Day 9 to 17 of 156

I have been counting.

For exactly nine days, I have been thrown into a pit of competition with Sam, who didn't even know she was involved in it. For instance, Day 11, we were preparing for iCarly, and I, Fredward Benson, who wasn't too bothered to keep staring at his bestfriends-turned-subjects, pretended to clean his camera lenses. Then, came scene A,

'Carls?' Sam said as she continued to stare oddly at her supposed bestfriend. 'There is something really different about you today.'

'Oh, stop that'

She was obviously holding in a smile. Yeah, and obviously, she was flattered but didn't want to look like it for some reason. She even gave Puckett a playful slap on her side. I felt the competitive vein on my forehead pop out. I just had to say something to get the flare of jealousy in my chest appeased.

'Actually,' I began. I set my camera down on my trolley of Holy Electronics and walked over where Carly and Sam were. 'You do look different. You know, the type of different I don't mind staring at all day.'

And so I smiled. I just offered her a sweet compliment that I dashed with a little bit more sweetness when I smiled widely at her. That finishing stance was the proof of my sincerity.

'Stop that,' she may have graced me by looking at me at that time but she said that so flatly it could have made thirty stacked pancakes into a single crepe.

How unfair was that? She said exactly the same thing that she said to Sam but I didn't feel the least bit honored. I didn't even get a playful slap. Or perhaps I shouldn't have asked for it – for the ever kindest Sam walked over to me and gave me her very own version of the "playful slap" I was looking for in place of Carly's. I didn't enjoy it. Trust me. No joy. No honor. No love. Nothing of the words I craved for involved there.

And in case you wanted to know more of the stack of evidences I never intended to collect anymore, came Day 13. I was behaving like my normal self. Well, normal as in, look-in-the-peep-hole normal.

I was just being Freddie, when instead of a loud thud on my door to get me off the peephole, it almost seemed like they didn't even notice me when they arrived in front the Shay apartment door.

They were laughing and enjoying each other's company. Still laughing, Carly unlocked the door and just when she was about to open it, Sam stopped her and told her she would do it instead. That was definitely my cue. Without wasting a second, I barged in the little scene they were building up and opened the door for them.

'Ladies?' I said as I held my arm out to the Shay apartment – signaling them to enter.

To my surprise, they both said thanks with really nice smiles I almost didn't believe. They walked in and my heart was pumping with joy. I knew that was my moment that neither of them would have overshadowed. But again, I was wrong. The door shut right at my face.

Don't worry guys, I'm fine. I'm okay, just in case someone is worried about me out there. Got any water with you, by the way? Oh, just to give that scene closure, that was Scene B for you.

With regard to Scene C, then began my despair. Admittedly, I lost lots of tiny little battles that I didn't know how I was going to get a timing of my own – a moment that could highlight my specialties. I never got that chance in case anyone's getting his hopes up. That's probably why Scene C occurred.

Sam was gawking at herself in the mirror she borrowed from Carly. I guess she was still a girl no matter how boyish she gets. She was being conscious about something she referred to as some shadow of an eye or something. I don't know.

As soon as she mentioned what her problem was, Carly was immediately on the rescue – she held Sam at both cheeks and began studying her face. I must say, "The Eye" was getting better and better. As fast as Carly would tend to Sam, I noticed how Puckett avoided Carly's eyes.

'I think this make up is a little too dark for you,' Carly said with a lopsided smile.

I, on the other hand, in an effort to rid of my pain yet again, I stepped closer to them and commented the best I can, 'Yeah, that make-up—thingy—shadow is dark. I think you should use green.'

Both girls seemed to have frozen momentarily and looked at me.

'Dude, you gay?' Sam asked. I could tell, there was no pun intended there. For the first time in my life, I actually admitted that it wasn't her fault for saying such a thing.

And so, this went on. I didn't know how much more I could take. On Day 17, I was in no competitive state at all. It wasn't that hard to tell as I walked like a zombie – eyes ahead, feet continuous. I even bumped unto Mrs. Briggs. She scolded me but I didn't even budge.

I still went for my locker and I was just thankful that it was only Carly whom I saw ahead of me. I spent a couple of seconds thanking the heavens for I wouldn't be witnessing anymore awkwardness. Or, yet again, so I thought.

Carly was looking really happy as she held what appeared to be a rose. That wasn't initially surprising. She ought to have tons of admirers, and I was pretty sure I would offer her a rose too. When she caught sight of me, she waved for me to come over.

I dragged my feet to get to her and eased great effort to pretend I was interested since it wasn't from me. In addition to that, the way a note was tied like a ribbon around the stem told me this was from the same person who had been giving her flowers for the past five days. That tacky fellow had this secret admirer thing going on and it made Carly happy, me annoyed, and Sam uninterested.

'Yep?' I asked.

'I'm clueless. You have any guesses yet?'

I only shook my head at that. I was obviously getting Sammy with the situation.

Approximately an hour after our last class ended, I was still waiting for my mom to pick me up. She called earlier to inform me that she just had to get something at the pharmacy (God knows what) just for a few moments, and so, I patiently waited.

'Geez!'

Yeah. Very patiently waited.

My waiting went on until I heard noises somewhere inside. I didn't care at first since I was feeling very beat with everything that had been happening since Day 1 of 156. My nonchalant behavior towards the noises went on until it occurred to me that they sounded very much like screeching metal.

I just wished that I didn't go inside and heed my very correct hypothesis. Yes, I was VERY correct about guessing that it might be Carly's secret admirer leaving the rose in her locker again. I truly am a genius. It's times like these though that I wish wasn't smart – smart enough to sneak back in unnoticed, see Sam carefully securing Carly's locker and understand what that meant in an instant.