God, she's a nutter thought Freddie furiously as he closed the door to his apartment. He stood in the hall, wondering where to go. Carly and Spencer were in Yakima for the day, but there was no way in hell he was going back home. He couldn't take any more of his mother's crazy right now. Oh, what the hell he thought. He rummaged through the plant in the hall until he found the Shay's spare key and unlocked the door. He closed the door behind him and plopped down on the couch, leaning his head back with a sigh. He sat there for a few moments, staring at the ceiling, unable to summon the energy to do anything else. He sat up and was pulling his PearPod out of his pocket when he heard someone fiddling with the lock. He froze, adrenaline pulsing through his veins as he looked around for a weapon to use against the potential burglar. He grabbed a fake lightsaber and ran to the kitchen, hiding behind the counter. He heard the door open, and whoever it was began walking towards him, their footsteps getting louder. Freddie took a deep breath and then leaped out from behind the counter with a primal yell, brandishing his lightsaber. Before he could process what was going on, he was pinned to the floor as Sam knelt over him, ready to beat him with the lightsaber.
"Freddie?" she asked, at the same time Freddie said "Sam?"
"What the hell are you doing here?" they yelled together.
"My mom" they both answered in unison, by way of explanation.
"You scared the crap out of me" Sam said accusingly, relaxing her stance and sitting back onto Freddie's stomach.
"Likewise" answered Freddie, still breathing heavily. "Uh, would you mind getting off?"
"Nope, you're comfy" Sam said, wiggling around.
"Do you enjoy getting half-digested prune pop projectile vomited on you?" Freddie asked angrily. "Cause if you don't, then I would suggest that you stop that"
Sam rolled her eyes, but got up and walked towards the kitchen. Freddie lay back on the floor for a few moments, catching his breath, before he stood up. Sam was standing at the island with a plastic container of leftover chicken kebabs, chewing rapturously. Freddie walked over and took one, dodging Sam's punch. One thing he could say about Sam, she certainly improved your reflexes. He walked over and sat back on the couch, picking up his PearPod from where he had dropped it in his haste to hide. As he untangled the earphones, Sam walked over and dropped down on the couch, lying down and plopping her feet in Freddie's lap. She pulled out her own PearPod and started listening, leaning her head back and closing her eyes. Freddie managed to get the earphones untangled and put them in, putting his PearPod on Shuffle and relaxing back.
Freddie's POV
Whew. My heartbeat was still faster than it should be as I leaned back and took a few deep breaths. The first song came on and I smiled a little to myself. I hadn't heard this song in ages.
She's cold and she's cruel but she knows what she's doing
I gave a little chuckle and snuck a glance at Sam, who was still leaning back with her eyes closed. Cold and cruel? That was Sam, alright.
She pushed me in the pool at our last school reunion
Pushed in the pool? Psh, child's play compared to what Sam did to me on a regular basis.
She laughs at my dreams but I dream about her laughter.
Laughs at my dreams – that sounds familiar. Dream about her laughter? Well I hated to admit it, but Sam did have an incredible laugh. When she laughed, she didn't give one of those dainty little giggles. No, she had a full belly laugh that always made me smile when I heard it. When she laughed, you knew that she really found something amusing and she didn't care who knew.
Strange as it seems, she's the one I'm after
The one I'm after? Okay, that part wasn't right. No. No no no. No?
Cause she's bittersweet, she knocks me off of my feet.
Yeah, literally knocks me off my feet. Bittersweet was a bit of a stretch – there was a lot more bitter than there was sweet.
And I can't help myself, I don't want anyone else
Actually, I do want anyone else. Well, maybe not anyone…
She's a mystery, she's too much for me
Mystery for sure. I never knew what she was all about, and I had a feeling that I never would. Too much for me? Well, not five minutes ago she tackled me and could probably have killed me (or caused serious internal damage) had she decided to use the lightsaber. Case in point.
But I keep coming back for more
Sad but true.
She's just the girl I'm looking for.
Eh, not so true. Actually, entirely false.
She can't keep a secret for more than an hour
Actually, she was surprisingly trustworthy. She never, ever told secrets. Unless, you know, you gave her laughing gas. Then all her secrets just came pouring out.
She runs on 100 proof attitude power
Attitude? The girl was nothing but attitude.
And the more she ignores me, the more I adore her
Well, not adore her per se. But it was sadly true that the more she ignored me, the more I made an effort for her to notice me. The more she ignored me, the harder I tried.
What can I do? I'd do anything for her
Well, not anything… But Sam had me wrapped around her finger and we both knew it. It was kind of pathetic the way I did almost whatever she told me to. I did it with an eye-roll and a shake of the head, but I still did it.
Cause she's bittersweet, she knocks me off of my feet
Well, maybe there was a bit more 'sweet 'in the bittersweet than I gave her credit for. She had been known to do nice things when the situation really demanded it. Or when she was dealing with Carly. Carly had her well-trained.
