Disclaimer: I don't own iCarly or the characters. Because if I did, I'd give T-Bo more lines. (:
Previously:
I bite my lip, then head out the door, off to find a freedom from my life. Mom won't care if I'm gone anyways.
Chapter Four
After a walk without any direction nor adventure, I find myself at the Groovy Smoothie, which sells the most amazing, scrumptious smoothies ever. It's pretty empty with only one other customer besides me. His back's to me, but I can tell he's around my age.
I steer clear of him and head towards a back table, hoping to hide myself into the shadows. "Sam?" a voice calls out.
I sigh. "I just want some peace and quiet!" I shout to them, not bothering to turn around at the voice.
But to my irritation, I hear them get up and walk towards me. "It's me," he says with a friendly look and guess who plops down at the seat across from me? He's wearing a lame shirt and his hair's combed over, and he rhymes with Edward.
Mhm, Freward Benson.
Though part of me wants to pound him for interrupting my silence, invading my space, and acting like we're good old pals, I don't. But one apology makes us friends? Must be very lonely in the world of Freddie.
"Hi," I say unenthusiastically, waving without energy. "What are you doing here?" Shouldn't you be tucked in bed already? I'm still bothered by his presence.
"Needed a breather, craving a smoothie." He sighs and it's obvious that isn't the full story. He runs his hands through his brown hair, looking a bit exhausted.
And I realize everything isn't so perfect in his life as I'd thought.
"What happened?" I inquire, curiosity flaming in my blue eyes.
It takes one small question for him to confess to me. "You know my mom, right?"
I snort. "The kook? Yeah." He shoots me a pointed look. "Go on," I urge, avoiding his expression.
"Well, she's too suffocating sometimes. She takes control of my life and won't leave me alone. I just needed to get away," he explains. "So I told her I wanted to go out for a jog, but honestly- I needed to escape from her. I love her, but she's too much." He frowns into his drink.
With that explanation, he seems normal. Who wouldn't want to get away from their mother's clutch? From her crazy, overprotective hands?
But then, I feel absolutely sorry for Freddie and not because of his mother. It's because here I am, Sam Puckett, a girl whose been bullying him these past years, and he's already telling me something you'd tell a friend. He's welcoming me into his world so easily, letting the past go. He's that lonely.
I think that's what made me tell him my secret. Because it was like an exchange of the misery of our home lives. Our lives that are tucked away from school and their judgements. "I understand what you're trying to say. Except that with my mom, the fact that she's not there is suffocating."
He raises an eyebrow, asking me to continue. "Well... I'm sort of having money... issues right now and all mom does is go around and party with rich scum. She's a disappointment, as harsh as that sounds. And since she's never home, I never see her. It's like when she's not there, the fact that we're slowly drowning financially is even more apparent." I exhale, not believing all the truths in my life came out to him. He knows your weakness, Sam. He could use it to make you pathetic like Zack had.
But Freddie wouldn't do that to me. Or anyone.
"Oh," he says, letting it absorb. It's clear he hadn't expected that. "... is that why you taunt me? Because you thought my life was all great?" I don't answer, but one look at his eyes tell all. "Because Sam, it really isn't. And neither is yours. But we both don't deserve this." He believes this with such ferocity that it's even scary.
It's weird talking to someone like this, with having all you usually have hidden exposed.
"Not even with all my arrests?" I joke, trying to lighten up the atmosphere. Because I just can't have these staid talks.
Freddie shakes his head. "We don't deserve it," he repeats sincerely.
But with a sudden jumpier attitude, he says, "Now what kind of smoothie would you like?" He lets the topic go, knowing I wouldn't have wanted to keep talking, making it okay again. Heading into safe waters.
"Blueberry Blitz," I answer with a smile. I want to roll my eyes at myself, laugh at how happy I am for that one question. For once, someone stops asking when they know I want them to stop. And they don't use me either, or hold my secrets against me.
It's just him and I, two opposites with things in common like mothers who drive us insane and how we both hide- him with his computer and me with my anger.
It's us.
X
I finish sipping up the remains of the smoothie with a satisfied sigh of pleasure. Talking to Freddie turns out pretty fun, with me easily replying with playful sarcasm or a question of my own. And he's funny. Big shocker, huh? I was surprised too when I started choking on my drink from laughing at his comment.
"Thanks again for the smoothie, Fredward."
"You're welcome, Samantha," he replies in an equally wicked voice. That's another thing that's different. He doesn't seem scared of me after finding my source of frustration. "So..."
"So..." It's come to one of those dreadful awkward silences. Man, I hate those.
I try to find something interesting to say, but we've covered every subject from Gibby to meat.
"Oh! What kind of equipment do you think we'll need for iCarly?" he says suddenly, remembering he's part of the cast.
I chuckle. "Aren't you the tech-savvy one?" I point out. "I've got no idea about all that digital stuff."
"True. But you could learn. It's pretty interesting," he says, eyes already alight with excitement. Recruiting me to be a nerd? No thanks.
"I'll pass," I reply, eyes rolling. "Why do you want to be on iCarly anyways?"
"Promise not to laugh?" I nod. "Because I'm a part of something that way. And plus, helping people makes me happy. I'm just easily pleased I guess." It's momentarily silent. "So why did you pick me? There are a lot of other techy people out there too."
I rummage my mind for a comeback, trying to find a route that doesn't answer the question. "How do you know I picked you and not Carly?" I finally come up with.
He laughs. "Okay, it was obvious Carly had no idea what was going on." I laugh too, remembering Carly acting all alerted and confused. "So what was it?"
"Today's just been odd for me. I've been acting... unlike how I usually am," I answer hesitantly, trying to find the needed words.
"Yup. Usual Sam would never have let me sit with her," he says with a frown. "So are you going to go back to Usual Sam tomorrow?" He seems a bit worried, like I'd say yes.
"Like Cinderella turning from glitter to dust at midnight? Nope. I think I've changed for good."
I think that's the closest response I'd ever have to the old Sam again. Because I really did change.
Of course I'm not going to act like Carly, with her whole good-two-shoes personalities. I just will maybe reduce my torturing to teasing and occasionally pranking... Yeah... or maybe not.
"Good. Because I like this new Sam loads better," Freddie says with a relieved smile.
"I'm insulted!" I pretend to act offended, exclaming wildly.
"And I'm tired of wedgies! So... need me to walk you home now?"
The idea's too silly, so I laugh. "No thanks, I'm a big girl now. It is getting pretty late though, huh?" I glance at my phone's screen. 8:13 PM. Not as late as I'd imagined, but I'm ready to sleep! This day's been too peculiar.
"It's pretty dark..." he tries again, glancing out the window into the street of shadows.
"I'll be fine!" I get up from the table, and gather up my jacket. "See you later." Before I'm out the door, I turn back around and find Freddie grinning like a doofus. "What are you so happy about?" I narrow my eyes at him, uncomfortable with the look of merriment he was giving me.
He just shakes his head, still smiling. "No reason."
"Alright then." I turn back around, and leave the Groovy Smoothie, heading home with an amused grin.
What's odd is that during that whole talk with Freddie, I didn't think of the plan once. It never crossed my mind that I was manipulating him.
It was completely real. But I thought this was just a game.
Author's Note; I've been so busy with school and I couldn't think of what should happen next so sorry for the long update. I hope you didn't lose interest in this story. But wow, what a change in their relationship! Was it too out of character? Review?