Wow, guys. Thanks so much for those reviews. They give me a little faith that I'm not a terrible writer haha. Even if you have reviewed before, review again!
Freddie's POV
The alarm on my phone blared as usual, and I groggily picked it up and turned it off. I slumped back into bed with a yawn, rubbing my eyes before dragging myself out of bed. I shuffled into the shower and emerged feeling much better. I woke Sam up, jostling her shoulder until I heard her groan and she rolled over, putting the pillow over her head.
"Happy 4th of July. Get out of bed" I ordered, grabbing her other pillow and giving her legs a whack with it.
"Is it the 4th today?" she asked, sitting up in bed looking very dishevelled, her curls everywhere.
"Yes it is. Hooray for independent America" I said. "Now go shower"
"Bossy" she said, rolling out of bed and grabbing a handful of clothes. She disappeared into the bathroom and reappeared a few minutes later wearing white shorts, a red and white striped shirt, and navy blue Chucks.
"Very patriotic" I said with a smile, handing over her bag. We left the motel and found breakfast in a small diner before heading out again. We had only been on this road trip for less than a week, but I was already beginning to forget what it felt like to not spend all day driving, and to sleep in the same place two nights in a row. The traffic was terrible since schools and offices were closed, and everybody was going to barbecues and the like. The day was painfully hot and I had the air conditioning on full blast all day sitting in traffic, so I had to stop for gas twice. By time we stopped for lunch both Sam and I were cranky and irritable because of the heat, and hunger, and the frustration of sitting in traffic all morning. We ate in silence, neither of us really in the mood to talk. When we got back in the car, Sam once again fell asleep, curling up on her seat and resting her head on the door. I began to think about the summer, and about Sam and I. Since Carly left and I was the only one left to entertain Sam when she got bored, the two of us had spent almost every day together, and had become surprisingly close in that time. Then Sam had suggested this road trip. I knew how much she missed Carly – Carly was her best friend and basically her only friend, other than me. And Sam needed a girl friend - or should I say that I needed Sam to have a girl friend. Since Carly left and I was the only one for Sam to talk to I had been subjected to some of the most hideously embarrassing conversations of my life. Which says a lot, considering who my mother is. A few weeks ago, I would have detested the prospect of spending a week enclosed in a small space with Sam, but I found myself quite excited by the idea when she suggested it. Over the past few days, while Sam and I were on this road trip, we had barely fought, and I found myself liking her more and more. I tried to deny it, because liking Sam could be hazardous to my health, but I couldn't anymore. On top of that, I had a glimmer of hope that maybe Sam liked me too. In the emails, she said that I "wasn't so bad", which doesn't sound like much, but coming from Sam that's like hearing that I am the most fantastic person ever to tread the earth. Besides, if she did like me she would never tell Carly up front, because Carly would stick her nose into the situation and try to get us together, and that would inevitably end in disaster. And I was positive that I hadn't imagined the chemistry between us that night we sang. It was intense, like you could almost reach your hand out and touch it. I liked Sam, and I was growing more confident that she liked me, but I was still too scared to act on my feelings. What if she didn't like me back? Not only would I get grievously injured, it would ruin what Sam and I had, and I didn't want to lose her as a friend. I was used to unreturned love – I had been lusting after Carly for years to no avail, but this was different. Sam was a lot more fragile than Carly when it came to love. Carly was beautiful, and popular, and sweet, and funny and guys followed her like puppies. Sam was just her vicious little sidekick, and being Carly's best friend for so long had really affected her self-esteem. She acted tough, but underneath the bravado I knew that she was desperately lacking in self-confidence. Her lack of experience when it came to love meant that she was a lot more delicate than Carly, and she didn't recover as quickly as Carly did. I would have to tread carefully around Sam, even if she told me that she liked me. So I liked Sam, and maybe she liked me and maybe she didn't, and if she did then she had to tell me because there was no way I would ever tell her first because I didn't know if she liked me or not. I was so screwed.
Sam's POV
I opened my eyes groggily, yawning loudly and stretching my legs out in front of me, pointing my toes. I looked over at Freddie, who was looking ahead at the road. His eyes flicked over to me, then back to the road.
"What up, Fredward?" I asked, my voice thick from sleep.
"Good nap?"