And I can't help myself, I don't want anyone else
There are a few people I want more. Like Carly, and…uh…
She's a mystery, she's too much for me
She will always be a mystery to me. And I will never be able to handle her. I just had to accept that.
But I keep coming back for more
I can't help it, okay? She's like a drug. She destroys me, but she's addictive. I need rehab. Sam-rehab.
She's just the girl I'm looking for
No. Not really. Right?
And when she sees its me on her caller ID she won't pick up the phone
Ugh, I hate it when she does that. She does it just to piss me off, I swear.
She'd rather be alone
She's so tough that she hates admitting to anyone when something's wrong. She thinks it shows weakness, so she never opens up to anyone. That's why when she confides in me, I know that despite all the torture, she actually doesn't hate me. When she came to me about Missy, I felt terrible for her but at the same time I got a sort of tingly feeling in my toes. She likes me, at least as a friend I remember thinking. Then I gave Missy the cruise to get rid of her. Carly was surprised, but I did it in a heartbeat. I would have given anything to make Sam happy. You want my kidney? Oh, both of them? Take them, Sam, they're yours. Just smile again. Please?
But I can't give up just yet
I can't but I should. There's no way she would ever choose me. Not in a million years. That's why I've been burying my feelings for her ever since we kissed.
Cause every word she's ever said is still ringing in my head. Still ringing in my head.
Every conversation, every word – I replay them in my head over and over, trying to glean any hidden meanings. Every compliment, every insult, every attack. I pick them apart, trying to find some subtle hints that she might like me. Something, anything, to keep this feeble, pathetic little hope alive.
She's cold and she's cruel but she knows what she's doing
Oh, she knows what she's doing alright. She knows exactly what to say and do to drive me crazy and keep me coming back.
Knows just what to say so my whole day is ruined
Seriously. She knows me so well that she knows exactly what to say to get me really riled up.
Cause she's bittersweet, she knocks me off of my feet
Damn her. Damn her to hell for making me like this.
And I can't help myself, I don't want anyone else
Okay, so sue me.
She's a mystery, she's too much for me
And I love it. I love how unpredictable she is, how I never know what she's thinking or what to expect. I love how she makes me try, and how she isn't afraid to be herself.
But I keep coming back for more.
Cause she's bittersweet, she knocks me off of my feet. And I can't help myself, I don't want anyone else. She's a mystery, she's too much for me.
I listened to the chorus and looked at Sam. She was lying on the couch, her eyes closed and her mouth moving slightly as she sang along to her PearPod under her breath. Her golden curls were spilling down her shoulders and the light from the window illuminated her smooth skin. Her tiny hands rested on her flat stomach where her shirt had ridden up and I could see her hipbones poking out of a strip of tan skin. She was beautiful.
But I keep coming back for more. Oh, I keep coming back for more.
And I always will. It's not my fault, it's hers. Blame her for being so amazing and spontaneous, and making me want to keep coming back to see what she will do next.
She's just the girl I'm looking for, just the girl I'm looking for. Just the girl I'm looking for, she's just the girl I'm looking for. Just the girl I'm looking for, just the girl I'm looking for.
But I will never, ever have her.
Sam's POV
Mmmm. This was nice, much better than being at home with my crazy mother and her new boyfriend. I snuggled back into the couch as the song I was listening to ended and a new one began. What the hell is this? I thought, not recognizing the beginning of the song. I checked the name, and recognized it as one of Melanie's songs. I was about to skip to the next song when the girl started singing, and I decided to leave it and see if the song was any good.
You wanna know more, more, more about me. I'm the girl who's kicking the Coke machine
Hah, that sounded like me. That can really hurt, by the way.
I'm the one who's honking at you cause I left late again
I snuck a glance at Freddie, laughing a little to myself. I do that all the time and it gets him really angry. It's fun to watch.
Hey! Hey! Hey! Could you see I want you by the way I push you away, yeah.
That also sounds like something I would do. Sam Puckett never shows vulnerability.
Don't judge me tomorrow by the way I'm acting today, yeah.
Oh, I hate when people do that. Just cause I do something today doesn't mean that I will do it tomorrow.
Mix the words up with the actions, do it all for your reaction, yeah.
Whoa. This girl and I are a lot alike.
Hey! Hey! Get tangled up in me.
Tangled up. What a perfect description of liking someone. Trapped and you can't get out. You wanna know more, more, more about me. Gotta know reverse psychology.
That just makes everything more fun. I snuck another glance at Freddie. I could tell that he was always trying to figure me out. Yeah, good luck with that Fredward.
I'm the reason why you can't get to sleep
As if. The only reason a girl like me would ever keep anyone awake was because they are too terrified to go to sleep for fear I will kill them or something.
