Disclaimer; I don't own iCarly, or anything else that comes along with this story, sadly.
Samantha Puckett walked up her driveway to see her mother's car was gone.
"She's probably at her boyfriend's again," Sam whispered to herself, "she always is…"
Sam ran up the doorsteps and pulled open the front door. Her house was a disaster. It reeked of alcohol and ashes. There were beer cans all over the kitchen floor, ash trays overflowing, and empty cigarette boxes everywhere. Sam was barely ever home. People always wondered why she practically lived at the Shay's apartment, but who would want to live here? She thought to herself as she threw some Budweiser cans into the already overflowing trash can. Sam ran up the stairs and down a lonely hall way to a forgotten room at the end up of the hall. She turned the doorknob slowly and pushed open the white door to reveal the only clean room in the Puckett home. Surprising? Yes, but it was in part due to the fact that Samantha Puckett hardly owned anything. There was a bunk bed that she used to share with her twin sister Melanie. In another corner of the room there was a blue beanbag that Carly had given her years ago after Sam threw up on it from eating some bad ham. She had her pear-pod charging on the floor next to her beanbag, and that was it. She kept all her clothes and shoes in her closet. Sam climbed to the top bunk of her bed and reached under her pillow. She pulled out a blurry photograph taken of herself and her two best friends Freddie and Carly on a rollercoaster. Sam was by herself in the first cart, her hands in the air enjoying the ride. Freddie and Carly were in the second cart, terrified expressions on their faces and holding on to each other for dear life. She had always loved that picture, but today it disgusted her. Today it made her sick to her stomach, today she hated it! She shoved it abruptly back under her pillow, and tears began to blur the view of her pretty crystal blue eyes. Rivers began to form on her delicate cheeks as she recalled the events from the day. Every guy in Seattle wanted to take her best friend Carly Shay to the Girl's Choice dance, and Sam got turned down by Gibby! Gibby of all people, but that wasn't what enraged her, what upset her more than anything was walking into the Groovy Smoothie and seeing Carly and Freddie dancing together. What made her sadder then she had ever been in her life was hearing romantic music playing as Carly Shay laid her head on Freddie Benson's chest, and Freddie's hands holding her waist tenderly. Sam pulled at her pretty blonde curls and continued crying.
"They're going to end up together," she said to herself, "It was only a matter of time before Freddie's insistence paid off, of course Carly notice the nub one day! Of course she would love him back! You can't hang on as long as he has, and not get rewarded." Sam sobbed.
Sam had always fretted the day would come, when Carly would like Freddie back. Freddie had always loved Carly, but Carly didn't like him. Sam had always hoped she would never develop feelings for the nerd, for her own benefit. See, Sam secretly had feelings for Freddie. Sam only picked on him to hide her feelings for him, and still show him attention.
"Nobody cares about me," Samantha Puckett screamed as she climbed down her bunk bed, she felt a vibration in her pants pocket. It was probably Freddie or Carly, and right now she didn't want to talk to either of them. She slipped her hand into her pocket and pulled her phone out, out of curiosity to see which of her 'so called friends' it was, but it wasn't either of them. The screen said Melanie, her sister, and Sam quickly answered.
"Hello." Sam said.
"Sammie, how are you?" Melanie yelled excitedly on the other line.
"I've been a lot better," Sam said in a sigh.
"Oh, I'm sorry sis, but listen Sammie, daddy asked me to call you, because he really wants to see you." Melanie said.
"What do you mean?" Said asked confused.
"He wants you to visit, Sammie." Melanie replied.
"No, Melanie! Tell dad, if I go over there, I never want to come back! I can't stand mom anymore! I want to live with you guys." Sam said screaming in the phone. Suddenly the voice on the other line changed, it wasn't Melanie's voice anymore, it was the voice of her father.
"Sammie, what's going on?" Her father asked concerned.
"I hate it here dad! I don't want to be here anymore, I can't stand it." Sam cried. Her father sighed on the other line.
"I'll send you a plane ticket right away. It should be there by next week."
"Okay." Sam sobbed.
"Say goodbye to everyone, and pack everything you need." Her father said.
