As she gazed out of the rain soaked window from her chair in The Groovy Smoothie Sam Puckett thought about how long she could sit here without being asked to leave. Looking around she took note of just how empty it was for a Friday night. But then again it was raining badly even for Seattle. Though the emptiness of it suited her just fine. She was used to it. Her mother Pam was never around much to begin with and now shes taken off for a commune in Oregon with her newest lucky suitor. Well maybe she would say he was lucky while Sam would have the opposite thought. It wasn't that Sam hated her mother. In fact the young blonde loved her. It was just that her mother never really had good luck when it came to men. How her and Melanie , her twin sister , came to be is beyond her. As Sams mom would say their father was the one good man she ever had but it just wasn't meant to be. They both loved each other as Sam could tell by the many pictures and little home videos that were left after the fire that took there fathers life. Sams father Daniel Puckett , Danny to his friends and family , was a fire fighter for the city of Tacoma. He would give his life two years before Sam and Pam moved to Seattle so her mom could start a restaurant when Sam was twelve. Her sister Melanie however was to stay back with Danny's parents so she could continue with her education. Sam though moved to Seattle with her mom. There was many times however that she truly missed Tacoma. All of her friends lived there and more importantly her sister lived there. Sam knew that she wasn't as smart or athletically gifted as Melanie. Yet they loved each other and she missed their connection. She never thought that she'd find a connection like that again. And then it happened. A girl named Carly Shay who had just lost her mother due to a drunk driver came into the grief support group. Sam at first thought she dressed way too peppy for her tastes though as she and Carly talked. A connection was made and a strong one was formed over the last six years. But now even that had to come to an end, Sam thought to herself. The last five years that her and Carly and even her other best friend Freddie Benson had spent making a small web show called iCarly was over. Though if you asked anyone but maybe Carly and Spencer Sam would downright refuse to acknowledge that Freddie was her other best friend. Yet the nub was. And even he was gone. She missed his nerdy face. Carly was off to Europe with her Dad in Italy. Even Gibby her sometimes friend was busy with his new girlfriend Lizzy. Luckily at least Carly's brother Spencer was there for her. He could even be considered her own family as much as he's been there for her. Spencer though is now busy with his own life and girlfriend , his new job as an art teacher at Seattle Community College and his always crazy projects. Though he has allowed her to stay there at his apartment while she tries to figure out what she wants. Now that basically everyone has disappeared from her in the past three months. With Freddie moving last week to Stanford to start his college career it was the final nail in the coffin so to speak. Though a small smile formed on her face for the first time in about a week. Her thoughts flashed back to the last day she saw Freddie. She smiled as a tear rolled down her cheek...
Freddie was standing next to his blue Focus holding a box labeled Galaxy Wars. It was the last box that would be loaded into his car before taking off for college. Looking down at the box as he smiled awkwardly in Sams direction.
" So this is it. I guess. " He stated with a sigh while placing the box in the back of his trunk.
" Yeah..." Sam said while keeping her hands in the pockets of her jeans.
She wasn't really looking directly at Freddie. Which was something he took notice of.
" What's wrong? You've seemed out of it the last few weeks. " He asked.
" Nothing Frednub..." She said while continuing to look down.
Freddie stepped forward towards Sam. He was scared of course that he'd get a stiff shot in the gut for approaching her. This was one time he was glad that Sam didn't have her butter sock with her.
" No its something. I know Carly isn't here anymore. And honesty I'm not sure if she's gonna be coming back anytime soon. Its been bumming me out too. Sure I miss her. Maybe not as much as you but..."
Quickly looking back up at him. She shot him a gaze that caused him to stop mid sentence. Something told Freddie that he had just hit a nerve.
" Sorry I just thought that... "
Before he could continue however Sam cut him off.
" Ya know you don't know anything. You know that don't you. You just...You don't know...Anything..."
She mumbled the last bit before a tear slowly streaked down her cheek. A fact that Freddie certainly took notice of. Leaning forward he attempted to brush it away only to be stopped by Sams hand. He nearly flinched knowing for sure that he was in for it this time. Yet he wasn't as Sam surprisingly allowed him to wipe it away. She breathed a slow sigh out as she let go of his hand and he dropped it back to his side. Taking a deep breath Sam started to speak.
" Its not Carly. Its...you know what nevermind...Forget it Freddie. You need to worry about getting the last of your stuff packed. And get your butt in gear to Stanford. I'm fine and you need not worry about the woes of one Samantha Puckett. "
Sam hardly ever called him Freddie. And she had even admitted that something was bothering her. Something someone like Freddie would surely not let go.
" No Sam. I'm not forgetting it. You're one of my best friends. And I know you won't admit it but I'm one of yours. So this guy right here isn't going anywhere until you tell me just what in the hell is wrong with you! "
The depth in his voice seemed to catch Sam off guard as Freddie stepped forward.
" So what is it? You've seemed so distant. Even for you these last couple of weeks. I thought maybe even it was me. Maybe you didn't want to be around me without Carly. Just tell me Sam. "
Breathing in deeply before exhaling she spoke up.
" You're right Freddie...
She seemed to look away from him for a moment as he took a step back. He of course was joking and thought Sam would just laugh it off.
" Of course it is. " He said simply... " I care about you and you don't even want to be around me. "
He sounded defeated and even slightly disappointed at the words his blonde friend had said to him.
" I don't even know what to say or think now. I guess maybe its for the best that I'm leaving today..."
