Carly looked up as the door to the apartment swung open. Someone was always walking into the apartment without knocking it was one of the reason's shed stopped walking around in her robe, the other reason lived across the hall and had a habit of walking into the things if she wasn't fully dressed when he came over. The reason in question loped through the door his eyes scanning the loft quickly and nervously as he closed the door behind him.
"Hey, Freddie." She said dog-earing her magazine before closing it and laying it on the coffee table. She couldn't help but smile at how nervous the geeky boy looked as he scanned the apartment yet again.
"Is Spencer here?" He asked finally sitting down on the couch facing the door.
"No, he went down to the scrap yard to look for sculpty stuff." She said turning to face her friend.
"What about Sam?" He asked looking around as if he expected the blond girl to drop from the ceiling and attack him.
"Gravy Dave's is having an all you can eat special; she'll probably be gone for a couple days." Carly said smiling brightly laughing quietly as an unabashed look of relief crossed Freddie's features.
"Can we talk?" He asked shifting in his seat.
"I thought we were."
"No I mean can we really talk?" He asked shifting again. Carly had known Freddie for a long time and he'd been in love with her for almost as long but she'd never seen him look quite so nervous.
"Yeah, what do you want to talk about?" She asked.
"Um…I have feelings for someone, but I don't think they like me back. I don't know whether or not to tell them." He said not looking her in the eye.
"Does this persons name rhyme with barley?" She asked rolling her eyes. "Because if that's it you don't really have to worry about it."
"No, it's not you." He said his voice beginning to sound frustrated. Carly's dark eyebrows rose towards her hair and her eyes widened.
"Really? You like someone else now." She asked her voice high and surprised.
"I've liked someone else for a while." He said nodding.
"What about the whole jumping in front of a truck for me and then dating me thing?" She asked cocking her head.
"I pushed you out of the way because you're my friend and I love you. I tried to date you because I thought it might make me happy enough to forget this other person." He said looking down at his hands clasped in his lap.
"So the whole 'me loving you for saving me' thing was an excuse?" She asked beginning to feel a bit irritated.
"Yeah, kind of, I'm sorry but I'm so confused right now and I need your help." He said fixing her with large brown puppy eyes. She wouldn't admit it readily but despite the fact that she really didn't have feeling for Freddie he had some of the prettiest eyes she'd ever seen.
"So who's this person you like? I can't help you if I don't know." She said her eyes latching onto his face.
"I can't really say, not yet." He said his eyes drifting over her shoulder to where Spencer's giant bottle robot stood.
"Does it rhyme with Spam?" She asked watching his face. His eyes snapped back to her as he scoffed.
"I'm not a masochist." Carly wasn't exactly sure what the word meant but she knew the reaction was genuine.
"Malika?" He shook his head. After a few more tries she'd exhausted the list of girls that Freddie had any interaction with. She was getting bored and irritated so she decided to tease the boy until he gave in and told her.
"Spencer?" She asked smirking as she said it hoping that Freddie would get irritated enough to spill. Instead he looking quickly away at a nearby acrylic gummy bear as bright red flush swept across the bridge of his nose. She stared at him silently for a moment her mouth hanging open and her eyes as wide as moons.
"What?!" She shouted jumping to her feet. Freddie jumped and fell off the couch quickly backpedaling out of reach. "What was that about?"
"I forget you're not Sam sometimes." He said staring up at her wearily. She reached a hand down to help him up.
"I'm not going to hit you because you like Spencer." She said as she helped pull him to his feet. The moment he was standing she took back her hand and slapped him on the shoulder.
"Ow, what happened to not hitting me?" He asked flinching away.
"Why can't you go crush one someone else's family?" She asked stalking into kitchen to the refrigerator.
"I didn't mean for this to happen." He whimpered after her. She grabbed a soda from the fridge and turned around her hair whipping out behind her. Freddie stood by the couch his shoulder slumped and his head hanging. She couldn't help but compare him to a kicked puppy and the irritation immediately started to drain away.
"How long?" She asked turning to grab another can out of the fridge. She handed it to the hangdog boy and nudged him towards the couch.
"Pretty much since the voice got deeper." He said glancing up at her through his bangs.
"Waite, you've liked Spencer all this time but kept chasing after me?" She asked popping the top of her can.
"I just wanted to be normal." He said running his thumb over the smooth, cold metal of the can. "I thought if I ignored it that it would go away, that my hormones were just messed up."
"No such luck?" She asked taking a long drink from the can.
