Enjoy!
Freddie POV 9:45AM Day 13
"Oh, there you are honey!" Mom greets me, up to her elbows in super-disinfecting dish soap. "I thought you would be back earlier from that dirty gym you insist on attending." I stash Sam's still-vibrating phone in my room, hurrying into the kitchen to get a dishtowel. I decide it's best to leave out that I had made a stop at Carly's apartment.
"The women's gym you go to wouldn't accept me and this was the only other gym you approved of." I remind her, grabbing a plate and drying it before placing it in the overhead cabinet gingerly. Mom humphs, but doesn't offer further protest. I don't know when exactly I had decided to start going to the gym, but I had finally got around to it about a year ago. It wasn't because I wanted to get huge muscles to impress the girls at school. It wasn't even to be able to hold my own with Sam, even though it was slightly satisfying (…okay, extremely satisfying). I went for that guy time that I hadn't ever really had before. Think about it: I live with my mom and my two best friends are girls. Spencer is a great guy and everything, but he isn't the best person for guy time. Gibby is a good friend but he, like Spencer, isn't exactly the best example of what guy time should be. So, I decided to go to a gym.
It had been pathetic at first. I hadn't been able to jog ten minutes without being winded, the smallest weights had been a challenge, and the boxing ring had been an instrument of torture. The only thing I could really do for a long period of time was crunches and sit-ups, so that was what I did. Vern, an old veteran of the place, had immediately taken an interest in me and helped me along for the last year. I had finally returned today after missing a few days but Vern had cut me some slack because I was so busy with the play. Of course, the other guys teased me to no end once the story of Sam's victory in the boxing match had got around. It might have been manageable if Vern hadn't mentioned that she was going to be "the little lady to my Romeo". In those exact words. Suffice it to say that most of the guys cried, but not out of sadness for my embarrassment.
"Aw, fiddlesticks. Hand me that fork again, Fredward, I think I missed a spot."
Wendy POV 12:30PM (East Coast Time) Day 13
"…so that was when I decided that it was time to move on. Dear me, Rufort was a good man but let me tell you, missy, Chad is just so rich that what's a girl to do? Oh! Here he is now!" I barely manage to keep from throwing up when my sixty-eight year old grandma purrs at the approaching Chad, her eyes roving over him. Chad was the third man she'd had an affair with while she was with Rufort (Rufort was her second husband) and Grandma Darla had decided that Chad was the new man for her. I avert my eyes, trying to avoid permanent scarring as Grandma Darla continues to devour Chad with her eyes. A hand latches on my arm, pulling me away from the horribly disturbing scene.
"Jeez, jellybean, we almost didn't make it out of there alive." Uncle Ian says, releasing me once we had escaped to a safe distance. "My assistant sent over the footage you wanted." He hands me his phone, glancing back at Grandma Darla and Chad before turning back to me. "It's all on there. I have to go rescue Devon before he sees more than he wants to. Enjoy." With that, Uncle Ian hurries back into the field of battle to rescue Devon. I find a nearby chair, thankfully devoid of any relatives, and find the video attachment his assistant had sent. I watch, laughing along with Carly when Sam thinks her thumb is missing. Then, it happens.
"I wanna tell you a secret."
I watch, my heart accelerating as the clip progresses.
"Hey, you know that kid, Freddie?"
"Yeah, I know Freddie."
"We kissed."
I drop the phone, giving a small gasp of surprise before reaching for my phone. She had known, known this whole time and said nothing! I finally find my phone, speed dialing the one person who could get what I needed.
"What do you need, Wendy?" Mya asks, the clatter of silverware audible as she halts the formal family breakfast (complete with three courses and a butler) to answer my call.
"Carly Shay." I growl, practically spitting with the betrayal. Shay had officially broken her contract by purposely leaving out valuable information and everything she had told us, everything we had discovered was ours to release. I wasn't stupid. Releasing all we had on Sam and Freddie would destroy them right now, so we would just use it to threaten Carly until she caved.
"What do you want me to do?" Mya's confusion is evident, the clink of silverware from her parents still audible in the background. Beyond words now, I grab Ian's phone and email the video to her.
"Show her the video I emailed you and she'll tell us the truth. Carly doesn't want information leaked any more than we do." I instruct, watching as Uncle Ian finally frees Devon and leads him to safety.
"And then?" Mya asks, accepting the vague instructions without question.
