iAmazing Race
Chapter One; An Unfathomable Friendship
Under the warm sky in Seattle, it was a normal Summer Monday afternoon; the kind you spend watching re-runs of Seinfeld and looking forward only to the rest of the week being over with.
Spencer sat on the couch in his and Carly's apartment building, reading the paper. Lately, things had been dull in his life; no plans, no responsibilities, no dating. Oil prices up again? he asked himself, not really caring.
Suddenly, the sound of knocking on the hard, wooden door snapped the young man out of his trance. "Carly," Freddie's voice called. "Carly, are you there?"
"No, but I am, and the door's open," Spencer called back in one fluent motion.
The young brunette walked into the Shays' apartment. "Hey, Spencer," he greeted. Being a fifteen-year-old, Freddie was starting to feel awkward about being attracted to Carly and being Spencer's friend. "You know where Carly is?"
"I think she went to Build-A-Bra with Sam," Spencer answered, setting down the paper. "Why? What's up?"
"I just wanted to go over some iCarly stuff with her," the teenager innocently answered. "...So whatter you up to?"
"Readin' about how stocks suck," the young man casually answered. "...I'm so bored."
"I'm feelin' that way too," Freddie replied. "I think I just get in Sam and Carly's way. Do you ever feel like that?"
"Way too often," Spencer answered, slumping back into the couch. "I've got nothin' goin for me most of the time."
"...Hey, what's that on the front page?" Freddie asked, grabbing the paper.
"What?" Spencer asked, growing curious.
"Hey, The Amazing Race is coming to Seattle," Freddie excitedly exclaimed. "Maybe I can try out."
"Sounds cool," Spencer replied, getting up. "What talent do you have?"
"...I don't know," Freddie answered, reading over the article. "Ah, this is such a great opportunity, though. I could be famous...That would really help iCarly."
"When 'er they coming?" the young man asked.
"This Wednesday," Freddie answered, making the situation sound hopeless for himself. "I can't prepare an act in two days."
"Maybe I can help you," Spencer offered, sounding genuinely interested. "What talents are on there?"
"All kinds of stuff," the teenager answered. "Singing, dancing...you name it."
"...Hey," Spencer yelled, feeling inspiration course into his mind. "Didn't your mom make you take opera lessons last summer?"
"Yeah, why?" Freddie asked.
"I used to perform in the choir at my church," Spencer excitedly explained. "That can be our talent;...Male tenners!"
"That's crazy," the brunette boy replied. "...But I love it! You'd really do it with me?"
"Sure," Spencer answered. "Let's do it...The Amazing Race. This is it...this is our future!"
Tuesday night, Spencer and Freddie made their own excuses to leave their homes; "I'm gonna hit the town," Spencer told Carly. "Need anything?"
"No, thanks," the girl answered. "Don't be out, and have fun."
"Thanks," Spencer replied, kissing his sister on her forehead. "Love yuh."
"I'm going to meet up with Spencer," Freddie told his mom. "We're gonna do some...studying."
"...Be careful," the boy's mother informed him. Feeling better, Freddie went to the warehouse he and Spencer were to meet behind, and waited his friend.
Finally, Spencer arrived. "Ready?" he asked, using a mysterious voice.
"Born ready," Freddie confidently answered, cracking his knuckles. The two cleared their throats and began singing. Earlier, they had agreed to sing in G-Sharp.
"You're a little flat," the older boy told the teen. "Try it like this...Aaaahhhhh."
"That's not G-Sharp, that's C-Flat," Freddie corrected his friend.
"No, it's just a different variation," Spencer politely argued.
Come Wednesday, the two were waiting in line with fifty other individuals, waiting to be tested for...The Amazing Race. The current contestants; Warren and LaCresha West, who seemed to be one boy and one young man in drag, were dancing like Lady Gaga in Love Game, much to everyone's disgust.
"We have to be perfect," Spencer said to his partner. "You sure you're ready?"
"Yeah," Freddie answered, his heart pounding. "You ready?"
"I think so," the young man answered, feeling an exiting numbness in his body. "Okay, we're up." The two went up on the stage, and looked at the judges.
"Whenever you're ready," said a balding man with glasses and a black suit on.
"Thank you," Freddie meekly replied. The two boys looked at one another, then cleared their throats. Clad in black tuxedos and blue ties, their hair combed to perfection, and their shoes shined and made from faux leather, the two tenners were ready.
"A-Ma-Zi-Ing Race, how sweet the sound," Spencer and Freddie harmonically sang, their expressions clear of all emotions as their hearts pounded like wild drums. The audience cheered at the two tenners.
After what felt like an eternity, the judges gave their final decision; Spencer and Freddie were chosen for The Amazing Race. Success had finally been found.
Standing in a field, Spencer and Freddie looked into the lens of the camera held by a young man wearing a red shirt and sunglasses. "Yeah, it's awesome," Freddie began.
"Yeah, I think...in the world of tenners," Spencer continued. "We're like...hard-core, badass tenners."
