THE SMOOTHIE KISS
I looked at myself in the mirror. How crazy had I been? I'd kept my feelings cooped up inside me, and I didn't even realize how much I wanted Sam. I'd wasted my time for years on the shimmering brunette, Carly, when all along her best friend looked upon me with eyes that showed Love and Hate. I only saw the Hate. It was so hard to find the Love. But it'd been there, all along. It was impossible for me not to want Sam. Not to want her blonde ringlets drifting over my fingers, not to want her tough-talking mouth over mine. But now I'd admitted my feelings, and so had she. I had kissed her, and she tasted of salted peanuts and mental hospitals and helplessness. I was looking forward to seeing her again. We weren't dating. Not yet. But I had plans to change that.
I put on my coolest clothes, which are a Penny Tee on top of a black top and jeans. I checked myself in the mirror and combed my hair. I looked OK. I glared at my mirror for ages, until a feisty rapping came on the door. "Hey, Freddie!" it was Carly's voice. "C'mon, it's iCarly!"
I ran out and into Carly's apartment, ruffling my hair on the way. I jumped up the stairs and got to my laptop on the third floor. Sam was sat on the car, her back to me. She was knocking back water as if she'd spent her life in a desert. "Do I look OK, Carls?" asked Sam, not realizing I was here. "Yeah. C'mon Freddie, start up the countdown," Carly laughed. Sam's cheeks flushed as she put the lid back on the bottle. "In five, four, three, two . . ."
"I'm Carly!" grinned Carly, tossing her hair. "I'm Sam!" giggled Sam softly, not quite as perky as normal. Carly smiled at her and then at me. My cheeks fumed. "And this is iCarly!"
Even as Carly began to talk, I found my camera zooming into Sam. It was obsessive. I zoomed in on her eye until it was massive. Hastily, I zoomed back out. "Freddie, what's up?" Carly asked, noticing my frown. "Nothing," I chuckled as Gibby jumped into a bath full of sushi. "Is it salmon or cod?" demanded Sam to Gibby. Gibby looked up at the camera, grinning. "Salmon and cod mix," he said coolly, nodding.
After iCarly, Carly went downstairs to get us some blue tea. Awkward silence filled the room. "Hi, Freddie," Sam said, glancing at me. "Sam . . ." I smiled at her, clasped her hand. She blushed. "Freddie." She grabbed my other hand and edged closer to me shyly. She looked so meek that I went in for the kiss myself, touching her shoulders. She didn't pull back. She tasted of angst and smoothies. I broke away. "Sam, you need to tell me everything now," I told her. She frowned. "What d'you mean?" she asked, retrieving her arms. "I don't get it." "How you've been feeling. Since forever," I shrugged, almost embarrassed. We both sunk onto beanbags. "Well," Sam sighed. "I guess. I've always sort of . . . liked you. And I got jealous of Carly a lot," she hid behind her hair. "I guess she was lucky. I was irritated that you loved her so much, and that's why I put you down. I guess I've been lonely. At the Girl's Choice Dance I thought she'd get around to asking you, that's why I did that contest. And then at the Groovy Smoothie . . ." a lump rippled over her throat and I almost saw a tear in her eye. "I walked in. Gibby had just rejected me, of all people. So I went in, and I hoped for a night with two best friends. But you were dancing. Like, lovingly. Carly had her head on your shoulder and you looked like you were going to kiss. I didn't want to cry or get mad, so I left. I guess I'm just a green-eyed monster." She hid her face in her hands. "I'm stupid."
"You saw that?" I asked, feeling anxious now. My romantic moment with Carly, and the girl I adored had witnessed it with her own eyes. "Look, Sam. I . . . I like you." Sam looked up at me. "Really?" she whispered softly, rivers dithering in her eyes. "Just shut up and kiss me," I laughed. She closed her eyes and pressed her face to mine. Salty tears slid over her face onto mine and we kissed again. I felt her hair over my fingertips, her tears on my cheeks. I was aware of the person I was kissing. Her tough-cookie exterior leaked out through her lips and she softened like a cloud. Blueberry Blitz smoothie lingered over her lips and her entire life passed through her like a train. She tasted of Sam, and I liked that. I leant over her and we kissed for a while. Finally, she broke away and told me she had to go to Teen Therapy in twenty minutes. "Teen Therapy?" I raised an eyebrow. "Oh, y'know I've got problems," Sam chuckled, looking chilled. Then she grabbed my collar and held her fist at my cheek. "Kiss me or I'll murder you!" she laughed, letting go and walking away.
Freddie Benson's MSN Status: Seddie!
You are chatting with Sam Puckett
Sam Puckett: Sup, Fredward.
Freddie Benson: Hi.
Sam Puckett: I'd kiss you but I can't. We're on the internet.
Freddie Benson: So - are you my gf now?
Sam Puckett: Sam Puckett is a single lady.
Freddie Benson: Oh. Right.
Sam Puckett: I'm no-one's gf. Soz.
Freddie Benson: You're joking, right? I mean – we kissed. Many a time.
