FREDWARD BENSON! YOU GOT MARRIED AND YOU DIDN’T EVEN TELL ME ABOUT IT?!” My mother demanded to know. Her harsh voice shook the bottom of my soul as I looked away from her. “Pretty much…” I said, tenderly, while Lewbert was laughing in his seat at the scene. An atmosphere of anger came from my mother so I decided to stand up and leave the room. “Sit down,” She said, sternly. I, immediately, sat down at her command. “Roll over,” Lewbert joked. “Leave,” My mother said, glaring at Lewbert. He smirked as he stood up and left the room with his plate of food. “Why did you not tell me?” She asked. “Because this was how you would react,” I explained to her. My mother said, angrily, “What do you expect? How could you be so stupid, Freddie?”

I looked down, timidly. I shrugged, “Well…we’ve been together for over five years…” My mother said, like I was an idiot, “She is insane, Freddie.” I shook my head in denial, “No, Mom. She’s not crazy. I love her.” She replied, “That woman is dangerous. All she does is hurt you. You could have-“ She was interrupted by a voice.

“Freddie’s here?”

I turned to the direction of the voice. It was by the staircase. I saw her. Valerie. We exchanged looks and she smiled. She went down the stairs and walked over to me. She hugged me, “Freddie…Little brother…” I blushed slightly. That was her nickname for me when we became stepsiblings. “Val, you’re only one year older than me…” I commented, looking at her. She didn’t change a lot except for the fact that there was something different about her. Maybe it was her turtleneck. The Valerie I knew never wore turtlenecks. “Valerie, go back to your room,” My mom said, still angry with me. “I’m twenty-two, Marissa, I don’t take orders from you,” Valerie said coolly as she let me go. She looked me over and sighed, “Freddie…I’m so happy that you’re back…” She then took my hand and looked at my wedding ring. Her eyes lightened in surprise and she began to fake a smile, “Who…who is the lucky girl?” Like she didn’t already suspect it. “Sam…” I answered. Valerie closed her eyes and sighed, “Freddie…Freddie….How could you be so stupid?” I groaned that this deju vu. I wasn’t in the mood for this. “Mom, Valerie, why are you two acting like this?” I asked. They then looked at each other and then at me. “She’s a psycho,” Valerie said, “She hurts you. She abuses you. Do you not remember that or has she hurt you so much that you can’t even remember? We haven’t heard from you in over a year….I thought that something happened.” I shook my head as I realized that I had to get out of this. “She’s stopped…” I lied. My mother raised her eyebrow, “Stopped?” I nodded, “Yeah, yeah. She doesn’t hurt me anymore…She’s…taking these…anger management classes. She really loves me. That’s why she took those classes.”

They both looked like they wanted to believe me, so they just smiled and sighed with relief. My mother asked, “But why are you here? Are you and Sam having troubles?” I lied, “We just need a break from each other.” Valerie then asked, “What about the bruises?” Damn, I forgot about those. I said, “I fell down the stairs.” They looked at me with the eyes that wanted to believe my story. Valerie said, “Well, if Marissa and Dad are letting me stay here, they should let you stay.” I nodded, “That’s fine with me…I won’t stay longer than I have to, though.” Marissa looked at the direction of the living room, “Honey, you should be going to work!” Lewbert cried out in irritation before going upstairs. Mom smiled as she looked at the two of us, “I have to go to work, too. Are you fine by yourselves?” Valerie nodded, “Yeah…Freddie and I need to catch up.” Mom smiled and then went to clean up breakfast. Valerie grabbed a plate as she cleaned up and started eating. Mom left the room, humming softly.

“Let’s go into the living room,” Valerie said as she looked at me. “Okay,” I said as we left the room. We both sat down at the couch. “How have you been?” I asked, eager to get the attention away from me. Valerie shrugged, “I’ve been okay…Unlucky in love, but other than that, I’m fine.” I smiled at her as I moved closer to her. She felt warm and for some reason, I was getting cold. Valerie asked, “So why haven’t you called us?” I sighed and lied, “Oh, well, I’ve been very busy lately…”

The truth was a mixture. Partially, I didn’t want to talk to my mother. The other reason was a sort of unspoken rule that Sam had. Sort of like me being trapped in the apartment. No, trapped is the wrong word…If you are content where you are, is it still trapped?…Hm…Anyway, I don’t really call anyone. Sam threatened that she would check the phone bill randomly to see if I was calling anyone she didn’t approve of. One of those people was my mother.

