Running into Old Friends

We stopped at a diner on the way back from church; Carly hasn't really said anything since she came out of the confessional. I figure when she's ready, she'll talk.

"Freddie?"

"Yeah." I'm stirring some sugar into my coffee. Mom would have a cow if she knew I drank coffee. Right now, I could give a rat's ass.

Carly opens her mouth, but nothing's coming out. Finally, she asks a simple, yet complex question, "Did I kill Sam?"

I think for a second, "You had about as much to do with her death as I did. We didn't make her do it, but we weren't there for her when she needed it." I realize I could have given Missy the trip and been done with her. "Sam came to me the night before I won that trip and told me what all Missy had done to her: The address mix-up, the chocolates, everything. I asked her why I should believe her? You know what she said?" Carly just looks at me. "'When have I ever come to you for help?' You know, she was right. She had never ever asked me for help, ever. I could have saved her." I finally break down. The two of us just sit there, missing our friend.

Carly's POV

Me and Freddie are sitting in this little diner, not much to look at, but the food is good. Sam woulda loved this place; you could order any type of meat with your meal. I'm forcing myself to eat something. Spencer and Freddie both have said something about me not eating. How can they expect me to eat when I killed my best friend?

"Mind if I join you?" A familiar voice asks.

I point to the open chair, "Hi Melanie." I answer, wiping my eyes.

The blond looks at me confused, "I know we haven't talked in a while, but it's me, Sam."

Shaking my head, like I didn't hear her right, "NO. Melanie, Sam's dead. I drove her to kill herself. It's my fault she's dead." I'm not sure what's going on.

"Who are you talking to?" Freddie's looking around. Maybe I'm loosing my mind.

"Don't you see Melanie, she's right here in front of me." I point to the seat next to him. He looks at me like I'm loosing it.

"Tell Fred-weird to think of his happiest moment with me?" Sam tells me; I relay the message. For seeing a ghost, I'm handling it well. Maybe I have a brain tumor.

Freddie's POV

Just to humor her, I close my eyes and think of the night that Sam came out to my fire escape after telling me that she never kissed anyone. We shared a kiss that was magical. God, I wish I could hold her one more time. As I open my eyes, I see the blond girl sitting across from Carly. "Oh My God, I see her. I see Sam."

"Of course it's me." Sam yells, the two of us are the only people that can hear her. "I'm not sure what happened. Could one of you tell me what time it is?"

"About 12:30 in the afternoon." I answer out of reflex. I'm getting ready to panic.

Carly is silent, tears forming in her eyes, "Sam?"

"Yeah, Carly." She turns towards Carly, "What's wrong? You look like you've seen a ghost."

"I've sorry." She's crying again.

"Sorry for what?"

I insert myself into the conversation, "You really don't know, do you?"

"Know what Einstein?" Sam all but yells at me.

"It's 12:30 on August 30th."

Sam looks at me with disbelief. Shaking her head, "You're lying Benson. It's May 16th."

"Sam, I hate to tell you this, but you died on May 16th." Sam doesn't believe me. I point to the calendar "Alright, where were you this morning?"

"I don't know, the last thing that I remember is sitting on …I can't remember. I can't really remember anything until I walked in here."

I think of something that will prove to her that she's not real, "You want something to eat? My treat, anything off the menu."

"No thanks, I'm not hungry." Sam never refused free food. "Tell me what happened, please."

"Missy drove a wedge between us and we had a fight and then you beat the hell outta her. I told you to leave and never come back. That was the last time I saw you." Carly is barely keeping it together. "I'm sooooo sorry that I made you leave. I should have been a better friend."

"And I should have listened when you asked me for help." I apologize.

"No chiz. Missy was a total skunk-bag." Sam leaned over the table and rubbed her temples. I reach over to rub her back and we all watch as my hand passes through her. A searing pain in my head causes me to jerk my hand back.

"Are you okay?" The both ask.

Shaking my head, I drink my coffee to clear it. "No." I whisper. "Can we go somewhere else? I'm not feeling good."

Carly leaves some cash on the table and we walk towards the Bushwell Plaza. As we pass Washington Park, Sam pauses.

"Hey, I was here. I remember." She walks towards the swing-set, careful not to touch anyone. She stops in front of a swing and watches the kids on it. We walk up beside her.

"What do you remember?" I ask.

