Chapter 19
"So, you really like Sam, huh?" Pam asked, glaring at Freddie. "Enough to ask her to live with you and your mom?"
"Mrs. Puckett."
"You can call me Pam, boy. My own kids do."
"I love Sam deeply. For years she's been my best friend. My life wouldn't be the same without her in it. To say I really like her is like saying she really likes ham."
"You sure this time? Because you really messed her up last year when you two split up. That girl's tough as nails, she can take just about anything but the way things ended with you two, she'll hate me for saying so but she did a lot of crying over all that deal. And if you ever hurt her again, I'm coming for you."
"I know, Mrs. er, um Pam. Believe me, it wasn't easy for either of us, that trip around. It was a mutual understanding and looking back, probably not the best idea either of us ever had, but we've not only moved past all that, we've grown, both of us, a lot since then. And I can honestly say that I never stopped loving her. And I'm pretty sure she feels the same way."
"I guess I can see a change in her, she's not that ill tempered little tom boy anymore but you've still got a wild pony by the tail with that girl. You sure you'd rather not get interested in the other one? She's more normal. More down to earth. Even if she is a bit on the prissy side, I think she's more your type to be honest."
"No, I'm well aware of how Sam is. Yes, she's wild and impulsive and I know she can be a bit brash by times, but she is also the best friend anyone could ask for to me, Carly and as hard as this might be to believe, even Melanie. She's witty and playful and full of surprises. She's the heart of the web-show, I can tell you that. Did you know Sam has a terrific singing voice?" He asked. "And that she can cook like she's been doing it for years?"
"I guess she figured that out because I wasn't around much to feed her. She can sing, huh? Did not know that. I wonder what else she can do?"
Freddie continued on. "And as much as I care for Melanie as a friend, she's really not my type of girl, no more than Carly to be honest. Sure, when I was a kid I thought I wanted a girly girl who wanted to be everything a young lady is supposed to be. I just sort of, I changed my way of thinking back when I first started liking Sam."
"You mean when you two went out last year?"
"Long before that, actually. It wasn't just last year right before we started dating. I've gotta say it's been quite a few years since I started looking at Sam a little more differently."
"Even back when she had herself committed? Or when she dang near fell off that window washer rig because of an argument with Carly? You know, I've never really forgave that girl for that little incident."
Freddie nodded. "A while before all of that. Did Sam ever tell you we kissed way back years ago? She was my first kiss, I was hers."
"You mean she hasn't been running around kissing boys since she's in middle school? Dang, I thought she had more of me in her than that. I know the other one does."
He shook his head. "I have different feelings for Sam. A whole different set of feelings. She's the storm to my calm, the chaos to my stabile, the yin to my yang."
"Aw, geez. You don't have to go all made for TV movie on me, kid. If you love my Sammy, just come out and say it, you don't have to be a drama queen with me. I just hope you two work out better than her dad and I did. Of course, he didn't amount to much to begin with and I was a bit wild myself back then. You just better not hurt her this time or I swear you'll have the whole family to deal with and you don't want that. Especially her uncle Carmine. And don't go rushing into things and taking the next step too fast. You haven't stepped already, have you?"
"I do love her, more than anything. And no matter what, we'll take it slow and be sure of our next step before we take it."
"Hmph, maybe you can say you will. Can't be sure with Sam, though. She's known to leap before she looks. Just make sure you're careful. I'm too young to be a grandma. I still think she should get on birth control. Been telling her that since she starting dating you the last time. I should know how easy it is to forget protection."
Freddie walked out the door into the summer heat, presumably with Pam Puckett's blessing to find two of the three females loitering about the Pucketts' front steps. Melanie was on the phone, propped up against the back end of Freddie's car, which was sitting along the curb.
"It's dark but it doesn't look like he's bleeding." Sam smirked, nudging Carly with her elbow. "Told you Pam was in a good mood and there was nothing to worry about."
"Freddie, what happened?" Carly asked, ignoring her friend and concentrating on the young man. "Are you alright? Did she cuss you out?"
"Um, Pam and I sort of had a heart to heart and I, uh, guess she's good with it all. You know, like us, you moving out, the whole nine yards."
"Good. Because it's not like she can do much to stop it."
"There was a very uncomfortable conversation about family planning, though. Seriously, Sam. I thought my mom was the queen of making teenagers feel awkward."
"Told you. Try having that discussion with her when you're barely sixteen and just started dating a guy who you thought you hated more than homework. Come on, it's time to get home. This is a crappy neighborhood to be hanging around in after dark and I've got a nub to cuddle with." Sam took Freddie's hand and stretched up to kiss him.
A cat call was heard from a front porch a couple of houses away, where a group was hanging out on the front porch smoking and drinking. Sam's response was to raise a single finger in that direction as she walked to the car. "C'mon, Melanie. Get in the car before I have to butter-sock someone."
Melanie giggled and opened the back door of Freddie's car to get in. "Yeah, this weekend? OK. You wanna pick me up or should we just meet there? Sure, that'll be perfect."
Freddie and Sam just looked at each other as he opened the door for her and Carly went around to the other side of the car, behind the driver.
"OK. I'll call you tomorrow. Now you have to hang up first this time. Nu-uh, you do it."
Sam looked at her sister but was unable to make eye contact. "What are we, back in fifth grade all of a sudden?" She mumbled to Freddie. "She's a bigger nub than you are sometimes."
"No, I'm serious. It's your turn to hang up first. I've done it first twice now. OK, fine. But you owe me." Melanie hung up but immediately began texting, presumably to the same person.
Sam turned far enough to face Carly and ignore her twin seated directly behind her, who was lost in her own world anyway. She gave the dark haired girl a questioning look and Carly simply shrugged slightly, not really knowing what was going on.