There was an awkward pause before Valerie said, “I’m not going to stay here long…I’m only staying here until I find a place of my own. I just finished college.” I smiled at her, “Congratulations. What did you major in?” Valerie smiled, “Business. I want to be a CEO…What about you? Are you going to film school?” I shook my head, “No, I’m not…I want to, but Sam and I can’t afford it.” Valerie said, “I’m sure that Marissa will loan you money.” I shook my head, “No…I couldn’t ask her to do that.” I didn’t want to ask her for more money than I had to. I still had a bit of pride in myself.

Valerie had changed from our first meeting. She no longer was a selfish backstabber. Her mother’s death gave her a wake-up call. She became nice and sweet. She was actually a pretty good person. We started to become pretty good friends. But that old Valerie will always be there. She will resort to immoral means to get what she wants.

Valerie finished her breakfast and went into the kitchen. I sighed as I got off the couch and went up to my bedroom. I went inside to look around. I sat down on my made bed and fell back on the pillow. I took in my surroundings and rolled over so that I was facing the left wall. I felt so comfortable. I heard a knock on my door. I heard Valerie, “Freddie?” I asked, “Yes?” She said, “I’m going out to run some errands…Will you be okay here by yourself?” I said, “Yes.” She then replied, “I’ll be out until one. Do you want me to pick you up some lunch?” I said, “No, I don’t want anything for lunch…” She paused a bit before saying, “Okay…See you later.” I heard her walk away.

I sighed as I began thinking about my family. My father, to be more specific. He died years ago. It was a car accident. He left my mother when I was ten. My mother and I took back her maiden name, Benson. His name was Connor Masters. His name sounded like he was some sort of rich socialite, but he was far from it. He wasn’t a snob. And he wasn’t mean, unless he was drunk. He was always there to protect me from my mother’s insane rules and theories about cleanliness.

“Messy, messy, messy…”

I don’t remember a lot of my father. He started drinking when I was four years old and he never wanted to spend time from me. I remember one day, when I was four. He had bought me a puppy, against my mom’s wishes. He and I played with it all afternoon. He told me that he was going to convince Mom that it was okay and how happy the puppy made me. I was so excited. Mom came home from work…

“Get that disgusting creature out of here!”

“For God sake’s Marissa, it’s a god damn pet. It’s not like Freddie’s going to get hepatitis from it.”

Mom kicked the dog out of the apartment and had the doorman take it back to the pet store. They had a loud and long argument that kept me up all night. Dad then went out to a bar and came back with enough vodka fill a fountain. He started to let Mom keep her grip over me and my life. He finally had enough of Mom, so he left. Mom fought for full custody and I only went to see Dad every other weekend. But Mom made me…she made me feel so guilty about seeing Dad…I finally said that I didn’t want to see him anymore. Then he died…It wasn’t that Dad was abusive. Don’t get me wrong. Dad never laid a hand on me or my mother. He was just…mean…uncaring…when he was drunk. Especially to me.

“I can’t hear you…I can’t hear you…I can’t hear you…I can’t hear you…”

I had to stop thinking about him. I could feel the tears in my eyes when I thought about him. I could never talk about my father to anyone. I had counselors ask about him, but I never told him about what sort of man he was. He was one of those people that you start to hate, but then he does something so kind that I feel awful that I would even begin to hate him.

I got off the bed and walked over to my bookcase. I looked around it and pulled off a book. I back down on the bed and started to read. It was one of those gothic fairy tales. Sam loved these. I sent her this book while she was in jail. She said that she read it every day. Sam was so weird during that time period. She got all…romantic and cultured. She wrote these letters to me while she was in jail. Carly would rip most of them up before I got the chance to read them, but they seemed to have been written by another person.

