Chapter 3

"Ladies and Gentlemen, your captain here. We have been cleared to approach Seattle-Tacoma airport." Carly was brought out of her memories about her friend and how he finally learned the truth about the Puckett twins not long before high school graduation by the announcement. She would soon be back in Seattle with Spencer and hopefully Freddie.

She began to put away her things as the pilot kept speaking. "We will be landing in less than twenty minutes, at this time we'd like to ask everyone to please begin to stow away any carry on items you may have taken out during the flight and please turn off any portable electronic devices. Flight crew please gather any service items and prepare the cabin for arrival."

Carly knew that for years poor Freddie had been tricked by Sam into thinking that Melanie was just her in disguise and that he had absolutely no clue that she was real. When they were growing up her blonde friend made it her mission to torment, harass and demean him. Of course, to Sam this was done as a product of affection. To most people, it looked like the two hated the sight of each other. To people who really knew the two well, they came to realize what was really going on.

Continuing the flash back to Freddie's life in March, 2013

Previously: Melanie (who Freddie still thinks is Sam) and Freddie just arrived at the Puckett house.

"I guess Mom still doesn't spend much time at home." The girl sighed. "You can just sit those things down by the steps. I'll take them up to my room after bit. I wonder if she left anything to eat in the house?"

Freddie was a little uneasy about being alone with the young lady. "Alright, well I'll see you at 7:30 Monday morning for school, then." He stepped backwards toward the door.

Melanie came to him and gave him a very tight, but friendly hug. "Thanks again for the ride." She seemed nervous about something all of a sudden and Freddie picked up on it. This was not at all like Sam, who was always confident about herself. He wondered if she wanted him to really leave so soon, maybe she was nervous about him being there with her, too. Maybe she was thinking about a kiss just like he was.

"You sure you're gonna be alright by yourself. I suppose I could stay for a little bit. You know, all I have to do is go home to my mom. It's not really all that late, and it's Saturday. I don't have anything planned."

"Could you? I hate to impose but it's just, I haven't been all by myself for so long and, well, to be quite honest, I might have lived here at one point, but this house never did feel like home to me."

He knew this was true, the girl always seemed more comfortable at Carly's than any where. He nodded a bit in understanding. "I should text my mom and let her know I won't be home for a while." The young man set about to sending his mother a message. He waited for her to make a comment about his obsessive parent, but she failed to.

"Would you be able to help me carry these up when you're done with your mom, please?" She asked as she grabbed a couple of her bags and went up the steps. "My room's right across the hall from the bathroom. I'll leave the door open. You can't miss it."

Freddie hit send and didn't wait for a reply from Marissa. After all, he wasn't seeking permission, he simply told her he'd be a little while before coming home and figured that was all she needed to know. He'd mention the part about who he was with later, if at all.

He picked up the largest suitcase by the handle and took to the steps. 'Gheesh, this thing weighs a ton, what does she have in here, bricks?' He thought to himself. Knowing Sam, it was hard to tell. Likely something illegal, given her track record.

Close to the top, he noticed a door that was open and the light coming from the one room, but that wasn't Sam's room. At least not the room he remembered as being hers. Sam's room was right at the top of the steps and that door was shut. He approached the open door and knocked on the frame with his free hand.

"Delivery for Miss Puckett." He joked as he walked in.

"Just put it by the bed, please." Melanie said, her back to him, halfway in her closet. "My gosh, mom has this whole closet piled full of junk that isn't mine." She griped, pulling out a deflated Santa Christmas decoration that was bigger than she was. "Look at this mess. Where am I supposed to put my stuff?"

As the girl complained, Freddie looked around. The Sam he grew up with wouldn't be caught dead in this room. The walls were painted a light shade of lilac, except for the one by the headboard of the bed, which was white with glittery sparkles, just like the ceiling. The dresser and small desk were an off white with gold trim, in an 80's style, and the bed was adorned with a pink comforter which perfectly matched the curtains and the two throw rugs. There was a shelf over the desk with a collection of Pretty Little Ponies all lined up from biggest to smallest. No heavy metal posters were on the walls. In fact, the only thing on any wall was a mural of kittens and unicorns playing on a rainbow.

He tried to take in as much as he could but his eyes stopped when he saw a picture perched on the dresser. As he took a closer look, it appeared to be of a short, stalky man with reddish blonde hair sitting on an old 70's style flowery sofa and two, identical little blonde girls about five years old to either side of him, each sporting mile wide grins and wearing matching fancy red dresses.

Melanie removed herself from the closet, wresting a 5 foot tall hard plastic snowman that had definitely seen better days. "Could you give me a hand with Frosty here? Maybe we can tote him over to Sammy's room. Or stash him in the basement."

As she untangled her feet from a string of Christmas lights, she noticed where his eyes were staring, set down the snowman and walked closer to him. "That's my dad, our dad with me and Sammy when were little. That picture was taken our last Christmas together at our granny's house. He left the next spring."

"Holy crap!" Freddie suddenly burst out and clamped a hand over his mouth in disbelief, looking at her and then back at the picture. "You - y - y, oh my God! You're really twins!"

Suddenly he not only put two and two together, but went from kindergarten math to trigonometry in a split second. The girly room, the different clothes, the attitude, the hair, her hesitation to be alone. This all made perfect sense, this was not the girl he gave his heart to, the girl he shared his first kiss with, the girl he imagined losing his virginity to! This was an identical copy but with far different traits.

