Chapter 11
Sam's POV

I couldn't go home not to both of them so I found myself walking campus. My stomach was in knots I couldn't eat, after years of avoiding all this to have it slap me in the face in such a weird way. I thought I could deal with anything but I couldn't lose these two people who been in my life for so long, and in a sense, had changed me from the wreck I possibly could have been without knowing them. I found myself in the campus' garden, I never came out here but Hailey did, she said that it was beautiful at night, this was the perfect time to find out if she was right. I opened the gate and was immediately entranced by the sparkling golden lights. I followed the trail and stopped in front of the white roses they were so beautiful and the smell all over was intoxicating like something from one of those girly movies that Carly was addicted to. Just as I was getting ready to go further down the trail I saw Freddie coming toward me this was the perfect time to leave, I turned and began to walk out.

"Sam!" He ran to catch up to me and grabbed my arm.

"Look can we reschedule this conversation for another time or another lifetime that would be perfect!" I said snatching my arm back.

"Sam I . . .," he tried once more to talk and the feeling in my stomach tightened.

"Look! I can't do this with you right now!" I snapped.

"Carly and I have been looking for you if you didn't want to be found you could've just answered your phone once. She was worried . . . and so was I." I moved away from him.

"Oh . . . well, you've found me can you leave me alone now?" The words hurt as I spit them out. I didn't want him to leave but I couldn't do what Dr. Mitchell said, people may believe me to be evil but I couldn't hurt Carly that way. Yeah I was still lying but this was a selfless lie instead of a selfish one.

"I'll tell her I found you and that you're okay." He said, he was going to leave, I didn't want him to something in me couldn't let it happen.

"Freddie!" I said before I could stop myself and turned to me curiously. "I . . . ummm . . . can you tell Carly that I probably will stay with Hailey tonight."

"Are you serious? This stupid little play thing has you wound so tight that you can't come back home! How about this, the stupid kisses meant absolutely nothing to me Puckett! Touching you was revolting and your mouth . . .was . . . disgusting." He moved closer to me I couldn't tell if it was intentional or not.

"The feeling's mutual . . .," I backed away from him and got caught by the rose thorns. I flinched slightly and noticed blood that trickled down my arm and Freddie being the guy that he was pulled out a tissue and wiped it away, then leaned into kiss the swore spot. When his lips hit my flesh I flinched at away.

"If I'm so revolting why are you putting your crusty lips on me?"

"I guess I'm a glutton for punishment." He whispered as he leaned toward me, I frowned and backed away, and then he grabbed my waist and held me in place. "I'm not going to kiss you." He hugged me instead, "I should be able to hug a friend shouldn't I?" I nodded . . . he knew what I needed and that I couldn't ask for it. The moment was perfect full moon and a garden full of beautiful white roses, if things were different I would've let him kiss me.

"Sam! Sam!" Carly's voice pulled me from my delusions and caused me to shove Freddie away. "Thank God we've been looking everywhere? Why didn't you answer my calls?" I looked at my phone I had over 20 messages, that was a bit extreme, I mean I was old enough to be responsible for myself so why all the concern?

"I had an appointment? Was something wrong?" I said exiting what the garden and leaving a potentially decent moment in dust.

"Yeah, it's actually kind of private," she said looping her arm in mine and walking me back to the apartment that I wanted no part of. "I need to talk to you about Freddie." She whispered, Freddie who quite a ways behind us now was conveniently was called by one of his geeky friends.

"I told you I can't help you with that I'm both of your friends and I don't wanna be in the middle anymore."

"I wasn't asking for your help I just wanted to talk to you about him." She rolled her eyes at me, "I think we're getting closer, lately since we've been having the time alone to reconnect he seems okay with hanging with me and I wanted to kind of thank you for disappearing."

"Your welcome?"

"I don't mean it like it sounds . . .," the awkward silence gave me time to envision the two of them joking and her annoying flirting . . . but none of it really mattered I didn't care I wasn't going to want Freddie.

"Yes you did," I laughed, "my presence didn't matter you know Freddie likes you he just doesn't want you." I said bluntly I think I killed her buzz kill which was good because she seriously wasn't doing me any favors in that department.

"Oh . . . well I think it has a lot to do with it. Without you buzzing around he has no choice but to talk to me." She smiled.

"So you're trapping him?"

"When you put it that way it sounds so . . .," she actually paused as if she were thinking for the right words.

"Wrong. The word you're looking for is wrong, you shouldn't trap a friend into doing anything no matter how good the intention." I huffed.

"Look who's talking! In high school you manipulated everybody and now you are trying to reprimand me?"

"You're right that was me in high school! This is me now telling you to lay off Freddie before you lose him completely!" I let go of her arm. "This is why I didn't want to talk to you about this I knew that you wouldn't agree with how I feel." She refused to look at me.

