Chapter Thirteen: The (Almost) Escape
"Spencer!" I heard Carly's voice piercing through my daydreaming, causing me to trip over a chair and tumble onto the floor. Freddie hardly noticed, or maybe he was just playing it smart, as he beat a hasty retreat back into the bathroom as the footsteps from the hall got closer. As I picked my poor body - which had really taken too much of a beating today - up off the floor, the door swung open. Carly stood there, her hair a mess and eyes wide.
"Spencer, we have a problem!"
"That seem to be the theme today…" I responded, rubbing my sore arm. "What is it now?"
"Just come on!" Carly said, and before I could say anything more she was dragging me down the hall and shoving me into another room.
"Carly! What's going on?" I managed to yell before the door was slammed in my face. I tried the handle - locked. What was her problem. I sighed and turned around to face the rest of the room and stared at the odd scene before me.
There, hanging out the window, was a big billowing white dress, with two legs sticking out ending in red and white sneakers. I guess the whole high-heeled thing didn't go over too well. The form was grunting and struggling, obviously stuck, and let out a frustrated banshee scream as I took a cautious step forward.
"Uh…Sam?" I finally said, not sure how to break the tension in this sort of situation.
"Spencer? Is that you?" she spat at me. I was just thankful she was stuck in the window.
"Yeah, it's me. Look, I - "
"Did Carly get you? Oh man, when I get out of here I swear I'm gonna…" her thoughts trailed off as she began to thrash around, desperately trying to get unstuck. Then, in possibly the most daring act I had ever attempted, I grabbed hold of the frantic blonde's ankles and gave a tug. A wave of white cloth and flying fists rolled over me as we tumbled onto the floor. Sam was quick to her feet and made a break for the door, only to find it locked. She tried making a run for the window, but I managed to cut her off.
"Move, unless you want your legs broken" she threatened. I stood my ground, though in all honesty I was terrified.
"No. Look, why are you trying to get out? What are you running from?" Her eyes narrowed and she glared at me in a rather unsettling way for longer than was comfortable. Though I could feel my knees beginning to shake, I managed to return her stare with my stern, brotherly, concerned look. At least I hoped that's what it looked like. Eventually, the intensity in Sam's eyes began to fade away, and I could see the tears beginning to well up.
"This!" She choked out, grabbing a handful of the poofy white fabric and holding it up for me to see. My looked turned from concerned to quizzical. "This is just…. I don't know, just not me." So that's what this was about; all the pageantry that has surrounded this event. I should have seen this earlier.
"Nobody says you have to wear that." I replied calmly. I was really getting good at this whole advice thing. Maybe I should have been a psychiatrist. Dr. Shay. Yeah, that has a ring to it.
"Carly put so much into this. She made everything so beautiful, so…so…"
"So Carly?" I said, drawing a questioning look from Sam. I pulled her over to the two large chairs that had been pushed to the side of the room and we sat down. "I mean, yeah. Carly did an amazing job planning all of this. But how much of this was her and how much of it was what you wanted?"
Sam was silent. She bowed her head and dried the last few tears from her eyes. I jumped up suddenly, a huge smile erupting on my face.
"I've got it!" I said, and Sam looked back up on me, not able to hide her excitement as the corners of her lips also turned upwards.
"Why don't you just wear your normal clothes? And I'll tell Freddie to do the same!"
"But won't Carly get mad?"
"She'll understand! She's your best friend. And besides, this is your day, right?" Sam rushed over and attacked me with a fierce hug.
"Thank you, Spencer. Now get out, I've gotta change!" I chuckled at her newfound enthusiasm and pulled out my phone to tell Carly that everything was better. As I made my way back to Freddie's room, I couldn't help but recall how true Ted was when he said he knew who to thank. This wouldn't be happening if not for me. I think one more flashback will explain how.