Sam Puckett: *laughs* I am aware! Look, Freddie – I think I love you. But I don't want to be you're little girlfriend.
Freddie Benson: Why?
Sam Puckett: You don't know mama at all. Girlfriend is so degrading. I mean – it's like guys are the boss.
Freddie Benson: You've damaged me loads!
Sam Puckett: Giggle. Freddie, I wanna be with you.
Freddie Benson: Then go out with me!
Sam Puckett: Of course. Fine, I'll be your gf. But no prissy dresses will I wear!
Freddie Benson: Gotta go.
Sam Puckett: Tick bath?
Freddie Benson: *groans* NO!
"C'mon Freddie, tick bath time," Mum said, her eyes wide as usual. "Who were you chatting with?" "No one!" I lied, snapping my laptop shut. Mum raised her brows. "Have you been buying weights again?" Mum said sternly, shoving me out of the way and opening the laptop. Her laser-beam eyes skimmed over my entire chat. "Sam Puckett!" she gasped. "You're her boyfriend? You – you've kissed her?" "Aw, Mum, don't freak out," I groaned, pushing my hair out of my eyes. "You get in that tick bath right now, Mr!" Mum said, pushing me through the door. I struggled and shut the door on her, locking it. Why was my Mum such a pain? I dug in my pocket to find my phone.
From: Sam
Meet me at g smoothie in 2.
To: Sam
KK. If i don't mak it don't blame me...
From: Sam
Yr mum, rite?
To: Sam
Wel gesd, pucket.
I slid my phone into my pocket, ruffled my hair desperately and opened the bathroom window. I groaned. I was at least five stories in the air, so I couldn't swing out onto the ground safely. I hung out of the window, looking for a place to get out. Nothing. I shut the window and opened the bathroom door. Mum was never going to let me go off on a date with Sam. "Freddie, where are you going?" Mum asked, worriedly hurrying up to me in a floaty top and oven-mitts. I searched for a good lie, a firm one. "I'm going to Carly's to make the iCarly TV swing out faster," I bluffed. "Oh no you're not! You haven't had a tick bath yet," Mum burbled. "I had one this morning," I sighed. "Please?" Mum nodded, rolling her eyes and watching me through the peephole as I walked into Carly's apartment.
Carly was sat at her table, sipping some blue tea and typing on her computer. She was writing an iCarly blog called: Random Debate: Lip-gloss or Amethyst Heart Pendant? "Hey, Carly," I called. "Hey, Freddie," she grinned, spinning round in her chair. "What you here for?" "Erm, I got a date with Sam," I said awkwardly. "My Mum won't let me go, so I lied and said I was going to yours."
Carly smiled. "KK. Hey, listen to this!" Carly flicked on her music player and soft, slow-dance music leaked out. "Nice," I grinned, swaying. Carly giggled. "I know, right?" She smiled softly. "Wanna dance?" "I don't know. I've gotta get to Sam soon," I shrugged. Carly laughed and grabbed my shoulders, forcing me to hold her tiny waist. She rested her head on my shoulders. I smiled thinly at my FRIEND. But she lifted her head up and kissed my lips! I let her go, backing away. "Carly!" I gasped. She looked shocked as she flicked off her music."What?" she asked. "I gotta go," I frowned, curling my lip. She grabbed my hand. "Freddie, what's wrong? I kissed you," Carly sighed. I dragged my hand away and swung open the door. "Nothing's wrong, Carly. But I'm with Sam." Carly looked hurt and softly angry. "Well, your loss," she said matter-of-factly. I raised my eyebrows and began to walk away. I heard a desperate gasp fly from her lips as she grabbed my arm. I swung round. "Freddie, I'm so sorry," she spluttered. My heart squeezed pitifully. She had tears brewing in her big dark eyes. "I – I don't love you. I just – kind of – I'm stupid. It's just, you've always liked me and now it's changed. I don't get it. I don't like it. You were sort of reassuring." "Carly, I've never liked you that way," I told her. "It's always been Sam. I was hiding my feelings." "That's not nice, because a) it almost got my hopes up and b) you made Sam doubt you! How dare you!" Carly said angrily. "Sam doesn't deserve you." She said my name with spitting scorn. And suddenly tears collapsed unwillingly out of her eyes, ambling over her face, unwanted. "I do."
She grabbed the back of my neck and lurched forward, her eyes squeezed tight. I dragged myself away. "You're the one who needs to go to the mental hospital!" I yelled, spinning around and slamming out of the apartment. I ran to the Groovy Smoothie angrily. Sam was there, her feet perched on a table. T-Bo was half trying to sell her impaled pickles and half assaulting her with words because of her feet on the table. "Hey, Sam," I raised a hand. She grinned, biting her lip and gathering her feet. "Hey, BBF," Sam giggled, rolling the initials over her tongue. The words tumbled out like a magic spell, a promise. I leant forward and kissed her. The smoothie lips met mine again, and it was magical. More magic than the initials BBF or even BGF.
"Stop! Stop, stop, just stop it!"
We broke apart. The door flew open and Carly stepped inside, her eyes ablaze like roaring fires. "Hey, Puckett? Get out."