A/N - I stayed up almost all night to finish this... I was so busy today. Sorry about the late update. Disclaimer: I don't own this or the characters or the show...thank you. R&R please!
For the next few weeks, Sam and I were dancing around what happened…or didn't happen. We were actually more civil than usual and our meetings during school were tapering off. I didn't know why, but nothing seemed wrong with Sam. Maybe she started to feel guilty about keeping it from Carly. I said nothing about it. I didn't miss it all that much. It was strange; I missed our playing and joking around even more.
When I was alone I couldn't help but replay the flour incident. The way it went from making out to something completely different—like two kids just having a blast. It was something I had been missing all those years when I was bedridden. She was my friend-with-benefits but now as we joked lightly during lunch and watched TV huddled on the couch, we were friends.
Carly went upstairs to get something out of the studio and made us promise not to kill each other while she was gone, when Sam said something that bewildered me. "You know that girl, Valerie… in French class?" I nodded, not sure where the conversation was going. "I heard she like you."
"Yeah… and?" I mumbled.
"You should ask her out." She said and sounded so much like Carly for a moment I stiffened. I glanced at her confused. She had never been like Carly—trying to play matchmaker or whatever Carly called it. I think she called it being helpful. And why did Sam all of a sudden have an interest in my love life? She didn't care when she was sticking her tongue down my throat.
"Why do you care?" I asked, trying not to sound irritated.
"I don't know. I just thought maybe you liked her." Sam said defensively, her tone turning dark and when I glanced at her, her usually bright blue eyes were almost black. I wondered if maybe a body snatcher took away my blond-headed demon and replaced her with a Carly clone in Sam's body. Yet, this strange girl sitting across from me on the couch still had that Puckett attitude.
"She's nice." I said shallowly at first. Then I started thinking about it more. Valerie did seem nice and if she did like me, it wouldn't be a repeat of what I went through with Carly, constant rejection and dying hopes. Maybe I could just ride off into the sunset with this other chick and forget about Sam and her soft lips…
"Yeah, unlike me." Sam said, crossing her arms and keeping her eyes fixed on the television set. I watched her profile a moment before allowing the conversation to end. It didn't seem worth continuing and there was nothing more to say. Though incomprehension still plagued my mind. She did it again, confusing me with her almost bipolar ways.
"Um…Sam, can I ask you something?" I started, just needing to know something. I asked it before and I wanted to ask it again but her look stopped me in my tracks. The words dribbled out of my mouth, messy and confusing.
"No." She said sternly, turning off the TV, standing up and just walking out. She didn't seem angry or upset but it did seem like something a TV show would do to emphasize the finality of the conversation—yet, this wasn't a television show, this was my crazy, mixed-up life.
"Where did Sam go?" Carly asked, coming back down with a mysterious shoebox. She looked in the kitchen automatically as that was the blond's favorite hideout but it was strangely devoid of the ham-loving girl.
"That way." I said with a shrug and pointed at the front door. Carly sighed and plopped down the couch next to me, leaning her head on my shoulder. It was just a habitual gesture for her but I wanted to push her off me. The girl was genuine but generally unaware of the way she led me on—luckily I was planning on asking out Valerie, not her.
"It's Valerie, right?" I asked sweetly, smiling at the brunette. She turned to me and I caught a glimpse of brown eyes. As she looked me over, a broad smile stretched across her face. "I'm Freddie." I offered a hand to her.
Just then the teacher, Ms. Kellie bustled by. "In French, Monsieur Benson."
I rolled my eyes and started to formulate the sentence in my head. "Veux-tu… sortir avec… moi?" I asked, closing my eyes and praying silently that I said it right. I didn't want to stammer or beat around the bush so I just went straight in for the kill. Will you go out with me? That seemed straight forward enough for me.
"Je ne comprends pas un mot que vous venez de dire." She informed me sadly. Of course, I couldn't expect her to be that good at French that she'd understand me. It was most kid's hardest subject. I was just lucky that I had a sort of knack for foriegn languages. "Mais si vous m'avez demandé sur une date, la réponse est oui."
I smiled at her. "I was, and I'll take you out for a movie on Saturday." I told her brightly and her returned smile was all I needed to know that I had a date! "I will talk to you later."
"French, Benson! This is not English class." Ms. Kellie snapped and threw her hands in the air. "French!" The teacher cried again, her outburst causing laughter to fill the room. She glared around at the students and back at me. I shrugged and grimaced at her, much to her chagrin.
I was surprised that Ms. Kellie didn't give me detention as I walked over to Sam who was sitting with her legs up on the desk and her hands crossed over her chest. "So, did you ask her, Fredlumps or did you chicken out like the girl you are?"
"Being a girl doesn't make you a chicken." I countered.
"Humph." She snorted, swinging her legs to the ground and bringing her face to mine. Her hand came up to hold my chin as if she was making it so I couldn't look away. "Listen, Benson, I think we established this before…you've made out with a guy." She paused to gauge the look on my face before letting go of my chin and laughing hysterically. A few kids looked over at the two of us, including Valerie.
Then a scary thought crossed my mind, what if Valerie thought I liked Sam? I know I just asked her out but that didn't mean she still couldn't be insecure about my sincerity. Then another thought, worse that the first one peeked into my head, was I insecure about my sincerity? I banished all thoughts and thumped Sam hard in her arm.
