A.N: Please, do not hate me. I am so very sorry that I abandoned this story for a while. My computer has been having some serious issues lately, and using it was just a pain in the ass. I have actually had this chapter planned out for quite some time now, but no where to write it. Luckily, yesterday was my birthday, and I got a laptop! So now I can update, you know, not after four months. Man, I suck. I'm really sorry guys! I will try to update the last few chapters WAY more often now that I have my laptop.

If You Were Me

By ForTheWin04

Chapter 11

Music was a device that I always used to get over something that was bothering me. Blasting it into my ears seemed to take over my mind, at least during the four minute duration of any average song. But as soon as the final notes hit, and silence once again overcame my brain, any and all bad feelings rushed back to me.

I had a pair of blue headphones on, not being one for earbuds, and I was listening to my current favourite indie CD. Through the volume of the music, I barely caught the sound of the door to my house being banged on. I rose from my spot on the couch and made my way to the door. I opened it to reveal Freddie. His hands were in his pockets, most likely balled up in fists, and his face was burning red. "Hi," he said emotionlessly as he pushed past me to enter my house.

"Come in?" I tried, with a small giggle. Freddie wasn't laughing. So I tried again. "What's wrong, Fred?"

"Carly and I had a huge fight," he began. "I mean, it was so out of the blue, y'know? Normally things are really good between us, but then all of a sudden she was so mad that I had been texting you while hanging out with her! Like, can you believe that?"

"Kind of," I said under my breath.

"What do you mean by that?"

Damn it. He heard me. "Look," I began slowly. "Carly… she really doesn't like me. Especially when I talk to you."

"Sam," he sighed. "I know you two haven't gotten along but that doesn't mean-"

"No she straight up hates me," I told him. "She practically told me so."

By the expression on his face just then, I knew that this puzzled him. "N-No," he said with a shake of his head. " You must have miss heard her."

I wanted to tell him the truth, and say that Carly had outright told me to steer clear of him. But, I knew doing that would only create even more problems for him (and ultimately me). So instead, I said, "Yeah, you're probably right."

He nodded, the problem being solved for however briefly. "So then, why wouldn't she want me texting you?"

"Maybe she, y'know, isn't comfortable with it?" I tried, hoping to lead him to the solution that I was too afraid to actually say.

"Why wouldn't she be?" he asked, before something in him clicked. "Oh, right, because of the way you…feel."

Even after the time that had passed since my confession, it was still so awkward. "Right. That."

"I mean, I guess that could be it," he told me.

"Sorry," I said quietly. I don't know why I was blaming myself. It wasn't my fault he was dating a witch, but either way, I was still part of the problem.

"No Sam," he said as he took a slight step closer to me. "Please don't think I blame you for any of this! I really don't. And Carly'll get over it soon enough."

"Okay," was all I could find to say back.

A silence fell for a minute, and neither of us knew how to fill it. It was strange to think that he used to be my very favourite person in the whole world (I mean, he still was, but in a different way). I could say, do, be anything and he never judged me. "Awkward" used to be a foreign concept between us, and now it always seemed to be lingering.

I wonder if he still considers me to be his best friend? Or has Carly now fully taken my place?

"Sam, please don't feel like I'm not going to talk to you anymore just because Carly got a little upset, okay?"

Suddenly I remembered what Carly had said to me in the hall last week, about staying away from Freddie. "Okay," I told him. "Well, you'd better go."

"I was actually hoping we could hangout?" he said with a smile.

My stomach dropped. I had waited for him to come back around and be my friend for so long. Him asking me to hangout just made it clear that he was there, and for now he wanted out friendship back too. In my mind I knew that it might mess things up with him and Carly, but a selfish place in me took over, and suddenly I didn't care. "Yeah sure, that sounds good."

We ended up walking back to Freddie's house to hangout there. The entire walk back he was receiving texts from Carly, but I noticed he didn't even bother to read any of them. Obviously he was still upset with her from their fight, and would rather spend time with me then fight anymore.

