Author's Note: This is an AU. The webshow iCarly does not exist. But everyone else does. Yay!

Prologue.

In terms of the social hierarchy that inevitably formed in high school, Freddie Benson was at the bottom. That's what happened to people who joined the AV Club and could quote Galaxy Wars at any given time. He wasn't unfortunate looking but he being at the bottom wrung of the ladder meant that looks didn't matter. He didn't matter. Which kinda sucked because as is the high school cliche, the love of his life, Carly Shay, happened to be on the opposite side of the social spectrum. Which meant that she got to sit on the opposite side of the lunchroom, where all the cool and popular kids sat. From where Freddie was seated (five hundred miles away), if he just squinted a bit he could probably make out her beautiful profile.

Carly Shay. Freddie Benson often took an inventory of a the various traits of Carly as means to justify exactly why Carly was his dream girl. Her smile was one—just thinking of her brilliant smile made him smile. Oh! And her shampoo commercial hair was another. She was also incredibly polite to everyone and rarely had a mean thing to say about anyone. She was perfect.

He had been in love with her since the first time he laid eyes on her when she transferred to Ridgeway midway through the seventh grade. It was ironic how she had moved in and still continued to live across the hall from him but didn't know his name. She had, on a number of occasions (the five whole times she'd spoken to him) referred to him as Eddie. And one time as Ferdie. It didn't matter, though, because each and every single time she said his name incorrectly, she had also bestowed him a gorgeous smile and so the insult blurred into something quite inconsequential. The only problem really was that Carly already had a boyfriend. Griffin. Some wannabe bad boy who looked like he walked off the set of some bad television show about high school with his perfectly messy hair and his impeccable grungy look.

"Freddie," Gibby snapped his fingers in front of Freddie's face, "I'm here to inform you that you have your lurve face on again."

Freddie rolled his eyes and took a rather lame stab at his lunch which was presumably meat but one could never be too sure. "I did not," he denied halfheartedly, knowing that that was, in fact, the case. "Just kinda spaced out is all."

"And traveled to Carly Shay planet?" Freddie didn't at all appreciate the knowing way his friend waggled his eyebrows at him.

"Whatever, Gibson."

"When you close your eyes, can you imagine looking into her eyes? Can you imagine kissing her?" This was followed by amazingly annoying kissing sounds.

Freddie was saved from coming up with a retort because it was time for the Sam Puckett show.

Samantha Puckett. Most popular girl in Ridgeway. Captain of the girls' soccer team. A head full of blonde hair and fiercest blue eyes that had the power to stop any high school student in his or her tracks. While Carly's popularity was effortless, Sam ruled the school with an iron fist. Her word was law in the corridors of their school and that law dictated social ranking from bottom to top. She also happened to be Carly's best friend. Which was ironic because once upon a time in elementary school, Sam Puckett had been his best friend.

Then junior high. Then nothing.

Together with the rest of the students, he looked toward the popular kids' table upon which stood Ridgeway's queen bee. She was clad in her team jacket, announcing loudly how everyone should be at their next game or else. The last part wasn't really said out loud, merely implied by the threatening look in her eyes. But Freddie wasn't really paying attention. He had his head tilted to the side so that he could get a somewhat clearer view of Carly who had her head thrown back from laughing at whatever it was her boyfriend was whispering in her ear.

Ugh. The sight made his gut clench. A change of scenery was required. Freddie pushed his chair away from the table, gaining the attention of his friend.

"Where you off to?" Gibby asked.

"I don't know. Library?"

"Yeesh, Freddie! No wonder everyone calls us geeks!"

Freddie chucked lightly, patting Gibby on the shoulder before gathering his things and heading out of the cafeteria that was filled with clapping and cheering.

...

Sam Puckett had a problem. She was failing chemistry. Something she normally wouldn't have cared about except that an F in chemistry pretty much meant that she could say goodbye to soccer which just wasn't an option. Soccer was her life. Sure she only started playing the sport because her therapist suggested to her mother that she engage in sports to curb her anger issues, but it became much more than that. It was fun. On the field, Sam felt in control, powerful and feared. It made her feel alive. While her grades weren't stellar, as evidenced by her chemistry grade, Sam also knew that soccer was going to get her into college. Then maybe she could go on to playing the sport professionally.

Or whatever. She wasn't that big on life plans. What was important was to keep playing and do anything she could to ensure that. So she did the unthinkable. She waited purposefully until only a couple of students were left in the room and approached Mr. Henning, the chemistry teacher.

"I was wondering when you were going to talk to me, Miss Puckett."

Sam fought the urge to roll her eyes. "Yeah, well..." What was she supposed to say to that? "I can't fail chemistry, Mr. Henning. I just can't."

All right. The straight approach never failed.

"Perhaps we should start with what you're willing to do to pass."

Unless, of course, one was talking to Mr. Henning.

"Um," she faltered a bit, another thing she never did and she hated herself for that tiny moment that might be perceived as weakness, "Anything?" She forced out the painful word.

"Anything? Do you know what 'anything' entails?"

Grah.

"I don't know," she answered honestly. And maybe a little testily, too. "Doesn't it mean that I'll do everything I can to pass?"

She was about to push further when someone in the room snickered. Correction. When someone made the mistake of snickering. She looked over her shoulder, her eyes quickly zeroing in on the only other person in the room.

"You wanna mind your own business, Frednerd?"

She felt a modicum of satisfaction when the twerp froze in the middle of packing away his one million and one text books in his too large for him backpack. Except the moment was completely ruined because Mr. Henning decided to speak again.

"I didn't know you were there, Freddie."

"Just packing up, Mr. Henning."

Sam snorted. "Yeah, just run away, little Benson," she snarled.

"I'm not running away, little Miss I'm Failing Chemistry," came Freddie's quick retort.

Sam's hands came down hard on their teacher's table, making Mr. Henning (who, thus far, appeared quite uninterested in the whole exchange) jolt in his seat. Spinning around on her heel, she stalked the couple of feet to Freddie and menacingly pushed his neat pile of books off the table.

"Don't even pretend that I can't take you down, Fredward," she spat his name out like it was a bad word, "I think I've proved that I can a million times over." Both her fists were clenched and ready for a beating when Mr. Henning interrupted the pre-battle sparring.

"I don't think that's a good idea, Miss Puckett."

Sam gritted her teeth and reminded herself that this was her chemistry teacher, the person upon whose hands lay her fate. The one person who she couldn't pummel to pieces. Well him, and the president of the United States. And maybe the pope.

Beside her, Sam could hear Benson's sigh of relief and that only served to fuel her anger further. "And why is that?" she asked, keeping her tone as even as possible.

"Because Freddie here just might be the person to help you pass chemistry."

...

Author's Note:

I haven't read a lot of iCarly fiction to know if this has been done before but I'm pretty sure it has so if someone feels like I've gacked this from them, you have my apologies, it's completely unintentional. It probably feels like I've cliched it up and that, on the other hand, is completely intentional. This here fic was born out of the fact that it was lady's choice for movie night with mah boifran and I took advantage of that and went to town with all the high school chick flicks I could find. So some plot devices will sound familiar but I won't go down the too predictable route. Hopefully.

I don't know why I do it but I like writing about things I know nothing about. First it was Hawaii and now it's soccer. I'm also shit with chemistry so... yeah. Let's not expect big things, okay? However, if you happen to be good at either, please feel free to send me a PM as I'll probably need help with this.

I'm probably in no position to be starting another chaptered fic but this needed typing out.

Title is from Broken Social Scene.