AN- So sorry for the long wait for me to update. No excuses; just lack of responsibility on my part. Anyway, I hope you like chapter 21. Review!

"C'mon, pick up, pick up," Sam muttered into the phone, but once again, it went straight to his voicemail. She groaned and threw her phone at across the room, and luckily, it landed on the couch. She began raiding her fridge, muttering out profanities along the way.

"Woah, what's up with you?" Freddie asked, walking into her apartment.

Sam popped her head around to face him with a glare.

"What?" he asked. "What did I do?"

"Where's your little friend?"

Freddie frowned. "Which one?"

"You know you only have one." Sam said, rolling her eyes. "Ben! I'm talking about Ben!"

"Why do you need Ben?"

"Because," Sam said, gnawing on a leftover piece of bacon. "He and I were supposed to go out tonight."

"Erm, why?"

Sam shrugged. "Well, Peyton's out of town visiting her grandmother, and you've been busy, so Ben and I made plans to go bowling tonight. Then we're gonna hang out at his place."

"Why didn't you just ask me to hang out with you?"

Sam shrugged. "Didn't want to bother you. You seemed…stuck on the idea of not hanging with me anymore."

Freddie sighed. "It's not that I don't want to. I just have—"

"Homework to do, secrets to keep, a girlfriend to avoid? Yeah, I get it."

"Sam, I—" Freddie was interrupted by a knock on the door.

She grabbed her cell phone and jacket off the couch. "See you later…or not."

With that, she opened the door, walked out with Ben, who had noticed her sour mood, and into his car.

…

"So, what's bothering you?" Ben asked, as the pair sat on Ben's couch, waiting for their Chinese food delivery.

Sam shrugged. "What do you mean 'what's bothering me'?"

"You've been…I dunno…zoned out the whole time we've been together," he said, looking over at her. "What's going on? Is this about that one time Peyt and I set your toilet water on fire because we did not know the fire would spread."

"If I tell you, you have to swear you won't tell anyone."

"Um, okay," Ben said.

"Spit shake on it." She said, holding out her hand full of spit.

Ben hesitantly spat on his palm and connected his hand with Sam's, wincing.

"You get used to it," she smiled at his disgusted expression. "Anyways…the other day, me and Freddie were hanging—"

"Oh, boyfriend problems," Ben said, nodding. "I can tell you exactly what you have to do. Go to a supermarket, find a fading gold ring, and spell out the word—"

"Dude, just shut up a sec!" She yelled, and he frowned. "Like I was saying, we were at my house just hanging out for like, the first time that week, and suddenly, he looked at the clock, saw it was 10:00 and then rushed out, saying he had to finish a school project." She paused. "I guess he was in such a rush, he forgot his PearPhone on the counter. It ringed and I was about to just ignore it, but then I saw the words 'we're having a boy' pop across the screen."

Ben shrugged. "So, one of his friend's is pregnant?"

"It was from Gibby; who's engaged to my best friend, Carly." Sam looked down. "Do you think Gibby is cheating on Carly and Freddie knows? Did Gibby get another girl pregnant? I mean, if Carly was pregnant, she would tell me."

"Hasn't this Carly girl been ignoring you?" Ben asked and Sam nodded. "Maybe she is pregnant but just doesn't want you to know."

Sam shook her head. "I doubt that. Besides, why wouldn't she want me to know?"

Ben looked around the room, warily. "She's hiding something…maybe."

"What would she possibly be hiding?" Sam asked, throwing Ben a confused look. "The only thing she hasn't ever told me was when Freddie and I broke up and the two of them kissed. They still have no idea that I know."

Ben's eyes averted to Sam. "Didn't you say Freddie was acting weird too?"

"Yeah, ever since about a month ago."

Ben bit his bottom lip. "Y-you don't think it's the two of them who are hiding something, do you?"

"Again, what could they possibly be hiding?"

"Do you think Carly is pregnant—not by her fiancé, but by…"

"Freddie wouldn't ever do that…out of everything he's done…I know him." She paused and sighed. "At least I think I do."

Ben stared at her for a moment and then huffed. "If Freddie did do that, he doesn't know what he's giving up. You're a beautiful, hilarious, and flawless human being."

Sam smiled at him and wrapped her arms around him, giving him a short hug—which was unusual for her.

"Thanks." The doorbell then rang twice. "Get off of me," she said, pushing Ben off. "The foods here."

…

"I'm not sure how long I can keep up your secret," Freddie said, lying on his bed. "Sam's beginning to hang with other people because I can't seem to stay around her without wanting to exploit to her that Carly is nearly five months pregnant!"

"I'm sorry," he apologized. "But Carly will strangle me if she even knows I told you! Just please! Please!"

Freddie let out a huge breath. "I don't know if I can…it's ruining our relationship. You know I'm terrible at keeping secrets from her!"

"I know, which is why I so appreciate you being so selfless!" Gibby told him. "Carly's gonna be home any minute now so I should go."

"Wait, what about the—" There was a beeping noise, signaling Gibby had hung up. "Wedding."

…

"Oh, hey, you're home." Freddie said, hearing his apartment complex door close. "How was hanging with Ben?"

"It was fantastic," she told him. "As a matter of fact, we're doing it again tomorrow night."

Freddie tried to ignore the jealousy panging at his heart. "Great, great. That's awesome."

"We were thinking about inviting you, actually," Sam said, walking into his kitchen. "But I guess you'll be busy doing homework or something."

"No!" He said, way too quickly. "Tomorrow's, uh, tomorrow's good."

"Great." Sam smiled. "Be ready at ten."

"PM?" He questioned. "Like at night?"

She shrugged. "Yeah, you of all people should know that Sam Puckett almost never wakes up before ten AM in the morning."

"Sorry, tomorrow at ten is not good."

"But you just said—"

"I know," he told her, looking apologetic. "But I forgot I have a project to do for, uh, technology class and I really need to get started."

She glared at him, crossing her arms. "I find it funny how you and Ben have the same exact classes but he seems to make time for me. He didn't a mention a thing about a tech project."

He looked away, and she immediately knew he was lying.

"Whatever," she sneered. "I'm outta here."

With that, she stormed out of his apartment and into hers.

Damn Freddie, she thought before lying out on her couch, playing everything she and Ben had talked out about earlier in her mind. I want to think I know you…but right now…that's completely impossible.