Disclaimer: I don't own iCarly or anything related to the show. I also don't own Styx or Journey.
Author's Note: This was for the fic exchange at the LJ community for iCarly, Groovysmoothie. My prompt was "Carly and Freddie at graduation".
Freddie Benson, Sam Puckett, and Carly Shay were about to graduate from high school. Sam had just barely passed, however.
"I can't believe we're going to be done with high school in three days," Carly said to Freddie, Sam, and Gibby at graduation practice.
"Our twelve years in school are nearly and finally over!" Sam cried excitedly. She was going to party so much after graduation.
"Yeah," Freddie muttered sadly. As much as he wanted to graduate, he was sad. Freddie hadn't acted on his feelings for Carly, and not it was too late.
"Cheer up! We have to plan the last three months of iCarly," Carly encouraged. She didn't know why Freddie had been so upset lately.
"Don't talk about that!" Sam snapped angrily. What was she was going to do when iCarly was over?
"Sorry," Carly apologized. She was trying not to think about the next few months, too. She didn't know what she was going to do without Sam and Freddie. Carly didn't even want to think about Freddie. She was in love with him, but he had moved on.
"Why is Principal Franklin eating a sandwich?" the starving Sam questioned. She had eaten only ten minutes beforehand.
"Don't try and steal it from him," Freddie warned. He didn't want to hold Sam back. That wasn't fun at all.
"Too late," Carly replied. She, Freddie, and Gibby took off after Sam. Principal Franklin had just seen her, and bolted the other way.
After Sam was restrained and forced to give the sandwich back, practice began.
"I don't want my mom to be in the audience," Freddie whined to the girls. She would probably end up overreacting to him graduating.
"Too bad, so sad," Sam shot back. She didn't pity Freddie at all. Marissa Benson was crazy!
Freddie glared at her. "Shut up," he whispered as the graduating class stood up to practice accepting their diploma.
"You should both be quiet," Carly hissed. She smiled when she saw Spencer enter the stands with her six week old niece, Alexandra. Spencer's wife Ella was probably at home with their two year old son Ryan. He was sick with a cold.
"Look at Spencer with the baby," Sam whispered happily. She loved Ryan and Aly. They were adorable.
"Pay attention," Freddie told her. Both Carly and Sam got way too distracted by the Shay babies. Nothing else existed when they were in the same room.
Graduation was coming up in a few days, and everything was about to change.
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Graduation was about to start in twenty minutes. Principal Franklin, eating a late dinner, was staying out of Sam's way to avoid a repeat of the other day.
"I'm hot," Carly complained. The gown was sticking to her, which was really annoying.
Freddie gave her a look that went unnoticed. Sam rolled her eyes. When were those two going to admit their feelings for each other? "I want to get this over with," Sam whined. She was hungry again. Where was the food she was promised?
"This is going to be one of the best days of our life. Stay patient," Carly scolded. She couldn't wait to hang out with her friends this summer. It would be hard to pretend that she was okay with leaving Freddie, but Carly could do it.
"We're going to be college students in the fall," Freddie replied, suddenly realizing the enormity of what was about to occur.
"Our entire lives are going to change," Sam said, also suddenly realizing what was about to happen. She hadn't fully accepted it before.
"I like to think that we're just experiencing the changes that everybody goes through," Carly told them. She really hoped that graduation went by fast. Carly was dying from the heat.
"Good point," Freddie conceded just as the class president finished up her speech. Getting diplomas was up next.
Principal Franklin began calling people up to accept their diplomas. Freddie was one of the first ones up because of his last name. "Fredward Ashby Benson!" Principal Franklin called. Laughs came from the rows of graduating students, but Freddie ignored them.
He shook the superintendant's hand and returned to his seat. It would take a little while to get to both Sam and Carly. "This it is," Sam whispered to herself when Principal Franklin finally got to the "P's".
"I'm about to be a graduate of Ridgeway," an excited Carly told the girl next to her. She whistled happily when Freddie accepted his diploma.
There were a lot of students called up to accept their diploma, before it was time for Sam to go up.
"Samantha Diane Puckett!" Principal Franklin called. He couldn't wait to get Sam out of his school. No more seeing her in detention.
"I finally made it!" Sam yelled when she got up there. Principal Franklin winced, but handed her the diploma.
Soon enough, the "S's" were up. Carly couldn't wait until she was an official graduate of Ridgeway. Things were changing so fast. "This is it," she said out loud, ignoring the glare that the girl next to her was sending her way.
"Caroline Isabella Grace Nicole Shay!" called Principal Franklin. Carly squealed and headed up to meet him and get her diploma. She hated the fact that she had three middle names, but it wasn't as bad as Spencer's name. His full name was Spencer Styx Journey Nathaniel Shay.
Three friends' lives had just changed forever by accepting their diplomas.
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After the ceremony was over, everyone stuck around the football field to just talk and say goodbye to each other.
"I can't wait to start college," Germy happily informed Sam, Freddie, and Carly after sneezing several times.
"What are you going to do this summer?" Sam reluctantly questioned as Freddie and Carly snuck off to talk by themselves.
"I can't believe we finally made it," Freddie told Carly. She nodded.
"We're really done. What are we going to do this summer?" Carly asked him. She wanted to spend as much time as possible with Freddie and Sam, especially since she was in love with Freddie.
Freddie shrugged. "Spend every single day together," he suggested. He could give it a shot. It didn't matter if Carly shot him down.
"I'd like that," Carly reluctantly admitted. She was going to start crying soon, and that was not an option.
"I'm going to miss you, Carls," Freddie told her. He had known Carly Shay for such a long time and it would be weird to be without her.
"I'm going to miss you too, Freddie," Carly answered. Now she was really going to cry. This was not in her plans for today! Today was supposed to be happy.
Freddie smiled at her. "Don't cry, Carly. You know I can't stand it when you cry." He really couldn't. Freddie usually ended up crying with Carly when she cried. It was the same thing with Sam. He couldn't handle the girls crying. Neither could Spencer. Spencer freaked out and got overprotective when Carly cried.
"That's what makes you so sweet," Carly sobbed, giving into the tears. What was the point in trying not to cry? It just ended up happening anyway.
"We can't do this now," Freddie frantically tried. He didn't want to deal with this right now.
"You're right," Carly said, beginning to calm down. She had plenty of time to get hysterical later.
"You're so beautiful," he told her. Freddie didn't know why he said it, but it was true. Carly Shay was the most beautiful woman he had ever met.
Carly smiled at him. "Fredward Benson, quit trying to compliment me!" She loved him so much it hurt.
"I can't help it," Freddie replied. He wanted to kiss her so much right, but resisted. Carly didn't feel the same way.
Carly sighed and decided to just go for it. What could it hurt? In three months, iCarly would be over and the three friends would be going their separate ways. "I love you."
Freddie stared at her in shock. "You love me?" he asked. Freddie couldn't believe it. Carly Shay hadn't just admitted her love for him.
Carly nodded. "I've loved you for awhile, Freddie, but I've been too scared to admit it. I decided to go ahead and just say it."
"I love you too!" Freddie answered. He dove in for a kiss, and the two teenagers began to make out.
Neither one had any idea that their life together had just started tonight, after graduation from high school. They would go on to marry after college and have three children. Sam would end up marrying a chef, and they had a daughter together. Spencer and his wife divorced, but stayed friendly for their two kids. The three friends had been right about their lives changing forever on graduation.