I'm the girl you never get just quite what you see
This line describes me more perfectly than anything I have ever heard before. I'm not always the violent, sarcastic, rude girl I pretend to be. But nobody can ever know that, especially not Freddie. Hey! Hey! Hey! Could you see I want you by the way I push you away, yeah.
I can't help it. It's a self-defence mechanism.If I let you in, it only gives you the chance to hurt me.
Don't judge me tomorrow by the way I'm acting today
Please? Try and see that I'll be a different person tomorrow. Or at least, I'll try to be.
Mix the words up with the actions do it all for your reaction, yeah.
I have no choice. Whenever I slip up and let you know that I don't hate you, I have to counter it with something that makes you think I do. It keeps you confused, but it keeps me safe.
Hey! Hey! Get tangled up in me.
If only. The only reason you would get tangled up in me is because I'm a hopeless mess. You think that you know me, you think that I'm only tangled up in me.
You're wrong. I may seem that way, but that's only because I have always had to look out for myself. I didn't look after anyone else, and nobody else looked after me. As a result, when people try and take care of me I panic and push them out.
When everything I do is only to get tangled up in you.
So hopelessly tangled and unable to escape.
You wanna know more, more, more about me
Sit down, let's talk. Let me tell you everything. Only I won't, because I can't.
I'm the girl that's sweeping you off your feet.
No, just the girl that's trying not to get swept off hers. Hey! Hey! Hey! Could you see I want you by the way I push you away, yeah.
You know me better than anyone, which means that you can hurt me more than anyone else can. I want you, but I'm scared.
Don't judge me tomorrow by the way I'm acting today
One day I'll finally be brave enough to tell you. When that day comes, please don't judge me based on how I acted before.
Mix the words up with the actions do it all for your reaction, yeah.
I have to. Don't you see? Hey! Hey! Get tangled up in me.
Please, Freddie. Please?
Freddie's POV
As I watched Sam, thinking about how beautiful she was and how I would never be lucky enough to have her, she opened her eyes. Normally I would have instantly averted my gaze, scared of what she would do to me if she caught me staring at her. But the expression on her face stopped me. Her face was gentle, but her eyes looked sad. She met my gaze and looked into my eyes, and I felt as though she was staring into my soul. She gave me a small smile, then blinked and looked away. I looked down at her legs in my lap. I was in a daze and my toes were all tingly again. I had never, ever seen an expression like that on Sam's face, but I had seen the exact same expression countless times on my own face. In pictures and on video, I had seen myself wearing that expression when I looked at Carly. It was an expression that clearly said "I love you, and you will never love me back. This makes me sad, but I have learned to accept it". But why on earth would Sam look like that when looking at me? She hated me! Or did she? The idea of Sam liking me was almost too much for me to bear. I decided against my better judgement to do a little test. Taking a deep breath, I began to run my fingers very lightly up and down her smooth shin. I did it almost absentmindedly, and I kept looking at my PearPod in my lap. In the reflection on the screen, I saw Sam look up in surprise, and then smile exultantly and lean her head back again, still smiling. My heart began to pound so hard I could hear it. She smiled. She smiled. Very cautiously I stopped rubbing her leg and placed my hand lightly on her thigh. My heart was racing and I felt like I was going to pass out, and somewhere in the fog that clouded my mind I vaguely thought that if I was playing this wrong and Sam didn't like me, then this move would earn me a month in the ICU. For a beat, nothing happened. Then slowly, hesitantly, Sam moved her hand from her stomach and placed it on top of mine. My heart and my stomach swapped places and an indescribable happiness radiated throughout my body. I flipped my hand under hers and twined our fingers together, chuckling inwardly at how sweaty both of our palms were. For the first time I looked at her, and found her gazing straight at me. We looked at each other for a moment, and she looked exactly the way I felt. Happy, nervous, excited and in total disbelief. I smiled at her and gently tugged on her hand, sitting her up and pulling her closer to me. She scooted forward so that she was sitting right next to me, not letting go of my hand. Very slowly, I leaned in, wanting to savour this moment. Sam, however, had other plans, and she closed the distance between us, planting her lips on mine. Her lips were soft, and I could smell the fruity smell of her shampoo, and I could taste her cherry Chapstick and everything in my mind was Sam. She brought her free hand up and rested it gently on my neck, playing with the hair at the nape of my neck and sending shivers down my spine. Too soon she pulled away slightly, breaking the kiss. I opened my eyes and saw her mere millimetres away from my face. I looked into her eyes, seeing flecks of gold that I had never noticed before, and suddenly she broke into a huge grin. She lurched forward and wrapped her arms around my neck, hugging me tightly. I wrapped my arms around her tiny waist, feeling her laughing into my shoulder. She pulled back as far as my grip on her waist would allow, looking happier than I had ever seen her.
Sam's POV
Oh, the wait was so worth it.