A/N: And again, thank you so much for the kind reviews! Here's the next chapter as many people requested. Hope you like it!
Disclaimer: I realized I haven't disclaimed it the last few chapters, but I swear I still don't own iCarly.
Freddie's POV
Sam and I stood hugging in the hallway for a few more moments. Finally I pulled back and rubbed her upper arms. "Do you feel a little better?" I asked.
She sniffled a little, but nodded. "A little. I just don't want things to get weird between us. I like us."
I chuckled a bit. "I like us too," I gently teased, then leaned in and kissed her. As soon as I did, I realized that my mother still didn't know about us. She couldn't watch the show tonight since she had to work, so she didn't see the big moment where Carly made Sam confess. But if everyone else knew now, we'd have to tell her too. I'll tell her tonight when she gets home.
Sam smiled into the kiss and pulled away. "See, that's why I don't want things to change." She giggled and blushed.
I smirked and kissed her forehead briefly. "So do you want to help me yell at Carly?"
Her smile fell as she remembered what our "best" friend had done, and she shook her head. "I can't deal with her right now. I'm just gonna go home, I think. Tell her if she feels like apologizing, she may call me tomorrow any time after noon." She crossed her arms and rocked back and forth on her feet.
"Okay. I'll call you later tonight after I have a little chat with Carly," I told her.
She smiled. "Then I'll talk to you later." We kissed one last quick time before she left.
I watched her as she left, upset that she ever felt like this. I quickly went back into Carly's apartment and back up to the studio.
###
When I got there, Carly, Brad, Gibby, and Spencer were standing in a circle talking quietly. They turned when I walked in. I wasted no time in giving them a piece of my mind.
"What is wrong with you guys?" I yelled. "We didn't want to tell people! What about that was so difficult for you four to accept?"
"Whoa, calm down, man. And don't get mad at Spencer and Gibby, they didn't know about this," Brad explained.
"Yeah, Spencer even tried to convince me not to do anything, but I ignored him," Carly admitted. Spencer nodded and Gibby smiled gently, hoping to make me feel better.
"Then I'm sorry they have to hear this, but I'm not holding back. I don't care who did it! All I care about is that my girlfriend feels completely betrayed by the only people she felt she could really trust and she's totally panicked that everything will be different now because you made her tell everyone!" I continued. "You really hurt her, Carly. You're supposed to be her best friend and you don't even respect her enough to respect her wishes, and my wishes too!" I was really letting them have it. Nobody can hurt my Sam and get away with it.
"I'm so sorry, Freddie," Carly said, seeming sincere. "I just think that it's not fair to keep something this exciting a secret."
"But it was our secret! My relationship with Sam is nobody else's business. We only told you guys because you're our closest friends and we thought it was something friends should know. But those people who watch our show and see us around school: they're not our friends! They're fans and acquaintances and shippers that we don't want interfering in our relationship. But now they all know and starting Monday at school, they are going to be all over us." I felt a little better after ranting for a bit, but I was still really mad.
"Look, Freddie, we know we should have thought more about this…" Brad began apprehensively.
"You think?" I interrupted sarcastically.
Brad continued seamlessly despite the interruption. "But what's done is done. Now we can do some things to make it easier. We can disable comments on the iCarly website so people can't bother you about it there. Plus there's two whole days left before we go back to school on Monday, so I'm sure a lot of the hype will die down."
"And you and Sam can still avoid PDA for now so you don't have to worry about kids at school spying or teasing," Carly suggested quietly.
I thought for a moment. "Yeah, that's true. I think Sam will be okay tomorrow and maybe even be a little relieved that it's out of the bag, but she just needs time."
"Can I call her and apologize?" Carly asked.
"She said you can call her tomorrow, but only if it's to apologize and it has to be after noon," I said, relaying Sam's message from earlier. Carly nodded and promised to follow Sam's wishes.
"Okay. Sorry I yelled," I apologized. "I just hate seeing Sam feeling this way."
"I know, we get it," Gibby said from off to the side. He and Spencer had listened intently, knowing they hadn't technically done anything to hurt Sam, but still feeling bad. Spencer nodded in agreement.
We were all quiet for a minute, then Carly said she was tired and just wanted to go to bed. She hugged me on the way out, and I gave a friendly hug back. I knew that she didn't do what she did to hurt me and Sam; Carly can just act a little crazy sometimes if she doesn't get something she wants (in this case, Sam and I being public about our relationship).
Spencer went downstairs to work on a new sculpture, leaving Gibby, Brad, and me to clean up from the show. As Gibby picked up the index cards from the ground and I started packing up my tech equipment, Brad waited with a broom. We were all relatively quiet until Brad said, "I really am sorry, man. I didn't know you and Sam had told her not to tell people."
"It's fine, I know you didn't mean to hurt us," I said.
"Yeah, I really didn't. And… well…" Brad blushed slightly before continuing. "Carly can pretty much convince me of anything… I kind of like her."
I smirked. If Sam still wanted to go through with it, it might be easier to set up Brad and Carly than we thought.
It was at this thought that I noticed the look on Gibby's face. He had looked up suddenly at Brad's admission, but he quickly went back to picking up the card pieces from the ground. (Sam apparently felt the need to rip the cards into little pieces after reading each one.) He looked… mad.
Oh no… I can't believe I didn't see it before. Gibby likes Carly a little bit… but now Brad does too…
Apparently love was in the air around iCarly.
A/N: Look at that lovely review button down there. It just LOVES to be clicked on. So… you should click on it and make it happy. :D
Also, I'm visiting my friends and family in Boston for the next two weeks, and so I might not be updating super frequently since I'll be busy being social with them. But don't lose hope, I'll update as much as possible, and definitely go back to normal as soon as I get back to Georgia the first week of August. Love! Xoxo ~~Jamie