THE AFTERMATH OF iCARLY

Freddie: a kiss, a fight and a conversation

It wouldn't be the first time that he was seriously doubting her intentions to be something good. This was Sam Puckett we're talking about. He wasn't sure why, but there was actually something endearing about the way she requested his eyes to be closed. Before, he was feeling very angry with the way she was acting. No surprises there though. He had meant what he had said, about the infuriating thing. Sam was standing there, waiting for him to comply.

He closed his eyes tightly, awaiting whatever was coming. Stupid boy, really. It could have been ANYTHING. He braced himself for the absolute worst.

"Just... get it over with."

"Okay," her voice replies. "This is the other reason why we should stay friends-"

"What! But you said you didn't have another one!" He was beside himself with confusion.

"Let me talk! You asked if I would TELL you."

"Now you're being ridic-"

"Ugh! Just... Shut up Benson."

His next words were cut off before he could even get them out properly- deja vu, anyone? She grabbed him by the shirt. He forced himself to keep his eyes shut tightly which was quite a challenge.

What would happen next? Would he die?

His brain filled with all those other times he'd ended up with blood coming out of his nose, or a wedgie... or just on the floor, grasping his leg or arm. Freddie, he thought frantically. There's no backing out now! You're an idiot. You're a complete idiot! Retreat! RETREAT! Too late!

Sam's lips pressed against his roughly and he felt his whole body jolt around as if electricity was coursing through his veins. She was freaking kissing him! Again! Why, he thought. Why now? His first instinct was to start kissing her back. Usually he'd take months of planning these things carefully.

To hell with it, he thinks. If I don't kiss her right here, right now, it'll be as good as over.

Freddie's arms quickly wraps around her body, he feels her fingers loosen up slightly and the bag she's been holding drops to the ground. And it's happening! One of his hands slides to her shoulders, brushing her hair away and tilts his head slowly, making the kiss last a little longer than necessary. This was what he'd missed from their little dating saga. That and... her in general. But kissing, with Sam, was a pleasurable experience.

All the times they'd kissed came flooding back. Her tongue brushed his upper lip ever so slightly, and those same bolts of electricity came back again.

He wanted to pull away but at the same time he couldn't get enough of her mouth on his. He was enjoying and dreading everything about this one moment. It had been a long time since they'd kissed each other like that. The fire was stirring up an emotion he hadn't felt in quite a while. There was nothing that he could do.

Their fingers wrapped around each other's shirts, wanting to get as close as possible, even in such a public place like the mall.

All the hurt, anger, passion, love, unresolved feelings went into this one kiss. It came out of nowhere. The best kisses often do, thought Freddie. Despite his careful planning of all the other kisses he's had in his life - there had only been two spontaneous ones. Before Sam and he started to date, and this one here and now. It seemed to last for an entire year. Finally, the girl pulls away, out of breath. They both are. He opens his eyes and takes it all in. Takes her in and realises she's still so beautiful.

"...and now you know." Sam says, as if that just explained everything. Freddie felt even more confused. Nothing new really.

Now. It is highly important to note the critical aspect of timing in every situation. This one being no exception to the rule. As someone once said: "Timing is EVERYTHING!"... and they were correct. Timing IS everything. Freddie could have done with a few more minutes to try and understand a) why Sam kissed him and b) WHY Sam kissed him. There was a difference. And there was also such a thing as bad timing. Brad, the fudge guy, had bad timing.

The thing to remember here, is that Brad had no idea what he was interrupting. Even so, Freddie was so close to punching the guy in the throat.

"Hey Sam," calls Brad's voice. "Freddie. There you guys are. I found you."

"Great," he says, blandly. Sam hits his arm. "Ouch! Puckett! What the hell?"

"My hand slipped," says the blonde, innocently Then turned to the other guy. "Take me home, Brad."

"I wanted to tell you that I can't take you home," he quickly explains. Freddie tries not to grin, because there's a chance that the boy will get a slap.

"Oh."

Brad goes on to explain that he had to get home for a family thing. But he had a nice time, blah, blah, blah, and that he'll pick her up for the wedding... blah, blah, blah. Freddie wasn't about to pay close attention to what was being said. He was still reeling from the moment that he and Sam had shared. That kiss was a lot more than 'intense' and 'fun'.