"Nada." He said setting the can down and dropping his head in his hands. "You can't tell anyone!" He said sitting up quickly. "If Sam finds out she'll make my life even more miserable, and if my mom finds out she'll freak big time." Carly tried to imagine Mrs. Benson's reaction, all she got was an image of Freddie being carried away to a reeducation camp in the back of white van.
"I won't say anything."
"So what should I do?" He asked finally looking back up at her.
"What? How am I supposed to know? This is brand new territory, Freddie." She said throwing her hands up.
"You know Spencer." He said fixing her with his bright brown eyes again.
"Yeah, I know Spencer." She said setting her can down on the table. "I don't know if he likes boys, but I'm pretty sure he doesn't like little boys, Freddie." She said putting her hand on his knee. It was actually kind of relaxing to be able to touch the boy without worrying about leading him on.
"I'm not a little boy." He said glancing back up at her. The effect of the glare was kind of ruined by the fact his bottom lip jutted out.
"Maybe not, but Spence is still a lot older than you, Freddie. I mean like jail time old. Regardless of whether he likes boys or not I don't think he feels the same way." Carly said bracing herself.
"It's only twelve years." Freddie said defensively.
"Are you listening to yourself?" She asked snapping her fingers beside his head. He flinched again; she was really going to have to talk to Sam about lying off her favorite punching bag. "Even if you were a few years older it's still a way big age gap."
"I know." He said finally throwing his head back. Carly was startled to find tear stains running down his face. "You have no idea how much I wish it was almost anyone else in the world." Carly scooted closer the crying boy, closing the distance between them on the couch; she threw her arm around his shoulders and tucked him against her. She barely made out, "I just want to be normal," as he turned and buried his face against her neck.
"What's up nubs!" Sam walked through the door right then carrying a large tub of thick brown liquid that she sipped before closing the door behind her. She almost dropped the gravy when she saw Carly and Freddie on the couch. Freddie's face was pressed against Carly's neck and his shoulders shook violent as the small brunette rubbed circles on his back. "What happened, did he break a nail?" Sam asked as she flopped down in a chair.
"Not now, Sam, please?" Carly begged locking eyes with the blonde hell raiser. Sam shrugged and pulled a biscuit out of the roomy pockets of her cargo shorts. She dipped it in the gravy before taking a large bite out of it. After awhile Freddie pulled away from Carly swiping at his now bloodshot eyes. He took one weary look at Sam and stood up from the couch.
"I've got to go home." He said quickly his voice was raw and cracked halfway through the sentence. He rushed out of the room, almost running as he slammed the door behind him. The moment the door closed Sam sat up straighter in her chair.
"Spill." She demanded as she locked eyes with her best friend.
"I can't, I promised I wouldn't say anything." Carly said crossing her arms and cementing an obstinate look on her face.
"Fredward's a homo isn't he?" She asked slouching back in her chair.
"No…of course not…how did you know?" Carly blustered.
"He kisses like a girl." Sam said simply taking another bite of her biscuit
"No he doesn't…how would you know?" Carly asked turning towards Sam who just shrugged and pulled another biscuit out of her pocket.
"You're not going to tease him over this are you? He's already having enough problems." Sam didn't get a chance to answer because the phone rang just as she opened her mouth. Carly jumped up and grabbed it off the cradle.
"Hello, Shay residence." She said after she hit the talk button.
"What did you do to my little boy, you horrible girl, he just came home crying." Mrs. Benson's sharp voiced shrilled through the phone.
"I didn't do anything to Freddie, Mrs. Benson. He's just having….girl trouble." Carly amended at the last minute.
"Since the moment he met you, you've been the girl trouble, Carly Shay. You got his boy juices all stirred up then you almost got him killed. I don't know if I can take this much longer." The woman's voice sounded tired and Carly knew she loved her son even if her way of showing it bordered on psychotic. She found it ironic that it wasn't actually her fault for stirring up Freddie's 'boy juices' but the irony wasn't enough to outweigh what Freddie was going through.
"I'm sorry Freddie's upset but I swear it's not me this time, Mrs. Benson."
"Is it that little blonde hell hound? Has she been picking on Freddie again?" Carly almost laughed at Sam's being described as a hell hound but she knew it wouldn't help the situation. "No it's not Sam's fault this time either, surprisingly enough, Freddie's got a lot on his mind. I'm sure if you leave him alone for a little while he'll feel better." She said trying to sound as soothing as possible.
"I don't know what's going on but I don't like it, but I guess there's nothing I can do about it, he's gone in his room and pushed the dresser in front of the door." Carly didn't like the sound of that either.
