Hey everyone. Do you know how long this chapter took me? It's a little more than 7 pages, and I had to make sure everything lined up. The next chapter shouldn't take so long. I hope you enjoy it.

Disclaimer: I don't own iCarly or any of the characters except for James.

Freddie woke up still in last night's clothes. He tried to focus on everything he was supposed to do that day, but everything seemed to fade away when memories of last night entered the picture. A smile graced his lips all the way throughout his breakfast until he checked his cell phone. The number twenty flashed for the number of missed calls; most of them from his girlfriend. She had also left him three voicemails, and some text messages. He left his phone on the couch when the doorbell rang. He proceeded towards the door, and when he reached it, his stomach had millions of butterflies jumping and fluttering around in it. He opened the door to a very angry Brittany with one hand on her hip, and no smile upon her lips.

"He-Hey Brittany."

"Don't you hey Brittany me." She pushed her way into Freddie apartment, but Freddie was in no mood to stop her.

"Do you know how many phone calls, text messages, voice mails"- She stopped short to regain her composure. "Just tell me that you completely forgot and you're sorry, and how you're the luckiest guy in the world to have me." When Freddie didn't answer at first, the ghost of the smile faded.

"Freddie." Her hand slipped up to his shoulders.

"I was with Carly." All color drained from her face, and Freddie prepared himself for whatever wrath his girlfriend ditched out.

"Tell me I didn't hear what I just thought you said."

"You heard me."

"Don't even get me started on her."

"I'm so sick and tired of you ragging on Sam and Carly."

"Wasn't it you who told me how Sam used to pick on you when you were younger?"

"That doesn't mean a thing." Freddie argued. "Sam may have insulted me back then, but she is a good friend now."

"Oh please, and then there is Carly. She makes me sick, and to think that you used to like her." Freddie's eyes grew wide.

"Yeah, I knew about that. It was so obvious. She doesn't love you." That stung his heart.

"Stop it." He hissed in a low voice.

"I bet she has a boyfriend. She's just playing with you, and then she'll leave you all alone."

"Shut-up." He raised his voice a little.

"Then yesterday, she was all over you, and you believed her little act."

"Get out!"

"And the best thing is, I'm not even going to give you the satisfaction of breaking up with me. It's over Freddie." He slammed the door right in her face. He knew that she was just making up stuff, but it still hurt. It was just a slap to the face. He had lost Brittany because he had decided to spend the night with one of his friends. He angrily picked up a picture of him and Brittany smiling.

'Liar.' He thought bitterly. He threw the frame glass and all on to the ground. He picked up another picture on the other side of the room and threw it down. I was like music to his ears. Another, he picked it up to throw it, but he stopped when he saw what the picture was. The picture was of Sam, Carly, and him in Spencer's loft in front of the iCarly's sign. How happy they looked back then. Despite the fact that he didn't throw it, it still ended on the floor. The frame just slipped from his hands; only the glass broke. His knees gave way, but at least he didn't cry. That's what gave him his dignity. His fingers interweaved in between the glass. Only his palm got cut. He managed to bandage it up, but he wasn't sure his heart would get the same protection.

"When was the last time we did this?" Carly laughed as she sat back from a tickle fight.

"Probably in high school." Sam answered out of breath. Carly didn't give Sam time to recover before she bombarded her with a pillow. Sam yelped out in surprise before grabbing a pillow and joining in the mini war. She hit Carly on the side, then did a full face plant. Carly fell back on the bed with a huge grin on her lips. There was a knock on the door, but before she could even yell come in, a familiar figure came through the door. Carly jumped up and ran to him.

"James."

"Hey Carly." He chuckled.

"What are you doing here?" She buried her face into his shoulder. Spencer came in.

"James!" He gently pushed Carly aside, so he could give him a bear hug.

"Can't I come visit some of my favorite cousins?" Sam coughed bringing the focus off of him.

"Oh, sorry Sam, this is James my cousin."

"Carly has told me a lot about you." Sam eyed Carly.

"Oh really?" Carly embraced him again.

"It's so great that you're here."

