Author's Note: Hello all surprised to be reading from me again? Well if by some leap of faith any of you were waiting for this up date you have one person to thank for it and that is ! The review I received form this writer inspired me to continue when I clearly had given up, So thank you , for giving me that little nudge I needed. And if you aren't already reading the fic Ten Things iHate About You, then you're seriously missing out on an awesome read so hop to it!

This chapter is a little longer than usual as my own little way to make up for the delay. Enjoy.

Ps. Sorry for repost but the author who inspired me, name was not appearing after my first post.

…

Carly walked down her steps and found a very unusual scene before her. Sam was in her apartment….and she wasn't eating. Instead she was sitting Indian style on her couch messing with the end of her hair, which only did when she was extremely out of it, she claimed it was way to girly and cliché. "Sam what's wrong?" Sam froze, dropping her hands from her hair.

"I did something bad." She replied not meeting Carly's eyes.

"You do something bad every day." Carly responded with a smile and shrug.

"No Carls, something really bad." She sighed standing up from the couch.

"Bad like what? Like you're going to be getting a call from your probation officer, or bad like we need to grab some wigs and catch the first bus to Mexico?"

"No it wasn't anything illegal." She sighed shaking her head.

"Thank god, because I really don't like Mexican cuisine."

"I'm serious here Carly."

"Ok sorry, what's up you can tell me."

"You'll yell." Sam said in a child like voice, dropping her head. She swore when it came to telling Carly things she felt like a kid caught with their hand in a cookie jar.

""I won't yell."

"Yes you will, I know you'll yell."

"Sam just tell me."

"First promise you won't yell."

"Sam…" Carly stopped seeing Sam's serious expression. "Fine I promise." She said rolling her eyes.

"I changed all of Freddie's answers on his application to that nerd camp, pretty much assuring his non acceptance."

"SAM HOW COULD YOU!"

"You promised you wouldn't yell." Sam said raising an accusing finger.

"Yea, well that's before I knew you were ruining Freddie's life." Carly said throwing her hands up. "Sam you know how much that meant to him. "It's his dream to go to MIT one day and that camp really would have helped his chances."

"I know, I know." Sam said sinking back into the couch.

"Ok so how can we fix this?" Carly asked beginning to pace.

"Carls we can't…"

"Sure we can if there's a will there's a way."

"There's no will and no way."

"You're right." Carly said flopping down on the couch."Why'd you do it?" Sam froze why'd she do it? Heck she didn't even know, why did she do it? Was it the idea that the nub would be thousands of miles away for two months that made her do it, or her constant mood swings that seemed to revolve around a certain tech-nerd.

"I don't know , it was just a prank, you know last week he took a bite out of one of my fatcakes and.."

"Sam you ruined Freddie's dream over a FATCAKE!"

"You know I'm starting to think your promise was an empty one."

" Freddie cannot find out about this." Carly said standing up.

"Well I'm sure not going to tell him." Sam said with a pointed look in Carly's direction.

"What? I wouldn't tell him."

"Not intentionally."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"It means you kinda suck at keeping secrets."

"That's not true, I never told anyone about the time you tried out for the volleyball team!"

"We are to never speak of that." Sam said pointing a finger at her. "What I mean is,if it comes up let's face it you suck at lying." Carly was quite she was right; she wasn't a very good liar. "So we need to prepare, because let's face it this will come up."

"What will come up?" Carly screamed falling back into the couch, at Freddie's voice. Sam rolled her eyes shaking her head, this was going to be more difficult than she thought.

"The prices on all those custom made bras at build a bra, you know the lace…"

"Ahh stop, I don't want to hear anymore." Freddie said covering his ears while walking more into the apartment.

"You see Carls step one of lying is deflecting, taking one's mind off of what you don't want them to know." Sam said leaning in closer to her.

"Wow you are good at this." Carly said sitting up.

"Is all the talk of bras finished?"Freddie asked with his hands still over his ears.

"Yes it done." Carly laughed standing up, to walk in the kitchen.

"Good." He smiled moving his hands from his ears. "You know you guys should really warn me when you're being all…girly.

"Relax Freddison, we promise bras can't hurt you."

"Yea Freddie what's with the bra phobia?" Carly asked with a laugh.

"It's not a phobia..I just..you know never mind." He said shaking his head. "Did Sam tell you about my application?" Sam froze he couldn't possibly know…could he.

"Application… what application." Carly laughed uneasily.

"You know to N.E.R.D camp."

" You know speaking of camps, I left my book on how to start a camp fire unattended on my bed, got to go bye!" Carly exclaimed running up the stairs. Sam shook her head, this is really going to be tougher than I thought.

"What's up with her?"

"You know Calry would never want Spencer to find that book." Freddie nodded his head in understanding while going to take a seat next to Sam.

"You know I didn't even hear you leave this morning." He said in a hushed tone, while leaning into Sam.

