Summary: As Freddie fixes his tie, he could feel that the ball will be full of surprises, but he never expected to find himself sharing a table with Sam and dancing with her. Everything was surprisingly perfect. What can go wrong? Warning: Sad Ending.

Note: Happened 4 years after their first kiss. This story can be considered as a new chapter of my story iValentine. You can check it out if you want to. I might start writing a new series of stories again. :)

Disclaimer: I do not own iCarly. If I do, I will make Freddie run around shirtless like Gibby.

All the good things must come to an end

***

I was standing in front of our biggest mirror. It was Valentines' day today and I'm going to our school's annual love ball.

Love ball? Yuck. Those are never my thing. The only reason I'm attending is to assist some of my AV club friends in managing the sounds and documentation of the event. And maybe to keep Sam from ransacking the food table too. I'm getting nervous by the minute, and I'm half-expecting myself to have fits as I fix my collar. I'm not used to this grooming crap. Good thing my mom is away, checking blood pressures, and not here to pester me with her evil ways.

By the way, if you're wondering, I don't have a date. Carly does. Sam (gasp!) does. I'm going to sit on the bleachers while I watch them swoon with their partners or I'll hide in the plastic bushes if ever Malika finds me and will levitate me towards her.

Oh God, someone's knocking the door. Better not be my mom.

I marched timidly towards the door. I saw Carly standing right in front of me, looking gorgeous as ever. She was wearing a frilly purple dress. Her hair was tied in a bun and a moon-shaped pendant was hanging on her neck. Her arms are crossed.

"What's taking you so long?" Her eyebrows knitted as she spoke. She must be angry.

"Sorry. I'm just fixing something," I said as I closed the door. I followed her into her apartment. The first thing that caught my eye was Sam.

She was sitting on the sofa with her legs crossed. She was dressed in a silvery blue dress that somehow complemented her eyes. Her hair was surprisingly smooth and less wavy, and her shoes were glimmering just below the laces of her outfit. The only thing that's unflattering was the dangling bacon on the side of her mouth. I had the urge to wipe it off her face, but I somehow controlled myself and marched towards a busy Spencer. He was sitting beside a bizarre sculpture made with…gym shorts.

"What is that?" I managed to ask despite my sudden urge to run and look for a place to throw up. It did smell like gym shorts. The old and dirty and disgusting type of gym shorts.

"The gym monster," he said enthusiastically, "A school paid me to make one. This, according to the principal, should serve as a lesson to irresponsible students."

"Yeah it will," Carly snapped, "Come on guys; we're going to be late."

I found myself on the backseat of Spencer's car, sitting beside Sam. She barrowed by pearphone to prank call some of my AV club friends. She never changed. We're already old enough to drive and she's still on a wedgie rampage. She never failed to annoy me. But I hate to admit that the longer I spend time with her, the more I'm being drawn to her. Ugh, never mind I said that. My tuxedo is evil and forced me to say irrelevant things.

I peeled my eyes off her direction and focused on the window instead. I sighed when I saw the slow-moving traffic and figured that we're not going to arrive to school within half an hour. So I closed my eyes and tried my best to sleep. But Sam didn't make this easier. She rested her head on my shoulder, snoring slowly. My hands suddenly became sweaty and shaky, and I couldn't help but fidget. I noticed that Spencer looked at us by the mirror and smiled. I don't want to collapse in my place and panic because I'm totally helpless, so I just closed my eyes and sleep. And the next thing I knew, I woke up with my head resting on hers; most awkward thing ever.

During my free time, I tend to walk around the campus and save myself a seat on one of the red bleachers of our gym. In that way I can escape the pressure of terrible requirements and just watch people play basketball on the court. It was fun, actually. But now, the gym as covered in glittery ribbons on the walls and a huge tarpaulin on the middle that says "THE ANNUAL LOVE BALL." Red and white balloons scattered on the floor, some of them are being kicked around by amateur football guys dressed in uncomfortable suits.

There was indeed love in the air, as Carly sighed in a dreamy fashion as Shane greeted her with a kiss on her hand. I looked around to see people in pairs dancing on the middle as the strobe lights flickered on their clothes. The others are sitting lazily on the sidelines, eating cubed fruit or mac and cheese. I was surprises when Sam held my arm and took me at the food stands.

