Maybe it was a little odd to skip school on a Tuesday. But a need is a need. And besides, it wasn't like she skipped school very often. She was a good student with a great attendance record. But this day, she needed this for her mental health. Spencer being there was also entirely necessary. Good, straight-forward, predictably unpredictable Spencer. The one person, it seemed, that wasn't interested in messing with her head.
"Are you going to eat that?"
Spencer gave her a weird look, but passed over the remainder of his orange chicken. "Gees, kiddo. Since when do you eat this much? I barely got any Chinese food."
Carly shrugged a shoulder and devoured the chicken. "You ate your half of the Indian food though. Besides, I need to balance my anguish."
"Are you ready to tell me what's causing this anguish yet?" Spencer asked.
She shook her head. "One more movie and then maybe."
He sighed and nodded. "Funny or scary?"
"I don't care. Both if you can find it."
"Romance?" He sang the word to her.
She smiled and shook her head. "Romance sucks. Let's see some blood and guts and action."
"War movie?"
"No. Those are sad."
"Hitchcock movie?"
"Nah, something newer."
"Rob Zombie?"
"Ew." Carly sighed, stretching and sitting up. "I'm going to go have a shower. You keep looking."
"Okay."
Normally she took fast showers. But today wasn't a normal day. It was just after one and she was home instead of at school. She was distressed. Everyone deserves a day off, right? And since it was a day off, she decided to take her time with a shower. Only she hadn't expected to end up screaming.
Why hadn't she noticed it before? It looked like it was spreading, but no. It was just right there. And Spencer was knocking on the door, asking question after question, but not coming in.
Under her left breast extending down about two inches, was a rash. A rubbed raw, slice of her skin, red and peeling, and angry. With every drop of water came a new sizzle of pain. She backed away from the flow and covered it.
It seemed like no time at all before there was a gentle knock on the bathroom door and, "Carly?" in a small voice drifted into her ears. She sat in the corner of the bathtub, no water, no nothing. Her towel was held tight to her small frame and the voice was moving closer to her.
"Sam?" Why was she here? What about the whole avoidance thing the previous day?
"Spencer called me. He said something was wrong and you needed a girl's help." Sam offered a small smile.
She looked beautiful. She wore a deep blue long sleeve and cargo pants. Her rainbow scarf was still wrapped her neck and her knit cap was still on her head. Red cheeks, red lips.
"Why are you here?"
"I just told you."
"You know that's not what I meant."
Sam sighed as she moved closer to Carly and lifted her off the ground. "I'm here because I'm your best friend. Why else would I be?"
Carly shrugged. "I didn't realize you were still talking to me."
"Of course I am."
"Than why didn't you even look at me in class yesterday? Or walk home with me?"
"Carly, I can love you and still need my space sometimes. Now what's the problem?"
Her heart lightened. She loved her. Of course, she had always known that, but it seemed special, didn't it? Like somehow she meant it more than she ever had. But then she remembered the rash.
"I don't want to talk about it."
"Can you show me?"
Carly blushed and nodded. "But I'm not going to."
"Why?" Sam's eyes lit up. "Its on your ass, isn't it?"
Carly swatted Sam's arm. "Shut up. Why does that make you happy?"
"So it is?"
"No."
"Come on, Carly. Just show me. Maybe I can help. Or go call 911 if need be."
Carly sighed, covered her nipple, and dropped her towel a little. With another sigh, she turned her head in embarrassment.
"A rash? You screamed and freaked Spencer and me out because of a rash?" Sam giggled.
"Its not funny!"
Sam cleared her throat and forced a frown, but continued to chuckle. "No, of course not. A rash is a very serious problem."
"It can be!" Carly exclaimed, feeling silly.
"Does it itch?"
She nodded.
Sam went through her cupboards and drawers until she found a small tube of hydrocortisone cream. "This should take care of it." She grinned.
She could of handed the tube over and let Carly handle her own problems. She could have left it on the sink and went back downstairs. But she didn't. Instead, she removed the cap and put a little of the cream on her finger. And instead of letting Carly apply it to her own body, she decided to take care of it herself. Sam rubbed the cream into red area directly underneath Carly's left breast.