"You know it"
We chatted a bit more about stupid things before lapsing into silence. I took out Freddie's PearPod and put in the earphones. I chose a song at random and turned the volume down so I could think. I was beginning to like the nub, and that was dangerous territory. How could I let myself like Freddie? I mean…it was Freddie. He was dorky, and lame, and weird, and… and…kind, and smart, and funny. Not to mention that puberty had been really nice to him, and he was kind of a babe. Not in an obvious, look-at-me-I'm-so-hot kind of way, but in a shy, nerdy kind of way. Besides, he loved Carly. Always had, always would. Sweet, pretty, kind, smart, perfect Carly. And if he loved Carly, there was no way he would love me. I was the complete opposite of Carly – vicious and sarcastic and rude and lazy. But there was that night, the night we sang on the balcony. There were sparks between us, I knew it. They were too strong for me to have imagined. And then there was what I heard Freddie say.
"I didn't just mean the singing"
He had said it under his breath like he was saying it to himself, but I heard it anyway and it had been driving me crazy ever since. Did Freddie really think that I'm amazing? That was the only logical way I could think of to interpret what he said, and whenever I thought about it I got butterflies in my stomach. Butterflies. Nobody had ever given me butterflies before. It sickened me. We sat in silence until we pulled into yet another tiny town, this one by the name of Green Acres.
"Do you see anywhere to stay?" Freddie asked, looking around.
"Let's go find food first. I'm about to waste away" I said sadly.
"Yeah, you're the picture of malnutrition" Freddie said sarcastically, poking me in the stomach.
"Yeah yeah, just get me food now. There" I said pointing. "Inside Out Burger"
"Look through the window. It's packed in there" Freddie said. I looked and saw that he was right. It would take ages to get our food.
"So go into the drive-thru" I said. He shrugged and obediently got in line for the drive-thru. As we handed over our money to the girl, she smiled at us. She was so…chipper. I hated chipper.
Freddie's POV
"Happy Fourth!" said the drive-thru girl cheerfully.
"Backatcha" I said, smiling back.
"Have a great night" she said, handing over the paper sack with our food in it. "Enjoy the fireworks. I really hope I can see them from here"
"Fireworks?" I asked interestedly. "Where?"
"They set them off at the town hall, so most people go there. "But" she continued conspiratorially, leaning forward. "The best place to watch them is Harper's Park. Big, wide open field with a great view, and nobody goes there. The town hall gets crowded, but the field is usually pretty empty"
Just then the driver behind us began to beep his horn impatiently.
"Ooh. He sounds friendly" I said, glancing back. "Thanks for the tip"
"No problem"
I drove off and turned to Sam.
"We're going to that field, right?" she said, raising her eyebrows at me.
"Oh, we're going" I answered. I drove out of the restaurant and was driving along the road when I realized I had no idea where to go.
"Pull over here" Sam said, pointing at a convenience store.
"Why?"
"Just do it, nub"
I obediently turned in and parked. As Sam jumped out of the car, I shouted after her.
"Find out where Harper's Park is!"
She returned a few minutes later with a plastic bag in hand and got in the truck.
"That way" she said, pointing.
"What's in the bag?"
"You'll find out"
"Sam…"
"Just drive"
I sighed in frustration and rolled my eyes but I drove in the direction she pointed. Soon enough I saw a sign pointing to the park and I drove in, following a narrow road that wound in a circle around the park. I drove off the road and onto the field, which was empty. I parked in a clear spot, where there were no trees to obscure the view of the clear, cloudless sky. I grabbed the Inside Out paper bag and a few towels out of my bag before getting out of the truck. I threw the towels into the back of the truck and climbed in, spreading the towels over the floor before sitting down. I leaned against the cab of the truck and stretched my legs out in front of me. I heard Sam get out of the truck and shut the door, and she climbed into the bed of the truck, sitting next to me with her legs crossed and putting the convenience store bag in front of her. I opened the paper bag and gave Sam her food before taking out mine. We ate in silence, just looking at the skyful of stars. When we had finished, crumpling up the paper bag and tossing it into the corner of the truck bed, Sam leaned forward and grabbed the convenience store bag. She opened it and pulled out four candy bars.
"Dessert" she said, throwing one into my lap and keeping the other three.
"Thanks, Sam" I said, surprised and slightly touched by this gesture. We ate the candy bars, Sam finishing all three of hers before I was halfway through mine. As soon as I put the wrapper down, a devious smile spread across Sam's face.
"Uh oh" I said. I knew that look. "Sam, what did you do?"
"Oh, I just thought we should celebrate our nation's independence, don't you?"
She smiled at me, that same wicked smile, and reached into the convenience bag, pulling out a bottle of vodka and a two litre bottle of Sprite.
"Sam!" I scolded, shocked. "How the hell did you manage that?"
"Fake ID" she said dismissively. "Come on, gimme your cup"
"I…I dunno…" I said, slightly nervous.