"Thanks." Sam replied, and hung up the phone.
That was it, this was over! She would leave in a week and Freddie and Carly would live happily ever after. Her mother, well she wouldn't even notice she was gone. Sam wiped her wet face with her shirt and opened her closet door. She pulled out a big suitcase, and began to fill it.
The next day at school, Freddie and Carly were wondering why Sam was being so quiet.
"What's up with Sam?" Carly asked a confused Freddie.
"I don't know. It's strange! She hasn't harassed me all day." Freddie replied.
Sam walked up to her locker with a big trash bag, ignoring her two friends. She began pulling pictures off the locker door and throwing them into the trash bag.
"Sam, what's going on?" Carly asked.
"I'm moving." Sam said casually.
"You're moving! Where?" Freddie and Carly questioned in unison.
"I'm going to live with my dad and Melanie." Sam replied.
"But…why?" Carly asked.
"I want to." Sam said nonchalantly. "I'm sick of my mom! She practically lives at her new boyfriend's house. I have nothing to stay here for."
"What about us!" yelled Carly, "Did you even stop to think about Freddie and me?"
"Oh please! You guys will be fine!" Sam said faking a smile. "You got each other after all."
"What about iCarly?" Freddie asked. "We need you to do iCarly."
"I'm sure you can get Gibby to help!" Sam suggested, "He'd be a great co-host for iCarly!"
"Sam! It won't be the same with Gibby, I'm used to doing the show with you!" yelled Carly. Sam sighed.
"Well, I'm sorry Carls." Sam replied throwing a package of beef jerky into her bag. Carly slammed her locker shut and angrily stormed away. Freddie stayed with Sam, and looked at her disapprovingly.
"What, Freddork?"
"Will you be at rehearsals tonight?" Freddie asked sadly.
"No chizz." Sam retorted, "I'm not leaving till next week, so I'll be able to rehearse and broadcast one last iCarly."
"Good." Freddie said. "Be at my house at five."
"But rehearsal's are usually at six…and…at Carly's." Sam replied.
"I need to talk to you, Sam!" Freddie yelled, "Just be there."
"Fine nub! I'll be there." Sam snapped. Freddie nodded to Sam and left.
Sam was sitting at home listening to her pear-pod.
"You like the way that people stare at you now
You look so fake, just thought that you should know
And you're all the same and when the curtain drops down
You'll be replaced by something typical"
-Red Jumpsuit Apparatus
Sam looked at her phone, it was four-fourty.
"I should start heading over to Freddie's," Sam said, picking herself off the beanbag and leaping to the door.
Sam got to Freddie's door and hesitated a second to knock. Freddie opened the door, and closed it behind him. Sam looked confused.
"What are you doing Freddora? I thought you wanted to talk!" Sam yelled.
"Shhh. Keep it down Sam, I don't want Carly to hear us." Freddie responded.
"Why don't..?" Sam started. Freddie interrupted her by placing his hand over her mouth.
"Let's go for a walk Puckett." Freddie whispered as he grabbed Sam's arm and pulled her down the hall. When Sam and Freddie got outside Sam shoved Freddie's hands off of her.
"What's your issue Frederica?" Sam retorted.
"You can't leave!" Freddie yelled.
"And why not?" Sam questioned.
"Because, I…Carly and I need you!"
"What for?" Sam questioned.
"To do iCarly." Freddie told her.
"I already told you! Have Gibby help you." Sam yelled.
"Yeah right, Sam! I'm sure we'd lose all our viewers with a shirtless Gibby on the show!"
"Well, tell him to put a shirt on." Sam suggested.
"Really, Sam?" Freddie said sarcastically.
"Well, you're a tech-nerd. I'm sure you can censor that." Sam replied.
"Sam! Don't leave!" Freddie begged.
"Freddie. I made my decision already, you and Carly are gonna have to deal."
"But Sam," Freddie sighed, "I need you to stay." Sam stared up at a pleading Freddie.
"Why do you need me? You got Carly!"
"But Carly isn't you." Freddie cried.
"But you love her!"
"No! Not anymore, I'm over her!"
