Hello, everyone! How are you today?
This chapter is far from my favorite, but that's the thing with these projects: some are really good and some are just okay. It just depends on who you are.
Disclaimer: I own nothing.
Chapter 1: Sam and Carly and their friendship with Freddie (ICarly)
"There's nothing I can say to you. Nothing I could ever do to make you see what you mean to me."-"I Will Be" by Avril Lavigne
It was quiet. Too quiet.
Sam kicked at a beanbag chair as she paced back and forth across the floor of the ICarly studio; Carly didn't even blink when Sam accidentally knocked into her chair.
For the first time in years, neither girl was feeling comforted by their best friend's presence. They both felt too guilty and depressed to even attempt to make the most of this situation.
Carly's expression was almost indifferent, but if you stared into her eyes, you could see the storm of guilt and fear occurring in her soul. Eyes are the windows to the soul, after all, and Carly's eyes were reflecting pouring rain and gray skies and a bleak world.
Sam wiped her eyes. Sam couldn't even remember the last time she cried, the last time her eyes watered because of emotion and not just allergies. While Carly barely moved, Sam moved too much as she continuously paced and ran and kicked and punched any object she could reach. She wasn't angry at anyone except for herself.
They thought he would always be there for them. It didn't matter if they complimented him or did favors for him or helped him out because he would always be there. His skills weren't necessary to the Webcast, right? Anyone could figure out that camera junk, right?
Wrong. How could they have taken Freddie for granted all these years?
*FLASHBACK- EARLIER THAT DAY*
Sam was snooping around on Freddie's tech cart, thinking she might be able to find something embarrassing she could tease him about.
She found something much bigger.
Sam found an envelope wedged between two pages in Freddie's book, like he'd tried to hide it, and she hummed in interest and smiled mischievously before she pulled the letter out of the already opened envelope and read the strangely formal looking letter.
Freddie Benson,
You have been accepted into the Maryland School Of Technology And Engineering (made up place) and will receive a four year scholarship before being recommended to a college of your choice. After receiving your application, the school was very impressed by your skills and would like you to start at our school as soon as possible. Please call the number listed below to give us your answer on whether or not you will be attending and when you will be able to start at the school. Thank you.
The bottom was signed by a George Harrington.
Sam couldn't believe it. Maryland? Freddie had applied to a school on the other side of the country and hadn't even thought to mention that he might be leaving ICarly, his friends, and Seattle to Carly and Sam?
Sam understood what a wonderful opportunity this was; of course she did. But the fact that Freddie hadn't told them or even hinted at it and then had hidden the acceptance letter irritated the blonde girl to no end.
The door opened behind her, and Freddie and Carly entered the room; Sam turned around to face them, and they both stopped in their tracks, recognizing the calm before the storm written across Sam's face.
Sam held up the letter. "When were you going to tell us?"
Freddie's eyes widened. "You were snooping through my stuff?"
"Of course," Sam said in a duh tone of voice, "Now, I repeat: when were you going to tell us?"
"What are you talking about?" Carly asked.
"Freddie applied to the Maryland School Of Technology And Engineering… and he was accepted. He's been hiding the note since…" Sam checked the date on the letter. "Three days ago."
"When were you going to tell us?" Carly demanded.
"Today, right now. If Sam had waited three minutes, she would've found out anyway," Freddie answered.
"So you're just going to leave?" Carly asked, anger and disappointment and anxiety seeping into her tone.
Freddie shrugged. "This is an amazing, once in a lifetime opportunity for me. Besides, it's not like anything's keeping me here."
"What are you talking about?" Sam asked. "You have me, Carly, the webshow. I understand this is an amazing opportunity, but you don't even seem conflicted about whether you're going or not. Most people would be stuck because they didn't want to leave their friends behind."
Freddie sighed. "Sam, you said I have you guys, but do I?"
"What?" Carly asked, shock becoming evident in her voice.
"When was the last time either of you did something nice for me?" Freddie asked. "When was the last time you said thank you for filming the webshow or when I dropped everything to help you guys out? When was the last time you did that for me? I call you, desperate for one reason or another, and you just say you're too busy to help. Did you know my dad stopped by, the one that left when I was three, two weeks ago, wanting to be apart of my life after abandoning me?"
Neither replied, too ashamed to answer.
"Of course you don't. Because every time I tried to tell you, you were caught up in something else and ignored me."
"Freddie, we're sorry, but you could've just blurted it out. That would've gotten our attention," Sam pointed out.
"That isn't the only time you refused to listen me, to help me, when I needed you," Freddie said. "What about that time I was being bullied at school?"
Carly and Sam appeared puzzled.
"You didn't even know I was bullied!" Freddie exclaimed. "Because you didn't care enough to ask or even notice if something was wrong."
Freddie stormed out of the room and didn't look back.
It was quiet following his departure. Too quiet.
*FLASHBACK OVER*
At first, Carly and Sam were in denial. Has they really treated Freddie-their friend- like that? Had they really made him feel so unwanted that he would leave the state without a second thought for the life he was leaving behind?
They'd really messed up.
"We need to talk to Freddie," Carly said.
Sam nodded. "Do we know where he went?"
As if on cue, the door opened.
"Hey, is there a reason Freddie's sulking on his fire escape?" Spencer asked.
"Thank you, universe," Sam muttered before they pushed past Spencer and ran down the steps to find Freddie, leaving Carly's confused brother behind.
Sam crawled out onto Freddie's fire escape, followed by Carly, and they found Freddie sitting in a camping chair, stating out over the city.
"We're sorry," Carly said, thinking that was as good a place to start as any.
Freddie didn't respond, and Sam didn't blame him. She'd be angry, too.
"Freddie, what can we do to make it up to you?" Carly asked.
Freddie remained silent.
Sam sighed. "Look. Freddie, there's nothing we can say that will make up for everything we've done, but you mean a lot to us, a lot more than we even knew, okay? I'm not one for mushy, gushy stuff, but… dang it, we do care. We should've been there for you when you needed us, and from now on, if you need us, we're there. You're family, Freddie. There's no getting out of that."
After every insult, every silence, every time they ignored him, Freddie didn't think the words would affect him, but they did. Maybe it was because such meaningful words were coming from Sam of all people, and when Sam starts sounding all cheesy and mushy gushy, you know she means it.
Freddie smiled. "That's all I ever wanted to hear."
The friends embraced each other, and when they pulled away, Freddie pursed his lips.
"I'm staying," he said. "I have something to keep me here now."
"You are not staying," Carly stated. "Like you said, it's a once in a lifetime opportunity, and true friends would encourage you to go out into the world."
"But, guys, you're my best friends-"
"And we'll be right here waiting for you when you get back," Sam interrupted.
Freddie smiled before yanking them into another hug.
It felt good to know he was wanted, that they cared about him just as much as he cared for them.
Carly and Sam glanced at each other, and they made a silent promise.
They would never take Freddie for granted again. Freddie meant too much to them for them to lose him because of their own selfishness.
I know I antagonized the girls, but with this particular story, I need to antagonize a character or multiple characters in order to redeem them at the end.
I love feedback (but keep it kind or constructive criticism because any flames will be ignored and reported if necessary), so please tell me what you thought in the form of a review or a PM!
Thank you for reading! Goodbye, everyone!