"Yeah . . . well, I guess I will have to respect your wishes from now on." She pouted. We both started to walk again.

"So was that the reason you were trying to call me? To tell me that Freddie and you were getting closer?" I think she could've waited to share that news.

"There was that and . . . I wanted to know if you could stay at Hailey's tonight I was going to cook me and Freddie a romantic dinner but when I couldn't reach you I got worried and so we decided to search for you instead." I laughed. "What?"

"If you had just left me alone I was going to stay with Hailey anyway!" We both laughed and then Freddie decided to join our conversation.

"What did I miss?"

Freddie's POV

Who knew that my niceness would be interpreted as a deep longing for Carly Shay? Who knew that me simply spending time with an old friend would encourage her to the point of asking Sam to disappear? I stayed on my fake call taking as much of their conversation that I could. The thing that surprised me the most was Sam standing up for me. Even though she stood her ground she still stayed as far from the apartment as possible. Then she had the nerve to tell us she wasn't hanging with us over the break.

"What are you talking about Sam we always hang together?" Carly said in disbelief. We were all packing and this seemed like the best time to Sam to deliver the news the night before leaving.

"Yeah well I have plans with my sister it's no big deal, I just won't be hanging out as much." She said zipping her travel bag.

"But I wanted to practice for the reunion show while we were there." Carly pouted.

"I'm pretty sure I could fit that into my schedule Carls." Carly smiled satisfied with Sam's answer answer.

"Hey maybe your sister would want to be a part of the show?" I said feeding into Sam's nonsense I can't believe that she would bring her fake sister up just because she needed some alone time.

"I'll ask her." Sam actually seemed serious; I bet she would get back into town and ask her imaginary friend if she wants to be on iCarly.

"She really does have a sister you know." Carly said wrapping her arm around me. Any chance she got her body was connected to mine and the sad thing is that she was completely oblivious to the fact that I was wishing she and Sam would switch places.

"Yeah right and I have a twin brother named Jason." Carly hit me on the shoulder and then headed to the kitchen.

"Oh really is he hot?" Sam smirked, I bet she didn't realize how inviting she looked.

"I bet you'd think so," I whispered in her ear, getting close enough that I could simply just brush against her, damn this situation was getting sad.

"Not if he looks anything like you." She laughed and looked down, I was making her uncomfortable that seemed to be happening a lot lately, whenever she let me anywhere near her actually.

"I don't think you hate the way I look." I stepped closer to her.

"Why do you keep invading my space? Did I say I wanted you closer?"

"Sam, I can't help being in your bubble it's such a lovely bubble." We both laughed.

"Did you just call my bubble lovely?" She was near tears in laughter and I wasn't too far behind her I took the opportunity to sneak even closer.

"Yeah I think I did." Her laughter stifled as she noticed my new proximity. I wanted to kiss her I was going to, she hadn't moved even though she seemed slightly unnerved my movement. Then Gibby barged in with Carly.

"Hey ya'll ready!" He said taking his shirt off. I wondered when he would get over his addiction to being topless. As soon as they entered the room Sam made a feline for the door and I felt like I missed out on an opportunity that I may never have again.

Sam's POV

I entered my mom's house which was filled with moans that I pretended not to hear . . . like I always did. I couldn't believe people wondered why Melanie and I never wanted to stay here. As soon as I plopped down on the couch Melanie came from our room.

"Well, I'm here like you asked . . . what's so important that you forced me to come home?" She said sitting beside me.

"Who said anything was wrong? Maybe I just wanted some quality time with my sister?" I said knowing she wouldn't believe it. "Okay fine I want to use you as a distraction."

"A distraction?" She was intrigued, I really wished she wasn't, I didn't want to explain myself I just wanted her to amuse me until it was time to go back to my apartment.

"Yeah I just didn't feel like hanging out with Carly okay?"

"Why? You love Carly." She was right, I did, I treated Carly more like I sister than I did her.

"I just do okay . . . so you want to hit a movie tonight or something?" I said checking my phone for movies and their times.

"Sure . . . Wow I'm sure glad you pulled me away from my boyfriend to spend time with you because I can't to a movie with anyone else." She rolled her eyes and pouted.

"Shut up stupid, I obviously need you so just be there for me for a few days okay!" I hissed.

"I will happily be there for you if you tell me what's going on." I stayed quiet.

"Fine then you can keep yourself company!" She said in her high pitched annoying voice.

"Ugh, fine! I need you to distract me from . . . Freddie." I murmured.

"What was that?" She leaned in.

"FREDDIE!" Her eyes widened and then she began to squeal.

