When we got at the Groovy Smoothie Melanie made me change into my new outfit. She practically shoved me into the bathroom stall. Soon I stepped out, very annoyed at the new outfit.
"OMG, Sam!" Melanie gasped. I looked into the mirror. The red skirt and pink blouse was a little too girly for my tastes, but I looked like an entirely different person. I liked it.
"Well?" Melanie asked when she caught me staring at myself.
"I feel hot." I said, posing. She grinned.
"Let's hope Freddie agrees." she said, taking my hand and leading me out of the bathroom. She led me to our table where Carly and Freddie were sitting. Wait…Freddie?
How'd the dang boy get here so fast? Melanie pushed me down close to him (a little too close to him, I might add). He stared at me, his mouth hanging open.
"Whoa!" he said, "Sam?"
"Duh, Fredwina." I answered.
"Yeah, you're Sam alright." he said, turning back to his smoothie. Melanie nudged me hard in the ribs. I shot her a nasty look.
"So, um, Freddie says he's going to my party tomorrow." Carly said.
"Huh?" I asked. No one had told me about a party. Carly tilted her head to indicate Freddie, and I got it. "Oh, oh yeah! That's, uh, nice." Freddie eyed me skeptically.
"Who else is gonna be there?" Freddie asked.
"Gibby, Jonah,-don't gag like that, Sam-Valerie-Freddie, don't you do it, either-Shane, and Jeremy." Carly answered.
"You mean Germy." Freddie said.
"Whatever." Carly said. We all slurped our smoothies quietly. Several times I caught Freddie staring at me. It was the kind of stare he'd always give Carly. The new outfit must've been working. I was relieved and disgusted at the same time.
I sat with Melanie and Carly at the Shays' apartment the next night. Carly was putting bowls of chips and dip out, and I happily sampled from each and every bowl.
"Really, Sam, you're going to eat everything before the guests show up." Melanie said, giggling.
"Wha' ever, dey can get der own foo'." I mumbled through a mouthful of Doritos. Carly rolled her eyes and poured more Doritos into the bowl.
"S'up, party people?" Freddie said as he entered. He looked directly at me when he said it, staring at my blue frilly dress and matching heels. "Wow, Sam." he said, awestruck, "You look…look…"
"Hot?" Carly offered. He glanced over at her, as if finally noticing she was there.
"Uh…y-yeah, I guess…" Soon after Freddie everyone came. I didn't exactly like any of the guests other than Gibby, but his constant shirt-ripping-off junk was getting on my nerves.
After about an hour of complete boringness, Carly said, "Hey, let's play a game!"
"What game?" Shane asked.
"Oh, I don't know." Carly said, "Monopoly, Yahtzee…Spin the Bottle…"
"Ooo, I'll go for that one!" Valerie said, glancing at Freddie. He blushed, and I felt my hands clench into fists.
Carly moved the sofa away so we all had a place to sit. Freddie went and got a ketchup bottle out of the fridge and set it on the floor.
"Who'll go first?" Carly asked, looking at me anxiously.
"I will!" Valerie said, grabbing the bottle like it was the most important thing in the world. She spun it wildly and it landed on Germy.
She gave a low groan and Germy sneezed. They leaned forward and pecked each other quickly. Valerie started rubbing her tongue as if to rub away germs. I smiled nastily.
"I'll go now." Freddie said. He twirled the bottle around, staring nervously at Valerie. It seemed like ages until the bottle stopped and landed…on me.
Carly grinned and Melanie shot me a thumbs-up from behind the kitchen counter. I sighed heavily and looked Freddie right in the eyes. He seemed excited, but also tense. We both got into the middle of the circle, and just watched the floor.
"Kiss, already!" Gibby shouted impatiently. Freddie looked at me with his brown eyes. Then he leaned forward and kissed me.
It was fast; faster than the one he had given me a year ago for our first kiss. He swiftly returned to his old sitting position afterward, reddening.
The party went on for two more hours. We had quit Spin the Bottle a minute after Freddie's and my kiss, for Carly believed the work was done. I caught him gazing at me a few times. Whenever I looked back at him, he would quickly duck his head down and walk away.
When the party ended Freddie was the only one who hung around.
"Some party, eh?" Carly asked him. He nodded awkwardly.
"Yeah…some party…" he murmured, "Uh…my, um, mom…probably wants me home…" He then left to his own apartment.
"How was it?" Melanie asked me the minute the door closed behind Freddie.
"What?" I said, popping a chip in my mouth.
"The kiss!" she said eagerly. I shrugged. Carly knotted her eyebrows in confusion.
"She asked me about the kiss with Freddie." I explained.
"Oh!" she exclaimed, "Well…how was it?" I shrugged again.
I had kissed Freddison once before and it was actually pretty nice. I never thought I'd do it again, though. The second time seemed much more pleasant but at the same time much more uncomfortable, for we had seven pairs of eyes watching us (including Melanie's). I couldn't tell how he viewed it. He was too embarrassed to look me in the eye and didn't talk to me too much after.
"We better hit the sack." Carly announced as she glanced at the clock. I nodded in agreement, happy for any excuse not to discuss Freddie.
"Can I stay here?" I asked, laying down on the couch.
"Sure, whatevs." Carly replied, walking up the stairs to her bedroom. I closed my eyes, thinking of what Freddie would say when I saw him again…