A/N: Before I start this chapter i have to give props to my muse and beta Storyteller41, i felt that she was the only one really listening to my ideas and wanted to when others was ignoring me she was there listening, that i thank you and this one is for ya, please guys look at her stories and look out for some iCarly stuff from her, I smell a pure Cibby coming in from her so, thanks again and you guys after you read would love to hear from you. Also, again thank you KingxLeon21 for helping me with this story. You've been a good friend...

Chapter 3

So, this is New York? Freddie thought, as he sat in the window seat with Gibby in between him and a six foot eight inch, tall, dark, and lanky figure.

They were driving towards Jerome's house in Brooklyn. They took the scenic route and went through the streets. They were driving through Times Square in Manhattan. Freddie eyes roamed all over the place. He looked at the bright lights that were unlike anything he had ever seen In Seattle. From Broadway signs to Billboards, it was an orchestra of how far people had come in technology.

He was so lost in the scenery that he missed most of the other freshmen introduce themselves. Before he knew it, it was his turn.

"Benson," Jerome said as he looked up into his rear view mirror to see Freddie looking out at the light show that is Times Square. All Jerome could do is smirk. He knew that someone would be sucked into the view. "Someone get Benson out of his zombie trance."

Gibby did that job, being the nearest to Freddie. He tugged Freddie's arm "Benson," he said.

Freddie quickly shook out of his trance and looked around him. "Huh? Who said my name?" Gibby pointed up to the driver's seat where Jerome was sitting.

"I did Benson, you're the walk-on around here. The rest of us got scholarships. What're you here for?"

"Well," Freddie said, "I'm here because of a bet."

Jerome cocked a brow. "A bet?"

"Well, yea..."

"What bet, Benson? "

"Does it matter?" Freddie looks to the rear view mirror and sees that Jerome is staring at him.

"It matters because you need drive to survive this trip. If your drive isn't big enough, you'll give up easily. Especially with the way I'm gonna push ya." Jerome put a sly smirk on his face.

"Alright, I'll tell ya." Freddie said responding to Jerome's nonverbal challenge. He told them the insane bet that Sam had put out for him because of an odd moment of pride.

"Bet ain't that bad Benson. You may want to avoid the first few class reunions but after the third, people wouldn't even know that you were guy at graduation that looked like a white Steve Urkel!" Jerome chuckled and so did Freddie and the rest of the occupants of the van.

"Yeah, but that's not the only reason I wanted to come on this trip."

"Then why did you come?" Jerome looked up and stared directly at Freddie's eyes. Freddie felt like he was on a polygraph test, with the way Jerome was pulling the icy stare off.

Freddie had to tell the truth, "I am here because I want to be more than just a techie on a web-show. I want to be a part of something that is bigger than just me; something that I can be a part of… something different… something special."

Freddie's eyes were locked on Jerome's throughout his entire explanation. Freddie's look oozed with confidence and trust. I hope you can give me what I want..

Jerome kept his stare but made a small smile. You work hard enough and I can give you that plus more... Freddie somehow understood and mirrored his smile.

"Well I know that most of us are here for that, to be something more than ourselves; to know how to be a part of a championship team. It's a special feeling. It really is something, to know that, to the other people around you you're, actually, a legend in their minds. It's what my cousin Sean Jackson said to me, and I want to feel that. i want to know that, somewhere around the nation, the world even; someone thinks of our team as legends."

"Wow," Freddie whispered, "that is a hell of a feeling"

"Yeah, it is. When you see videos form when Sean won his first English Premier League title and the smile that was plastered on that bastard's face; you will be jealous. But believe me; if you turn that envy into drive then that drive is gonna be your best friend, even when it looks like your worst enemy. You will thank your drive in the end."

Freddie thought about that last part intently. He knew that he was going to be physically tested. He knew that Jerome was going to prove that basketball is a very physical sport. What Freddie didn't know, was that Jerome copied his cousin, Sean. Sean's style used the very environment around you to train, and the surprises that you could get were limitless.

Freddie suddenly remembered the question that had been bugging him on the whole plane ride over, "Hey Jerome, why did you decide to come to Washington of all places? From what I hear you had some really good schools coming for you." Freddie suddenly said out loud.