Freddie pulled his car into the Bushwell parking lot and the four got out of the car just in time to see Spencer dashing to his own vehicle.
"Where are you going in such a hurry?" His little sister asked. "Aren't you on a deadline with that sculpture?"
"I'm out of monkey glue!" He nearly shouted. "Heading out for more."
"Do you know what time it is? Where are you going to find an art supply store that's open?" Sam asked.
"Socko's got a relative that owns an art supply store. It's all set up, I'm meeting him there in fifteen minutes."
"Is his name is Art?" Carly asked.
"How do you know about him?" Her brother replied and jumped into his own car. "Be back in a couple of hours."
"Hours?" Freddie questioned. "To buy glue that's fifteen minutes away? Spence, it's darn near midnight."
"Hey, I might want to look around a little bit while I'm there. I might get inspired for something else."
The four teens made their way up to the eighth floor and parted ways. Melanie, Sam and Freddie going to his apartment with Carly going to hers, all of them ready for the day to be over.
Once inside, Freddie went for a shower while Sam prepared a late-night snack for her and Melanie and the girls talked.
"So, who were you on the phone with? You meet some dude at the mall?" Sam inquired.
"Um, yeah. At the store, actually." She gave no additional information.
"Mels! You shouldn't get interested in a guy you work with. That'll make things awkward at work, you're as fickle as Carly when it comes to boys."
"I met him at work, I don't work with him." She snipped back. "I'd never get interested in a co-worker. There are no men working there anyway. Well, except Franklin and he's, um, not really into girls."
"You met a guy at work? Don't you work in a women's clothing store? What is he a cross-dresser?"
"He was in the store with his mother if you must know."
"Dude! You're interested in a guy who goes clothing shopping with his mommy?" Sam cracked before realizing that was something her boyfriend would likely do. "Is he at least decent looking? How old is he? You're not going all ga-ga over some high school kid are you?"
"Of course not, he's out of school. And I guess they were at the mall together." Melanie replied, dodging the questions. "There is nothing wrong with a guy that is close to his mother, look at Freddie and Marissa. I'm sure he went shopping with her before the world turned upside down."
"I've got to give you that one. But I thought you and Carly were in a flirt war over the mermaid." Sam sneered.
"If you're referring to Gibby, that's who I was talking to." Melanie crossed her arms and tried to look menacing, failing miserably. "He seems a bit nervous about talking much when you're around, and when he was in the store with his mom he asked for my number. We've talked a few times since than and we decided to try to get together and do something this weekend, just the two of us, not the whole iCarly crew."
"Holy crabs, you're not just messing with his head, you're actually interested in that shirtless potato?"
"We're going to meet up at the mall and hang out. Maybe shop, maybe just walk around. It's not that serious. We just want to do something without the whole gang looking over our shoulders."
"OK, but don't say I didn't warn you. The kid's a weirdo, you've been around him enough to see that, right?"
Melanie just shook her head in disbelief of Sam's feelings for someone she was sort of friends with.
Sam drew a deep breath and sighed. "But deep down inside he is a pretty good guy. Just watch him. He went out with a girl in our class and rumor had it that he got pretty handsy on the second date. I don't know, I can't really see him being like that. Maybe it was just a rumor, maybe she misinterpreted a touch he thought was innocent into something it wasn't. Just remember if he tries anything you don't like, all you have to do is let me know and I'll have a little talk with him." Sam said with an evil glint to her eye. "Me and my sock full of butter."
"I can hold my own Sam, thank you very much. I've taken Tae Kwon Do since ninth grade, remember. I really don't need my sister looking out for me. And I doubt there will be any reason to butter-sock one of our friends."
"Does Carly know you're hanging out with mermaid boy? Or Freddie?"
"I suppose Gibby might tell Freddie. They are pretty tight. I'm not making an issue out of this and telling people. And what's the big deal about Carly?" Melanie asked, wondering why Carly would even care.
"Come on. Haven't you noticed little miss flirty mc flirt pants around him?" Sam chuckled. "And believe me Carly can flirt with the best of them. She hasn't even turned it up yet."
"I just saw her being friendly to Gibby. Honestly, if she is flirting, I can't say I'd blame her, it's hard to believe a sweet guy like him doesn't already have a girlfriend. She doesn't need to know about this, unless someone else tells her. No one besides you knows that I'm going out with Gibby. Like I said, let's not make an issue out of it until we see where this goes."
"Geez, Mel. Please don't use those words to describe what you're doing. Can we just say hanging out? Going out sounds like you're going to be kissing him or some chiz. I'd rather not think about that. Ever!"
Melanie rolled her eyes and changed the subject. "Did you know he's decided on University of Washington, too? It's so sweet why. This way he can stay at home and help out with his little brother. And he still hasn't committed to a major yet either, just like me. I can't wait for class schedules to come out, maybe him and I will have some of the same classes together. An-and Freddie, too. We'll be like the three musketeers."
"With Gib-butt and Fredweird involved it'll be more like the three stooges." Sam smirked. "And while you three are taking pointless, stupid classes that have nothing to do with your majors at all for the first two years, I'll be learning how to make French pastries and learning skills that I'll actually use in the kitchen. And then I can come home and feed you all so you don't have to eat Ramen, dry cereal and Spam like most college students."
"But in the end, I'll have the experience of college. Even better than the guys since they're going to be living at home. I'll have the dorm experience and everything." Melanie was so happy to do all that. "I wonder if I'll have the chance to join a sorority? Ooh, I hope so."
"Mel, you'd better go online and check out some of the chiz they make pledges do during rush week. And I don't mean just Zaplook it. You'd better check out some of the less legitimate sites, because I've heard about all that."
Melanie just clicked her tongue knowing the kind of thing Sam was referring to.