"And then get back to me. Round up a few others if you need them. Thanks, Mya." I end the call, Uncle Ian making his way over to me by now.
"So, anything interesting?" He asks, taking his phone back. It's almost too easy to lie.
"No, but thanks anyway."
Freddie POV 10:30AM Day 13
"Spencer, you ready yet?" I call up the stairs, trying to keep my voice down so Carly wouldn't wake up. She always liked to sleep late and, if you succeeded in waking her, she was terrifying. Spencer sprints down the stairs, almost colliding with the couch as he skids to a stop.
"Dude, chill!" Sam protests, ducking under the back cushion to avoid Spencer's flailing limbs.
"Sorry!" Spencer apologizes, regaining his balance. "I'm just going shopping for sculpting supplies after I drop you off and I'm so excited! Wanna know what I'm making?" He asks with a little too much enthusiasm, turning to address me. Without waiting for an answer, he plows on. "I'm making a-."
"Can we just go?" Sam cuts him off, getting up and heading towards the door. I shrug, not particularly curious about Spencer's sculpture anyway, and follow her out to the car.
It was a fairly short drive, but it seemed longer with Spencer's incessant chatter and Sam's stony silence. Neither of us was looking forward to this, both for completely different reasons, but Ms. Esposito had to have some mercy. Hopefully.
Spencer finally arrives at the deserted entrance of Ridgeway, wishing us good luck before speeding off towards his next destination. Sam leads the way to the front of the school, trying each of the doors and huffing in annoyance when they all refuse to budge. I chuckle under my breath but manage to disguise it as a cough as Sam stalks off towards the back entrance. Luckily, these doors open directly into the theatre and the first door Sam tries is unlocked. I follow her inside, looking back to make sure the door had closed, and bump into Sam. I jolt to a stop, every nerve tingling as I pull back. Then I catch sight of what had stopped Sam dead in her tracks.
An elegant staircase leads down to the designated dance floor, a red velvet carpet rolling down the steps in preparation for the descent of the Capulets. Three stone walls (the open area facing the audience) are lined with colorful tapestries with various scenes of violence, seduction, and other themes. The last thing I notice is a private alcove, separated from the rest of the stage by a huge tapestry that was so convincing it would trick anyone on stage into thinking that the alcove didn't exist.
"Ahh, there are my chickens!" Ms. Esposito suddenly appears, a tall guy with black hair following her. "I wanted to introduce you to Ivan myself. He has done very well on the sets and will receive the highest recommendation." Ivan's face lights up, turning to Ms. Esposito for confirmation that he had heard correctly.
"What recommendation?" Sam asks, still studying the set that couldn't possibly be the work of high school students.
"My recommendation, of course. Go change into Capulet ball formal wear, then we will begin." With that, Ms. Esposito disappears in the direction of her table.
"Hey, uh, Ivan?" He turns to look at me, on the verge of a victory dance. "Nothing against Ms. Esposito, but why would a high school drama teacher's recommendation get you so excited?" Ivan freezes, looking at me like I was a complete and utter moron.
"You are joking, right?" Ivan's accent is thick, distinctly Russian, and his disbelief is tangible.
"No, seriously." Sam chimes, turning her attention away from the set.
"I can do anything now! Work on set on Broadway, go to top arts university, anything! Anyone that knows anything-." He gives us both a dirty look. "-would know that Evelina Esposito's recommendation is one of hardest things to earn." Ivan looks like he wants to say something else, but Ms. Esposito's bustling figure returns to view and he quiets to respectful silence. Sam turns to glance back at me, eyebrows quirked in confusion. I shake my head once, just slightly, to let her know that I had no idea why Ms. Evelina Esposito was so important.