"Cause, I felt that it was the farthest away from it all. I feel that going into the Big East Conference would not do much for me. Second…" Jerome glanced out of the window while at a stop light; a somber look on his face, "This city has turned into a curse for me. I love this place to death but," Jerome gives a long sigh, "But since losing that semi-final game, it feels like I am in exile. The only people I talk to from my days in high school are my coaches and Rudy." The light changed and Jerome continued driving, "No one else would give me the time of day. A lot of people around here feel like I am not a leader. They feel like I can't be counted on when It really counts. I'm gonna probe those guys wrong."

Freddie cocked an eyebrow in confusion, "Then why not go to some other school, like Kentucky or Duke? They offered you scholarships too, right?"

"I felt that there were too many 'divas' on those teams. Plus, I wanted to come in to a team that was young and had potential. So when Coach Romar came to me and offered me a scholarship, it felt like I was in a great situation you know. Young team, ambitious coach, in a good conference the Pac-10; we, really, have a chance to make a name for ourselves. This is what I was looking for so I went for it."

Intriguing answer, for a guy so talented Freddie thought, he has some demons regarding this city.

"Plus," Jerome said suddenly, "The girls up there are the hottest in the conference." then he suddenly laughed as did the others.

Even Freddie gave a slight chuckle. He had a feeling the next four years, good or bad, would not be boring, not at the very least.

Later that night, Freddie was laying on the floor in the Living room. The bare, mahogany, hardwood floor rubbed up against him, along with the warmth of the room and the New York summer night, was making it hard for him to sleep. It, also, didn't help that he had just gotten off of the phone with his mother for what was the fifth time saying that he was still alive. Why he had to reaffirm this notion five times in five separate phone calls, he'd never know.

Just the thought of what would happen if he came home tired and he had to field a phone call from her in that condition, sent a shudder throughout his body. His mom taking the earliest plane here, worried to death about her son, would do irreparable damage.

He checks his PearPhone and sees that its 2:00 am. he decides that he should go to sleep. They have to get up at 5 o' clock in the morning, They had a long day that was in store for them tomorrow.

Back in Seattle...

Samantha Puckett was just finishing up with helping move Carly into her Dorm room. Sam would have a apartment off of the school grounds, thanks to the help of Aunt Maggie and her Uncle Garth.

After getting the love seat in, with help from Spencer, she sat on it and laid back with a sense of accomplishment. "Well that was a hard day's work." Sam said.

"Sam," Carly turned her head towards her, "you barely did anything til the end, and that was just so we could finish faster and go out to Applebarn to eat."

"But, they have this awesome 'Meats from Around the World' meal that I want to try," Sam got up and walked over to Carly to shake her by her shoulders, "They have the Bolivian bacon!"

"Well, we are almost done, so sit back as I get everything settled, OK?"

"Yeah Ok Carls." Sam sat back into the love seat that she helped bring in and was bored immediately. So she decided to do the first thing that came to her mind.

Annoy the dork.

She checks her PearPod and sees that its 11am PST, and a light bulb turns on in her head.

"Carls," Sam asked, "Can I borrow your Cell?"

Back in the city; Freddie is, finally, about to get some shut eye when he hears his phone go off. He checks to see who it is. "Carly?" Freddie would say to himself. He sees that it's a text message so he reads it.

HEY FREDDIE!

Freddie was confused, why wake up a person this late?

So he texted back...

u no its 2 am right?

another text came quickly.

i no but i miss u

Freddie gets a feeling that something is off. He cocks an eyebrow and texts back...

I've only been gone a few hrs.

He waits hoping that he would be able to end this soon, because in 3 hours he had to get up. He hears his phone beep and the text says...

Well can a person miss u
Freddie?

Freddie was taken aback by that comment. Had it been a few years ago, he would be all over this, and he would have run to Carly right after he read the text. Now though, things had changed. After his junior year the crush he had, basically, wore off. When Carly told him that she had feelings for him, he said that it was basically too late, and that his love for her was more of a sisterly deal.

So he would quickly text back...

Look Carly, we talked about
this b4. I don't feel that
way about u anymore,
things change, u no? Ppl
change.

