AN: Hey everyone. So before we go on with the chapter I thought I would explain something. In this 'universe' I guess you can call it, the iParty with Victorious episode has not occurred, thus the reason why the group only knows Freddie from iCarly. Also there is going to be some alterations when it comes to Jade and Freddie's father which you'll notice in the coming chapters. Just thought I would clear that up to avoid any possible confusion. With that being said I hope you enjoy this next chapter.
Chapter Two:
Hollywood Arts - Asphalt Café
"So Freddie," André spoke as the group all sat and ate their lunch, "How are you enjoying L.A. so far?"
The brunette boy looked up and swallowed the food he was chewing, "It's all still kind of new for me to be honest. I mean I've only really been here for a week or so. After getting a job at the Pear Store I didn't really have time to explore the place."
"I could give you a tour this weekend if you want. Oh maybe we could all hit the beach as well." Tori suggested, before popping a fry into her mouth. The group seemed to like the idea of a beach day aside from Jade who snorted out a sarcastic laugh.
"Yeah and get trapped in Beck's RV again or get sunburn. You can count me out Vega." The pale girl noted, leaning back a little. Tori shook her head remembering being trapped in the RV for what seemed like days, but was only mere hours.
"We don't need her anyway." Rex pointed out, as Jade glared at the puppet, "Whoa chill out Goth girl only joking." Freddie frowned a little as he looked to Beck who seemed to not mind the comment, but instead the long haired boy looked at his girlfriend.
"Come on Jade." Beck said, trying to convince his girlfriend, "It would be nice." The girl groaned and rolled her eyes which Beck knew meant that she would consider it. The pale girl turned her attention to the former iCarly member who had been silent.
"So what do you think Freddie?" The green streaked girl asked. Freddie glanced up and looked at his half-sister before shrugging his shoulders.
"I think it would be cool. It can give me a chance to get to know you all a little bit better." The former technical producer explained. Jade noted he made direct contact when he said 'get to know you'. It was the same look he gave her when he first saw her too. The girl realized that the look wasn't one of fear, but rather one of apprehension and slight determination. She placed a mental note in her head to find out what it was that was on his mind and what exactly it had to do with her.
"Besides," Freddie said, pulling Jade out of her theory, "I do have some pretty killer sunscreen we could use. One of the perks of having a crazy mom I guess." The group chuckled as even Jade couldn't help but let out the smallest of laughs.
"So it's settled then." Tori exclaimed, happily.
"Woohoo! Beach Day!" The red haired girl cheered excitedly. The group took the rest of the lunch period to continue eating their lunch while exchanging in casual conversation amongst each other. Freddie leaned back as he saw the group converse and wore a small smile on his face. He was beginning to think that this was sign of positive things to come in the future. A chance to have real friends that would respect him for who he was and not judge him for it. He was brought out of his thoughts as the bell rang. The group got up as they gathered up their trash.
"You ready to roll?" André asked Freddie. The brunette boy nodded and dumped his trash in the bin as the pair made their way towards their science class.
The rest of the day went just fine for the Seattle boy as he managed to get along with others without them questions why he was here. He figured he would eventually have to tell them, but today was not going to be that day. Aside from that he managed to join the AV club with the members being happy to have a chance to pick the brain of someone like him, some even wanting him to run the club. Sinjin, the leader of the club, frowned at the comments made, but Freddie assured him that this was his club and whereas he was simply just a member. The pair seemed to get along well as they discussed the various techniques they used when filming, both learning more from each other.
After school, Beck offered him to come grab a burger with him and André, something he gladly accepted. It was a unique experience for the boy as he wasn't used to hanging out with guys, being stuck with Carly and Sam for so long.
André told him of a gym that Beck and him went to and said that he should join them in their journey 'into manhood' as he jokingly phrased it.
"I'd say he is already past that point." Beck exclaimed, staring at the muscular teen sitting in front of him, "It must have taken some time to get that strong."
"Yeah, rehab was good to me I guess." The boy noted casually, rotating his right wrist in memory of the accident.
"Rehab?"
Freddie took a sip of his drink and nodded, "Yeah, let's just say me and taco trucks don't really get along." Beck and André looked at each other confused as Freddie chuckled and explained, "We were out filming for iCarly and we were going to cross the street. A taco truck ran a red and was coming straight for Carly. I did what any friend would do and pushed her out of the way to take the hit. I messed up my left leg and right forearm pretty bad, but it didn't matter because Carly was safe. Nothing a few screws couldn't fix."
"So you're kind of like a hero to her." André noted, as if it was the most obvious thing. Freddie frowned remembering when Sam told him that Carly was only dating him because of hero worship. Initially he thought that Sam was just trying to avoid being the third wheel, but he hated to admit that she was right. He let Carly go telling her he would be waiting for when it wore off, but instead she started dating other guys. That kind of rejection still stung even now when he was hundreds of miles away.