The next afternoon after school, I found myself back and Freddie's. Things were actually beginning to feel normal again, and despite Carly's threats, I was feeling like Freddie and I could get our best friendship back to the way it was. Of course I still found myself falling more in love with him every time he was around, but I told myself to swallow the feelings for the sake of us.

"I mean it!" I said in-between bursts of laughter. "You dress like a second grade nerd!"

He joined in on my laughing, before spitting a reply at me. "I do not! I just have class!"

"Please tell me one classy person who owns 400 polo shirts in every colour?" I asked with a chuckle.

"Me!"

We both burst back into laughter, but it was soon interrupted by a harsh knock at his apartment door. He stood up and I could see the bright smile on his face, and I realized how much I had seriously missed spending time with him.

He opened the door, and I saw Carly come in, carrying a worn out math textbook under her arm. "Where have you been?" she said.

"With Sam," he said, motioning to me.

Carly scanned the room to see me sitting on the couch. Damn it, I've been caught.

"I see," she said slowly, and I could tell she was trying to hold in her anger. She turned her attention back to Freddie. "I texted you a bunch last night. You were supposed to come help me study for my math test, remember?"

Freddie's face dropped. "Right! I completely forgot, I'm so sorry!"

"I'm just a little disappointed," she said with fallen eyes. "I mean, you were suppose to help me, but then you didn't show up and I failed it."

"I'm so sorry, Carly," he told her, and I knew he meant it

"Mrs. Harvey said she'd give me a retest tomorrow," she explained.

Freddie nodded quickly, moving over to grad a hold of her hand. I thought that action was not necessary in my presence, but this wasn't about me. "I'll stay up all night helping you study for it."

Carly had a soft smile on her face. "Okay."

"Sam, we can hangout later, okay?" he asked me.

"Sure," I told him, careful not to seem to eager.

"Let me go grab a coat," he said as he slightly jogged off to his room.

Carly suddenly stormed over to me. "I thought I told you to stay away from him!"

Her harsh tone surprised me, but I tried to ignore my shock. "You don't own him."

"Excuse me? I think I do. He is my boyfriend, which makes him untouchable to you," she said with a huff. "And while you two were too busy playing house, I failed my math test."

"I don't see-"

"I mean, Freddie is supposed to be making sure I pass math. Isn't that the whole point of having a smart boyfriend?" she interjected, her voice raised.

I was taken aback by that statement. "Wait, so you're only dating Freddie so he can help you pass math?"

"Well it certainly isn't because of the muscles," she said with a dry laugh. "Which are non-existent, by the way."

"So that whole innocent little nice girl thing is just an act?" I spat.

She laughed. "You catch on quickly Puckett. That was my plan when I switched schools. I mean, the only reason I did it was because I was failing so bad at my last school. So I came here, became a disgusting sweet girl, and found some worthless nerd to do all my homework for me."

"You're using my best friend!"

"Oh shut-up. Don't act like you've never done it before. I know Freddie has helped you study," she said, attempting to make a point.

"Yeah," I said. "He's helped me study before. But that's not the only reason I'm friends with him!"

She shrugged. "Same deal."

I heard Freddie's footsteps coming back, and shot a look to Carly. "What makes you think I won't tell him?"

"Because if you do," she said in a low voice. "I'll just deny it. I'll tell Freddie you are just so in love with him that you needed to destroy our relationship. You know he'll believe me. He'll hate you forever for trying to sabotage us. And I know you don't want to lose your friendship with him."

My face fell, because the sad thing is, I knew she was right.

Freddie turned back up, and gave me a smile. "I'll call you in the morning, we can walk to school together."

I had just taken in too much information to even process any words. I simply nodded, and watched Freddie and Carly leave his apartment, leaving me alone, to attempt to make sense of anything I had just heard.

I legit didn't proof read a word of this, so sorry for all the grammar mistakes!