"Well holy cheese doodles, of course we're twins." She giggled, hands on hips. "Let me guess, Sam told you years ago that I was just a prank gone wrong and all day long you've been thinking I was her again. Freddie! I'm surprised at you!" She was hurt, but not as much as she let on.

"Aw, geez! I am so sorry, Melanie. I feel like such a jackass. You're as different as night and day. I - I should have known. Oh, man, I'm such a dork."

"Well, shoosh, yeah. You should have known that time I kissed you at the dance club, too. And I thought you did know, because you took off like someone shot at you."

"I have been such a jerk. Even back then, years ago, I treated you terribly. Awh, man! I've been acting like you're my long lost, er - um, best friend who I haven't seen in forever, not someone I need to get to know. Now you probably don't want to know me because I've been a gigantic stub rag." He turned away from her and lowered his head in embarrassment.

She simply reached down and took his hand, gently forcing him to turn toward her. "Of course I want to get to know you. I didn't kick you out yet did I?"

"Bu - but, I've acted like a horse's behind with you."

"Kinda. Then again, you put up with a lot of crap from my sister over the years, so I guess you do have to be on guard around her. But you know what, with as much as she put you through over the years, you were still were willing to bend over backwards to help someone who you thought was her today. You were polite, helpful, gentlemanly and kind, just like a true friend."

He blushed and squeezed her hand a little in his. "How can anybody not be nice to you? You're awesome."

Now she blushed. "Freddie, I don't normally say things like this and I know this might really embarrass you but would you like to go out sometime? Maybe have a do-over of our date from way back when."

"Um, uh, yeah. Sure! I mean, of course I'd like to go out with you. I, I, wow, I've never been out with such a hot girl before. Like, unless she wanted something. Well, except Sam, like because she's identical to you. And I absolutely promise I won't act like a jerk and bolt on you this time."

"Well, you haven't run out yet. So I guess, like, maybe it's a good start anyway." She giggled. "Did you want to just hang out here for a while tonight. I don't know, we could watch TV or play a board game or something?"

"I'd like that. I'd really like that, Melanie."


By Monday morning, Melanie and Freddie had their schedule all worked out. He picked her up a half hour before school was set to begin and unlike most girls he knew, she was ready to go on time. His car was parked in his assigned parking spot and he escorted her to the school office to introduce her to the principal and staff.

The two walked into the office and right into Mr. Howard, who promptly dropped his coffee cup at the sight of Melanie. Little shards of ceramic cup and coffee went everywhere.

"You! What are you doing here?" He gasped, pointing menacingly at her. "I thought I'd never have to see your face again! Get out of this school, you delinquent!"

Melanie was just taken aback by the reaction of this man and reached for Freddie's hand.

"Mister Howard!" Principal Franklin scolded from the door of his office. "This young lady is starting school today. Meet Melanie Puckett. She will be in your homeroom with the other seniors."

The old teacher's eyes tore open and he stared at the principal. "Ted! This girl quit. She can't come back. She is not welcome in the school."

"That's Principal Franklin and no, this girl did NOT quit, and neither did her twin sister. Samantha transferred to cyber school and Melanie here is transferring into Ridgeway to complete her senior year. Mr. Benson would you be kind enough to show Miss Puckett around the school and help her get acclimated since you seem to already know her?"

"Yes, sir." Freddie responded as he and Melanie left go of one another. Howard glared at them all. "Gladly, Principal Franklin."

"Alright, Melanie. Here is your schedule, lunch card and locker assignment. If you need anything, please feel free to come to me. And Mr. Howard, you need to clean up this mess." The principal pointed to the spilled beverage and broken coffee cup on the floor. "Your mother doesn't work here."

"I might live with her, but my mother doesn't clean up after me!" Howard huffed. "If you two are late to home room, I will mark you absent so you'd better both get your butts down there!" He shouted at them, seeing Freddie's smirk at his revelation.

Both being in college prep courses, Freddie and Melanie had all the same classes except for gym and economics, which she had taken in a younger grade so she had a free period while Freddie attended the class. The two ate lunch with Gibby, Wendy, Brad and Veronica as he normally would and Freddie helped her to get to know a few of their classmates. When the day was over, he made sure she got home safely and as she suspected, her mother was still not back from her trip by the time school was out.

"Well, looks like I'm on my own again. Mom's still not home." She sighed when he pulled into the driveway. "Did you want to come in for a little bit and we can go over the English homework?" For whatever reason, Mel still didn't like being alone all that much. "I'm a little confused about what we're supposed to be doing. Miss Briggs didn't really make it very clear. Hey, is it just me or does she have something wrong with her boobs?"

"You should have seen her a couple of years ago. Could have popped balloons." Freddie laughed at her statement. "I should let my mom know I'm studying and won't be home for a while, though."

"It must really be different to have a mother who cares where you are." She shook her head and peeled off her jacket. "I just hope Pam gets back before long. There isn't much to eat around here."

He finished up the text and replied. "Yeah, Sam always did most of her eating at Carly's or my place. Or at school. Or Groovy Smoothie. I suppose I could drive you over to the store so you can get some food."

"Thanks, Freddie. Let's get our homework out of the way and we can do that." She replied happily.

Our friend Freddie finally got his wake up call now we'll see how him and Melanie get along.