"I never considered myself to be one." Freddie noted, glumly.
"Come on! You saved her and risked your life to do so. I don't think just any friend would be willing to do that." Beck replied, trying to put some pieces of the puzzle together for the boy's life before moving to L.A.
"Well I guess it doesn't matter now anyway." The brunette boy answered evasively. The two teens realized he wanted to end the conversation and switched back to talking about the first day of school and other random things. Eventually, Freddie left the pair as he wanted to go back to his hotel to rest before his shift he had later that day at the Pear Store. He thanked Beck for inviting him before exchanging goodbyes and leaving. Beck and André watched him leave before looking at each other.
"I think there is more to the story than he is letting on." Beck whispered as if Freddie could somehow hear, "It just doesn't make sense."
The song-smith nodded his head in agreement as he shrugged, "Maybe we'll find out someday, but for now I just hope he starts working on fixing whatever it is that seems to be bothering him." The long haired boy nodded back as he finished off the rest of his drink before the pair exited the fast food joint.
Benson Hotel Room
The boy pulled out his keys from his pocket as he unlocked his hotel room door. He walked inside and shut and locked the door behind him as he placed his bag on the floor and dropped onto the nearby couch. He stretched his arms as he booted up his laptop and logged onto The Slap. He was told by Cat to join the site as it was a quicker way to get news and messages from other Hollywood Arts students. The boy pondered what to say for a moment before posting a message,
Freddie Benson:
Fun first day at Hollywood Arts. Met some really cool people.
Feeling: Hopeful
A minute later he received a notification. He clicked on it and it opened up the message.
Cat Valentine:
WELCOME TO THE SLAP FREDDIE! I AM NOT YELLING, MY CAPS IS JUST STUCK!
The boy chuckled amused before replying to the post.
Freddie Benson:
Thanks Cat! Try tapping your caps lock key again. :)
Cat Valentine:
Ooooooh! Thanks Freddie!
He smiled as he could just imagine the excitement on the red haired girl's face. Unsure of what to do next, the brunette boy decided to waste some time online gaming before he would have to get ready for work. Freddie was so into the game that when a video chat request popped up on his screen he was startled. After regaining his composure, he read the name and was a bit curious as to whether he should accept the request or not. The boy finally decided to accept the request and the screen changed to show the man child that was Spencer Shay.
"Hey Freddo!" Spencer greeted enthusiastically, a bit surprised he was able to reach him.
Freddie cracked a small smile at the nickname, "Hey Spencer! What's up?"
"Nothing much. Just the usual, Sam trying to eat all our food and Gibby being well... Gibby." The artist replied, casually glancing back at the front door, "But who cares about me. How are you doing? You kind of just left out of the blue."
"I'm doing fine." He answered cautiously. The boy's smile faltered as he realized that Spencer was trying to get information out of him. A thought crossed his mind as he asked with annoyance laced to his tone, "Did Carly tell you to find out where I am?"
Spencer raised his hands in defense, "No, she isn't here right now which is why I am doing this." Freddie analyzed the man's face trying to detect if he was lying, but when he found nothing he simply nodded, "Look Freddie, it's about Carly. I don't know.. it's just something is wrong. Ever since you left she just hasn't been the same goofy little sister that I know."
The brunette boy pondered for a moment how to respond to Spencer's statement. From what he saw on iCarly it looked like she was fine without him there. He figured it was probably just another 'pretty boy' that broke her heart like the ones before.
"Have you tried talking to her?"
The artist nodded and sighed, "Yeah, she keeps brushing it off and says she's fine. I heard that she has tried contacting you since you left, but you've ignored her calls."
"Maybe I don't want to talk to her."
"But why-"
"Why?" Freddie raised his voice, the anger seeping in a little. He took a deep breath to control himself before responding, "Maybe it's because I realized that we aren't really the close friends I thought we were. After all it shouldn't be a problem to her considering how easily replaceable I am judging by the webisode after I left. They acted like I never existed."
"Do you know she locked herself in her room after that and cried?" Spencer questioned, a little frustrated.
"Do you know she stood there countless times and watched Sam use me as a physical and verbal punching bag over and over again?" He retorted. Spencer bowed his head in slight embarrassment as he had been a witness to a couple of those accounts. The former tech producer continued, "I loved your sister Spencer. Even if she didn't love me that way it was fine, but she couldn't even love me as a friend. Would you be fine if Sam used Carly as a punching bag while I stood there?"
The artist opened his mouth to respond, but shut it as he realized Freddie's point. He nodded his head and whispered, "I'm sorry."
"That's not your line." Freddie noted, "Look, even if you watched me being physically and verbally hurt by Sam, you were still the only one that would listen when I needed someone to. I know you're not a bad guy and are trying to help Carly, but this isn't your fight. This is between Carly and I."
