Chapter Nine

Confessional

SAM

Freddie and I met after school in the fire escape. I crawled through the window and smiled. "Hey baby."

"Hey Samantha." he says and then kisses me on the cheek, "I'm glad you came."

I giggle a little. Freddie pus his arm around me and we look at each other. "So, have you heard from Carly since the Valarie incident?"

"Actually, no. I didn't have class with her until seventh hour and she didn't show up. I think she might of called Spencer and gone home."

"Well, I bet Gibby's cheering her up." he says and I giggle again, "Hey Sam?"

"Yeah baby?"

"I was wondering something. You remember the..."

"I act like it's my job to forget." I say and he smiles for a second.

"Well, I was wondering, for a while, if you actually have feeling for Carly."

I freeze and die for a second. Did he really just say that? "Um... Uh..."

"It's okay, you can tell me. I'm not gonna get mad or anything." he says and I have to think.

"Um... well, maybe." he looks at me puzzled, "I mean... I don't know! She's my best friend, so I love her. But I'm not sure if I love her like... that." I take a deep breath, "It's complicated."

"Well, that's what I love about you. You're complex."

"Aw Freddie, cut it with the flattery."

"I wasn't..." I smile and h knows why, "Being complex again?"

"You know me so well for being frienemies." I say and has kisses me on the cheek again.

We just sit there and look out at big, beautiful Seattle. I take deep thought into what I said. Do I really have even the slightest feeling for her? Even just a little? But I'm with my boyfriend, so why am I thinking about this? But when I turn to talk to him, we was about to say something and we kiss. And we let it go for a second. "Won't your mom kill you if she saw you kissing me?"

"She'll get over it." I laugh and we kiss again. And my mind isn't etched to Carly anymore.

Carly

I force myself to change the channel, trying not to think about what happened today. I called Spencer to take me home early, Principal Franklin okay with it because of Valarie. I find myself scrolling down the channels when I hear a faint knock on the door. "Who is it?" I manage to say.

"Gibby."

I honestly didn't want to talk to him right now, but he'd make me feel better. I get up and walk over to the door and twist the knob. "Hey." is all I manage to say.

"Hey." he says and we both sit on the couch, "So, you okay? You missed English. That's not usual."

"I know. I just had to leave. After lunch I asked Franklin if I could leave, and then sat in the chorus room until Spencer came."

"Does he know?" he gives me a look that makes me melt.

"Yeah. I told him that Valarie spilled her lunch on me and I was too humiliated to be at school after."

"Well, Valarie can be like that sometimes."

"More like all the time." I say and I look at Gibby and sigh, "I should really be nice to her."

"Honestly, no one should." he says and puts his hand in mine.

"I know, but..." I pause and he looks at me and nods.

"She got us together." he says, completing my sentence.

"Right." I say and look at the floor.

"Carly, even if Valarie gave me the courage to ask you out right then and there, I would of asked you out anyway."

"Really? You mean that?" I say and he holds my hand tighter.

"Of course." he says and kisses me on the cheek.

I melt. But then I think of something completely not related to this. "Sam."

"What?" Gibby says and I snap back to reality.

"Oh, um... I was just thinking about her." I have no idea what to say, "I have a feeling that she has actual feelings for me."

"Okay, how did me kissing you draw that from your brain?"

"Because, I think Valarie may be playing us."