"Must I do everything?" Ms. Esposito's slight annoyance breaks our eye contact, both of us looking up for the reason to her frustration. She shoves our formal wear into our hands, already turning to Ivan to complete the next order of business. "That will be all." Ivan bobs his head once, obediently hurrying to the nearest exit. Ms. Esposito readjusts her scarf (dark green today) and turns her attention back to us. Something, probably our looks of mutual confusion, gives her pause and she sighs. "Such is the problem with inexperienced actors." She comments, studying us keenly. "Not your fault, but a nuisance all the same." She sighs, shaking her head slightly. "Most of the actors in my productions have experience and understand stage etiquette to some degree." Ms. Esposito begins to pace in front of us. "They understand why and how to become a character, but the emotions of the character are often difficult for them to duplicate. You two are exactly the opposite." She pauses, looking over at us before going back to pacing. "You seem to have all the emotion necessary to fulfill a character, but you have trouble completely becoming the character." I nod once, urging her to continue. "You are friends, yes?" The question is met with stony silence, both of us waiting for the other to decide. Ms. Esposito's eyebrows raise and she waits a minute for an answer that never comes. "Ahh, I see. You are friends, but also enemies. Well, not while you are acting. When you are acting, you are the character and I expect you to do as the character would do. Kissing is just another part of the script that means nothing, yes?" I shift uncomfortably, stirring against Sam slightly. "For today, I do not require it, but, when the time comes, I expect to see Romeo and Juliet on opening night. Not Sam and Freddie." I start, unaware that she even knew our first names. "Go now, Romeo and Juliet, change."
With a wave of her hand, she sends us away.
Wendy POV 1:30PM (East Coast Time) Day 13
"So that's when I decided that it was my destiny to become the supreme warrior of the Durgals. Aspartamay and Aruthor are no match for the rise of Nievar, supreme warrior of the Durgals and leader of the Yeti!" My cousin Ray pauses, shaking his head for emphasis and pointing menacingly. My aunt Gia turns to look at me, blinking rapidly at the exploits of her college-age son, and hoping that I would have some reason for why he was failing all of his classes. Just then, my phone rings and I shrug at my distraught aunt before escaping to a quiet corner.
"Go, Mya." I prompt, watching as Ray demonstrated his battle cry.
"Okay, she spilled once we threatened to release all of the information we have on Sam and Freddie. Remember that week when Sam told everybody Freddie had never kissed a girl?" Mya starts, her tone all business.
"Of course." That had been hell week. Once Sam let that one go, rumors were flying thicker than ever before and it had been a huge job to get truth sorted from lies.
"The week after, when Sam apologized, she went out to the fire escape where Freddie was. Carly said that they kissed 'just to get it over with'." A muffled sound from the background, and Mya chuckles. "Carly says that she hates you. I also found Freddie's laptop in the iCarly studio and got the Wake Up Spencer footage."
"Could you email it to me?" I ask, allowing myself a small laugh at Carly's hatred. She would thank me later. They always did.
"Already sent it." I can hear Mya moving and assume she's moving away from Carly. "I set up a video camera facing the living room couch and another one facing the bean bags in the iCarly studio for the movie. Carly doesn't know." She whispers, confirming my suspicions that she was making sure Carly didn't hear her.
"Great job, Mya. I owe you big." I say in genuine appreciation, pleased with how much she had accomplished.
"No problem. Enjoy your family reunion." Mya says, her smirk evident in her tone. I shake my head, already dialing the next number.
"Wendy? What do you need?" Heather asks, picking up on the first ring.
"A favor."
So, what did you think? Seddie or suckish? How am I supposed to know if you don't review? :(
I don't think I say it enough, but I'm positive I have the best reviewers on all of fanfiction! HUGE thanks to: leodoglover, Virgoleo23, ober22, ascended ancient, LaUr3n-ShAuNy, Kpfan72491, Seddielovergrl, ChaosKeks, PurpleMousefurGomez, singstar29, xx-SamxFreddie-xx, RobSp1derp1g, Mardelzor, M U L T I S E D D I E, RaindropLove, AnnaMarieED-SaitoNatsubi, mirage888, Thalico 4 evah, wakawakababe, popcorn1001, Mari13ssa, Mystapleza, coketree20, IamMu-chan, bluemystique, bella3590, twilightcrazed999, Moela Rose, violet0scar, iMaximumSeddie, Geekquality, MissKress, Castle-of-Bones, EllyWrites, Mkap, iPeppy Cola, Maddz-A-Million, ilovegerardway4ever, chocolate fish, AnimeRose93, Romance and Musicals, Quinno96, imaginary friends will rule, CrystalKR1, seddieroxxmysoxx, and amiinii!
TO VIRGOLEO23: I loved writing that line, glad you enjoyed it! :)
TO TWILIGHTCRAZED999: Glad you liked it so much! :)
TO MKAP: Wow, thanks! :D
TO iPEPPYCOLA: I actually just found out that I'm going to be visiting Seattle this summer, so I guess I'll get to see for myself! :) Glad you enjoyed the chapter!
TO MISSKRESS: Aww, thanks! :)
So...that's about it! Thanks for reading and please, please review! :D
