Willa
…..
I plop on to my hotel bed and let out the biggest sigh I have ever let out in quite some time. Needless to say watching your ex-boyfriend enter you into the finale three isn't the most joyous moment. Seeing him only reminded how we all were before Carly declared war. We were peaceful as the sloths in the trees. Making no territory nor trying to pick our spot in the top five chart of life.
I close my eyes and breath in the toxic fumes I call my sweat. God I haven't ran this much since gym class of '07. I hate running, actually, exercise in general. Just give me a god damn pool to live in. I pull off my shirt and shorts. I lay on the bed all spread out.
" Please put clothes on." Curry says. I look to her as she just gotten out of the shower.
" I'm showering you ninny!" I exclaim. I get off the bed and go into the bathroom. I put on the hot shower. I remove the rest of my under garments, entering the shower. Looking up at the shower head, as I let the hot water hit me I close my eyes to let me memories of weeks past align with moments that I want to ridden while others I want to hold dearly. Freddie starts to enter my head but I quickly shut him out with the thoughts of my first prom, but it only makes it worse. I remember having my arms around James Kingston's neck but then his face forms into Freddie's.
" Why am I thinking this way?" I ask myself. I hear the toilet flush and cold water hits my body hard. I scream loudly.
" Curry!" I yell.
" She isn't here." I hear a distinctive voice say. I pull the curtain back a bit to look my head out and see Nick.
" Jesus christ." I say to myself. I shut off the water. Sticking my hand out to grab a towel, I wrap it around my body and step out of the shower. I come into the room and see Nick sitting on my bed staring off at the wall.
" May I help you Webster?" I ask.
" We're fucked." He replies in a monotone voice.
" Care to concur Webster."
" Carly is hold the noose on our necks and the next move we make can send us back home." He looks up to me with his puppy dog eyes and I melt. " And we really need the money." I grab a pair of sleeping shorts and shirt. I head off to the bathroom, slipping the clothes on. I walk back into the room to find that Nick is no longer here. Was I imagining it? I go to the door and see him walking away.
That night I couldn't sleep, all I could think about was Nick sulking on my bed. I didn't know what to say or do. I was naked. I wasn't going to give him a session of happy sex. I am not a slut. I look over to Curry as she stirs in her sleep. At least she is actually asleep. I slip out of my bed and put on my flip-flops. I take the key-card from the dresser and a sweatshirt from the closet. Slowly zipping it up, not making a sound to wake Curry. I step out the door, making my way out of the hotel. I decide to take the steps to the main floor. When I enter the lobby I find a manager on the job along with a sign directing me to the pool. I follow them and come to the pool. Kicking off my flip-flops, I dip my toes into the water. Sighing some relief I lie down on the stone ground. I close my eyes to take in the sweet sound of nature, moments later I open my eyes to see the dark sky. Not a single could in the sky making it able to see the stars. Every single individual one shining bright in the dark blue sky. I sit up and look upon the hotel. I notice a door sliding on my floor. Out steps out Sam. She doesn't even notice me, but I do notice with my eyes. She seems so melancholy as she doesn't seem to be letting her mind wander off at the beauty of the california forest but more at the terrace across and above from her. I would yell at her but my voice is a bit rasp at the moment. I start to feel dreary but after all it is night time when I should be sleeping. Laying down on the ground, I look up at the dark sky covered with clouds; not letting me see the stars. Finally letting me fall asleep with my legs in the water.
-0-
Nick
…..
The sun gleams into the room through the cracks of the blinds on the window. Ode to the mornings. I get out of bed and make my way to the bathroom. I slip out of my boxers and get into the shower. Moments later I am all done and clean. I dry myself, wrapping the towel around my waist. I enter into the room again to see Ashton still asleep.
" Dude, wake up." I say, slapping him on the arm. He tosses and turns until he wakes up. " Time to wake up sleeping beauty." I add. His head turns to me, opening his eyes.
" For once can I sleep in like a normal human being." He says.
" Well you're not a normal human." I correct him on. He gets out of his bed in all of his naked glory and heads into the bathroom. I quickly slip into the uniform. I decide to put on my sneakers outside on the terrace. I sit down on the chair, putting on my socks, I look around to see the forest, the pool and a sleeping Willa. It seems normal to me, except for the sleeping friend. I don't even bother putting on my sneakers and just run out of the room and out to the pool. I keep my running pace at a minimum all the way to the pool. I come around to her sleeping-lifeless body. I get down on my knees and shake her a little bit.
" Not now mom." She mutters.
" I never knew I had a vagina." I reply back to her. Willa opens her eyes and quickly hisses at the sun in her eyes. I help her sit up. She looks down at her feet in the water. Both of her feet are super pruned.
