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Chapter Nine: iShould Have Known

Sam stared at her reflection in the mirror and shook her head slightly, "I don't know about this, Carls…"

"Calm down, Sam!" Carly called from the bathroom. A moment later she came through the door and nodded at Sam, smiling. "You'll be so glad you went!"

"Uh huh. Sure."

Sam was dressed in her blue gown, her hair tied back in a half pony-tail with two ribbons acting as hairbands across the top of her head.

Carly looked at her phone, and her smile grew wider. "Phillip will be here in five minutes! You said you're meeting Jack at the school, right?"

"What?" Sam asked, distracted. "Oh, yeah. Right."

"Sam… Would you please try to talk to Freddie tonight? It's been months!"

"I'll see you there, alright?" Sam said quickly, unwilling to discuss Freddie.

Carly sighed. "Spencer said he'd drop you off, okay?"

"Sure thing. Have fun, Shay."

00000

A short time later, Sam climbed into the front seat of a car Spencer was borrowing from a friend of Socko's.

As they drove, Sam realized that she wasn't completely dreading the evening. It wasn't completely horrible being all dressed up this one time, and anyway, Jack was pretty fun to be around, she would at least have a decent time.

And if she didn't, he'd promised to buy her meat.

She would, probably, have to endure seeing Freddie with another girl all night, but if that became too unbearable she could just leave.

"Where's your date?" Spencer asked, as he stopped the car just outside Ridgeway's main entrance.

Sam shrugged, "He's never on time to anything. He'll show up eventually. Thanks for the ride." She said, climbing out of the car.

"Yep."

"See you."

00000

Freddie had been allowed, to his surprise, to borrow his mom's car. He had promised to be very careful and to call her when he had safely arrived at the school, both of which were pretty reasonable requests.

He picked Raylee up at her house right on time, and they spent the first five minutes of the drive in silence, something unusual for them.

"Hey, Ray?" He asked her finally, his voice breaking through quiet car.

"Mm?" She asked, looking out her window as they drove.

"Why do you hate Gibby?"

"What?!" She sounded startled.

"Come on... I know you have some kind of issue with Gibby. So, what is it?"

"No! I…I…," She stammered, "Of course, I don't!"

"Ray?" He was skeptical.

"I promise, Freddie, I don't hate Gibby!"

"So, why do you act so weird around him?" He demanded, feeling they were good enough friends by that point to have that sort of conversation.

"…I act weird around him?"

"Well…Yeah! Every time he says anything you get all awkward and cold." Freddie was surprised she had to ask.

"Oh." She said, her voice sounded small.

"…So, are you going to tell me why?"

"I don't want to." She said, her words squeaked with nervousness.

"Okay…" Freddie said awkwardly, he didn't want to press her, but he really wished she'd just say it. As things stood, he was really confused. Unless…

"Wait!" He grinned, "Do you like Gibby?"

"What?!" She sounded as startled as she had before. "No! I-uh!-" She sighed, "…Yes."

"This is great!" Freddie answered, just as he pulled into the school parking lot and stopped the car. "Gibby likes you too!"

Raylee's eyes widened. "He does?"

"Yeah! Look, Ray, let's go in and find Gibby, okay? He doesn't have a date. You should spend the dance with him."

"But, Freddie, you—"

"Will be perfectly fine. Seriously, it's okay!" He said, enthusiastically. Sure, he didn't really love the idea of spending the dance by himself, but he could always just go home.

"…You're sure he likes me?"

"Yeah! He told me so."

"Okay. If you're really okay with it," She said, grinning.

"Hey! As long as you two aren't gross all the time, it's perfectly cool with me."

She laughed, "Alright, then."

00000

Sam had waited outside for forty five minutes before she suspected anything. Jack was always late, after all. But, then, she'd never known him to miss out on too much of a party.

She held her phone in one hand so she could keep track of time. Suddenly, it beeped. She looked down to read her text.

Jack: lol :P

She stared at her phone with something like horror. That jerk had been playing her this whole time! And she had let him! She, Sam Puckett, had been fooled!

And she was mad.

She sent him a reply, typing the letters angrily.

Jack: lol :P

Sam: You. Are. In. HUGE. Trouble.

It took her longer than usual to write the message. She kept making mistakes. Finally, though, she managed to send the text.

After that, she didn't know what to do. She was too humiliated to call Spencer and ask for a ride home. But she knew she didn't want to stay here. She would take a bus, she decided.

She was just turning down the lane when she heard her name called by the last person in the world she wanted to see.

"Sam!"

00000

Freddie left a smiling Raylee inside with a cheerful Gibby, and then wandered out of the school. He figured he could just go home and finish his homework early…

And then he saw Sam hurrying away across the parking lot. It was half a second before he realized what must have happened, and knew he needed to follow her.

"Sam!"

She'd just been turning the corner when she stopped, frozen in place.

"Go away, Benson."

"Sam…"

"I said go away!" She yelled, turning to face him.

The thing was, most people probably would have heard her shout and mistaken her tone for anger, but Freddie knew better. She was upset.

"He didn't come," Freddie wasn't asking her a question; rather, he was stating a fact.

Sam's hands were clenched into fists, and they shook. It took a moment for her to reply. "Go ahead."

"What?"

"Gloat. Mock me. Go right ahead. I'm not scared of you."

He took a step toward her. "I don't want to gloat."

She flinched, but stood her ground.

"I'm sorry," He said, feeling all the fight go out of him. He cared about Sam. They fought, they yelled, they tortured each other. But he cared about her. And he was tired of fighting her.

"I don't want your sympathy," She snapped.

"No. Not about Hutchins," Freddie shook his head. "I'm sorry, Sam."

She stared at him. "You're sorry?"

"I'm done fighting. I'm sorry for what I said. I'm sorry that we've gone this long without talking. I'm just sorry."

Sam was quiet for a long time. "I forgive you."

Freddie hadn't known he'd been expecting an apology, but as soon as she spoke he felt a groan ready to escape him.

But then, almost inaudibly, she said. "I'm sorry too."

Freddie grinned. "I forgive you."

A small grin appeared on Sam's face as well.

Freddie opened his arms as if to offer a hug, but Sam just laughed and smacked him on the arm.

Her laughter faded and then there was a short silence.

"So, your date will be waiting." Sam said awkwardly, shrugging.

"Nah, she's with Gibby."

Sam almost laughed with relief, but managed to just smile, "Seriously? Good for them."

He chuckled. "Yep. So, I've been abandoned and so have you…"

"Smoothies?"

"Sounds about right." Freddie grinned.

A Note: I'm so, so, so, so sorry about the wait. Thank you for your patience. And thanks for reading! I appreciate you all greatly, even if I haven't done a great job at showing it. I really am sorry. I hope this chapter was okay, and am really thankful for you. And please do let me know what needs work and how I could improve! Thank you so much!

God bless you!