Sorry it was late, with all the one-shots and my sixth form work, I just haven't had time. This is shorter than the last two, but the next chapter will be the longest of them all.
"Ok, well what a great question. Now we're going to take a short break but stay tuned to see Samantha answer some more questions on The Audience Asks."
The music returned signally the commercial break was over, my small window to escape had gone and I sat blankly at the applauding audience as the camera swung round to Tommy behind his oak desk, he smile widely "Hello, and welcome back, we have Samantha Puckett, singer, song writer, dancer extraordinary, in the hot seat tonight. So let's get straight to the questions." He cupped his hands around his mouth and called "Who has a good one?!" and I bit my lip in fright.
And man with bleach blonde hair and a checked buttoned down shirt near the middle was physically jumping on his seat to grasp the attention of the presenter who, reluctantly couldn't deny the ever desperate man his wish, he smiled trying to contain a snigger "Yes the man on the chair." The man beamed brightly squealing and stepping down from his seat gripping the microphone so hard his knuckles turned visibly white he began speaking with a soft feminine voice "Samantha, I've followed you since iCarly but we've actually never heard from Carly since or heard you speak to her. You were best-friends when was the last time you actually spoke to her?" My eyes became misty and within the mist the memory appeared.
She was the one I had seen most recently, I started my world tour with 20 performances across America, one of them being in Seattle. I hadn't been back in a while, but I would be lying if the familiar sense of home hadn't struck me. I still had one more performance in the city and due to the hotel manager being a huge fan, and receiving complementary tickets, he had comped me and the entire crew rooms as oppose to sleeping on the ever-growing cramped tour bus. 3 encores that night, I put it down to home ground advantage but it was true to say I was well and truly exhausted, the clock struck a little after 12 when I stepped into the limo, my favourite driver Andrew at the wheel, he reminded me a lot of Spencer, although thankfully lacked the ability to spontaneously ignite random objects. Stepping down I fell flat across the seat with a loud grunt. "Everything all right Ms. Puckett" Andrew inquired lowering the visor. "Yeah everything is fine Andy, and for the last time call me Sam" I sat back up straightening out my hair and fastening my seat belt. It wasn't the shortest drive to the hotel but the limo felt all to hot to think let alone sleep, I rested my head back and tried to clear my mind of stress, not a month and the pressure was already taking its toll.
A few minutes had passed before that fact that I was no longer moving came to my obvious attention leaning my head up I called out "Hey Andy, what's going on?" The visor lowered and the black-capped man turned in his seat to seat to me "We're on boulevard, but looks like there's road construction, real slow-moving traffic, sorry Ms. Puckett." I sighed heavily at the news and at the fact that man I'd know for the best part of 3 year still refused to call me by my name. "Alright" he nodded in understanding and turning his attention back to the road raising the glass segregated me from the only other person in contact. I raised both hands to my face level and began flapping them in a fan like manner to push cool air to my increasingly heating face. I turned to the tinted window and decided Seattle at night was better than heat exhaustion, and lowered the window feeling a small breeze from the outside world. Leaning my head out the gap I closed my eyes taking in the cool and relaxing breeze, noting that for once it wasn't living up to its name of the rainy city.
I opened my eyes and noticed that despite having been away for years Seattle boulevard remained the same the side-walks where dirty and strewed with littler and gum, the store windows were darkened and some of the glass appeared slightly smashed or cracked, and as classy as ever the corner of the street stood a hooker. she was nothing but skin and bones, she wore a Jean mini skirt that came down long enough to cover the essentials, a red v neck halter-top that clung to her frame so tight her ribs left visible indentations and a pair of black leather knee-high stiletto boots, although the over use of them was visible from the deterioration. She stood with one hand on her hip and a cigarette in the other. She turned to look up the street perusing the cars lined in gridlock. I caught a glimpse of her face, the wrinkles above her brow told of how much stress and worried she had been through the pain and suffering emanating from her deep chocolate eyes, and I knew that she had lived difficult life, because she was Carly Shay.