When I went back to her, I made her swear to never hurt me again. But that time was different. I forced her to take medication. Dynexifex. That’s what it was called. One pill every twelve hours, every day, with warm water. But it was a trial drug…There were problems that the doctor didn’t tell her about…

I felt the room blur around me and I began to close my eyes. I began to doze off. I felt my fingers lose their grip on the book. It slid down to my chest and I heard the thump of it falling on the floor. I laid down on the bed. My head rested on the pillow and I moved myself under the sheets. As soon as I got comfortable, I fell asleep. I then slipped into my dream world.

I was in a bedroom. It was a light yellow color on the walls. I looked around and I saw her sitting there. She was wearing a light blue dress, a frilly one. She was wearing black Mary Janes and white tights. Her face was pale with red lipstick. Her hair was nice and curly and bound tightly. She looked at me and blushed. I sat down next to her and put my hand on her cheek. She started to pull away. I frowned as I grabbed her wrist and placed my lips on her hand. She yanked the hand away and got off the bed. She walked over to the corner of the room. I went to follow her, but she disappeared.

I woke up an hour later. I found that I was twisted in the sheets and my pillow was on the floor. I bent down over the bed to pick it up and I set it on the bed. I got out of the bed and I ran my fingers through my hair. I walked out of my room and down the stairs. I sat down in the living room and sat down. God, I’m bored…

Valerie came back a half an hour later with some bags. She set it in the living room and looked at me, “You okay, Freddie?” I shrugged, “Somewhat.” She smiled slightly as she grabbed my wrist and pulled me up, “Ever been to the casinos?” I shook my head, “No.” She grinned as she pulled me out of the house and got into her car. I got in it with her. I wasn’t sure what she intended to happen. Maybe she wanted to make me feel better. She turned on her radio and drove down the road.

“So, Freddie, you’re still into that Shakespeare?” Valerie asked, trying to make conversation. “Yes,” I told her. There was a pause before Valerie said, “MacBeth is playing at the theatre near one of the casinos and it reminded me of you…Maybe we can go see it together.” I looked at her and smiled, “Like old times.” Valerie shrugged and said, “New times, Freddie. I don’t like thinking about the past.” I frowned at her tone and stared at the road. Valerie drove into the city and parked in a parking lot. It was around mid afternoon at this time. But still, there were bright lights and the sounds of chatter going through the city.

She took me inside the casino and went to get some chips. I glanced around at the slot machines and poker tables. I then noticed the large bar in the corner of the casino. I smirked, feeling the urge to drink a martini dryer than the Sahara. Valerie came back with the chips and said, “You look like a Blackjack guy.” I shook my head, “No. I don’t gamble.” She laughed, “Baby, you’re in Vegas now. You have to gamble.” She dragged me to a table and sat me down. I knew the basic game of it, so I was willing to at least give this insane plan a chance. I bet $20, wondering if I would win. The dealer gave me a ten of clubs and a two of hearts. “Hit me,” I told the man. A six of hearts. That means “18”…I was about to say, “Stay”, but I heard, “Hit me,” slip out of my mouth. Valerie glanced at me with disapproval.

A three of spades.

“Blackjack,” The dealer said, handing me a bunch of chips. “Whoa, for your first time,” Valerie said, impressed. I smiled at the amount of money I had now, “Yeah, well-“

“Yo, Freddie?! Is that you?” I heard someone say. I turned around and wouldn’t you believe it, there was Whitney. He walked up to me as I stood up. “Hey, man, how’s it going?” He asked me. “Fine, what are you doing here?” I asked. Whitney said, “I’m here for the free cheese sticks. Why do you think I’m here? I’m here for the moolah, the mighty dollar, cold hard cash. And the ladies, too.” He laughed and noticed Valerie looking at him. “Oh, I don’t believe that I’ve made your acquaintance.” He took her hand and shook it, “Whitney’s the name.” She smirked, “Valerie. I take it that you’re a friend of Freddie’s.”

