Welcome to Chapter 1 of my story…haha. I'm glad that I had some reviews, I didn't think it would get many. So yes, the chapters are based on song titles and have song lyrics to describe the chapter. Yes, I do listen to mainly CCM and C Rock music :P, cause I like it better. Anyway, thanks to my reviewers, favoriters and alerters: devilishdiva84, RyryVaught (thanks so much! And I hope it will be a great story), hoperocks98 (thanks a lot! And yes I will…to end world hunger, for the children! I love iWAPG), Kpfan72491 (thanks so much!), seddieisthecure (thanks a lot!), and AlliterationOf-Mind. You guys are great!

Chapter 1: Welcome Home, You

So she sets out on another misadventure just to find
She's another two years older and she's three more steps behind

Does Anybody Hear Her, Casting Crowns

Welcome home, you, I know you by name.
How do you do? I shine because of you today.

Welcome Home ( You), Brian Litterell

Two years had passed.

Two years since she'd lived in Seattle. Two years since she'd seen Spencer. Two years since she'd been to Ridgeway High. Two years since she'd had detention. Two years since she'd gone to Groovy Smoothie. Two years since she'd seen Carly. Two years since she'd seen Freddie.

Two years since Freddie had told her all those things and she'd taken off, with just a note to remember her by.

Now (on an impulse decision, she hadn't really thought it through), she was headed back to Seattle, her hometown. She'd lived in Charlotte, NC for the past two years, but she still called Seattle home. In Charlotte, she'd gone to a crazy public school, yet she'd only made one friend. Her name was Grace. She had flaming red hair and eyes that switched between blue and green, depending on which color she wore from day to day. She was crazy, loud and hilarious, plus a huge fan of iCarly. But now Sam had graduated, and she'd chosen to go to Seattle University.

But first she just had to face her friends. She thought of everyone she wanted to see: Carly, Freddie, Spencer, Gibby, Wendy, Principal Franklin...maybe even Griffin, Mrs. Briggs, Mrs. Benson, Fleck, Dave…there were plenty of people.

Finally, the plane landed. Sam claimed her baggage and zoomed through security. Afterwards, she ran outside in the pouring rain and hailed a cab.

Pouring rain, that's a good sign.

"Hey," the cab driver (who, Sam noticed, was pretty good-looking) greeted. "Where ya going?"

"Bushwell Plaza," Sam blurted without thinking.

"I can take you there," he reassured her, and Sam climbed in, stashing her bags in the trunk. She looked the driver up and down. There was something vaguely familiar about him. Blonde hair (kind of slicked back), blue eyes, muscular, about her age…who was this dude? He spoke up as he began to drive. "So, do you live in Bushwell?"

Sam laughed. "I wish. Nah, I'm just visiting a friend here, and maybe checking out apartments. I'm headed to Seattle University in the fall."

"Really?" the boy asked. "I am, too! Have you ever lived in Seattle before?"

"Yeah," Sam sighed. "I used to, but I moved away about 2 years ago."

"Hey, wait," the boy peered curiously at her. "What's your name?"

Sam smiled. "I'm Sam Puckett."

To her dismay, the boy began cracking up. "Sam Puckett? I never would have guessed, day, wow, you used to beat me up all the time in middle school."

It hit her who this boy was. "GIBBY? But…your shirt is on…and you have muscle…"

Gibby smiled at her. "Yeah, turns out I had a lot of muscle after I started working out with Spencer. And I can't take my shirt off while driving a cab, or I'll get fired."

"So, you're going to SU?" Sam asked.

"Yeah," Gibby grinned. "And you'll be pleased to know that Carly is too. Plus Tasha, you know, my girlfriend Tasha."

"Carly's going?" Sam exclaimed.

"Yeah," Gibby replied.

"What about…Freddie?" She questioned, afraid of the answer.

Gibby looked down, and Sam knew then that this was a touchy subject. "I don't know."

"You don't know?" Sam exclaimed. "Gibby, you gotta know! You guys are like, best friends!"

