I brushed a hand nervously through my long, blonde hair and look around the Groovy Smoothie, where we'd all hung out as kids, and waited. It seemed hard to believe that it had been three, almost four years, since I'd last seen my best friend Carly Shay. She'd left with her Dad to go to Italy three and a half years ago and I'd been waiting for her to come back ever since.
I, not that I would ever admit it, felt bad for Freddie; from what he'd told me he didn't hear from Carly much, if at all. The place brings back memories of us, the iCarly trio, when we were kids and I smile fondly... Growing up sucks. Finally I'm tapped on the shoulder and I look up to see a face I thought I'd never see again until last night.
I sighed and took a sip of my soda, even though I had just turned twenty one I wasn't a big alcohol drinker (and I was afraid, from looking at my mom, that I'd never be able to escape the bottle once I started) and stared dumbly at the pale yellow walls of the hotel I was staying in. After Carly had left I'd left Seattle and headed south... to Hollywood but had come back for a couple days to see my friends. My cellphone vibrated and I quickly pulled it out of my pocket thinking maybe it was my roommate Cat, instead it was my oldest friend Carly asking to meet up.
"Meet... Me.." I muttered as I typed, "at the Groovy Smoothie." I hit send and anxiously waited for her to reply. She texted back in agreement and I told her to meet me at 1:30. I knew something was off, however, when she asked me not to bring Freddie but I agreed.
"Carls?" I ask happily, "Jeez it's good to see you.."
She smiles happily and hugs me, "It's good to see you too Sam." She's wearing a black shirt with gold design and blue jeans and I can't help but feel under dressed in my flannel shirt and jeans.
"You cut your hair," I notice.
Sure enough her hair is barely shoulder length now, but it looks good on her, "I felt like a change," was the only explanation I got.
"Alright, spill.."
"What?" she asked giving me one of those innocent looks that had worked so well on Freddie.
"What's going on with you and Freddie? He never hears from you, and he's practically become a shut in."
"He's what?" I can see the concern in her brown eyes and I sigh, seems he told her everything is fine, "Oh come on Carly, What did you think you pulling away from him was going to do?"
"Help him move on.." she muttered.
"Uh huh... Do you remember the last time he seriously attempted to move on?"
We both wince at the memory of his disastrous relationship with me. I knew it hadn't been a good idea but I'd wanted something like what Carly could have... I wanted someone pining over me like he did her, and so I'd kissed him, and he'd decided to give me a chance.
The results had been disastrous and I'd done things I'm not really proud of, in hindsight I hated myself for them, but life goes on. We'd broken up when I realized I wasn't Carly and I would never be the right girl for him. "He needs you." I urged.
"I can't do that to him... He needs to move on." She said, but I could hear the pain that crept up into her tone and I could see it in her eyes.
"If he hasn't moved on yet do you honestly think he ever will be? It's been eleven years Carly."
I can see a small blush forming on her face which just confirms what I already thought; She wants him but is too afraid to go for it. "I kissed him!" She blurts.
I blink at my brunette friend, "What?"
'That day... At the studio I kissed him." She said softly, "I went upstairs and we talked and I kissed him and he kissed me back."
I felt a pang of jealousy, for he hadn't kissed me back that night at the lock-in, but ignored it "So why are we having this discussion?"
"Because I can't give him hope, I don't know if I'm staying in Seattle.."
"You should stay if he gives you a reason."
"But if he'll feel like he's holding me back..."
I'm starting to get irritated now, "Stop being a damn coward." I can see her starting to get angry and I know I need to do something fast, "There's a new karaoke club that Spencer told me about here in Seattle, how about we hang out there? Have some fun?" She nods in agreement and I smile softly, "So tell me about Italy."
She quickly launched into story mode; telling me how gorgeous Italy was and how amazing the college she attended was, and how she missed Seattle terribly, "I'm considering transferring here." she admitted.
I nod and told the story of how I left around the same time she did; heading to Los Angeles where I'd ran into Cat Valentine who had been looking for a roommate and how Tori, Jade and the rest of the Hollywood arts students and I had become close friends. "I still come up here sometimes to see Spencer and Freddie."
"Spencer was happy to see me." Carly tells me.
"Of course he is, I think he gets lonely."
"True.."
We spend another half an hour catching up and I tell her the Karaoke place's address and that I'll meet here at seven thirty tonight. This may be a half-baked plan, but it's working so far.
I head straight to Freddie's apartment, he moved out of Bushwell Plaza and into a building that doesn't seem to have a name (or I just can't remember it) and knock on the door.
When my nerdy friend answers the door I barely recognize him; There's a deadness in his eyes that I've never seen before and his hair is a mess. "What's wrong?"