Freddie stopped speaking as he noticed Sam openly tearing up. Something he had only seen her doing once before when all the fat cakes had been eaten before she had one. But this was different. These were real tears. Sam's tears...
" Damn it! Damn it Freddie! " She yelled out as she pushed him at his shoulders which caused him to back up against his car.
Sam was breathing heavily as she tried to compose herself.
" Its not Carly. Shes not the one I'll miss... "
Freddie gave her a sideways look.
" You're gonna miss me? But I thought... "
" Shut up Freddie... "
Sam moved forward as Freddie breathed in. Suddenly Sam had wrapped around him. Her lips found his. He was unsure of what was going on. Yet his lips worked against her. Their tongues touching hesitantly while he wrapped his arms around her small waist. It was Sam who broke away from the kiss first. A bit of their saliva was stretched out from her lip to his. Breathing out she smiled but it seemed to be a down trodden smile however.
" Well that was um rather unexpected. " Freddie said as he smirked a bit.
" Shut up Freddie. I had to do that. "
" Uh why? " He asked simply
" So you'd know why I've been so moody. And who the person I'd actually miss was. "
" And? "
" And what? "
" You'd miss me? "
" Of course I will butt nugget. "
" Oh..."
" Oh? That's all I get after letting you know how I feel about you? "
" No its just that I didn't expect it. "
" And now what? "
" I don't know. " He said honestly.
" Yeah I don't either. " She had to admit to herself.
" Well this changes things Sam. You and I both know that. "
" Changes how? You're going to Stanford. And I'll be here. You'll know where to find me. " She said almost sarcastically.
" Whats that mean? " He asked as he heard the edge in her voice.
" It means I'll be here. Sure I'll be going to junior college and working at Mall-Mart. But I'm not a Stanford girl. I'm not the smart bubbly type that a guy like you would go for. "
Freddie chuckled for a moment.
" And how would you know what type is mine? "
" Because you want Carly. "
" Correction I wanted her. It was a teenage crush. When she kissed me before she left for Italy I knew she wasn't the one for me..."
Sam's ears seemed to perk up a bit.
" You kissed her before she left? " She asked seeming a bit upset.
Freddie started to mutter a bit.
" Uh um yeah and no. She kissed me and it kinda just happened. "
" Kinda like the one we just had then? Another kiss that meant nothing to you? And a lot to me. "
Sam was starting to look even more upset as Freddie wanted to diffuse the situation.
" No Sam because I don't like her like that. Not anymore. And the kiss if anything was just a goodbye. It wasn't like ours. It was nothing like that. Ours was ours. Because it was with someone I already cared about. "
Her eyes seemed to soften a bit as Freddie stopped speaking.
" You care about me? " The blonde asked softly.
" Yeah...I have for a while. " He said after a slight pause.
" How long have you thought about me being someone more than just a friend? "
" You remember when we first kissed. Our first kiss? "
" The one we shared on the fire escape? " She said with a laugh.
" Ha! Yeah that one. Well it was shortly after that. I saw you in a different light. I guess it was then that I knew behind your sometimes stubborn self was a sweet kind person. The person I knew I wanted to be with. And the thought kinda just grew in me but I was sure you didn't feel the same. And I just let it go. After a while I guess it got easier to deal with but not really. Especially after spending more time together since Carly left. Yet you seemed to be growing more distant from me. So I just assumed that you didn't share the same thought. But actually it was when Carly kissed me that made me realize what our kiss meant to me. And that I still had feelings for you. Then I got my scholarship offer. And I knew you'd push me to go there which you did. And if I let you know how I felt about you it'd just complicate things. Probably just push me away even faster. And yeah that's just what I wanted the one girl I care about to not want me around. Just an awkward nub with a crush..."
Taking Freddies hand in her own she spoke softly.
" Yeah but my nub. "
She said while smiling shyly. Sam started to absent mindedly rubbing her thumb around Freddies hand.
" And now the problem comes rearing its ugly head. I'm leaving tomorrow morning. " He said while tightening his grip on her hand.
" Yeah I know. That's whats been bothering me for the last month or so. Everyday has been nearing and I knew I was gonna lose you to some brainiac. Like I could compete with them..."
It was Freddie's turn to take the initiative this time. Pulling Sam into him for an embrace. She sighed lightly as he kissed her cheek. Bringing her face to his he smiled as she smiled back. Kissing her with more passion than either thought he could muster as Sam started to melt in his embrace. Breathing out as Freddie spoke up.
" You'd never be in a competition for me Sam. Those girls don't have what you have."
" And what's that? " she asked curiously.
" My heart..." He said with an awkward smile.
It was then that Sam knew Freddie felt just what she felt. She wasn't sure if it would work out or not but she knew that she wanted to try. To make it work with the boy. No the man that she cared about.
" So this? Us? What do we do? Could it work? " She asked with a hint of hope hidden in her voice.
" Well we both know it'll be hard. You know that right? " He stated while Sam solemnly nodded.
" Yeah I know..." She said while looking down at the ground.
" But I'd like this to work. I'd like us to work. " Freddie mentioned as he smirked a little.
Sam sighed contentedly while bringing him in for a tight hug. She honestly didn't want to let go but knew she would eventually have to...Her mind was settling back to The Groovy Smoothie as she looked down at the small table. Her phone was vibrating as a smile formed on her face. It was Freddie. Finally her Freddie. Hers...