Despite the tension in the air, Gibby laughed. "Well, there's the Sam Puckett I know…knew. Anyway, Freddie and I…we don't really talk anymore. Ever since you left, he's been…different."

"Different how?" Sam asked, not really picking up on the vibe that Gibby didn't want to talk about it.

Gibby frowned. "Well, for one, he goes out with Tasha. Not my Tasha…the mean, preppy Tasha. He's kind of popular now, but he's also kind of depressed."

Cause of me, the words ring in her head.

Unaware of Sam's mental voice, Gibby continued. "He is mean to us…so now I hang out with Carly, my Tasha, Wendy, Tureen, Shane, and a new guy named Jonas. You should come hang out with us sometime. Jonas is really cool, he's a skater that has his own band. He's not quite as good in school, but he's a really nice guy."

"Are all of them going to SU?" Sam inquired.

"Well, no. Shane is…he's going out with Carly. Jonas is too, going to SU. Wendy's headed to Duke in NC and Tureen is gonna study abroad," Gibby explained.

Sam nodded, and Gibby suddenly stopped.

"This is where you get off," Gibby smiled at her. "Have fun visiting Carly…and Freddie, if you dare. Hopefully preppy Tasha won't rip your head off for being a girl and visiting Freddie."

She handed him his dues and a pretty good-sized tip. "Bye, Gibster. See ya soon!"

"Bye, Puckett!" Gibby yelled as he drove off.

Nervously, Sam approached the doorway. As she stepped in, someone yelled at her. "NO LOITERING IN MY LOBBY!"

Sam's head snapped up in relief. "Lewbert?"

"Yes," the horrible doorman shrieked. "Do I know you?"

Sam marched straight up to the desk. "Lewbert, I'm Sam Puckett."

Lewbert looked at her and took off screaming. Sam laughed. "Some things never change." She then began to walk towards the stairs.

After she'd finally ascended all the staircases, a panting Sam knocked on Carly's door. Carly pulled the door open. "SAM?"

Sam gave a little wave. "Hey, Carls."

Carly's mouth dropped open and she pulled Sam in a tight, no-air hug. When she finally let go, she squealed, "What are you doing here?"

"I'm headed to SU in the fall," Sam replied. "Same as you!"

Carly's eyes widened. "That's awesome! Come inside. There's some people in here you need to see, and some you need to meet."

"Your new friends?" Sam asked.

"Yeah," Carly laughed, dragging her over to the couch. "Well, guys, a lot of you know Sam Puckett."

"SAM!" Wendy yelled, jumping up and hugging her.

Someone walked down the stairs. "What's this I hear about Sam- SAM, IS THAT YOU?" Spencer jumped up and dashed toward her, giving her a huge bear hug. Carly, Tureen and Tasha joined in the hug-fest, and even Shane gave her a quick hug.

Carly motioned to a boy with light brown hair and piercing blue eyes. "That's Jonas."

Jonas smiled slightly. "Nice to meet ya."

"Back at ya," Sam said.

After all of that, Carly got down to business. "Why did you leave?"

Sam scowled. "I think you know why."

"Because of Freddie?" She seemed to have a hard time saying the name.

"Maybe," Sam muttered.

"Sam, you guys hate each other. Why does it matter if he said that about you?" Carly inquired.

"Maybe because I don't hate him," Sam murmured.

Well, there you go. No, this story won't be a bunch of complete goo like this chapter (you know, all mushy and huggy)! Plus, I need your opinion. In the end, should Carly be with:

Gibby?

Shane?

Griffin? (the return of Griffin)

Jonas? (if you missed it, Jonas has light brown hair and really blue eyes. He enjoys skateboarding and music, but dislikes school. He's a bit of a slacker, which is why he and Sam should never be together, they're both too lazy, but he could balance out Carly perfectly.)

So, go ahead and vote, in a review or on my profile. Anyway, hope you liked this chapter, kind of a cliffy there at the end. Next chapter features:

Shirtless Gibby!

Carly's interrogation!

The evil Tasha!

A tiny bit of either Cibby, Cane, Criffin, or Joly. (VOTE!)

DARK FREDDIE!

If you want to read about all of this, please review!