Ruined Puzzle Pieces

Part 8:

In the middle of the woods… somewhere… well at least Freddie knows where:

"I have no idea where I am," signed Freddie to himself. To be honest he was still a little shaken by what had to be the most emotion he had ever seen on Sam's face in his entire life. That feeling and moment in time was quickly followed by that stupid thing some people do when they're really embarrassed and they kind of keep walking and walking, while replaying the embarrassing moment in their head as they keep walking and walking without even really thinking about where they're going till yeah… they're lost. To top things off he was wet, cold and only had a pathetically thin undershirt as he had given his wool cover to Sam a moment ago.

Everything had kind of happened so fast and so quickly. The shouting match with Sam, a natural disaster of epic proportions, escaping via the most decrepit looking rowboat he had ever seen. Sam looking… vulnerable, even saying sorry (which happened about once a blue moon). Freddie snickered softly to himself.

It's kind of funny in a way. I had started off going into this vacation with the confidence that I would come home grown-up or at least a little more mature and accomplished, but right now I really just wanted to curl up into a ball and cry. No equipment…, no shelter, no food. Worst of all, Sam's counting on me. No one ever counts on me. Heck, I hardly ever count on myself. Things never go right for me. Mom doesn't even let me microwave my own food.

Freddie allowed himself one quick shiver before getting back up and grabbing one more branch of dead wood.

Guess, that's why I'm not really crying out loud now. Sam's counting on me. I can't blow it now… I have to keeping moving.

That simple thought alone seemed to purge his fear. There was no panic of help not coming, no questioning of whether he would see home again. Just gathering one stick at a time and focusing on the knowledge that they had to get a fire and shelter going. Freddie remembered that he came from the direction of the setting sun. The new calm settled in and soothed Freddie's thoughts and he remembered a lot of things, like the past memories of making iCarly, having fun with the girls. He remembered Carly, who he hadn't thought about for what seemed like a lifetime all of a sudden.

Funny, you'd think I'd be freaking out over how I never did get a date with her, or even how she's doing right now. She wasn't there when the ground broke free. She's probably fine, but it's like everything makes sense now. I never really loved her… at least not in the way the word love was meant to be used.

I was in love with love. Carly was the first person who made friends with me, and she was pretty and kind and to a little geek like me she was salvation itself. I put her on a pedestal, worshiping a person who wasn't even really there, just my imagination and my ridiculous elation of having someone who I could be myself around and have it not matter. She's an amazing person… but just an amazing friend. It's funny how that makes sense now.

Freddie grabbed one more stick, checking if it was too moist to burn and decided he had enough. He turned around and started to head back… to Sam, again. The girl had always perplexed him. She drove him crazy on a daily basis, always poking at him where he was weakest, unnerving him with that glare that seemed to gaze into his very soul. She could always read him like a book.

It's funny… I always thought that if I had one word to choose for my relationship with Sam, I would struggle to avoid 'loathing'. She was always so independent, strong, and never cared if the world was against her, she'd just bulldoze through. I've always envied that. I've always second-guessed myself… never sure. You never see such hesitation in Sam, well at least till today.

Freddie kept walking… thinking… thinking some more, and then snorted.

We don't make any sense do we? I mean, we don't have anything in common and neither of us could really ever give in to the other. We'd fight… Sam'd win… we'd get irritated and mad, and then before we knew it, the anger had recessed, and the whole circle would start all over, like a game that neither of us could figure out how to win. I guess if I had to describe the feeling, it's like you've putting together the puzzle of your life and you've finally worked yourself to the final corner and there's only two pieces left, and they DON'T fit. Someone might just throw up the hands in the air in frustration and just give up, but we're not like that. We'd both be the kind of person who would just keep pushing and shoving, and pushing and shoving, hoping to not break either piece, and before you know it, *poof*, they fit.

Freddie sighed,

Yeah, I guess that sums it up pretty well. We're like two puzzle pieces we've both forced together out of sheer will and tenacity, to the point where they're ruined and you couldn't put them anywhere else even if you wanted to. Guess we're just stuck with each other…like a pair of ruined puzzle pieces.

…and it might not be so bad.

A/N: The end… jk. Sorry about the short chapter, crazy week. I just kind of literally failed my final (worth 25% of my overall grade) hours ago. You know the kind where you only did half the problems and was hoping that the test was equally hard for everyone else only to hear as you're leaving. "Oh, that was so easy!" Grrrrr.

Oh IMPORTANT ANNOUCEMENT. I just figured out how to do that reply to people's review thing via email like yesterday. So yeah, for those of you who thought I was a stuck-up meanie. I'm not mean, just really really stupid. So from now on, I am definitely replying to everyone who reviews. Cuz you people are awesome.

A/N: If you haven't heard, you should cuz I was one of those people that were up at 1:00 A.M. on 12/12/08 when magazine scans of Tiger Beat were posted of Jennette Mccurdy and Nathan Kress's reaction to the new iCarly kissing scene for an upcoming January 3rd episode. Many frantic google searches later, I was confused about what episode it was since people say it's "iKiss" which I can't find anywhere in upcoming episodes and then somewhere that its in the episode "iReunite with Missy" and then I realize WHO CARES, IT'S A SEDDIE KISS!!! IN AN UPCOMING EPISODE OF ICARLY (season 2… huh I have never seen a kiss between two of the main cast members on a Nick or Disney show that early before. Usually a season 3 or 4 thing since you getting towards the end.) Anyway… WHO CARES, IT'S A SEDDIE KISS!!! IN AN UPCOMING EPISODE OF ICARLY!!!