" Looks like raisins." I comment. She gets up and walks with me back into the hotel. Bringing her back to the room we come to notice the iCarly girl's room door open. Inside we don't see the girls.
" What time is it?" Willa asks. I look down at my watch on my wrist.
" Fifteen minutes until show time." I reply.
" Nice to know that they're early birds." She comments before disappearing into her room.
-0-
Sam
…..
I look over to the 'Dancing Teens' to our left and the 'InterNicks' on their left. They choose not to look the rest of us and just keep their eyes focuses on the man in front of us wearing a gray suit along with holding a microphone.
" When I call your names together you will stand in one of the circles in front of you." He says. I look at the red and blue circles in front of us. My leg starts to shake. I press my hand on it to stop. This usually happens when I am nervous, which I find a bit odd right now.
" Sam and Freddie please step into the blue circle." He says. " Carly and Gibby, the red one. Leslie and Ryan, blue circle. Ella and Jay, red circle please. Willa and Ashton, blue circle and Nick with Curry in the red circle." He continues on. We all stand in our designated spots. That's when these people come up and hand all the guys blindfolds.
" Put the blindfold on your ladies." The announcer says. I roll my eyes as I feel Freddie put the blindfold around my head, covering my eyes. I feel Freddie's grip make a pretty hard knot. I try to look under the blindfold but it's clear he knows what he is doing. That's when I feel a hand grab me and pull me towards places and things I don't know. I don't even know if Freddie is beside me.
" Freddie?" I ask.
" Right behind you." He says.
" What is going on?"
" Everybody has a marker start."
" So what is going on exactly?"
" Apparently some kind of trust path ritual to get us to our next platform."
" Great." Very quickly the hand let's go of me and I feel another hand touch my shoulder that's when I realize it's Freddie. This person who had been guiding us must have turned back. Freddie is now my eyes.
" We have a map Sam so all you have to do is listen to my voice. When the bull horn goes off I will start guiding you. Once I find the orange string we swap the blindfold." He says into my ear.
" Thanks for the information Benson." I say. I put my arms out and wait for the bullhorn. The seconds feel so slowly and then it feels like minutes and that is when the bullhorn blows.
" Make a right." He says, probably looking down at the map. I take a step to my right.
" Ow!" I exclaim. I feel my hands around to notice the tree. Then I rub my forehead. " Yeah, right into a tree!"
" Does the little Sammie need a band aid for her boo-boo?" Freddie mocks.
" Don't make me find you with a rock in my hand." I hear him sigh. This is going to be hard.
Freddie
…..
" Just keep on going straight?" Sam asks.
" Yes." I say, annoyingly.
" How long have we been going straight for?" Sam asks with her arms sticking out so she could feel her way around. I look down at my watch.
" For twenty-four minutes and counting. We're supposed to switch when we reach the tree with the orange string." I remind her.
" Found it." Sam says. I look up from the map and see her fiddling with the orange string as it is tied to the tree branch.
" Okay, my turn." I say going for the blindfold at the back. I put the map under my arm. Our fingers brush against each other, as we go for the back of the blindfold. My fingers pull back quickly, but I couldn't deny I felt something that has been long gone. Sam takes it off and hands it to me.
" Your turn Benson." Sam says. I put the blindfold on and give Sam the map.
" Keep on going straight Fredface." Sam says.
" I will Puckett." I reply. From there it was another half an hour of " Left", "Right", and " Go straight."
" How much longer?" I ask.
" I don't know. The map doesn't show you how long this is going to take." Sam snaps back.
" I was just kidding." I mumble to my self. All of a sudden I move my foot out and I don't feel ground. I quickly take a step back without hesitation.
" Sam?" I ask.
" Yeah." She replies.
" Are we supposed to go straight?"
" No. We're supposed to go, Oh my god!" I hear her gasp. I get scared and rip the blindfold off. Surrounding Sam and I are nothing but rocks. Pointy, jagged rocks. We were both on this giant cliff. Like the one in The Twilight movie where Edward and Jacob have to hide Bella in the mountains. Minus the snow. I only know this because Carly dragged me to the stupid movie. I look over the ledge and I see more very pointy, jagged rocks.
" Okay, we have to be very careful." I say.
" Got'cha." Sam says. I could tell she was scared by her raspy voice. She grabs my hand and my heart beats harder.
" Watch your step." I say. Sam nods her head. I see the path and I try to guide us to it. We were on this unbelievable tall ledge of a cliff and it isn't making this competition better than it is. Sam lets go of my hand and walks in front of me. I hold her waist to help her go around me. I walk three steps. I wasn't watching my next step because I slipped on a rock, falling completely backward. I fall but grabbing a rock from the ledge holding myself up.