Sam turned around and began walking away, she had heard enough. How dare this pretty-brown-eyed-nub lie to her. The night before he was dancing with her, holding her waist like some love scene straight out of a movie, and today he was denying his love for her! The nerve of that boy!
Suddenly, Sam felt a strong grip on her right arm stop her. She turned around and felt Freddie's body crash against hers. His arms were holding her body tightly against his, she could feel his warmth on every inch of her body.
"Get your hands off of me, dork." Sam screamed, as she struggled to free herself from Freddie's grip on her body.
She could feel his heart beat fast against her chest. She felt Freddie push her up against a wall. Then Freddie's hands found new positions, each on either side of her face. But she was still unable to release herself, since his body was now pressing hers hard against the wall. Sam looked up at Freddie, she saw a passion and determination that she had never seen before in Freddie's chocolate-brown eyes. So Sam stopped struggling, just to be able to look in those eyes for a moment.
"I don't Love Carly anymore, Sam!" Freddie cried. "I love you!"
Freddie brought his lips down to hers slowly and Sam's heart began to beat faster.
"What are you doing Freddie?" Sam said, her face centimeters away from his. "If you kiss me, you're going to wake up in a hospital bed, dork."
Freddie didn't listen to her warnings. His fingers played with her golden curls as he examined her face closely. Her cheeks seemed so delicate, and her skin was flawless. She had the most beautiful blue eyes, and her lips. Those lips he couldn't resist, it didn't matter if he woke up in a hospital, it didn't matter if she beat him breathless, he had to kiss her. Sam attempted one more time to pull away from Freddie, but he quickly caught her face in his hands, holding her head steady. Then it came, his lips brushing gently against her own, gently kissing her at first and slowly becoming me passionate. Suddenly Sam felt that Freddie had stopped leaning against her body, and she had came to the realization that she was kissing the one person she shouldn't be, and promised herself she never would kiss…again. Sam abruptly removed her lips from Freddie's and shoved him violently away from her.
"Sam, what happened?"
"I just realized I don't like dork spit in my mouth" Sam retorted.
"You didn't seem to have a problem with it a minute ago." Freddie yelled.
"I…I wasn't thinking!" Sam stuttered. "Consider that, a goodbye kiss."
"Sam, not again!" Freddie argued. "I need you to stay! I love you!"
"Nothing you say or do will make me stay Freddork!" Sam screamed as she started walking away.
"Where are you going?"
"Rehearsals, Freddilina!"
Freddie followed Sam in silence to Carly's apartment. They entered looking really suspicious. Spencer was in the living room building another strange sculpture.
"Hey what's up guys?" Spencer eyed them suspiciously, "Why do you two look so-"
"So WHAT?" Sam interrupted, "So disgusted, kind of sick to my stomach a little bit?"
Freddie looked a little hurt at her words, Sam noticed and felt a slight feeling of guilt in her stomach.
"No. I mean, you two look like your hiding something." Spencer continued.
"It's your imagination, Spencer." Freddie said, "Is Carly here?"
"Yea, she's upstairs"
Freddie and Sam walked into the elevator, Freddie pressed the button to go to the second floor. They were only about half way up when they felt an abrupt stop.
"Holy chizz, what's going on." Sam yelled.
"I think we're stuck." Freddie replied.
"No, really?" Sam said sarcastically.
Freddie rolled his eyes and pulled his phone out of his pocket and dialed Carly's number quickly.
"Hello." answered Carly happily.
"Carly, Sam and I are stuck in the elevator!" Freddie yelled.
"Okay, stay in there! Spencer and I are going to go get some help!" Carly said frantically.
"Don't worry Carly, Sam and I aren't planning on going anywhere." Freddie replied sarcastically.
"What did she say?" Sam asked.
"Her and Spencer are going to get help."
"Great! Now I'm stuck in this stupid elevator with you, for who knows how long!" Sam retorted.
"At least it's on a night of rehearsals, and not on an actual show night." Freddie said trying to calm her.
"You have a point there nub."
Freddie was about to say something back to Sam when suddenly the lights flickered, and the whole elevator went pitch black.
"You okay Sam?" Freddie aksed.
"Not till I'm outta here!" Sam yelled.