"Well I left a little earlier than usual." She said while sliding back a bit.

"Why?"

"I just felt like it, what's the big deal, what are you the time police!" She exclaimed messing in her hair again, which didn't go unnoticed by Freddie.

"Relax Sam I just never pegged you for an early riser, unless by force that is. I mean you were up before the alarm went off, when I woke up and you weren't there I…I."

"Awww look, the nub missed Mama." Sam laughed nudging his arm. Freddie smiled a small smile.

"I guess I'm just getting use to seeing your drooling face Friday mornings."

"Careful Benson unless you want me to teach you that new move I learned watching Locked up."

"Hey did you hear they are having a monster marathon this weekend at the little theater. They're going to play The Blob, Frankenstein, Monster man..?"

"Monster man, on the big screen would be epic!"

"Well how about we go?"

"We don't have tickets nub, and besides we wouldn't be able to get any this late."

"Who says we don't." Freddie said while pulling two ticks out of his pocket. Sam's jaw dropped.

"Freddie how did you score those?"

"A guy from my train club, brother works at the theater, and at the last meeting he wanted to trade his Pacific flyer for my 4-8-4 steam locomotive which has…"

"Ahhh boring me!" Sam exclaimed falling back into the cushions, Freddie rolled his eyes at her dramatics.

"Well he basically owes me so he gave them to me."

"Wow you go from a little cool straight back to nub, at a record speed." Sam laughed.

"So what do you say?"

"I say hell yea!" She said grabbing one of the tickets. "But what about Carly?"

"Well I figured Carly doesn't really like horror movies, so this could just be a you and mean thing." Freddie said while meeting her gaze. Sure she and Freddie did things without Carly, things like waited for her to come back from the store, or waited for her down to the Groovy smoothie but for the most part this two thirds of the threesome was never really left alone…well for obvious reasons.

"Sam?" His voice broke her from her trance.

"What?"

"Do you want to go with me?"

"Well if you're gonna beg." She said getting up from the couch while walking into the kitchen.

"Cool so I guess we can meet there around five tomorrow?" Freddie had no idea why he felt so nervous asking her this. We are just two friends who happen to enjoy horror, who are going to enjoy it…together tomorrow on Saturday night, no big deal. The why do my hands feel so sweaty?"

" Make sure you bring lots of snacks, Mama needs to keep her energy up during the marathon." Sam said while eating a cold pork chop.

"Don't you think you should get the snacks considering I supplied the tickets."

"Well when you say it like that…NO!"

" Sam I've brought you over a hundred smoothies."

"Your point?" Sam asked with a raised eyebrow.

"My point is this time you should bring the snacks."

"What snacks?" Carly asked walking into the room.

"So did you put that book away?" Freddie asked taking a juice box out of the fridge .Would you look at that the nub is deflecting; Carly could learn a thing or two from him. Sam thought with a smile.

"What book?"

"The camp fire book, the one you don't want Spencer to see." Sam supplied

"Oh yea, it's safe and sound now." Carly smiled. "So school anyone?"

"Yep." Freddie said throwing out his juice box.

"Ehhh." Sam responded throwing out her pork chop bone.

"Oh Carly I didn't get to finish telling you about my application." Sam wiped at her mouth with her sleeve. "I finished it last night." Freddie smiled.

"Oh…that's great Freddie." Carly said with a forced smile.

"Yea I hate to brag, but it think it was pretty awesome. I've been thinking a lot about it, and at first I was really hesitant, but now I can't wait to go, I hear they have really great pools and.." Sam quickly pushed past Carly and Freddie and headed out the apartment.

"What's with her?"

"Nothing, I'll go talk to her, Sam!" Carly called after her, running out into the hall.

"First Carly now Sam, I really need to start hanging out with more guys, women." Freddie said shaking his head.

…..

Four Months later

"And then the guys all like, hey get your phone out of my pocket." Freddie double over in laughter as Sam wiped the tears from her eyes. Carly smiled watching the two through the studio doors, recently she noticed a big change in their relationship, sure Sam still ridiculed Freddie, and sure Freddie responded with some sort of sarcasm. But she also notice that Sam began punching him a lot more with her right and weaker hand, and that Freddie's smart remarks had less sting to them.

"What's so funny?" Carly smiled walking into the studio.

"Oh hey Carly." Freddie said still laughing.

"You kinda had to be there Carls."

"Oh." Carly smiled and realized lately she been feeling this way a lot, like she was constantly not in on the joke. "So you guys want to get started with rehearsal?"

"Yea sure." Freddie said still chuckling lightly, while heading over to his cart.

"What's with you two lately?" Carly whispered to Sam.

"What do you mean?"

"I mean you've just been acting different."

"Different how?" Sam asked taking a sip of some Wahoo punch.