" Freddie!" Sam screams. I could see the fear burning in her eyes. I grip harder to the rock. Sam starts to panic. She gets down on her knees and extends her left hand. " Grab my hand." I extend my right arm and she grabs it. " Try to climb." I put my foot on a rock and push my self upwards. Sam grunts as she pulls me up. I push my self up one more time and she tugs harder. She pulls me up slowly getting me back up to her spot. I sit next to her, trying to catch my breath.
" Thanks." I say lightly.
" Don't mention it." Sam says sighing. We both stand up. She wraps her arms around me. Her head nuzzled into my chest.
" I thought I was gonna lose you." She says lightly.
" I'm here Sam. I'm here." I say, reassuring her. Holding her closer to me. We get ourselves back on the grass path. We don't put the blindfold back on, we continue to walk at a fast steady pace. Together hand-in-hand. That's when in the corner of my eye I notice Carly and Gibby standing perfectly still. I look ahead of me and see Nick along with Curry. Soon I realize that our team is still safe. Sam picks up her pace coming to a run and I join her. We see the blue circle and we get into our designated area.
Ashton
…..
Willa continues teeter on our trail. She tripped on a rock the size of a german shepherd before the blindfold hand off. Willa continues to complain about her foot as she directs me along. I stop dead in my tracks.
" If you want a piggy back ride all you have to do is ask." I say.
" Thanks for the offer." Willa says. The next thing I know I feel Willa jump on my back. I hold on to her legs as her arms wrap around my neck.
" So go straight." She says. I follow her. Words like 'left' and 'right' along with 'straight' are bluntly said telling me where to go. We start to hear an argument pursuing.
" Oh shit." I hear Willa say lightly.
" What?" I ask in a quiet voice.
" This is the part when you run."
" Hold on tight." Her legs cross around my stomach and her grip becomes tighter around my neck. She starts yelling into my ear. Soon she starts screaming tones of happiness while yelling 'go straight'. I feel the squishy ground turn into a sturdy solid plank of wood.
" Stop." She announces. Willa pulls the blindfold off of me. We look to our left and see the iCarlys and to our right Nick and Curry. I help Willa off my back. She keeps her right foot up and swings her arm around my neck. A bullhorn goes off and we all come to see the 'Dancingteens' running their asses off to us, but people who are working on the competition come out of no where and don't let them come up to the platform. We all look up as we all hear a helicopter coming close to us. As it comes closer to us we notice the announcer and one big camera. We can't hear the words he says but we just do what we're good at doing: standing and staring.
-0-
Sam
…
Once again I find myself finding it hard to sleep. This has been the third restless night in a row. It has come to the point where I am no longer capable to listen to my own thoughts as they are the ones keeping me up at night. It always starts the same,
I start to dream that I am in a male's arms holding me. They're making me content and helping me become delicate like the girl I am supposed to be. I look down at my white innocent dress and the grass between my toes. That is when he says, " I love you." I act coy and try my best not to look at his face but his arms try to spin me around. I keep my eyes squeezed shut. I feel arid. " Look at me." He says sweetly. I open my eyes and it's Nick's face that's filled with anger so I feel aghast. It then turns into Ashton's face who looks cavalier staring at me. His face then forms into Willa's face who speaks the words in hatred, " You are never aloud to love him." That's when her face slowly forms into the one face that makes me feel safe, Freddie's. " Everything is going to be alright." He says with a smile.
That's when I wake up and it all feels like a selfish nightmare. Making me feel weak to the bones and my body retaliates back telling I'm a strong woman, but then my heart speaks letting me know that, it is alright to be in love. I sit up from the edge of my bed. I don't bother to grab anything in this late of night. I walk out of the hotel room not looking back. I race to the stairwell and up the next floor. I run down the hall to the boy's room. I knock on the door and it opens to be greeted by Gibby who is still up at one in the morning.
" Is Freddie there?" I ask.
" He just left to take a walk. Try by the pool." He replies. I run down the hall, the stairs and into the lobby to the pool. Once outside I frantically look around to find Freddie. I see him towards the end of the stone ground where it becomes wooden forest. I skip my way up to him. He turns around to see me coming up to him. I do the thing that I am good at, pulling the unexpected. I put my hands on his shoulders, pulling him in for a kiss. He's responsive, quickly going deeper into the kiss. My hands grip the back of his head as his hands hold on to my back and waist. I feel as though we are the only two people in the world as our mouths collide into a passion. Slowly he brings things to a halt with small kisses. His hand on my cheek and the other on my shoulder, we look at each other bewildered knowing how this kiss, this one kiss, has changed the course of this for the both of us.