"It doesn't matter."
"Yes it does... Can I come in?"
He shrugs and walks back into the apartment so I step in "We're going out to a Karaoke bar tonight."
"I don't want to."
"You're going." I insist.
He turns to glare at me and I have to admit he kinda creeps me out right now, "Whatever." He finally muttered with a shrug "What time?"
"I'll come get you at seven."
"You have a car?"
"Beck's." I say with a shrug. Beck Oliver was my boyfriend in Los Angeles, we'd been dating about for about six months. After he'd broken up with Jade, his creepy but cool gothic girlfriend, we'd become friends and then we'd just simply started dating.
"Oh."
"So be ready, I think you'll like the surprise tonight."
He just shrugs, "Alright Sam, I won't argue... But it better be good."
That night I pick him up at Seven and head for the club, Spencer (my accomplice in this) is taking Carly, and we all meet up at a table in the back. "Carly..." Freddie said softly, the surprise evident in his voice.
"Hey Freddie.."
He doesn't say anything for a moment but I prepare myself for the worst "I haven't heard from you."
A look of guilt forms on Carly's face and I know I need to interfere, "I'm gonna sing!" I blurt.
"Sam?" They both ask, "You don't sing..."
"Well, I kinda do, Tori and Jade gave me some lessons and I'm actually not half bad."
They shrug and I climb up on stage, the lights on stage threatening to roast me alive in my flannel shirt but I ignore it and walk over to the dj and request a song. "So um.." I begin as I'm handed a mic which feels cold in my hand "This is a cover of a Beatles song... But I've changed some of the lyrics."
The crowd began murmuring; they were obviously not used to people changing the lyrics nor singing a song by The Beatles. I nodded over at the DJ and the music kicked in.
She loves you, yeah, yeah, yeah
She loves you, yeah, yeah, yeah
She loves you, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah
You think you lost your love,
Well, I saw her yesterday.
It's you she's thinking of
And she told me what to say.
I take a deep breath, thankful for guitar solos, and glance over at my two friends who are sitting down and staring at me in shock. I have to admit, now that I get a good look at him, Freddie can clean up nicely. He's wearing a black t-shirt that hugs his muscles and I can tell Carly is trying not to stare. I just grin at them and wink at Carly before getting back into the song.
She says she loves you
And you know that can't be bad.
Yes, she loves you
And you know you should be glad.
He said you hurt him so
He almost lost his mind.
But now he said he knows
You're not the hurting kind.
I could see the two of them in the back- talking and laughing. The sight made me smile to myself as I continued singing; they just needed one more push...
She says she loves you
And you know that can't be bad.
Yes, he loves you too
And you know you should be glad. Ooh!
She loves you, yeah, yeah, yeah
She loves you, yeah, yeah, yeah
And with a love like that
You know you should be glad.
Just as I finish the last syllable of the verse they kiss and I grin, I can see the crowd watching me but it doesn't matter; I got them to confront their feelings for each other, my mission is complete.
You know it's up to you,
I think it's only fair,
Pride can hurt you, too,
Because she loves you
And you know that can't be bad.
Yes, she loves you
And you know you should be glad. Ooh!
I toss down the mic after that, I don't need to sing anything else, and bow as the crowd applauds. I hop off the stage and brush my hair out of my eyes as I approach the table where my friends are still kissing "Yo Love birds!" I shout.
They jump apart and blush "So it worked?" I ask with a mischievous grin.
They both nod and Freddie looks happier than I've seen him in forever, "It worked."
The next afternoon I hear a knock on my door and so I rush to the door and open it to find Carly and Freddie holding hands "Listen..." he began.
"My spring break is ending." she said, "I've gotta get back to Florence."
"Oh..." I glance at Freddie and he smiles.
"I'm going with her."
My jaw dropped so far I thought it was going to hit the floor and start running, "You're going to Italy?"
"Yup."
"What about school?"
"I'm going to call the dean and have my credit's transferred."
Then it hit me... This is what needed to happen, he had to go with her "Well.. Good for you Benson." I wasn't a big believer in fate and all that chizz but... If there was ever two people to be destined for each other it was these two "I'm gonna head back to L.A then."
"Then this is goodbye?" Carly asked.
"For now," I replied.
We all hugged and then said our goodbyes as I headed to Hollywood and the new couple headed for Florence, all was how it should be.
Note: Well here's my oneshot for Creddie friday! I had hoped to have more uploaded but the inspiration's not there, but I will try to upload like crazy this weekend! I don't own iCarly or She loves you by The Beatles, Please Read and Review!