"I don't know, just different." Carly said with a shrug.

"Freddie, Freddie it's here ,it's here." Mrs. Benson came running into the studio waving an envelope in the air. "It finally came!" She exclaimed excitedly.

"What another ointment?"

"Ha ha." Freddie said rolling his eyes. "It's my letter from N.E.R.D camp." He smiled while holding the envelope in his hands.

"Open it, open it." His mother chanted excitedly.

"But we have rehearsal maybe you should open it later." Carly said reaching for the envelope.

"It'll just take a second." Sam looked down, as Freddie excitedly tore into the letter. "Dear Mr. Benson we want to thank you for your interest in N.E.R.D camp…"

"Freddiebear hurry up and get to the good part."

" But we regret to inform you that after reviewing the applications received by the deadline, yours was not selected for further consideration. The selection committee appreciates the time you invested in your application. We encourage you to apply and next year. …" Mrs. Benson jaw dropped, along with Carly's eyes, Sam's head, and Freddie's smile."

"What! Give me that." Mrs. Benson took the letter, and began scanning it. "Not what they were looking for! You're more than what they were looking for!"

"Mom its ok, you win some you lose some." Freddie said with a small shrug.

"Oh Freddie." His mother said reaching out a hand.

"It's ok Mom, do you guys mind postponing the rehearsal for a bit?"

"No it's fine, don't worry about it." Carly said with concerned etch across her face.

"Thanks." Freddie responded with a small smile, while turning to leave the room.

"Freddie?"

"Yea?" He asked looking back.

"I'm sorry." She said while giving him a hug. Freddie smiled a bigger smile in her embrace. Looking over to Sam her caught her eyes but she quickly looked away. Carly than released him and he walked down stairs with his mother quickly in tow.

"Don't say it." Sam said holding up a hand.

"Say what? That Freddie is completely heartbroken over you're little stunt?"

"Yes that." Sam said walking over to sit on a bean bag.

"Sam you have got to tell Freddie, what you did."

"No way."

"Sam you have to make things right."

"Carly in all the time you've known me, have I been known for making things right?"

"But Sam he's our friend."

"Carly nothing I say will help why don't you go talk to him."

"Not this time Sam, you do it." Carly said crossing her arms, and giving Sam the look.

"Oh, not the look." Sam said rolling her eyes. Carly's gaze didn't waver. "Fine I'll go talk to the nub." She said while getting up. With every step it felt as though her nerves were multiplying. Reaching the bottom of the steps, she found Freddie sitting on the Shay's couch, thankful Crazy was no were in sight. Walking over Sam took a tentative seat next to the boy. Freddie held the letter in his hands, and shook his head.

"Not selected for further consideration …in other words you suck." He scoffed.

"Yea well screw them, you're the king of nerds." Sam said bumping his shoulder lightly. Freddie smiled looking up to meet her eyes, and as soon as he did Sam wished he hadn't. His eyes were glossily and missing their usual spark, and she knew it was all her fault.

"I'm guessing I should take that as a compliment?" Sam nodded her head, trying to swallow the lump that was forming in her throat. "I guess I was just hoping that for once I…that I would be enough, you know?" Again she nodded still not able to speak. Freddie rubbed a hand over his face, dropping the letter on the table he leaned back into the couch closing his eyes. Sam didn't know what do she had never been good in these situations, but seeing him like this, caused a great ache in her chest.

"It's their lost, if they couldn't see how great you are, then they're the ones missing out not you."

"You mean that?" He asked sitting up meeting her eyes again.

"Yea I do." Looking down at the letter Sam smiled. "Come on I have an idea." Grabbing the letter and his hand she began leading him out of the apartment. Once at the fire escape she stepped over the window ledge and shift so he could do the same. Freddie looked down at their hands. It was then that she realized she was still holding on to his hand. Quickly she dropped it, and quickly she missed the warmth of him. "Here let's show those assholes what you think of their letter." Sam said while handing him her lighter.

"And why do you have this?"

"It comes in handy, now light this baby on fire." Freddie smiled and lit the corner of the paper. As the flames grew Sam dropped the letter over the ledge. The teens leaned over and watched as the paper crumble and turned black, in the process, Freddie's hand reclaimed Sam's. Once the paper vanished they stood back, and Sam looked down at their intertwine fingers.

"Thank you." He smiled , and this time it was a real smile. Seeing his smile Sam once again felt the fluttering in her chest, that she now mastered how to live with whenever they were together. "Let's get to rehearsal." He said giving her hand a small squeeze, and leading her back towards the window.

…

Well there you have it, I know I said I was going to have Freddie find out in this chapter, but I wanted them to have one more happy moment before we bring down the boom, which will diffidently be happening in the next one.

You know what to do, all reviews are welcomed and greatly appreciated

And if you like it enough to add it to your favs list, the lest you can do is say something nice about it…right?