Then nobody said anything. Freddie thought back to the kiss he had given her that afternoon, and everything she had said after.
(Flashback)
"I just realized I don't like dork spit in my mouth!"-
"Hey what's up guys-why do you look so-"
"So WHAT?-So disgusted, kind of sick to my stomach a little bit?"
Her words echoed in his head and caused him pain.
"Sam?"
"What nub?"
"Is kissing me, really that disgusting?-Do you really think I'm that…gross?"
"Why does it matter?" She choked out.
"Listen Sam." Freddie whispered, "I already told you, I-I love you, and when I kiss the girl I love, I want her to like it. I don't want her to feel like vomiting…"
"Freddie…I know you don't really mean all that bullshit. You don't love me, stop lying."
"Sam!"
"The other night, I walked into the Groovy Smoothie, and saw you dancing with your arms wrapped around Carly…I'm not an idiot, I know that the only reason you're telling me you love me is to get me to stay! You don't really love ME! You love Carly, you have always loved Carly, and you will always love Carly!"
"That's not true Sam! I would have never told you that I loved you if I didn't really feel in my heart that it was true. You know me better than that!"
"Yea, I know you well. I know that for Carly, you'd be willing to do anything! Willing to say you love me and need me, just so I could stay. For Carly to be happy and do her stupid little web-show, and live her stupid little perfect life!" Sam Puckett screamed out.
Tears had began to escape from Sam's eyes against her will, she tried to hold them back but it was already to late. She was thankful the lights had gone out, it was already bad enough to be stuck in the elevator with Freddie, but for him to see her with all those tears in her eyes, that would humiliate her. She slowly slid down the elevator wall and sat down, her knees against her chest and her arms embracing her legs tightly. Suddenly a dim light lit up the elevator slightly, she turned to see what it was. It was Freddie's phone, and Freddie was looking down at her. She abruptly ran her hands over her face to dry her tears, but it was already too late the sympathetic look on his face told her that he had already seen them.
"Sam are you crying?" Freddie asked concerned.
"Of course not, are you stupid. I don't cry! Especially not over stupid dorks like you. Now turn you're stupid phone off, I don't wanna see you're face!"
Freddie walked towards her and accompanied her on the floor, he shut his phone and the room resumed to it's original black condition. Freddie and Sam were sitting shoulder to shoulder on the elevator floor. All of a sudden Freddie broke the silence once again.
"Sam, you don't have to be so strong all the time. You don't have to cry alone. In case you haven't noticed my shoulder is right here, you can use it you know."
"I wasn't crying, nub. I think I'm getting sick, and my eyes were watering that's all. It may be contagious too, so you may want to go back to your little corner of the elevator and as far away from me as possible." Sam replied. Freddie chuckled.
"Sam, when I saw you're face a minute ago, I saw you're tears. You don't have to pretend so much." Freddie whispered. "I have never seen so much hurt in someone's eyes before."
Sam was at a loss for words, she didn't know what else to say. She couldn't keep lying to him, he had seen her. He had seen her tears, he had seen her pain, what was the use of lying to him anymore. What was the use of trying to conceal her emotions if he had seen them already. There was nothing else for her to hide, and with that she decided to let it all go. She let her tears run desperately down her cheeks, she gasped and sobbed violently, and she didn't care. Freddie put his arms around her and she lowered her head to his shoulder. Freddie rubbed her back for a few minutes until she stopped crying.
"Freddie?" Sam said, still laying her head on his shoulder.
"Yeah, Sam?" Freddie responded, playing with her curls behind her back.
"Thank you." She said lifting her head up. "I needed that."
"No problem, Sam" Freddie replied, a smile on his face that was hidden in the darkness of the elevator. "…but, I think there's still things that need to be talked about."
"Yeah. You're right, but you start."
"Okay. First of all, I don't know if you believe me yet that I love you, Sam…but it's really true. Ever since our first kiss on the fire escape, I began to look at you differently. You were no longer the mean, meat-loving, demon-child. Well…at least not all the time. You were Sam, an intelligent, funny girl with beautiful blonde-curly-hair, blue eyes, and the prettiest smile I've ever seen."
