Chapter 16: So Close!

Author's Note: Thanks so much for your reviews, guys. You guys are making fanfiction my favorite website EVER! But seriously, they mean so much. :D Enjoy the chapter!

My eyes shot open, and I saw the grinning face of Carly right in front of me.

The dream I had last night came back and hit me in just a few seconds. I barely ever remember dreams when I become conscious. I guess this one was important.

I groaned when I woke up. "Carls, why are you right in front of me and all happy? You know I'm never in a good mood in the morning."

Carly turned around to see if Freddie was listening. I remembered falling asleep on him last night. I wasn't on him now. Weird.

Freddie was just leaving the tent.

"Where is he going? What if people see him?" I asked loudly.

"Chill, he's wearing the Glasses Cam and a bunch of layers of clothes, so he looks... you know... big," Carly explained.

"Where'd he get that stuff?"

"I guess he brought it."

I shrugged.

"But anyway..." Carly's big grin reappeared. "It seemed like you were getting some kissing action in your dream."

My face flushed. "Why do you say that?"

Carly mocked me, making an exaggerated face with her lips puckered, imitating me.

"I... I made that face?" I asked quietly.

Carly nodded, smiling. "Were you dreaming about Freddie?"

I slightly smirked. "Shut up, Carls."

"I'm serious!" Carly exclaimed. "I wanna help you figure out if you like him!"

I closed my eyes, thinking about Freddie. I opened them again, looking at a curious Carly, and I sighed. "He's a nub, Carls. I don't think me and him are meant to be."

Carly grinned. "I don't know," she sang. "Everyone always says that opposites attract!"

I rolled my eyes. Before I could respond, Freddie came back in. Carly and I both turned to look at him.

"Am I interrupting something?" he asked slowly.

I shook my head. I then noticed the Glasses Cam, which was a prop we used on iCarly before, on his face and his many layers of shirts covered by a big sweaty shirt. I chuckled.

Freddie just smirked. He knew why I was laughing. He took the glasses off and started taking the layers off until he only wore one shirt.

"Where'd you guy anyway?" I asked him.

"I wanted to see if everything's all police-y," he explained. "Near Bushwell Plaza there were some police cars. I could see them in the distance but I didn't dare go too close."

I took a deep breath. "Don't leave again, Fredward. If anyone's gonna leave the tent to check things out and buy stuff, it's me. Your mom is probably posting fliers of you everywhere, and Carly's dad obviously cares too. No one cares that I'm gone."

"You don't know that," Freddie said softly.

"Yeah, maybe people will figure out that I'm probably with you and Carly, so then they'll start looking for me too. But for now, no one cares."

Freddie frowned. He couldn't protest.

I glanced at Carly, who was staring at the blank wall of the tent with wet brown eyes.

I touched her arm lightly. "What's up, Carly?"

Carly turned to me. "Sam, you're my best friend and I love you, so please don't take this the wrong way."

I nodded reassuringly.

"Freddie and I shouldn't be here," she said. "Don't get me wrong... you absolutely don't deserve to be here at all... and I don't make decisions for Freddie, but I don't think I should be here."

"Why?" Freddie asked softly.

"My dad is being annoying. But I'm just being all stupid. Almost my whole life I got to just live with Spencer, so like, even though he took care of me and fed me and stuff, he was really unstrict. But really, everyone else has to live with a parent or two all the time, and I'm just not used to it. And now that I think about it, I was so mad because he didn't let Sam move in with me that I didn't even think about the real reason he came."

"He had a reason?" I sneered.

"Yeah," Carly said softly. Before we could ask what the reason is, she quickly continued to talk as if she didn't want us to know. She continued, "Anyway, this just doesn't feel right for me." She stood up.

Freddie and I stood too, almost in sync.

"Wait, so you're leaving?" I asked.

"Are you mad?" Carly asked, frowning.

"No!" I reassured her. "But you do realize that people are gonna know that you know where me and Freddie are, right?"

Carly sighed. "I... I'll lie to my dad. I'll say that somehow I knew you guys ran away and I was... uh... looking for you. Yeah... that works... and then I, um... didn't fnd you guys, but I was so tired that I, um, like passed out on a bench."

I shrugged, sticking out my lower lip and nodding in approval. "That sound good."

"But... I'm gonna have to tell Spencer the truth."