A/N: I'd just like to warn everyone that January probably won't be a big update month for me on this story. I have exams coming up and a huge research paper that will be pretty time consuming. However, I will be periodically posting prewritten chapters of my new iCarly fic, iWill Always Be There. Please check that out! I spent basically my entire break writing it so it would mean a lot. But for now, enjoy the chapter. I'll be back on this story as soon as I can! :)
The next morning comes along and I wake up feel like I've been missing something since I've been home. Not much later I realize what that thing is—Gibby. I've seen everyone else that I've been missing so much, but I haven't even had the chance to text Gibby. I decide to stop by Fuzzy Friends to see if Gibby is working today. On my way out the door I ask Sam if she wants to come along, and to my surprise she actually agrees. I guess she's not too busy with my brother to hang out with me again. I don't know if things with Sam and me will ever be the same, but I'd like to start rebuilding our friendship to what it used to be again, regardless of what has happened.
Fuzzy Friends is three blocks away from Bushwell. Sam walks beside me, kicking the same rock the entire way.
"So you still haven't told me about Italy. How was it?" She asks.
"It was awesome. I had a really great time with my dad," I tell her, not going into any detail.
"That's all your gonna give me? What about the boys, the fashion, and the food? Oh my gosh, I would kill for some Italian food right now," she says, rubbing her swollen stomach.
I laugh. "Yeah, the food was really amazing. You would have loved it. And the fashion there is awesome. Everyone dresses so much nicer there, it seems. I barely ever saw anyone walking around Florence in sweats. My dad actually took me to a fashion show in Venice. It was the coolest thing! And the boys were so handsome."
"How handsome?"
"Way better than any guy here. I don't know if you would agree, though," I say, taking a playful stab at her choice of a boyfriend.
She laughs it off. "Well did you meet anyone there? Any boyfriend you need to tell me about?"
"I went on some dates here and there, but most of the guys I met just became really good friends. I knew I wasn't going to stay in Florence forever so I didn't want any serious relationship." I tell Sam more things about my time in Italy for the rest of our walk. She listens intently, asking questions when it is appropriate. I'm starting to feel like she's the same old Sam again.
Finally we are standing in front of Fuzzy Friends pet store. A bell rings as we open the glass door. I hear birds chirping and dogs barking from the back. Cute puppies are kittens are looking out at the customers in the store behind glass windows. Mice, bunnies, and ferrets are in separate cages in the center of the store.
Sam and I walk in, looking around for Gibby. Neither Sam nor I see him anywhere. Sam says she's going to go ask someone if he's working while I look around for him more. Sam leaves my side and just when I think that we came at the wrong time, I feel a tap on my shoulder. I turn around to see that it's Gibby.
"Excuse me, miss. This is going to sound crazy but you look exactly like my friend Carly. It's uncanny!" I think that he's joking at first, but then I realize that he's completely serious. Same old Gibby. A wide smile appears on my face.
Sam is suddenly next to me again. "Hey, you found him. What's up, Gib?"
"Sam, hey! Doesn't this girl look just like Carly? I swear they could be twins."
Sam and I both laugh. "Gibby, it's me! Carly! I'm back from Italy!"
His eyes widen and he screams, "Carly!" as he pulls me in his arms for a big hug. Gibby has gotten stronger, a bit taller, and even a little cuter. He's really growing into himself. "How are you? When did you get back?" he asks when he finally puts me down.
"I'm great! I just got back a couple days ago. How have you been?"
"Pretty awesome. I scored this sweet job and I'm back with Tasha. Life is good. And I see that you finally found out you're going to be an aunt!" Geez, even Gibby knew about this before I did.
"Yeah, I'm pretty…surprised," I say, looking for the right word, "and excited!" I say a little more enthusiasm.
We chat for another minute or so when an old man yells at Gibby from behind the counter to get back to work. He looks at us. "Well, it's great to see you guys. We'll all have to hang out soon."
