Ridgeway High School, Seattle

It was Monday morning. The first day of school without Carly. Sam dreaded coming into school today, even more than usual. That was saying something. Until today, she'd sat next to Carly for at least three classes every school day since they were eight years old. Obviously one or the other of them had been absent once in a while – okay, Sam more than Carly – but it wasn't like this. She'd have to look at the empty seat for the rest of the year, knowing that her best friend – her girlfriend – wasn't coming back to Ridgeway, ever.

It didn't help that they'd announced Carly's departure on the last webcast of iCarly. The webshow was watched by nearly everyone at Ridgeway, faculty and students alike, and they all had questions for Sam. Why had Carly left so suddenly? When was she coming back? Do you miss her? Sam really hated that last question. Even if she wasn't in love with the skinny brunette, it would have been a stupid question. Everyone knew that Carly and Sam were best friends forever – in the truest sense of that word. How could Sam not miss her?

First period was History class, which Sam spent mooning over her missing girlfriend. She hadn't heard a word Mr. Devlin was saying. There was something about detention for not paying attention, but that was nothing new. She'd have to ask Ted later what that was about. She hadn't even noticed Freddie staring at her staring at Carly's empty seat.

That changed at their lockers between periods. Sam thought Freddie was way too chipper for someone whose best friend just moved to another continent. She was right, it would hit Freddie eventually that Carly was gone, but for now, he was replaying her goodbye kiss over and over and over in his mind. Although it was a bit steamy for a certain Shay comma Carly, Freddie had built it up in his fantasies to something far more than it was. It was like the taco truck aftermath again, only this time Sam wasn't going to burst his bubble with her bacon analogies.

"You miss her too?" he asked Sam.

"I didn't know it would be this hard, Freddie," she replied, startling the boy with her candidness. "I wanted her to go, but I don't know what to do without her."

"Me either," he commented. Inside he was bursting with excitement over Carly's kiss. He had to tell someone, even if it was Sam. "Sam, you remember when we promised Carly no more secrets between us?" At Sam's nod, he continued, "Does that still count even though she's gone?"

"I guess," she shrugged, "for big stuff at least."

"She kissed me, Sam," Freddie stated, matter-of-factly, "and it wasn't just a goodbye kiss. I think it might have meant something."

Carly hadn't told her that last night. For a moment, Sam saw red. How dare he kiss her Carly? She wanted to shove him up against the wall and make him take it back. Then she realized two things. First, that kiss had to be at least an hour before Carly left, so her near-kiss with the brunette was after, and therefore had dibs. Second, she knew that no matter what Freddie thought, Carly never really saw him as a romantic interest. If indeed she had kissed him "like that" it was just so he'd have something to remember her by. Still, her words were tinged with anger. "Trust me, it didn't mean anything, nub!" Sam growled.

"You jealous, Puckett? Starting to regret breaking up?" Freddie taunted. Carly was gone, but maybe…

It was time to take him down a peg. "As a matter of fact, I am," she said calmly, "but not for the reason you think. Carly almost kissed me, too, and it wasn't a goodbye kiss either. And I don't think, I know, it meant something."

"What do you mean? How do you know?" Freddie was bewildered.

With surprising grace, Sam answered, "I talked to her about it last night. She loves me, Freddie. She really loves me. And I… I love her too." Sam was almost in tears.

It took Freddie a moment to compose himself. In one sentence, Sam had just shot down both Creddie and Seddie, but somehow he couldn't be angry about it. He realized the inevitability of this new relationship, Sarly… No, that didn't sound right… Cam, yeah that sounded better. From now on, it would only be Cam. Freddie knew he had to be a friend now. "So why didn't you…"

"Wart-face showed up," Sam spat. "The freak doesn't know how close he came to death."

Suddenly, the kiss he shared with Carly was totally forgotten. His romantic relationship with Sam went the same way. Samantha Puckett was now his best friend, along with Carlotta Shay, and he loved them both dearly, within the infamous "friend zone." With Sam's sudden revelation, he knew that they were both hurting. Fredward Benson was nothing if not kind-hearted, and he knew he had to do something. "You know what?" he asked his remarkably vulnerable looking blonde friend.

"What?" Sam mumbled.

"It makes sense," he conceded. "You two are a perfect couple. If one of you had been a boy, you'd have been like Jake and Stephanie, together since the fourth grade. Since you weren't, it just took you guys longer to come to terms with it." He paused, noticing a hint of a smile on his ex-girlfriend's face. "I always hoped I'd end up with her – or you" he quickly amended, continuing, "but if I had to lose out to anyone, I'm glad you two ended up with each other."

"I just wonder," Sam began before drifting off. At Freddie's questioning stare, she began again, "I just wonder if Lewbert hadn't shown up and we'd actually kissed, would she have stayed?"

Freddie was aghast. "If you don't know the answer to that question, Puckett, you don't deserve her as a girlfriend. Of course she'd have stayed. Heck, I'd probably need a crowbar to pry you two apart so you could do iCarly."

Sam smiled a bit, "Yeah, I know. I miss her, though, and the what-if's are killing me."

"If anyone can make a long distance relationship work, it's you and Carly," Freddie offered. "You two are so close you practically read each other's minds. You're still together, you're just not in the same place."

"You think so?" she asked.

"I'm here for you, Sam. As a friend," he answered. "That reminds me, I should call Carly. She probably needs a friend, too."

"No hitting on my girlfriend," she warned.

"I wouldn't dream of it," he answered truthfully. "I like having my legs attached… at the bottom."