"Carly, there has been something I've been meaning to tell you. I've waited every single day for you to come back- No, that sounds like I wanted to stalk her. Carly, we've been friends for a long time. No that sounds cheesy." He took a deep breath as he stood in front of the loft. "Carly, I love you." It was now or never. He opened the door, but as soon as he did, his heart was instantly crushed at the sight of Carly in the arms of another man.

Carly pulled back with a huge grin on her face. It wasn't until then that she realized that Freddie had joined them.

"Hey." She smiled towards him, but he didn't return it. His presence brought down the whole atmosphere. Carly looked over at Sam who also got the vibe that something was terribly wrong.

"Freddie, is everything alright?" Sam approached him. Freddie flopped down on the couch.

"Brittany broke up with me." He didn't even dare to look straight at Carly. 'And I got my heart broken again in one day.' He added mentally.

"Oh." Escaped Carly's lips. He couldn't tell whether she was just being sorry for him, or she was just saying it.

"Good riddance." Sam muttered under her breath before receiving a death glare from her friend. Inside her stomach butterflies were fluttering. With Brittany out of the way, maybe they could expand on their feelings. She wasn't sure if he felt the same after all these years, but it was at least worth a try.

"You know what helps," James interrupted the dead silence. "To get your mind off of the whole thing. I can here to invite Carly and Spencer to a party I'm having tomorrow night. You and Sam can come, relax and take your mind off the matter."

"He'll be there." Carly answered for him. He didn't try to protest. His heart was in too many pieces to care.

"Good." The stranger flashed a smile to him. Freddie hated him. He hated how his smile and hair seemed to be perfect, he hated how Carly hugged him, and he hated how he stole Carly's heart. His favorite part of the evening, is when James looked down at his watch and proclaimed how he had to leave. But then he had to watch the torture all over again.

Freddie slammed his apartment door closed. He didn't have a single moment alone with Carly. Not that it matter anyway. She probably was thinking of her precious James. When he did get a moment alone with Carly, it was only a second before Sam got back, and then she threatened his body if he didn't leave. Carly gave him an apologetic look before he left.

"I don't care about her." He tried to tell himself. But no matter how much she did so, it still didn't change the fact that he loved Carly. The only reason he was going to the party was to make her happy. He scanned the room; it was a mess from earlier. He tried to take his mind off her, by cleaning up the room.

"So," Sam sat smugly on a chair close by her best friend. "Now that Freddie isn't here, what's your college really like?" Carly shrugged.

"I wake up, study, go hang out with friends, go to class, come back and fall asleep." She might have paused a bit too much for Sam's liking.

"So there aren't any guys waiting for you back home?" Carly shook her head. There might have been boys wanting to go out with her, but none that she really cared for. "So how did your date with Freddie go?" She questioned. Carly fought the red appearing on her cheeks.

"It wasn't a date. He had a girlfriend when we did that." She defended herself horribly.

"Two people out alone for a couple hours hanging out…sounds like a date to me."

"He was dating someone else."

"Then, but why do you think that he broke up with her?"

"I don't know, but it doesn't matter anyway. I don't like Freddie like that anyway." Sam just sat there.

"You can sit there and look me straight in the eyes and tell me that you have no feelings for him what-so-ever." Carly was confused. Sam had never brought up the matter in such a forced tone before.

"Maybe I have some feelings for him." Sam gave her this look that she couldn't describe except that it looked like her best friend was expecting more. Carly found that her hands were fidgeting. "Sam," she continued. "I think I'm falling in love with Freddie."

The warehouse was full of lights and sound as Sam and Carly walked in. Carly was wearing a blue baby doll top with jeans with her hair down in curls. Sam on the other hand choose a white and green t shirt with jeans with her hair half up and half down. James greeted them with a smile on his face.

"I'm glad you came." She hugged him.

"Is Freddie here?" She asked. James just smiled at the thought that his cousin had found someone that she had feelings for.

"Yeah," he answered. "He is somewhere over there."

"Thanks."

"It's ok. I have to tend to other guests." With that, he left leaving Carly and Sam all alone.