Whitney smiled, charmingly, “We met in Oregon. Poor guy passed out in a bar.” She looked at me with her eyebrow raised, “Freddie, you drink?” I rubbed the back of my neck, nervously, “Yeah…” Whitney laughed, “Wow, did I just let the cat out of the bag? Oh, well, what’s done is done. So is this your lady?” Valerie shook her head, “No, step sister.” Whitney nodded, understanding, “Ah…Well, you know what. I’m heading over to a friend’s place. I’ll be back at seven. Why don’t we go out for drinks and Freddie will show you how he can knock back seven shots of vodka?” Valerie laughed, uncomfortably, “Um, well, I’m not sure that we can-“ I interrupted her, “Yeah, we’ll make it.” Whitney waved at us before leaving.

“Fredward? What’s this about you drinking?” Valerie asked. I sighed, “Valerie, it’s not that big a deal. I don’t drink a lot…It’s social, if anything.” Valerie stared at me, “You know that your mother isn’t going to like this.” I shot a glare at her, “I really don’t care what she thinks about it. I’m a grown man. I can do what I want.” She rolled her eyes, “Freddie…Silly little Freddie…” I hate how Valerie treats me like a child. I went to the bar, leaving Valerie at the blackjack table. I sat down at the bar and ordered a martini. I finished the glass within a few minutes.

“I just got a call from your mother,” I heard Valerie say as she approached me, “She wants you home.” I groaned as I got up from the barstool, “Finally.” She took me to cash my chips and took me back to my mother’s home. I offered the money to Valerie, but she refused it. I could tell that she was a bit ticked off with me, but she’ll get over it.

I went into the house and found my mother in the living room, vacuuming the carpet. I snuck by her and went upstairs to my room. I closed the door behind me and sat down on the bed. If I was going out tonight, I had to wear something more stylish than a Polo shirt and khakis. I look like I live with my mother…I looked around my closet and found a leather jacket. I threw it on the bed and grabbed a pair of ripped jeans. I got out a white shirt as well. I began to take off my clothes and I put on my new ones. These fit a bit better, but not by much. I better skip dinner. My growling stomach must have read my thoughts because it roared in protest. “Shut up,” I muttered, slapping my stomach into submission. I winced as I hit a tender part where Sam had hit me.

I had a few hours until I had to leave, so I went downstairs to the living room. “Fredward Benson,” I heard my mother say as she turned off the vacuum cleaner. I turned to her, “What?” She looked me over, “I know that you’re not going out wearing that. You look like a hooligan.” I rolled my eyes, “Whatever, Mom.” My mother looked at me sternly before she put the vacuum cleaner up. I went to sit down on the couch and I turned on the TV. She sat down next to me, “Freddie, I’m sorry if I sound harsh, it’s just that I want what’s best for you.” I glanced at her and then back at the television, pretending to watch it. “How was the wedding?” My mother asked, casually. “Wonderful,” I replied, not wanting to talk to her about it. “…I imagine that Sam pushed you into it,” She added. I glared at her, “No. I wanted to marry her. I love her. We’re going to spend our lives together.” My mother asked, “And what sort of life are you going to have with that woman? A sweet boy like you and trash like her do not belong together.” I said, angrily, “Don’t call her trash. She’s not trash.” My mother said as she stood up, “Freddie, I’m your mother. I know what is best for you.” I then snapped, “And I suppose that me staying here as your perfect little boy is what’s best for me. Well, I’m sorry, Mom, but that’s not happening.” My mother huffed as she left the living room. I laid down on the couch, feeling lazy. It felt nice to have this little break. Usually, I had to clean and cook for Sam.

Three hours past quietly and I finally left the house with Valerie. She finally resumed being friendly, so I guess that things are good between us two. We went to the casino we went to before and we met Whitney there. I went to the bar and Whitney challenged me to a drinking contest.

I…I can’t remember what happened after that.

Thank for reading and please review. Since my play is opening soon, I might not get chatper fourty up until late Novemeber or early December. So, until then...live long and prosper.