"You're always welcome over, Gib," Sam tells him. I have to remind myself that it's her apartment now, too.
After we hug Gibby goodbye and admire the adorable puppies for a few minutes, we leave Fuzzy Friends and head back to Bushwell. When we walk in the lobby Evan is sitting at the desk.
"Hey, Sam. I'll be up in a few minutes," I tell her. She looks at Evan and back to me, nods, and enters the elevator alone. After the doors close and she's gone, I stand in front of the desk to talk to him. "Hey."
"Hey, how did your surprise go the other day?"
"It worked, but I think they got me worse." I tell him about what happened while I was gone, leaving out a few of the more personal details but still giving him the basic rundown.
"Wow. You must be kinda pissed. Or happy? I don't know, is a 'congratulations' in order?"
I giggle at his confusion. "I don't know what I am. I'm really mad at them both for not telling me and kind of for getting together in the first place. But at the same time I'm happy for them and happy that I'll have a nephew soon. I'm just confused, I guess."
"Well since you're getting a nephew: congratulations," he says with a big smile.
"Thank you," I smile back. We just sit there, smiling for a moment. Then I snap out of it. "I should head upstairs. But I'll see you soon," I tell him, backing towards the elevator.
"Okay, see you around," he says, smiling and giving a little wave.
And I thought that Italian boys were the cutest.
When the elevator doors open and I'm back in the loft, Sam is raiding the fridge. Now this is typical Sam, but the only difference is that now she actually owns whatever is inside. When she turns around her hands are full of baggies filled with various lunch meats.
"Hey," she says when she sees me, "I'm making a sandwich. You want one?"
"Sure," I'm waiting for her to tell me to make my own and make hers too while I'm at it, but she actually makes three perfect sandwiches all by herself—one for her, one for me, and one for Spencer, who is working on his mural for the nursery upstairs.
She hands mine to me on the couch and then goes upstairs to bring Spencer his. She's up there for a few minutes, and when she returns she grabs hers and sits next to me on the couch. At first we watch TV, but then we start talking and hanging out in an attempt to repair our friendship.
It's nice hanging out with Sam one-on-one again. I can tell that we both want it to be like old times, but the dynamic of our friendship has changed. Our lack of communication has caused us to grow apart, along with the fact that she has essentially traded me for my brother. She used to be here all the time to hang out with me. Now she lives here as the expectant mother of my brother's child. I want things to be the way they used to, but I don't know if it's possible. I'm willing to try, and it looks like she is as well. Hopefully this day will help to start to smooth things over.
After we're done talking about how I spent my time in Italy some more, it's my turn to ask her some questions about the baby. "So do you have any names in mind?"
"Spencer and I haven't really agreed on anything yet."
"Well it has to be a really kick-ass name," I say jokingly.
She looks surprised. "Carly, did you just curse? Your good girl image has just been shattered right before my eyes."
I laugh at her. "All I said was kick-ass."
"Yeah but you've never said anything like that in your life. You must have changed a lot in a year," she says, kidding around.
"Well that's ironic. Look who's talking," I say without thinking, motioning to her pregnant belly. I regret the words when they come out of my mouth, expecting her to be mad at me or hurt by them, but she just laughs it off. Same old Sam—you can't hurt her feelings easily and she doesn't take anything seriously.
"Yeah, I know. I'm surprised at myself, too. I would have never thought this was where I'd be last year at this time. I know that a lot has changed, but I still think of you as my best friend no matter what. I hope that you still think of me as yours?"
I look at her for a silent moment, sympathizing in a way. "You'll always be my best friend." She smiles and hugs me.
"I'm so sorry that I lied to you and betrayed you!"
"You didn't betray me; you were just doing what makes you happy! If you're happy with Spencer then I can be happy for you both," I say, still hugging her.
When we finally pull apart we decide to go to the Groovy Smoothie, Build-A-Bra, and all our other former favorite hang-out spots. It's going to be a fun-filled girl day with my best friend. I'm glad that things are starting to go back to the way they used to.