"So why leave now?" Spencer asked, blowing out a defeated breath as he adjusted himself on the stool.
"Let's just say there was another reason I decided to leave Seattle and end off at that okay." Freddie answered, glancing at his watch. He groaned before looking back at the artist, "Look I got to go Spencer."
"I understand." Spencer replied disappointed, "But Freddie look. I know things are rough right now with the three of you, but if you ever need someone to talk to I'll be here."
Freddie cracked a small smile, "Thank you Spencer. Talk to you later." The artist waved as Freddie disconnected the video chat. He leaned back and sighed. So maybe Carly did miss him more than she let on. Freddie, however would not be pressured into making contact to try and make amends. For far too long he had been keeping their friendship intact and now it was up to the web hostess to make the first move that he always seemed to make in the past. The boy decided to leave it at that as he began to get dressed for work. He grabbed his cellphone and hotel keys before leaving the room.
Shay Residence
"We are expecting a severe thunderstorm later on in the day, so we suggest you carry an umbrella and try to stay indoors if possible."
Spencer shut off the TV as he sat on the couch anxiously awaiting the arrival of Carly, Sam, and Brad as they were having a rehearsal for an upcoming webisode. He couldn't help but feel a little weird considering Brad as the technical producer, but he figured he would have to get used to it considering Freddie wanted nothing to do with the show any more. It donned on him just how quickly things seemed to change. One day, the trio and him are sitting at the kitchen table eating spaghetti tacos and laughing, but now everything changed. A turn of the front door grabbed the artist's attention as he saw the trio walk in carrying smoothies.
"Hey Spencer." Carly greeted, walking inside as Sam and Brad walked in from behind.
"Hey kiddo." Spencer replied, trying to remain as casual as possible. His little sister handed him a smoothie she purchased for him and took a seat on the couch. Brad took a seat on one of the island stools as Sam decided to raid the fridge in search of ham. The group just sipped on their drinks not really saying much as Sam returned with a slice of meat in her hand.
"So..." The artist started, not really sure what to say, "How was school?"
"Good." The brunette replied awkwardly, feeling that Spencer was acting strange.
"Awesome."
"Hey Carly." Brad noted, breaking the awkward stare between the two siblings, something they were both thankful for, "We really should start rehearsing for the show. I need to make sure that our special effects are working properly."
"You two go, I'll be up there in a minute." She noted. Sam and Brad looked at her for a moment before they understood that she wanted to talk to Spencer alone. The pair walked upstairs as Carly looked back at her brother sitting on the other side of the couch.
"Okay, spill." She exclaimed.
The artist scratched the back of his neck as he tried to figure out what to say, "So how you are doing?"
His sister laughed, "I told you, I'm doing fine. Why do you keep asking that?" Spencer closed his eyes and blew out a breath as he realized that Carly was hiding how she felt. It never happened before and the thought of her doing so now worried him.
"So have you tried talking to Freddie again?" He asked, noting her face fall in sadness before she looked back up mustering a black expression.
"No... all he does is ignore my calls."
"Maybe he doesn't want to talk to you." The artist responded provoking a cold stare from his sister, "Look I just mean that maybe you should just give him some time. You guys have been through a lot and he is still trying to process everything that happened."
The web hostess arched her brow, "How do you know he is still processing everything?" Her eyes went wide as she realized, "You talked to him didn't you?" Spencer clenched his jaw, not wanting to answer her question and breaking Freddie's trust that Carly wouldn't know.
"So it's true." She exclaimed, "Where is he?"
"I don't know. He didn't tell me."
"Well there must be a way to find him!"
"Are you sure that's a good idea?" He half-asked and pleaded, "If he doesn't want to talk to you over the phone do you really think tracking him down and trying to talk to him in person is going to produce a better result?"
"Maybe not, but it is a risk I am going to take." The brunette stated, determined to bring Freddie back home. The look she gave Spencer meant that the topic was no longer up for debate. Satisfied with her plan, Carly made her way upstairs to start rehearsing for the show. The artist smacked his forehead as he realized he inadvertently made things more worse. He sent Freddie a quick text to warn him about her plan as he awaited the storm that was to come literally and figuratively.
AN: And that's the end of the chapter! Thank you all for reading. The coming chapters will begin to focus more on the relationship between Freddie and Jade as well as Freddie and Tori. Be sure to leave a review with any comments or feedback you may have and I will respond in the following chapter.
OneHorseShay: Thank you for your review. Being a fan of your work I always liked the idea of Freddie and Jade, however I wanted to put a spin on it rather than just a romance. The idea of them being half-siblings really lets me explore a different and unique kind of relationship between the two characters.
Xemtlenc: Thank you for your review. The problem with that is Jade believes he was simply acting out his role. Freddie is going to have to get to know her a little bit before telling her, something you will see in the chapters to come.
Thank you all again and stay tuned.