Shocked? Stunned stupid? Carly couldn't think. She couldn't breath, couldn't move. So she just stood as still as possible as Sam massaged her ribs.
And then Sam was done, sealing the tube back up and stepping back. "I hope that rash isn't contagious." She grinned as she left the bathroom.
"What the hell are you thinking, Sam?" Carly whispered and turned the shower back on.
Sam was lounging on the couch with Spencer on the floor when Carly finally came back downstairs. They were both enjoying a nice slice of turkey bacon and totally in tuned with whatever movie Spencer had decided on. They were watching Juno.
"You know, if I was a pregnant teenager, I don't think I would want to visit the adopting father so much. I mean, an affair with him would just be awkward, wouldn't it?" Now, this statement and question might have seemed normal to most ears. Watching a movie, discussing one's own take on things. If only Spencer hadn't been the one to say it.
But Sam was nodding in agreement. "So awkward."
"You know, there would be a lot more awkward things going on if you were a pregnant teen." Carly interrupted, taking a seat at the opposite end of the couch from Sam.
Spencer leaned his head back and grinned at her. "You just gave me an awesome idea for a sculpture."
"Oh god." Carly rolled her eyes.
"I can see it now."
"Of course you can."
"It'll be magical."
"I bet."
"The next David."
"Oh yeah?"
Carly indulged in her own slice of turkey bacon as Spencer jumped to his feet and snatched his shoes. "I must create!"
"Have I told you lately how cool your brother is?" Sam asked after Spencer raced out the door.
"Its always nice to hear."
They shared a private smile. Like they had so often growing up. Carly's heart pounded in her head. But no. This would be a normal afternoon. Nothing weird, nothing crazy, nothing that made her want to rip out her hair. And Sam seemed okay with that.
They relaxed on opposite ends of the couch, watching Juno and eating turkey bacon. Spencer returned twenty minutes before the movie ended with a box full of who knows what and a smile on his face.
"What did you buy?" Carly inquired.
"Nope, not telling, so don't ask. This is my baby, my project. You'll just have to wait until its finished." Spencer babbled.
Carly's eyebrows slipped into her hairline. Spencer was always eccentric, but this was a bit much even for him. "Okay."
"I'm going to use the iCarly studio, okay? You won't need it for a couple more days anyway." With that, he raced up the stairs with the box in one hand and a Peppy Cola in the other.
The movie ended and the worry started. Once again, she was alone with Sam. But she was worried for a different reason than the million or so that had been thrown her way over the last couple of weeks. She was borderline freak-out because they had fought the day before. Because she had hurt Sam. And yet, at the first sign of a rash, Sam had coming running to her apartment.
"Hey Sam," Carly began, a little unsteady.
"Yeah?"
"Wasn't school still in session when you came here?"
"Yep, it sure was."
"And where do your teachers think you are?"
"In the bathroom."
"Oh, Sam."
"What?" Sam was grinning now, shifting into a better sitting position. "My best friend's brother calls and says it an emergency that has to do with you. What did you expect me to do?"
She shrugged. "I don't know."
"Well, I didn't either. But I was hoping you might have an idea, so I asked to go to the bathroom. And then I called your cell, only you didn't answer. I sent you three texts and you didn't respond. So I came over. So, technically, it's your fault I ditched school." Sam nodded, in full agreement with her own statement, and smiled at Carly.
"What?" Carly exclaimed, eyes wide.
"Its true. My ditch is on your ass."
Carly leaped across the couch to pin Sam. "Take it back!"
"Never!" Sam sang, struggling to get out of Carly's grip and giggling.
After a few minutes of wrestling, Carly let go of Sam's wrists and let herself drop. She wrapped her arms around her best friend and sighed, content. It had been a long time since she had simply enjoyed Sam's company.
"Sam?"
"Yeah?"
"When's your mom coming to get you?"
"Uhm…" Sam grinned. "She's not. I told her I'm spending the night."
"But I never invited you."
"Well, you should fix that. Now seems like a good time."
"Fine, you can stay."
"Good, because I wasn't going to leave anyway."
Carly returned Sam's grin, looking up at her and curling her arms around her waist.
Damn, she was in love.