"I'm hungry," she said fiercely as she ordered the chef to give her two plates of pesto and pizza, her other hand's still clinging on my wrist. I looked over my shoulder find my other companions. Guess what? Carly and Shane vanished in the throng of the dance floor and Spencer, darn, where's Spencer? Probably gone off to the deep end to steal more gym shorts…

Oh no, she's dragging me along with her. We stopped in front of an empty tale for two and she sat quietly, setting her plate on the linen-covered table. I followed and sat in front of her. A group of girls walked just in front of us and giggled, and I realized that Gibby, now taller and a bit ripped, walked smugly just behind them, winking at me.

I suddenly felt like the strobe lights above: slow and red…

Nevermind, Sam's now looking at me with a disgusted look on her face. I realized that there's a funny look on my face, my what-am-i-gonna-do-now-holy-chiz-she's-looking-at-me face.

"Anyway, what are we doing?" I asked nervously.

"Eating. Why don't you touch your Carbonara?" she said absurdly as she held the glass of punch in a very fragile manner. "For the first time Benson, I didn't intend to put shampoo in it."

"I uh…" I stammered. It's like we're dating. People are snickering at us and it's not even funny. Everything's so awkward and weird and I don't know what to do. "I'm full. Sorry, Sam."

"Sorry? Come on; let me finish the food for you." She said brightly as she took my plate with her.

It took us ages to start a normal conversation, and I found myself laughing along with her.

"…And I saw Lewbert scrubbing his pits with pickles!" She said hysterically, holding her stomach to control her laughter. I was amazed with her ability not to throw up while talking about Lewbert and his pickle fetish.

Twenty minutes later, we fell silent. I resumed to fiddling my neck tie while Sam plays with her leftovers. I wanted to spend my night correctly and I don't know what to do until the DJ decided to play a slow song for a change. It was Running Away by AM, and it gave me the sinking feeling that it was the song playing just before we kissed back at the balcony.

I stood up and stopped in front of her. Sam looked surprised as I offered my hand to her, bowing down a bit. She looked at me like I was crazy, but she took my nervous hand anyway. I guided her in the middle of the dance floor. We were surrounded by mellow pairs swaying smoothly along with the song. Sam took a step closer to me and slid her slender arms on the shoulder, entwining them behind my neck. I nervously placed my hands on her waist as the hairs on my spine tingled with a warm feeling.

"This is weird; we're not even fighting," she said, looking down. I smiled.

"I know right? But it's a good feeling nonetheless."

And she suddenly rested her head on my shoulder and all I could feel was my heart beating and her breath on my neck. I closed my eyes as I listen to the song and to cherish the moment, a moment that I never expected to be shared with Sam. Everything was surreal, like I was dreaming. And I don't know why I'm feeling positive yet nervous right now.

"Where's your date, anyway?" I suddenly asked, breaking the awkward silence between us.

"I don't know. Can we stay like this for a bit?" She asked quietly, her head still resting on my shoulder. She doesn't know, and I'm kinda hoping that she doesn't care.

"Freddie."

Shit, she called be Freddie. Something's not right.

"Will you ever believe if I tell you that I love you?"

Oh snap, is this for real? Is this some kind of a joke? I don't know anymore. Maybe she's playing games with me, and laugh at me when I said yes. Of course, she will never like me. She has a boyfriend. Wake up, Freddie.

"That's a joke, right?" I asked her. It was more of reassuring me than reassuring her. Her response came a little late.

"Yeah," she said quietly, half-giggling on my suit. Her giggle sounded a little fake, "Why would I like someone so…"

"Sam," someone called her. It was her date, looking a little frustrated yet snobbish at the sight of me. "Sorry I'm late."

"It's okay," she said hastily, looking up. Her make-up was a mess now. We let go of each other and she took her date's hand. Just meters away from when I was standing, they started to dance. Seeing Sam clinging on his arms gave a really nasty feeling, a feeling way worse than I felt when my laptop broke. It was something sinister and melancholic. And I know that I have no right to feel that way.

I touched my shoulder only to find that it was wet. Was she crying a while ago? Damn, what did I do?

I sighed and walked out of the dance floor, wishing that I didn't look back when he kissed her cheek as the song went to a close.

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