"I was sitting on that swing, feeling really shitty. I had watched the 'iCarly' the night before and you and Missy did the show like I was never part of it." Sam was crying. "Like I was so replaceable. I…I stole a gun from my mom's boyfriend and…and I…came here." She's waving her hands wildly, "You wanna know why Carly?"

She nods, "Why here Sam?"

"Cause some of my best memories with you were here. We used to push each other on these swings, eat lunch under that tree. This was the only place that I had left that was special to you and me." Sam's yelling through her tears. "I figured that if I died here, that would ruin this place for you."

"I didn't know…"Carly started to say. "I didn't find out that you were dead until Freddie told me." Carly wipes her eyes.

"When was that?"

"I got home last week. Aunt Olivia left the report in my car." I've felt like shit ever since I tried to touch Sam. "What did you do to me Sam?"

"Nothing. I swear!"

"Since I touched you, It's like all I can feel is pain and hurt and…I have an idea. Let's back to the apartment."

Spencer's sitting on the couch, coffee in hand, looking like hell. He turns as we walk in.

"How was church?" He notices Sam, "Hi Melanie, when you get in?"

"When you start going alcoholic on us? You and mom can be drinking buddies." Sam asked, not really meaning it.

"Spencer," Carly starts, "This is Sam's ghost."

Laughing, "Yeah, right." He stops laughing as Sam walks through the coffee table and sits on a barstool.

"So Freddie, what's your idea?" She sees Spencer just staring at her. "Spencer, blink will you. Boo!"

Spencer is just sitting on the couch, "Tell me she isn't here to wreck her unholy vengeance on us. She can have all the ham she wants."

"Relax Spencer, I'm not sure why I'm here. On the plus side, I'm not hungry anymore." Sam said. "But I may just terrorize Briggs and Howard for some fun."

"When I touched you, I felt your pain. Maybe you're stuck here because of that pain." She has no idea what I'm talking about. "Just come over here and take Carly's hand."

"Why?" They both ask.

"If I'm right, once Carly knows how much you hurt, then you can crossover."

"And if you're wrong?" Carly was nervous.

"Then your head explodes and we can spend eternity blaming each other." Sam jokes. "Just kidding. Man, I'm I the only one with a sense of humor?" Sam walks over to Carly and holds out her hands.

"Sam, could you move outta my coffee?" Spencer is almost freaking out. Sam walks out of the coffee cup. "Why are we all so calm about this?"

"Cause it's Sam." Carly says.

"You ready?" Sam sounds scared, what's she gotta worry about, she's dead already.

"If this'll help you, then yes." Carly holds out her hands and Sam takes them. Carly's face twists with pain and her breathing becomes short and quick. Sam lets go of her hands; Carly falls to the floor twitching. Her eyes are rolling back in her head.

"Oh God!" Spencer yells, "Call 911."

"I'm…okay." Carly is shivering on the floor. I reach for her; she jerks away. "Don't touch me. Get back!" She sits in the corner of the room, rocking slowly; she keeps repeating "So much pain."

Spencer finishes his coffee and makes another cup for himself and one for Carly. "Here you go." He hands it to her.

"Sam?" She asks, sipping the mug. At least she stopped the pain mantra; Carly looks like hell though.

"Still here. So not only did I fry her brain, I'm still here. Any other bright ideas, Fred-dork?"

"Hey, I'm kinda new at this whole talking to the dead thing. I'm open to suggestions."

"No more pain. Not today, please!" Carly is still sitting on the floor. "Tomorrow maybe, not today."

"Sure Carly, no more today." I pick her up and carry her up to her bed. I get her shoes off and cover her with an afghan. "Get some rest. I'll do some research and see if I can find out anything."

"I'm sorry I couldn't take away your pain Sam." Carly's barely awake, "Forgive me." She slips into slumber.

"I do forgive you." Sam says from the doorway, "You need to forgive yourself."

I close her door behind me, "How you doing?"

"I'm dead, stuck on Earth and I just fried my best friend's brain. Other than that, I'm just peachy." Sam looked at me, "Sorry, I'm still getting over this 'dead' thing. I woke up this morning and saw the two of you going into that diner. What am I going to do?"

"We'll find something. I promise that we'll get you to wherever you're supposed to be."

"What if that's hell?"

"Think positive."

"Alright, but I don't have a lot of reason to."

"You still have us."