He watches Sam wave to Brad, who walks out of the mall's automatic doors and away from the two of them. Maybe, he thought, this was his golden opportunity. He should seize the day... Carpe Diem. That's what Carly would suggest he'd do. Carly was usually always right about these things.

"It's a shame Brad couldn't save you this time," he says, spitefully. It wasn't intended that way, it just ended up sounding a bit more harsh than it should have.

"Oh why do you care?" Sam says, just as spitefully. Possibly intended to be said that way, he thought.

"You know why I care." And he knew she knew. Because he admitted what he'd been holding back. "But now you have to face the reality of your feelings for me."

He saw Sam's face go from slightly calm to a shade of red he recognised as an 'angry' shade of red. It wasn't too late to back out of the whole entire operation. In fact, he'd probably show that he's got some sort of courage if he walked away from her and her childish behaviour. But he never opted for the easy option.

"WHY DO YOU CARE?"

This was frustrating him to no end.

"I TOLD YOU WHY! STOP BEING A-"

"YOU ARE SUCH A DORK!"

"A DORK THAT YOU LIKE!"

The girl stopped yelling and slapped a hand over her own mouth quickly. He wondered if the next thing she wanted to say would agree with his prior statement.

"It's true, isn't it."

"Y-yes, okay? So what? It changes nothing!" She could have been right. But Freddie shook his head quickly. Unbelievable, he thought.

Finally. Finally she said it.

But why did it feel weird to hear her admit something he's been wanting to hear for a long time - well, since their break up? Sam was no longer looking at him. He kept his gaze on her. That kiss and every single emotion that was running through his mind all fizzled away into nothingness. He didn't smile at first.

What did he do? He laughed. Yes, laughed like it was all a joke. He threw back his head and laughed loudly. She then looked at him with such hatred.

"You are an idiot."

With that, she turns around, grabs the bag and runs off, not looking back.

Freddie wants to run after her. Not really knowing why. But his feet are glued to the spot, unable to move an inch let alone a mile, which is where Sam now was. He let her go and never felt so much like an idiot in his life. Sam was so right. He was an idiot. He deserved to be ignored by her for the rest of his life. And he certainly didn't deserve to be her friend anymore, Carly or no Carly.

And he knew that.

But it didn't stop him from feeling like he'd done the right thing, even though it may have been the wrong approach. There was no way he could date her again. Not after last time.

The memories.

Sam had kissed him today. It was the type of kiss you give the love of your life after waiting a billion years to find them. It could have been "life-changing". It was "life-changing". Freddie slapped his forehead.

"Stupid, stupid, stupid!" He groaned, over and over. "You ARE an idiot."

While he cursed himself for being the idiot of the century, Angela appeared pretty much out of nowhere.

Actually, she was on a late lunch-break and had found Sam and Freddie, during their yelling match. She watched them, and Sam running off before approaching him, stopping his hand-forehead hitting before he gave himself permanent brain damage or something. It was her job to protect him from his own stupidity. What? Carly wasn't here anymore. So someone had to!

"It's your own fault," she says gently, grabbing his hand in comfort. "You let her go, easily."

"I know, Angela."

"The question is... are you prepared to do what it takes to get her back?"

It was a question he'd been dreading. And here it was, hanging around in front him like a thing that wouldn't go away anytime soon. Until he found the answer. He knew the answer and that was the problem. It's not like it was that simple. According to Angela, everything about this WAS simple. But she didn't know Sam.

"Look," she continues. "I know I don't know Sam. But I am a girl... so that should count for something?"

Freddie nods. She had a fair point there. Angela was a girl. Sam was ... well for all intents and purposes, still a girl. Girls are quite different to boys - in his opinion.

"What do you suggest I do?" Freddie asks her.

"For starters... you should really apologise for being a jerk."

It was refreshing to have a different girl calling him bad names. Angela, being the honest girl she was, hit the nail right on the head. He would need another bag of chocolate coated bacon to go along with that apology. Perhaps a bigger bag wouldn't hurt either. The boy looked at the girl and she smiled.

"What?" Freddie says. The smile was pretty which made Angela a pretty girl.

"Sam is a very lucky girl."

What was that? Sam is lucky? Why? All these questions raced through his brain. Until he realised what she meant. Freddie opened his mouth and closed it again, much like a goldfish, trying to find some words to spit out. He remained speechless.