A/N I don't own iCarly. The first version got deleted in a fatal computer crash, but I hope you enjoy it anyway. I started toying with some scenes: a chance to vote on their outcome at the bottom!
"C'mon, Sam why are you making us do this? You hate shopping," Freddie groaned.
Freddie and Gibby were sitting side by side in front of a three-fold mirror while Sam tried on clothes in the fitting room. When she went in she'd had nearly twelve dresses, but they had yet to see anything she'd tried on, but heard a great deal of struggling and swearing.
"I gotta find something that'll make tards like you drool."
Freddie snorted, "Good luck with that. The only time you make guys drool is when you eat the last piece of chicken in front of your dates."
"Shut it, Benson," she snapped. "Shouldn't you be in class like Carly?"
"I had the afternoon off," he replied finishing the last dregs of Icee from his cup.
They heard something snap and Sam swore again. "I wish she were here, she has a better eye for fashion than you dorks."
"Yea, well you're not showing us anything so how do you know?" Freddie retorted before turning to Gibby. "When is she gonna come out?"
"She's probably making sure hell complete freezes over first," Gibby joked softly.
They shared a laugh at her expense as Freddie pointed at the skylights in the mall ceiling, "Look a flying pig."
A throat was cleared loudly in front of them and they looked up. Sam stood before them wearing a black button up military style dress that hugged curves they didn't know she had. They stared as she asked bluntly "Well?"
Gibby held up his cell phone camera slowly trying to snap a photo, but Sam pulled it away and threw it on the floor. "No photos!"
"Hey, if you don't want anyone seeing you then why bother trying so many on? Just pick one."
"It's none of your business, but I'm trying to win a bet," she said.
"What's the gain?" he asked.
His question reminded Sam that she hadn't actually bet Spencer anything. That realization drove home just how deep she was in. No need to give them all the details.
"Money."
"How much?"
"Fifty."
That didn't seem like enough to make Sam put in this much effort, Freddie thought. She hadn't even gotten this worked up for prom. She just had Carly pick her dress and made sure it didn't show 'boobage' to use her expression. The wheels began turning in his head as he realized the only time he'd ever seen Sam get worked up about her appearance it had been for. . .
The realization made him smile mischievously.
He noticed Gibby was toying with one of the shoes that Sam had brought in to try on as well. He timed his words carefully as Sam emerged wearing a red dress. This one flowed out from the waist of a fitted short sleeved bodice and had a nice V cut that displayed just enough flesh to satisfy her.
"What kind of shoes are you going to wear?" Freddie asked.
"I dunno, I was thinking of black pumps , but this one might call for strappy heels," realizing her mistake a shadow of fear crossed her face, but was gone in a flash as she met Freddie's satisfied smirk in the mirror. She knew the boy was too smart to keep around.
"Wait a minute," Gibby said looking up from the shoe in his hands. "Sam doesn't care about shoes!"
Sam spun to meet them trying to think of how to repair this. Before she could Freddie asked tauntingly.
"So, who's the guy?"
"None of your business," she said and returned to the fitting room stall quickly.
"Oh, cmon, I need to know whose family to notify when they find a body." He walked over to lean against the wall.
"It's just a bet," she said.
"Uh, Huh," Freddie enjoyed that the tables were turned. Everyone had known his crush, but if he could find out hers he'd finally be even.
Trying to put the pieces together he heard more movement before she emerged holding both dresses up on hangers. She faced them trying to pretend nothing was amiss.
"Which one?" she asked holding them both up for the boys to pick from.
Freddie knew it would cost him, but his hunch was too strong to let go. He took a shot in the dark. "Spencer's favorite color is red."
She held up the red one deciding and set the black one to the side, it took her a full minute to realize what she'd done.
"Oh, Snap," Gibby said moving his hand to cover his shocked smile.
This time the look she gave Freddie was one of pure rage. He dropped the cup and leapt over the foot stool moving fast. "Later Gibby," he yelled leaving the store as fast as he could.
She rounded on Gibby, "If you tell anyone I –"
Gibby held his hands up, "Who would I tell?"
She thought about it and he had a point. She was the only one overly worked up about it. Freddie had only pushed her buttons because it was what she would've done to him. "Good point."
Sam went into the stall and carefully folded up the red dress and tucked it into her jacket. She smiled at the fact that Freddie had actually made a good choice.
"C'mon Gibby," she said moving quickly to exit the store. Gibby followed her pace knowing the drill.
Once outside she searched for Freddie, to no avail.
"Oh, well, Gibby, let's find a poorly attended shoe store."
"Aye, aye cap'n," he said giving her a mock salute.
A/N Please review The next few chapters are going to be intense. Vote in comments/reviews/messages:
Lemons or no lemons?