She was older, age had not been the kindest to the once fair flawless beauty, but without a doubt it was her. I brought my head back in and tapped on the glass to have the separator lowered, as my driver appeared I called to him hand on the handle "Andrew I'm going to walk it, ok?" He bit his lip it looked as though he was going to try to convince me out of it but he knew me well enough to know it wouldn't have worked, so conceding he nodded lightly smiling "very well Ms Puckett" I clamber out of the limo as my heels hit the concrete and with each step took a deep calming breath.
She had turned to face away once again, facing the junction turning and the bright lights of the traffic. "Hi" I said meekly, I wasn't aware that my voice could be that small, I had performed to 80,000 people and yet that seemed so easy compared to this. Never turning she spoke "Girls are 50 bucks extra an hour"
I swallowed the anxiety in my throat before speaking up "Carly" her shoulders tensed and she turned slowly, meeting my eye with a scowled. "Well, look what the washed up on untalented island. Sorry I don't have time for people who ruin my life." I was taken back. I furrowed my eyebrows and tried to contemplate her words with utter shock I yelled, louder than intended "What?" I realised my desirable and lowered my tone "How did you figure I ruined your life? You were my best friend and you slept with my boyfriend! You tried to destroy mine!"
She chuckled harshly "Oh cry me a river buttercup, because of you running away, like the coward you've always been, we had to end iCarly, Freddie refused to speak to me and because I had dropped out of college after Spencer died. I had no education or training."
the hate radiated from her eyes, and the anger began to boil in my blood "I'm a coward! because I didn't want to stick around and hangout with people I didn't trust?" Her eyes never faltered from their glare at mine, "Yes, you're a coward, you over reacted at the slightest things!" she took the tone of an imitation of my voice "Oh I kissed Freddie better check myself into a mental hospital!", I could help but feel she had a point there. In that case I had over reacted, and suddenly the hatred and anger was gone and all was left was pity for the misfortunate girl "Carly, I'm really sorry you've come to this." her eyes softened slightly and I continued "but it isn't my fault" at that her eyes re-ignited and the hatred blazed brighter. "It is your fault. This shouldn't be my life. 10 years ago if you'd asked anyone who would be in who's position. You'd be me and I'd be you." I stepped back from the girl shocked and hurt by her outcries. "You stole my life. It's your fault." I didn't know if it was denial, or maybe the fact that it was easier to blame someone else for her downfall but either way she was convinced I had destroyed her life, and I wasn't going to convince her otherwise.
I opened my mouth to apologise but she cut me off swiftly "I don't want to hear it. Go off and make some more terrible music with your awful dance moves." As she spoke a black sedan slowed down beside the side-walk, she slowly sauntered over to the car shaking her hips as she strutted the window lowered fully and she leaned in through the window whispering "Hey baby, looking for a good time?" I grimaced at the sight of what had become of the once innocence and sweet Carly Shay. She turned to me and with a sarcastic smirk, called "Well it was a lovely chat, we should do it again some time" she paused and snarled " maybe over spaghetti tacos?" She then began to walk around to the passenger side of the car" But sadly I've got to go, duty calls. Have a nice life, send me an invite to your funeral." and with that lowered herself in to the car and out of my life. That had been the one and only time in years I had spoken to her...
I came out of the thought and looked up to the man standing there patiently, microphone in his white knuckled hand. I inhaled softly before speaking "A while a go, we lead completely different lives now." I frowned at the statement because it couldn't have been more true, I looked into the camera, in a hope that maybe she was watching she would catch my message "But I hope where-ever she is, she's ok." and with a smile I looked around the audience "any more?"
So what do you think?...I hate writing Carly like this I feel beyond cliché, but I dunno it fit. A death of a loved one like that will really mess you up, and loosing all your friends aswell. It would push you to the extreme. I just hope you liked it. REVIEW!