"OMG I totally knew that you had a thing for him! Ever since I went on that date with him and I told you that I kissed him and you spent the night in the bathroom throwing up! Do you remember that? You told me that it was because you thought he was vile but I knew better!" She sighed satisfied. "So why don't you just bone him and get it over with?" I tried not to process her statement but unfortunately for me I got a visual.

"Because my best friend is in love with him dummy!" I grumbled.

"Oh yeah I forgot about that. You should have made your move before she did now you will always have her sloppy seconds." I hated how when Melanie gave horrible news her voice had this humming quality.

"Thanks for that sis," I mumbled before getting ready to leave the living room, "so are we hitting a movie or not?" She paused like she wanted to say something else but then shook it off.

"I said yeah gosh!" She hopped, "Let me go get ready!" She shoved me and went back to our room.

"Annihilator 3000 is that seriously what were going to see?" Melanie pouted but I was stoked I had completely forgotten this movie was coming out.

"Quit your belly aching and prepare to scream!" I laughed. We stepped up to the ticket both when I saw them.

"Sam, Melanie! Hey!" Gibby yelled and I cringed now they were going to all see us. They came toward us after buying their tickets.

"Look I wanna get out here after saying hello okay." I whispered to my sister who took a minute to study my face.

"So dudes so what are you seeing?" Gibby said clinging to his chick.

"We were actually checking the times for tomorrow . . . I said looking at my sister making sure she didn't look like a ditz." She nodded in agreeing to what I had said.

"And we thought we wouldn't be seeing much of you this weekend." Carly said clinging to Freddie as usual, my sister was stupid enough to send me a sympathetic look.

"Yeah I guess there's not that much to do in town . . . but we were just leaving so . . ." I said pushing my sister so that we could get out here.

"So what are y'all planning to see?" Carly steadily tried to make small talk.

"Nothing you'd be interested in." I said trying to cut it to the quick.

"Annihilator 3000," my sister said and I issued her the look of death.

"That's what we're going to see Freddie and Gibby were literally dying to see it." Jennifer chimed in.

"Yeah Sam was excited about it too." Melanie said and Freddie glanced up at me, he tried to disconnect from Carly but she just grabbed his hand instead.

"Dude you two should hang with us . . . then we could go out to dinner make a night of it!" Gibby smiled at his brilliance I knew one of them was going to ask I was just shocked it was him.

"Uh, no actually Sam promised that she would go shopping with me. Jackie's Closet is having a sale and I need some more panty sets . . . she said that she might actually buy some too. I don't about her really as long as I get something red." She giggled. "Do you like red Freddie?" Melanie flirted I knew what she was doing she was trying to piss Carly off, not because she hated her she actually was thought Carly was cool, she just wanted to piss her off to make her distance herself from Freddie.

"I . . . ummm . . . what?" I couldn't help but laugh he was completely flustered.

"I'm sorry I'm just in shock that you're real. I thought Sam was full of cheez." We laughed.

"I'm very real and you really kissed me you remember?" She said she was in full seduce mode, I could barely watch I wanted to vomit but my discomfort was nothing in comparison to the tears in Carly's eyes.

"Yeah I remember that . . . I thought you were Sam . . . were you?" He asked.

"No I'm pretty sure I was me." She laughed.

"Look Melanie, we should really go before the mall closes." I said pulling her away. Carly looked relieved and actually mouthed "Thank you" to me but most definitely wasn't doing it for her.

Once we got far enough away I finally pinched my sister. "Ouch, you shouldn't hurt you awesome sister with the plan."

"What plan?" Now I was confused.

"The plan? The reason I just talked up your sweetheart . . . you remember what we used to do when you wanted mom to show you more attention and when I wanted to be left alone." She smirked devilishly.

"Oh hell no I'm not switching places on Benson!" I groaned and started walking ahead of her.

"Look come on it's perfect. He thinks I'm a major flirt trying to seduce him and you want to love him up its perfect!" The more I thought about it did make sense I didn't have to be myself to get a little action from the nub. "Plus, this is the way to find out if he really likes you . . . if he does he shouldn't mess with me but if he's a dog you'll know that too . . . see I'm a genius you may thank me now." She smirked and I nodded.

"I have to give it to you it's a good plan . . . my sneaky behavior must be rubbing off on you." I laughed.

"Please I was always sneaky I just used my powers for different things than you did." We both laughed, "So when did you want to do this thing?"

"Tomorrow I guess." I shrugged why put it off I was curious if Freddie would try to jump into bed with my sister.

"Okay then we need to hurry up!" She pushed me along, "Jackie's Closet closes in fifteen minutes and I . . . I mean you need some new panties!"

Author's Note: Okay so the switch will happen in the next chapter! I wonder how Freddie's going to react to the Sam's version of Melanie! I feel like Sam was a little softer this chapter I will make sure to toughen her up after the next chapter. As always please read and review.