"Um… Mrs. Benson, do you mind if we come over and talk to him?" Carly said quickly trying to keep the fear out of her voice.
"I guess that'll be okay." The woman said grudgingly. Carly hung up the phone and grabbed Sam's arm dragging her from her chair.
"What? What's going on?" The blonde girl asked as Carly drug her towards the front door.
"Freddie went in his room and bushed the dresser in front of the door. I'm afraid he's going to do something stupid." Carly said her voice catching.
"Shiz!" Sam snapped jumping in front of the brunette and slamming the Benson's door open so hard it banged back against the wall. Mrs. Benson was standing by her son's bedroom door hugging herself and gently rubbing her hands over her arms. Sam ran across the room and hammered on the door. "Freddie, open this door, right now!"
"Freddie, please come out." Carly said from a few feet away as she tried to comfort his mother. They waited for a few moments but there was no sound from inside the room.
"Benson if you don't open this door I'm coming in there and pounding on you!" Sam said pounding on the door again so hard that it jumped on it's hinges. There was still no sound and Carly could feel her pulse speeding against her throat. Finally Sam took a step back and landed a hard kick on the door. The wood around the latch splintered and the door flew inward. The dresser screeched across the wooden floor as the force of the blow caused it to moved a few inches. Sam threw all her weight against the door and pushed in open, the dresser fell over. She jumped over it, Carly and Mrs. Benson following close behind. Freddie's bedroom was empty but the bathroom door was open a crack. Sam walked over and pushed open the door cursing.
Freddie lay naked in a tub full of pink tinged water. His skin was pale causing his dark hair to stand out startlingly. His lips were beginning to take on a bluish tint but Sam could see his thin chest shake as his lungs struggled to pump air. She reached into the bloody water and pulled the plug in the tub as she heard a strangled sob come from behind her. A few seconds later Mrs. Benson let out a ragged scream and tried to tear past Carly. As the pink water drained from the tub Sam wrapped her arms around Freddie's chest and tried to drag him out of the tub but even with her freakish strength she couldn't lift his unconscious weight. The water was gone but fresh, bright red still flowed from the ragged slices across his wrists and ankles. Carly was doing her best to restrain Mrs. Benson who was fighting like mad to get past her.
"Anybody home?" A familiar voice called from the living room. "The door's open."
"Spencer! Help!" Sam screamed still trying to get Freddie's limp wet form into her arms. Spencer bound into the room going pale as he watched his little sister struggle with his neighbor while Sam clung to a naked and bleeding Freddie.
"Oh god." He whispered before rushing past his sister and Mrs. Benson. He reached down into the tub and hooked one arm under Freddie's legs and the other behind his back. He lifted the boy's frighteningly heavy weight and headed back out the door. The three girls followed behind him. Sam was drenched and shaking ever so slightly. Carly was sobbing quietly while trying to comfort Mrs. Benson who had lapsed into an unintelligible keening sound.
"Whaheee!" Lewbert shouted as Spencer raced down the stairs into the lobby carrying the naked teenager.
"Shut up and call the fucking emergency room." Spencer shouted as he rushed out the door. His words were so quick and ferocious that Lewbert fell dead silent before grabbing up the telephone. When they got to the Benson's Prius Sam opened Mrs. Benson purse, which she had snagged on the way out of the apartment and pulled out the car keys. She opened the doors and climbed behind the steering wheel.
"Get in!" She snapped out the window as the older woman dithered near the passenger's side door. Mrs. Benson flinched but before pulling herself together and climbing into the car. Carly climbed into the rear passenger seat and grabbed Freddie's legs as Spencer climbed into the car still cradling the unconscious boy to his chest when he closed the door he let Freddie rest up against it for a moment while he tugged his shirt over his head. He quickly shredded the cotton into strips and handed half to Carly as he began tying the bands around the wounds on Freddie's wrists putting as much pressure as possible. Carly watched for a moment before bandaging the thin ankles that rested in her lap.
When the got to the hospital there were already nurses and doctors waiting by the door with a gurney. They took Freddie away from Spencer and deposited him on the wheeled bed before whisking him off into the recesses of the hospital Mrs. Benson close behind. Spencer stood in the sudden vacuum caused by their departure staring down at the too bright blood on his hands. Now that they were at the hospital and saving Freddie was no longer her responsibility Sam slumped to the sidewalk tremors running through her muscles. Carly sat down beside her and wrapped her arms around the shaking girl pressing her into Sam's curls as she began to cry. After a few moments Sam turned and wrapped her arms around her friend and for the first time tears started welling up in her eyes. Spencer stood still staring at the blood on his hands.