iCabin

Chapter 10: Melanie's Determination

Freddie's POV:

At breakfast I sat on one of those stools that make your feet hang. I was at the counter opposite my two best friends with Melanie next to me and Spencer fiddling with something in the living room. It was some creation made of seagull feathers and tennis shoes. But I wasn't so sure. I couldn't take my eyes off of the odd behavior of the two in front of me.

Carly was hunched over drastically. She was stabbing at her scrambled eggs ruthlessly, but she didn't look down, her eyes were piercing into mine. This shot beams of guilt and shame into me and I wasn't even sure what I'd done! She looked like she was disgusted by me. Her lip was curling in a grimace, something that I had only seen on Sam.

Speaking of Sam, she was acting very strange. She was leaning over with her hands propping up her face, she looked ridiculously tired. She wasn't moving except for the occasional bored clicking of her tongue. The weirdest part wasn't the pale appearance or the dark, distant eyes; it was the fact that she hadn't touched the mound of food Spencer had provided for her. She didn't even care, about anything.

"Well, I'm done!" Melanie hopped away from the table, "Come on Freddie! Take me for a walk"

I groaned to myself about the awful situation I was in. Then I followed the girl who beckoned me out the door. It wasn't Sam, but it was part of the plan. And the two other girls didn't seem to want me around.

Melanie's POV:

I was in a wonderland of happiness. Freddie was just the cutest thing! I walked with him along the beach. He didn't seem all that talkative, but I understood. He could be a really deep thinker, I liked that. But I still had to bite my lip to stop from saying something. Then I tried a different approach. I turned to him and smiled broadly, showing my excitement, but he didn't return the favor. So I walked a little longer, unfazed. I tried again. I whipped my head to the left and willed him to look at me, to no avail. My grin sunk into a pout. I turned back to face forwards.

After walking a little longer I made my next move. I reached out my hand and grabbed his. He didn't acknowledge my hold at all, but he didn't pull away so that was good enough for me. I was practically skipping with all the happiness bubbling up inside me. He didn't seem to be as eager as I was, but I knew he would come around eventually.

I walked him down to the bench facing the lake. I sat down and patted the seat next to me, signaling for him to sit. He didn't see, he just stood there, staring out into the lake. I tapped my foot impatiently. Why wasn't he paying more attention to me? Finally I had to reach up and pull him down. He started a little at my touch, but followed my pull down to his seat. He still didn't look at me. My confidence was a little shaken. But I knew how this was supposed to happen, and I wasn't going to give up so easily.

I decided to say something though. "Freddie, you're, like, a million miles away." I smiled sweetly.

He blinked a few times and looked down at his hands. "Sorry" he said genuinely.

"That's okay, I still like you." I scooted over to him so we were side to side. He stiffened a little and flexed his jaw.

I looked into his disconnected gaze. I scanned his features, his beautiful worried features. I leaned around him and wrapped my arms around his neck and pulled him to face me. We were very close and I could tell he wasn't breathing.

I slipped me eyes closed and pulled myself towards him. This was the moment… when I didn't find a pair of lips to meet mine I leaned a little further. Nothing. I opened my eyes, disappointed, and found Freddie's confused face studying me. That wasn't my last attempt. My arms, still wrapped around his neck, pulled him further towards me. He let me for a while, and my hope began to grow, but then he held strong against my tug once we were a few centimeters from each other. I gave him a questioning look.

"I have to tell you something." He breathed

Carly's POV:

"Sam?" we hadn't been talking in a really long time. I hadn't realized because I was too busy imagining all the ways to knock some sense into Freddie… with a shovel. I know, I know, more violent than I usually am. But you DO NOT mess with my best friend!

She hadn't answered my call, I turned to her and, upon noticing her un-Samish appearance, put my hand on her shoulder in a comforting way.

"Sam are you okay?" I just plain-out and asked what everyone else was avoiding.

"yeah" Her voice was monotone and breathy. It seemed a great deal of work just to get that one word out. But she didn't look sick or anything, just… dead (almost).

"Sam, maybe you need more sleep or something…"

She turned to me slowly and gave me a weak smile, shaking her head no. Her eyes were assuring me not to worry. I was sad that she felt she had to reassure me and not the other way around. But I wouldn't bother her anymore. I would just be there for her.

"How about a movie? Hmm? I'll set it up." I jumped off, pumped that I had found a way to relieve her a little bit. Then I realized the only movies Spencer brought… "Umm… I guess we could watch that… Hey Sam! All we have is Galaxy Wars!"

Sam's POV:

"Hey Sam! All we have is Galaxy Wars!" memories came flooding into my mind, breaking the Freddie-free dam I had created. It felt like a knife twisting in my stomach. I didn't want to hurt. No more hurt.

A dull, foggy feeling filled my entire being. I wasn't going to hurt. I felt tired, but it was better than being fully alert. Swallowing the truth was better than facing it.

"No thank you" I called over to her. Then I looked down at my cold breakfast. I felt no desire for it. I crinkled my nose in disgust and walked up the stairs. "I'm going to go think." I gave Carly the best smile I could manage. The effect wasn't what I hoped, but she didn't stop me.

Freddie's POV:

"I… I just don't think," I couldn't shoot her down. I wasn't good at this kind of thing, "I don't know if this is… right?" it came out a question; I really wasn't good at this kind of thing.

"It's okay Freddie, I know you're nervous. We can just sit." She smiled understandingly and kicked her legs playfully back and forth.

"Actually, I…" alright, go with the plan, "I don't think this will go anywhere. I think we should just be friends."

"Oh." She turned to me, obviously disappointed.

"You're a really great person. I like you a lot." And I meant that too.

"So what's the problem?" her eyebrows met in confusion.

"I… well," she deserved the truth "I, like someone else." I shrugged. That was a simple answer, I didn't lie, and it was a good reason to break off whatever it was we started.

"I understand." She smiled at me, but then it disappeared. "but, then why did you ask me out?"

"Oh, ah-well" I really dug myself a hole, now didn't I? Oh, I thought you were her, no no, it's not your twin sister, the OTHER girl that looks like you! There was no way around it! I've got to think of something clever… something clever.

"Freddie?"

"I just, I… *ugh* I'm no good at this." I couldn't lie, she was too… straight-forward. I wasn't used to looking at that face and knowing there were no mind-games going on. "I thought you were someone else."

She looked at me dumbfounded. Then something clicked. I could almost see the light bulb. Her face brightened up.

"Oh my god! It's Sam! You thought I was Sam!" She was suddenly very excited.

"Shhhhh!" I nervously glanced over each shoulder, no one was listening. I leaned forward and lowered my voice to a whisper, "Okay, okay, yes."

"That is SO sweet!"

Finally! Someone to talk to! "What do I do? I-I keep messing things up, it's like there's always something in the way!"

"What if you just tell her the truth?"

"What?" I knew she was straight-forward, but this was crazy.

"How else are you going to tell her how you feel?"

"Umm…" I wracked my brain for something.

"And avoid another miscommunication?"

"Ugh…"

"That's what I thought" she smiled at me knowingly.

"…you're right." I took a deep breath. "But that's what I wanted to do before! And then it turned out to be you!"

"And Sam's out of twin sisters, I promise." She put her hand on my shoulder.

I looked up at Melanie. I couldn't help but agree to her determination.

"I'll do it."

Sorry about the wait you guys! I know I usually update every day, I've gotten busy (I know that's a lame excuse) but I'm done now! (okay, not really, but I'm organizing my time better now!)