Sam wasn't expecting this. She was expecting a 'miss you too' or 'your second husband also misses you.' What he said felt so different. She never thought that he would say something so...

Mature?

It sent a shiver down her spine. She couldn't ignore it but she shrugged it off, Must be the wind. She looked around to see if any windows are open.

All of the windows was closed in the living room.

Whatever. She quickly pushed it aside, and texted Freddie back;

really r u sure?

and as soon she sent it, another one came...

Yea

Guess I should stop playing with the nub, got too boring too quick. She thought, so she quickly texted him.

Congrats u nub, u passed
my test

Freddie heaved a sigh of frustration. I should have known, he thought, so he texts back Sam.

Sam, y do u have Carly's
phone?

Cuz nub, boredom is a slick
bstrd

I have 2 admt tht is tru.

So ur dn hlping Carly
move n?

Yea, we're sposd 2 go out 2
eat n a min.

Sam drooled at the possibility of Bolivian Bacon...

But freddork, u got n2 NY
safely?

Freddie cocked a eyebrow and smirked in interested, she cared?

U care princess puckett? I
thought u never did

HA! u wsh! I was making sr
ur tht I dnt h2 wake up 2
frntc fone cls frm ur psyco
mom.

Even Freddie had to shudder at that...

Touche ms puckett, but I've gotten
here safely & now I need some
sleep

Y?

Sam it's 2 a.m.

no it's not its 11

Sam we have different time
zones

oohh...

Freddie gave a slight chuckle, how did she graduate again?

I h2 gt up 4 trning 2mro.

Wl good lk w/ tht, o & 1
more thng, gt a pic 4 u.

Freddie opened the message with interest. That turned out to be a huge mistake. There stood a Steve Urkel picture, right in front of his eyes.

Nice try Puckett.

Sam gave a hearty laugh and texted him back...

Freddie u no resstnce is
futile rite?

What she sent back surprised her and ticked her off and she really wished to take it back.

A rare funny GW joke, I like it

WE look gt sm sleep & I'll c u l8r

Later.

Sam sat back in thought. Did she, really, end up saying something that Freddie liked? I mean Galaxy Wars was OK... He shall never know... But she didn't mean to say what she said. That thought was never supposed to make it outside of her mind. What in the heck is going on? Is he bringing out the 'dork' in her or what? She knows that she went to him for help so that she could get her grades straight so that she could get into U- Dub, but this was just plain ridiculous.

I'm not a dork, I'm not a nub, Fredward Benson has no affect on me, whatsoever.

Only problem was; if he didn't she wouldn't be starting college this fall.

Crap.

Back in New York, Freddie was finally getting back to sleep. He knew that she was trying to get into his head about losing this whole bet. But If Freddie had one thing going for him, It was his determination.

He had never felt as determined as he does right now. He hadn't had to put his body on the line to prove a point since the fencing incident. Basketball was different, though. It wasn't like he could treat this like fencing, but he did know one thing.

He had a blonde headed demon back in Seattle to prove wrong.

Well that's another chapter done... More Terminology real quick

Pacific 10 Conference - Otherwise known as the Pac-10, is a college athletic conference which operates in the western United States. It participates in the NCAA's Division I; its football teams compete in the Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS; formerly Division I-A), the higher of two levels of NCAA Division I football competition. The conference's 10 members (which are primarily flagship research universities in their respective regions, well-regarded academically, and with relatively large student enrollment) compete in 22 NCAA sports. It was founded as the Athletic Association of Western Universities or AAWU in 1959, and went by the names Big Five, Big Six, and Pacific-8, becoming the Pacific-10 in 1978.

Known as the Conference of Champions, the Pac-10 has won more NCAA National Team Championships than any other conference in history. In fact, the top three schools with the most NCAA championships belong to the Pac-10 (UCLA, Stanford and the University of Southern California); while UCLA holds the most, winning a combined 104 team championships in men's and women's sports. Its colleges and Universities are University of California Los Angeles, University of California Berkeley, University of Arizona, Arizona State University, University of Oregon, Oregon State University, University of Washington, Washington State University and Stanford University. University of California Los Angeles has the most National Championships of any school in Men's Basketball with 11.

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