"So are you going to tell him?" Just that second Freddie walked up.

"Hey." Carly greeted him. He didn't seem himself. When she hugged him, he didn't hug back.

"I'm going to get a drink." He said bitterly. Sam looked at Carly then at where Freddie walked off to.

"I'll talk to him." She followed suite leaving Carly behind wondering what had just happened.

"Freddie."

"Go away Sam." Sam slapped him. Freddie winced as the shock hit him.

"What was that for?" He grabbed his cheek.

"You just made the biggest mistake of your life."

"I know what you're going to say, and I don't want to hear it." He turned to her.

"But you need to hear it." Freddie eyes narrowed.

"Hasn't she hurt me enough?" He nodded towards James and Carly talking. "Just let her go back home with her boyfriend. I won't miss her."

"You don't mean that."

"Yeah I do." Sam raised her hand to slap him again, but he caught her hand.

"Why do you insist on hitting me?"

"I only do it when you are being stupid. Carly is your best friend. I'm sure she wouldn't do anything on purpose to hurt you."

"Too late for that." Freddie mumbled. "Look, whatever problems she has I'm sure her boyfriend will be there for her."

"What are you talking about?"

"Just look at them." He motioned to the two embracing in a tight hug.

"That's not her boyfriend Freddie."

"Is everything alright?" James came up to her with a worried look upon his face.

"No." she answered sadly. "I think I've caused more trouble by coming here, I think I should go home."

"Cool, I'll drop by Spencer's later."

"No," She repeated. "Home home." A realization displayed across his face.

"Thanks for inviting me, but I should go home and pack so I can leave tomorrow.

"Are you sure?" She nodded without saying a word.

"Bye cousin." He gave her a tight bear hug.

"What do you mean he's not her boyfriend?"

"That's her cousin." Freddie stood shocked.

"You mean…I…I have to go after her." He said as he watched her retreating figure. Sam smiled as she watched him go wishing them both luck with expressing their real feelings.

"Carly." She pretended to ignore it, maybe if she ignored him; it wouldn't hurt so much when she actually left. "Carly." He was close behind, she could hear his running footsteps right behind her, so she quickened her pace. "Carly." She felt a hand on her shoulder. "Stop." She couldn't feel her legs. It felt like any second they would collapse.

"Freddie please." Her voice sounded pathetic in her opinion and she hoped it didn't sound like that to him. She made a mistake by turning around. She was immediately captured by his piercing chocolate brown eyes.

"Carly." He sounded like a broken record, but she still wasn't brought out of the trance until reality sunk in.

"I shouldn't have come back again." She forced herself to look away. Her eyes landed on the ground.

"Why didn't you tell me he was your cousin?" Carly was at loss for words.

"I don't know." She answered timidly.

"Let's play the lying game." The lying game was a game they invented in high school when they were bored waiting in line. One player would come up with a lie, then the other play would think of another and so on and so forth.

"Freddie this is no time for games."

"One last time, for me." He added in the last part as an afterthought.

"One last time." She agreed.

"I'll start. I am the world's best dancer." His eyes sparkled as he spoke.

"I know just as much computer stuff as Bill Gates." She countered back, but then the lying became serious.

"I wasn't jealous of James and you."

"I haven't been thinking about you every single day I'm away." She admitted.

"I am not in love with you, and I won't miss you a bit when you go away."

"The idea of us as a couple can work." She said solemnly. Somehow Freddie knew that she was still playing the game.

"Good-bye Freddie." She turned to go.

"At least tell me how you really feel about me." He called out to her. "Did you feel anything when we were out together?" She held back her tears, so he wouldn't know she was about to cry.

"Yes, I love you." And within a blink of an eye, she was gone. She had to go back to finish the semester. School was important, but she hadn't expected love to get in the way.

Kind of sad isn't it? Hides from angry readers. You have to trust me on this...The next chapter won't take so long. I already have more ideas for more stories. Thanks to all the readers who reviewed, put me on their author alerts and such. You don't know how much it means to me. Review please.

-RGT-