A/N: I tried to get this chapter up last night, but I'm sick and was pretty hyped up on cold medicine so I couldn't really think straight. Right now I'm a little hyped up on sleep-deprivation, but I promised you all an update. If it totally sucks, I'll probably fix it at some point when I'm not loopy out of my mind :-). Anyway, here's chapter 9.

CHAPTER 9

"A friendship can weather most things and thrive in thin soil; but it needs just a little mulch of letters and phone calls and small, silly presents every so often-just to save it from dying out completely."

~Pam Brown

Carly could feel the delightful buzz of drunkenness beginning to fill her head. Without Spencer's knowledge, she had been sneaking alcohol into her punch and soda throughout the whole reception. She wobbled over to the table where her two best friends sat, staring intently at each other as if nobody else were in the room. Carly felt like puking, but maybe that was just all the booze in her system.

"Sup, guys?" she asked, slightly aware of the slur in her words. Sam looked up at her, her eyebrows furrowed.

"You alright, Carls?" she asked suspiciously. Carly giggled like an idiot.

"I'm fine," she insisted, drawing out the word a little too long. "I can't just come talk to my best friends on a whim?"

"Have you been drinking?" Freddie asked. Carly placed a floppy hand on his shoulder.

"A little," she said, followed by another batch of obnoxious giggles. "It's a party! Who isn't drinking?"

"You're not 21," Freddie said sterny.

"Oh, Freddie," Carly sighed, running her hands lazily through his hair, "you're such a goody-two-shoes." Freddie rolled his eyes

"I think you've had enough," he said. Carly shook her head vehemently.

"Come dance with me," she said, attempting to pull him up from his chair. "You're being boring right now; you need to have some fun." Freddie shot a glance at Sam, as if asking if it was ok. Sam shrugged.

"Knock yourself out," she said unenthusiastically. Carly chuckled with glee as she led Freddie out to the dance floor. Sam watched them intently as Carly moved in time with the music against Freddie. She felt a wave of jealousy pass through her, but she quickly shrugged it off. Carly was drunk, and Freddie was hoplessly devoted to Sam; it wasn't like anything terrible was going to happen. Carly's hips flowed flawlessly to the beat, her short black dress swishing quickly against her perfect, tanned legs.

"You're a great dancer," Carly slurred, smiling at Freddie. Freddie nodded in response.

"So are you," he answered politely. A mischevious grin formed on Carly's face. She placed Freddie's hands on the edge of her skirt, moving in such a way that his hands began to trail up her hips, taking her dress with him. He quickly backed away.

"What are you doing?" he asked. She grinned again, moving closer to him.

"I'm just dancing," she said as innocently as she could muster. "Is that so wrong?"

"Kind of," Freddie said, gulping nervously. He was hoplessly in love with Sam, but a man can only take so much from an attractive woman like Carly. She seemed to see this thought in his eyes.

"I'm not trying to come between you and Sam," she said, sticking out her lower lip slightly. "I just want to have some fun." Before anyone could stop her, she grabbed Freddie by his shirt collar and pressed her lips forcefully against his. Then, chaos errupted in the reception hall.

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"What the hell did you think you were doing?" The fiery blonde screamed at her friend from the privacy of her appartment.

"I was just having some fun," Carly defended, shrugging. She wobbled over to the sofa and flopped down.

"Fun? Fun?" Sam screeched. "You just about made out with my boyfriend on the dance floor!"

"We didn't make out," Carly said, rolling her eyes. "We just kissed a little."

"No, you kissed him. He had nothing to do with it."

"He wanted me. I could see it in his face." Sam felt the nails of her clenched fists dig into her palms.

"Who the fuck do you think you are?" Sam growled through clenched teeth.

"Sam, I'm your best friend. It's not my fault if your boyfriend wants me. I just gave him a little taste." She winked playfully at Sam.

"You are not my best friend, you bitch," Sam seethed, breathing heavily. It took all of her willpower to not tackle Carly to the floor and beat the living shit out of her. Carly gasped at Sam's words.

"How could you say something like that?" she asked, hurt reflecting in her eyes. Sam took a deep breath, trying to calm her animalistic instincts.

"I never want to see you again," she said, her voice sounding extremely strained. "Send your brother my congratulations. I'm going home tomorrow." With that, she exited the Shay's appartment, slamming the door hard enough to shake the frame violently.

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Carly sat outside of Freddie's appartment the next morning, waiting for him and Sam to emerge. Her vision was blurring at the sides due to the intense throbbing in her head, but she tried to ignore it. Patching things up with Sam was a little more important than a killer hangover at the moment. After what seemed like hours, the door to Freddie's appartment finally opened, revealing a very unkempt couple. Carly stood up, looking at both of them pleadingly. Sam shot her a glare and began walking down the hall without a word.

"Sam," Carly begged. "Sam, just hear me out." Sam sighed heavily and whipped around.

"Ten seconds," she growled.

"I'm sorry! I'm sorry for what happened last night. I was drunk, I wasn't thinking. You know that if I were sober I wouldn't have done anything like that!"

"Really?' Sam asked, raising an eyebrow. She scoffed. "You've always had a thing for Freddie, I could see it in your face ever since last summer. As I recall, you wanted to date him since day one! In my view, you meant everything you said and did, it just took the alcohol to give you the courage to do it." Carly was taken aback by the painful truth emanating from her best friend.

"Sam, I…."

"I meant everything I said too," she said sternly. "A real friend wouldn't do that shit to me. So, whatever. I don't need you anymore." She turned on her heels and began walking down the hallway, refusing to look back. Carly looked pleadingly at Freddie, but he just shook his head.

"I'm sorry Carls," he said softly. "Maybe this is for the best." With that, he followed his girlfriend down the hallway, neither of them looking back at the mess of their former best friend.

A/N: Like I said, I'll read it again when I'm not all loopy, and if it's not that awesome I'll probably re-do it. For now, R&R!

Xoxo~Liz-Beth