Chapter 1

Sam's POV

I think I'm gonna puke. And I don't think it has anything to do with the pecan pie and strawberry banana smoothie I just inhaled either. Oh my god, just no. This can't be happening.

I stared silently through the glass window in the door to the iCarly studio. I had only been downstairs for what, ten minutes and look what I came to find when I returned. I couldn't even begin to comprehend the scene that was unfolding before my utterly disgusted eyes. Carly, how could you sink so low?, I thought.

Carly Shay and Freddie Benson were kissing right there in the iCarly studio. I never thought it would actually happen. Sure, Freddie had been in love with Carly for like, ever, but Carly had always said they were just friends, and that's all they would ever be. And I had believed her. Freddie was such a dork, who could ever like, let alone kiss, him?

The sickening feeling in my gut heightened and I tore my eyes from my two lipped-locked iCarly cohorts. I ran down the stairs and into Carly and her brother Spencer's bathroom, which was thankfully empty. I sank down against the wall and curled up into a ball in between the toilet and the sink. The pain in my gut had subsided but my mind was still racing and my emotions raging. And I didn't even know why.

Why do I care whether Freddie and Carly get together or not? Sure, I think there are much better guys for Carly, ones that aren't total technical geeks, but it was their ultimate decision. I kept running those thoughts through my head, telling myself I had no reason to be upset. But there was something more than nausea that was making me feel badly. I felt betrayed, let down. I felt...no I can't even say it. I tucked my head between my knees and just sat.

Freddie's POV

She tasted like honey. Sweet, honey delight. And yet, something was wrong. Kissing Carly wasn't what I thought it was going to be. I tried to put my finger on it, and then I realized what was amiss. Carly was pulling away from me.

Our lips and bodies broke apart, and we just sat there on the steps of the iCarly studio for a few minutes, catching our breath. I didn't know what to say. She had tripped on the step, I had bent down from coiling a wire to help her, and I seized the moment when I saw it. It wasn't so bad, I don't think I'm a terrible kisser, at least I hope not. She had been surprised at first, then she started to kiss me back. But then the honey went sour, and she had pulled away.

I looked at her for a minute, and tried to read her expression. She was looking at the ground with a blank expression on her face, so I got nothing. I couldn't help wonder what she had though, I did love her after all.

"So, Carly, I-"I started to say something, I don't really know what but I was promptly interrupted by her.

"Freddie, before you go all Casanova, don't take this the wrong way, but I just can't love you. I know this will probably crush you and you won't want to be my friend anymore, but I just can't see us as anything more than best friends. I'm sorry." She looked at the floor and I saw a tear making it's way down her cheek.

"Don't cry, its ok," was all I could say. It's not as though I was really that surprised, its what I always got from her when I tried to be romantic around her. "It's ok, really. I think its time that I accepted that you and I weren't meant to be, and to start acting like a normal friend to you."

She smiled and said, "Sounds good. Why don't we just pretend this never happened? If that's ok with you?"

"Yeah, sounds good." Although I would prefer for her to say that she loved me too, I had meant what I said when I said it was time to get over it, to start being an adult. "Anyways, I wonder where Sam got to? I know she was going to attack some pie but that was a while ago."

As if on cue, Carly's cell phone rang right at that moment, and i recognized the ringtone that sam had recorded especially for when she called her best friend.

"Hey, Sam, where did you go, girl?...Oh, okay then, are you alright?...Mhmmm, you too, see you tomorrow at school...Ok, bye."

"Well, where'd she go?" Now the sound of that phone call got me to worrying. As much as Sam hated me, we did get along occassionally and I wanted to make sure nothing had happened.

"She said she had to run home, that she felt sick. She says she's fine, but there was something in the tone of her voice that made me nervous. Well, you know Sam, you never can tell with her.

"Yeah," I said, but my mind was drifting back to a mysterious noise I had heard back when Carly and I were kissing, "I do know Sam."