Chapter 10: iDon't Tell You Everything

Skylar didn't pass elimination.

It was hard for me to watch another girl leave every week. It was harder to pretend to be happy for the cameras while Freddie called out names. I was never safe, so I never stopped worrying if I'd be the next to go. I'm sure everyone noticed at elimination night how… fake my smile was.

But the worst problem was still Freddie Benson.

Maybe it wasn't all his fault, but I always felt like he was cheating on me when he put his arm around another girl or told them how pretty they looked. I knew we were all trying to get Freddie to notice us, but I still hated this. Would I be kicked out if I killed a couple people "accidentally"? Probably. The cameras were everywhere.

God, why did love have to be so confusing? Freddie was sweet and cute…but that didn't mean we were perfect for each other! What if things didn't work out? This wasn't just a game now. Marriage was the scariest word in the dictionary. Well, right after makeup.

Freddie was just too unpredictable. He's gonna be the death of me someday. I never knew what to feel when he kissed me. Happy? Scared? Nervous? Hungry? Starving?

"Thinking about food?" Amber asked, pouring chocolate milkshake onto Kate's new dress. "You look kinda…distracted." She grinned and held up the dress proudly. "Take that!"

"Yeah, um…food." I lied. "I hope they serve fried chicken tonight." I sighed and frowned at Amber. "Do you ever feel like something bad just happened? Maybe I'm crazy…but something feels wrong."

"Oh. My. God."

"What?"

Amber gasped. "Maybe the chicken burned!"

"Amber? Don't ever say that again."

Amber laughed. "Just saying…and nothing is wrong, Sam. Freddie likes you. The chicken is probably not burned. And Kate is gonna freak. It was worth losing my milkshake."

"Hi, Sam." Madison said, walking into our bedroom. She sat down on the bed next to me. "I was looking for you."

"Lucky me." I mumbled. Only Amber heard. "Madison? Why are you on this show?" I asked suddenly. She never talked to Freddie anymore, but she was always around me. What was her problem? But Madison suddenly looked…serious. She never looked serious! She wore so much makeup she looked like a clown.

"Uh…I have to go…brush my teeth." Madison whispered, standing up. She wouldn't look at me. "Bye."

"Whatever." I muttered as I watched Amber put the ruined dress on Kate's bed. Madison was extra strange today. But I had bigger problems. We didn't have a cell phone to remember Kate's face when she saw her dress!

And the biggest problem? The chicken really was burned.

X

"Just listen to me!" Melanie hissed. "We don't need to tell Sam everything. Not yet. Why worry her for nothing? Spencer will probably be fine after surgery. You heard the doctor."

"I know what the doctor said, Mel," Carly whispered. "But it's not fair to keep this from Sam. I don't care if she's on a TV show! She cares about Spencer too."

"Carls…I'm worried about him too. But what if Sam comes back and Spencer is fine? It will be over for her and Freddie. Forever."

"But maybe he won't be fine!" Carly shouted. "This isn't some dumb cold. It's life threatening!"

"Car-"

"Surgery is always dangerous. If Spencer can't…Sam should be here. She'd want to know if…if…if something happens to Spencer and Sam never gets to say goodbye. You think she'll thank us?"

"Don't say that. Spencer will be healthy as a duck. Heart attacks make people tired…but he'll wake up soon. Then he'll be making sculptures like he always does."

"…Then why are you so worried?" Carly whispered.

"We're not…well, we are…but…" Melanie muttered. She didn't know what to say. Spencer had been healthy! This shouldn't have happened, but it did.

"Oh, very convincing, Mel." Carly wiped a tear from her cheek.

"Not yet! Carls, we will tell her…just…not yet."

X

Sam snuck into the kitchen early. She didn't want the others to steal her breakfast again. This was her favorite part of the day! What was better than being alone with a whole room full of pork?

"You're up early, Mumble."

Sam groaned and rolled her eyes at Freddie. "Do you always have to sneak up on me? Oh, what am I saying? Of course you do."

"I'm going to ignore that." Freddie said, smirking at her. "But don't you want to share some of that bacon? Oh, what am I saying? Of course you don't."

"Touche." Sam mumbled. "So…how was your first date alone, Mr. Reality? You and Jade?"

Freddie shrugged, staring at the floor. "She's a very…loud girl. Seriously, I think she broke my ears." He looked up at her. "I like girls who mumble."

"I am not….oh, just forget it." Sam stuffed more bacon into her mouth. "So you didn't like her?"

"Well…do you?"

"I'm competing against her! And all of them try to bully me."

"No one could ever bully you. You'd probably do something like pour honey in their hair while they sleep."

"Who told you?"

Freddie laughed. "No one told me, Mumble. The screams didn't stop for three hours."

"Well, now you know everything about them." Sam whispered, knowing the girls would be here soon. Alone time with Freddie was ending…again.

"Well, I'm trying to find a wife." Freddie said. "I have to know them."

"Why, Mr. Reality? You afraid your bride will leave you?" Sam meant it as a joke, but Freddie got very quiet. "Freddie?"

"I can't mess up." He whispered, stepping closer. "I've never told anyone. My dad left my mom. I felt like my world was ending."

"That's…um…sad." Should she tell him her dad left too? Did Freddie need to know everything about her?

"Not really." Freddie grinned at her. "I get way more presents on my birthday."

"Freddie, my dad left too." Sam said suddenly. Oh God, why can't I stop myself around him? "I just…I don't know why I told you. I just wanted you to know…um…"

"Yes, Mumble?"

"I don't get presents."

X

"What will Sam do when she finds out we kept this secret?" Carly asked. Her eyes were red and puffy from all the crying.

"Why do you keep asking that?" Melanie groaned.

"Oh, I just like annoying you…seriously, Mel, it's cuz I want to know!"

Melanie sighed. She already felt guilty. She knew Carly was just scared. But she didn't have to get all sarcastic! "Carls, just calm down. When is Spencer going into surgery?"

"Tomorrow. They hope he'll wake up sooner, but they can't wait any longer." Carly sniffled. "Mel, you should go home. We can't do anything right now."

"You shouldn't be alone."

"Please, Melanie. I need to think. I'll call you in the morning." Carly was trying not to cry in front of Melanie, but she couldn't pretend much longer.

Melanie sighed. She didn't like it, but there was nothing she could do. She didn't live here. "See ya, Carls." She pulled her into a hug before leaving and whispered in her ear, "He'll be ok."

While Carly and Melanie suffered in Seattle, Sam was staring at herself in the mirror and wondering if she was pretty. Yeah, pretty. She'd never cared before…why now?

Sam knew something was wrong, but she didn't know her best friend and sister were fighting because of her. She didn't know Freddie was thinking of her right now. And she didn't know Spencer was lying in a hospital bed.

A/N: Thanks for being patient, everyone! In the next chapter (drumroll) we will find out Madison's shocking secret! So check for updates on September 16th!

Some of you wanted to know if there would be a "choose to stay or leave" for Sam like on the Bachelor show. Well, kinda. Sam will find out about Spencer…but I'm not saying she'll leave Freddie. And I'm not saying Spencer will be ok. I'm not saying he'll not be ok…oh, just forget it. You'll have to keep reading!

I read this really scary fanfic last night…no one reviewed! The horror! How do I stop the nightmares? :D