"Dangerous," Freddie jokingly added with a slight laugh. "No wimps or pretty boys here."
"I can't believe they're on The Amazing Race," Carly told Sam, sitting next to her in a bean-bag chair in the iCarly studio.
"I know, that's awesome," Sam replied, taking a sip of her expensive foreign soda.
"Yeah, but why'd they keep it a secret?" the brunette asked.
"It's not like they have their reputations to protect," Sam jokingly replied. "We'll plug Fredward when he gets back."
"Be gentle," Carly begged.
About half an hour later, Freddie and Spencer walked into the Shays' apartment, and were greeted by the two girls. "Hello," Spencer nervously said, not knowing what to expect.
"Hey," Sam greeted.
"We saw you two on...The Amazing Race," Carly added. "Why didn't you tell us?"
"We thought you'd laugh," Freddie answered.
"Well..." Sam began.
"No," Carly interrupted. "It's really cool. It's just...why didn't you trust us?"
The two tenners looked at one another, trying to articulate their feelings. "Well," Spencer began to answer. "It's the first thing we've really done without either of you...We were kind of scared of how it'd go."
"We were gonna tell you once we got on...but they started filming right away," the teenage boy continued. "We're sorry, guys."
"That's fine," Sam said, her voice free of sarcasm. "Congrats, guys."
"Thanks," the two boys replied, unintentionally speaking in harmony. The two looked at each other and chuckled.
"So when's the next show?" Carly asked, showing excitement.
"Tomorrow night at five," Freddie answered. "Oh...but that's the same night as iCarly."
"Hey, we don't need you all that much," Sam comforted her frenemy. "We can handle a couple of episodes without you."
"Great!" Spencer shrieked. "Who wants to go to China Town?"
Thursday night, Spencer and Freddie met at the studio of The Amazing Race, and were welcomed by everyone. However, Carly and Sam weren't having as good a time;
"Oh, the camera won't start," Sam called, trying to turn on the digital cam quarter.
"It needs to be charged," Carly called back, trying to find funny footage to use in the night's show. "Freddie must've forgot to do it before he left."
"Well, that's great," Sam snarled. "Now what?"
"Get the other one," Carly answered, growing tense. "You know, the tripod. Do you know where the video of Gibby shaving his back is?"
"No," Sam answered. "I can't find the legs for the tripod. Someone tore 'em off!"
"Oh, no," Carly answered. "That's what we get for having those guys from Thunder Cats on the show! Oh, this is a nightmare."
The two could remember the vicious looks on those teenage boys' and old mens' faces; "Thunder...Thunder...Thunder Cats!" they said as they brought their fingers around their eyes.
"I wonder how Freddork and Spencer are doing," Sam said, pulling off a long stream of film.
"There's a cab," Spencer said, leading his young partner to a yellow car. The camera man followed the two.
Once the two were in the taxi, it took off, but got stuck in traffic. A hand reached in through Spencer's window, and started reaching around. "Come on, I need some money," said the man.
"I don't have any," Spencer nervously replied, trying to lean away.
"Come on, man," the strange person persisted.
"You're making me feel uncomfortable," Freddie pleaded. "We don't have any money."
"Plea-ease drive fas-as-ter!" the two sang, growing extremely nervous.
Later that night, the two returned to see Carly and Sam tore up and furious. Sam was gritting her teeth viciously and snarling under her breath. "You're dropping The Amazing Race," she informed the two, anger lacing every word. The news of the two boys going to New Zealand with the show was ruined.
The two tenners looked at one another, knowing their dreams might be shattered in front of them.
Come Friday, a decision had to be made; stay with The Amazing Race...or choose family and friends instead. Spencer stayed up all night, debating the issue over and over in his mind. Freddie tried to ignore the subject, even though it was killing him inside.
"Ama-...zi-ing Race," Spencer sang in his bed, half-whispering because he was afraid of being heard.
"How sweet the sound," Freddie sang, sleeping awake because of fear. Tears formed in the boys' eyes, and their throats started to throb.
The next morning, Spencer and Freddie met at the set of The Amazing Race, and made their decision. "I'm sorry," Spencer said, his voice heavy with sorrow. "But we have to quit."
"Wait!" Carly and Sam yelled, running up to the two.
"What?" Freddie asked.
"We don't want you to quit," Carly said, obviously upset.
"Yeah, we were just upset," Sam added. "You can't give up something like this."
"How about we do one last thing together," Spencer said, warmed by his sister and friend's care.
The four looked at one another. "Ama-zi-ing Race," the four harmonically sang. "How sweet the sound." Several executives gathered around the group, and felt amazed.
"...What?" Sam asked, breaking the stride.
"That was amazing," said the CEO of The Amazing Race. "The best performance we've ever seen."
"Yes, and we'd like all of you to be on...The Amazing Race," added a thin man with a thick beard. "What do you think?"
The group looked at each other, and shared the same thought. "Ama-zi-ing Race," they sang, their voices shining.
Together, the group rode the plane to Australia, and to their dreams. It is true; It is...an Amazing Race.