"What was that for, Frednerd?" Sam spat at me, the venom in her voice dangerous. She leaned close to me as if going to kiss me—I hoped Valerie wasn't watching; I was in a rather incriminating position. Her silky, minty breath washed over me and I feigned disgust. "Afraid that your little girlfriend would be jealous of me?"
"Why are you doing this Sam? I thought you wanted me to get with Valerie." She cocked an eyebrow at me, telling me that she didn't get my point. "Why, twenty seconds after I ask her out, you get all up on me? Is this some kind of mind game?"
Sam looked thoughtful. "I think it was longer than twenty seconds." I could strangle her…seriously. "More like sixty." She venture, raising her eyebrows at me. It seemed a harmless gesture but it was something more along the lines of a threat…what for though, I wasn't sure.
Valerie was a really cool girl, I realized as we sat in the theatre watching the newest Girly Cow in Space movie. The space cow movies were lame but in such a way that they were funny. Yet, most of my laughing was due to Valerie's whispered comments. She had a sense of humor that most comedians would envy, and that I envied.
As we first came in, the first thought that came to mind was that this was exactly the same theater as the one Sam and I had our fight in, but now, my mind was on my hand, which was entangled in the popcorn container with Valerie's hand. Which unlike when I came with Sam, still had popcorn in it an hour into the movie. I smiled at the sweet, civil girl next to me. This is what I wanted with Carly… normality. Something that I never got in my make out sessions with Sam, but now found in a complete stranger.
"To be honest, Freddie, I've seen this before. Can we go?" Valerie asked softly, her breath tickling my ear. I expected shocks to spread through my body but it was just a tickle, an itch that was gone in a flash.
"Yeah, sure." I said, slowly, my hands turning clammy in her hand. I followed her out into the main lobby where we walked with each step in sync. It was as if we were in a careful, beautiful dance with only one step. One. Two. One. Two.
We stepped out into the brisk evening and I thought about calling my mom but Valerie suggested a walked. I nodded and followed the brunette down the street towards the park there. "I want to swing," She told me, smiling, and I nodded. She was so innocent.
When we got there, I didn't feel like swinging and so I stood behind her, pushing her higher and higher as her laughter filled the night air. I stepped back and watched her whisk by me, a bright smile on her face. Something about this girl was so incredible. Maybe it was the foreign way she looked at everything like it was brand-new and perfect. Or maybe it was just that smile, so genuine. Either way, she was fantastic.
"Psst." I heard a hiss and I turned in surprise to see a blond head illuminated by streetlamps peeking out from behind a tree. Her blue eyes flicked over me, beckoning me to her. I walked slowly behind the tree, confusion plastered on my face like a sign. "Hey, Fredward, how's the date?" She asked, her tone mocking…as usual.
"Sam, what are you doing here? Are you following us?" I asked in a harsh whispered, furious at her intrusion.
"Not following exactly. I used your Pear Phone to hack into that chip your mom has in your neck and used it to track you." She said matter-of-factly, as if it was usual for a straight-F student to MacGyver a phone to track a chip that I didn't even know about.
"A c-chip?" I stammered, clamping a hand over the back of my neck.
"Oh…were you not supposed to know about that?" Sam tittered annoyingly. I glanced behind me nervously, checking that Valerie hadn't noticed my absence just yet. I knew she couldn't swing forever though and promptly forgot about the unforgivable violation of privacy on part of my mom and Sam.
"What do you want?" I snapped, hands crossed over my chest.
"You," Sam said, her eyes fluttering seductively as she draped her hands around my neck, and pressed her lips to mine. I felt the butterflies take up a whirlwind in my gut and I suddenly felt sick. I pressed my hand against Sam's chest, ignoring her soft breasts, just wanting her off me. I was with a girl, a nice girl…one who was nicer than Sam could ever hope.
"No, Sam… don't touch me." I said, my tone almost monotonous with the effort of not shouting. "Now, I think you need to leave."
"Don't tell me what to do."
"I will and I just have." I said, my anger fueling my confidence and my will to die, apparently. I was standing up to Sam, and for once, it might just end with my death. Instead of saying anything though, Sam ducked her head and left. She just slunk into the shadows, her tail tucked between her legs as I just took the top rank as Alpha dog. With a smile I returned to Valerie.
"And then my mom started yelling about bees. And I told her about the wasps and we both just laughed." Valerie intoned with a great grin on her face. She hadn't even realized I was gone, I noticed as I walked back in on the tail end of her story. I laughed with her.
Eventually it was late, and I took her home. She lived not far from the Bushwell so I dropped her home on my way to mine—I would have taken her home anyway. "Good Night." I told her.
"Night… I had a lot of fun. We have to do this again." She returned. Then she darted forward, pecking my cheek with a smile. I didn't settle though, I lunged forward and caught her lips in mine for a few moments before breaking away. "Wow." She murmured.
"We will have to do this again." I told her as she walked into her house. All I could think of was the lack of fireworks and how without the sparks, it wasn't as great. The kiss was just skin on skin, nothing deep or wonderful. The stomachache that bubbled up in my gut wasn't wonderful either. And I walked home in silent thought.
A/N - Ohhh, cheating, betrayl and murder...what a delicious chapter. Jk. I wrote the same thing you read, and this chapter only featured the murder. So don't worry, your memory isn't failing you, I am. XD I might have a chapter up this weekend but I will definitely have one for you Monday or Tuesday. And remember the twice a week update schedule I have for you guys. Night! :)