"Really? You really do love me?" Sam asked surprised.
"Really, and it wasn't just the kiss. It was the whole conversation. I never knew that it was possible for us to have a serious conversation." Freddie chuckled. "And there we were, talking. I felt like I could relate to everything you were saying. Then I asked if we should kiss, but in my head it wasn't just to get it over with like we said. It was because at that moment I felt like I needed to kiss you, Sam."
"So. If you've liked me since then, why didn't you ever tell me?"
"I didn't tell you because I didn't know how you would react. I mean, sure I had just had a civilized conversation with you, and I had managed to kiss you without you breaking my arm, but I still kind of feared for my life Sam." Freddie laughed and Sam also giggled shyly before responding.
"The night of the Girl's Choice Dance, why were you two dancing together at the Groovy Smoothie?"
"Carly and I had gone to the Groovy Smoothie after the dance with our dates, which both ended up being a pain in the ass. My date had to leave, and Carly and her date started arguing and he also left. Neither of us had a good night and I could tell Carly was disappointed, so I asked her to dance with me, just two friends enjoying one nice dance."
"It didn't look like just two friends when I walked in."
"Sam, when have I ever lied to you?"
"There's a first time for everything." Sam replied, sounding a little hurt.
"Lord, how many times do I have to tell you. I'm over Carly! I really love you, do I need to spell it out for you?"
"Fine! You convinced me." Sam giggled.
"Okay. If there's nothing else I need to tell you, than it's your turn to answer some questions."
"Ask me anything."
"Alright, this is a question that I asked you earlier but you never answered me. Is kissing me really that disgusting?" Freddie asked her, and suddenly he felt Sam's finger's lace themselves with his.
"Nope. I'm sorry for saying that, I was still thinking you were only kissing me to just get me to stay for Carly."
"Umm…so, do you like me?"
"I got jealous that you were dancing with Carly. I'm holding your hand dweeb, so aren't my feelings obvious?"
"Sam, I'm so happy." Freddie started, "…but wait, are you still leaving?"
"Yeah, my dad probably already sent the ticket so I have to go."
"But Sam, I-" Freddie was cut off when Sam's lips found his in the dark, she kissed him for a few seconds and then pulled back.
"Just to visit Freddie. I'll come back, now that I have someone that needs me in Seattle, of course I'll be back."
As Sam finished her sentence, she felt Freddie's hands find her face and then he began to push her back onto the elevator floor, he straddled her and found her lips. They were so busy kissing that they never noticed the lights turn back on, or the elevator starting to move and suddenly the door of the elevator opening to reveal Carly, Spencer, and the elevator-mechanic. All their mouths half open and staring at them in shock. Carly cleared her throat and finally they turned to see who was disrupting their make out session.
"Hey! The elevator is fixed!" Sam yelled happily.
"Yeah, I though we would never get out of there" Freddie replied.
"Well, I bet you two wouldn't mind!" Carly retorted.
Freddie got off of Sam and pulled her to her feet and they stepped out of the elevator hand in hand. Carly stared in surprise, as Spencer paid the mechanic.
"Are you two, together now?" Carly asked.
Freddie and Sam looked at each other and then down at their intertwined hands.
"Yeah." they both said in unison. Carly looked confused.
"I thought you two hated each other?" Carly demanded and then she turned over to Sam, "I thought you were leaving Seattle for good, long distance relationships never work out."
"Carls! I'm leaving but I'm going to come back, Freddie convinced me to stay."
"I saw how he was convincing you." Carly mumbled.
"Why do I get the feeling you don't want me and Freddie together?"
"It's not that Sam, I just don't want this to ruin our friendship"
"No matter what happens between Freddie and I, the three of us are always going to be the best of friends Carls. Right Fredward?" Sam replied shooting Freddie a death glare.
"Of course Carly! Sam and I are never going to let our relationship get in the way of our friendship."
"Okay guys," Carly said smiling. "In that case, I'm really happy for you guys. But could you do me a favor?"
"What?" Freddie and Sam both asked.
"Never make out in my elevator again." Carly ordered.
"I don't know, Carls, that elevator sure is comfortable." Sam laughed.