"Freddie, don't be a wimp" she said. "Wait…you have had a drink before, right?"
"Yes!" I lied defensively, thrusting my Inside Out Burger cup at Sam. She raised her eyebrows at me disbelievingly, an infuriatingly knowing smile on her face, but filled my cup before filling her own.
"Well… happy independence day" she said, offering her cup. I clicked mine against hers and nervously took my first sip. It wasn't that great- Sprite with a rubbing alcohol aftertaste – but I managed not to screw up my face in disgust. I drank slowly, so that by time I finished my cup, Sam was pouring her third.
"Lemme get you a refill" she said, grabbing my cup and refilling it before I could protest. She shoved it back at me and I took a small sip, trying not to wince. This one was stronger than the last one – apparently the more Sam drank, the heavier her hand was. Also, it appeared that the more Sam drank, the chattier and more affectionate she got. The more drinks she had, the more she talked, and the more often her monologue was punctuated with hugs. By time I subtly confiscated the vodka bottle, Sam was lying with her legs sprawled wide open in front of her, slumped against the cab of the truck, talking foolishness.
"Freddie, when do the fireworks start?" she slurred, tapping urgently on my leg.
"I dunno, Sam" I said, putting my hand on top of hers to stop the incessant tapping. To my surprise, she flipped her hand underneath mine so that our palms were touching and she twined her fingers with mine. I sat there in shock as she began to absentmindedly rub small circles on the back of my hand with her thumb. I peeked over at her, but she was staring up at the sky, lost in thought. My stomach was a ball of nerves as the gentle circles on the back of my hand continued. Sam likes me! I thought, feeling a warm glow spread from my very core to the tips of my fingers at the thought. Should I kiss her? I wondered. No a voice in my head shot me down. She's just drunk. And you can't take advantage of her like that. I knew that it was wrong to let this happen when Sam wasn't thinking straight, but I couldn't bring myself to pull my hand away. This was what I wanted, and I wasn't strong enough to say no. Besides, it wasn't like we were making out or anything. Just a little innocent hand-holding.
"Hey Freddie" she whispered loudly. "Look at the stars. Aren't they pretty?"
"Very pretty"
"I see a smiley face in the stars!" she whispered excitedly. "Do you see it?"
I looked up, scanning the sky.
"Nope"
She inched closer to me until our bodies were pressed together, side by side. She arched her neck so that her head was right next to mine, trying to see the sky as I saw it so she could show me the smiley face.
"There" she said, pointing. I could smell the vodka on her breath. "See it now? Eyes and a mouth" she said, pointing up at the sky and showing me the exact stars, jabbing her finger up in the air for the eyes and tracing a semi-circle for the smile. I looked where she pointed.
"No, I still don't see it" I said, squinting.
"Look" she said, yanking her hand away from where it was twined with mine and resting on my leg. She grabbed my now empty hand and held my index finger, clumsily curling my other fingers down until I was pointing with my index finger, her hand on top of mine. She lifted our hands so that I pointed at the sky and traced the smiley face in the stars for me, guiding my finger.
"I see it now" I said, dropping my hand.
"The stars are smiling at me" she said, a slow smile creeping across her face. This was a different smile to anything I was used to seeing on Sam's face. Usually she smirked her trademark smirk, or her smile was tinged with sarcasm. But this was a true smile, and her face lit up as she smiled back at the stars.
"They like you" I said, smiling at her. Sam reminded me of a child, staring up at the stars in wonder.
"Do you like me?" she asked, not taking her eyes off the sky. I froze, not sure how to respond to that question. Sam noticed my silence and looked over at me.
"Do you like me?" she repeated, looking into my eyes. "Because I like you"
My heart and my stomach swapped places and butterflies filled every inch of my being.
"I know you think I hate you" she continued, returning her gaze to the sky. "But I don't. I like you. You're one of my best friends, and even though you're a dork, you're pretty cool. Do you like me? I don't want you to hate me" she finished sadly, casting her eyes downward.
My heart sank. She meant that she liked me as a friend. Nothing more. I looked down at my lap, trying to hide my feelings.
"Yeah, I like you" I said, looking at her. "You may be rude and sarcastic and violent and impossible, but I like you. You're special, Sam" I finished softly.
She looked into my eyes and gave a small smile.
"You're such a nice boy, Freddie" she slurred. "And you have pretty arms" she added as an afterthought.
She rested her head on my shoulder and scooted closer to me, curling up and leaning into my side. I wrapped my arm around her and she inched closer, hugging her knees and snuggling into my side. She fit there perfectly, like we were two puzzle pieces made for each other. Maybe people were like puzzle pieces, and there was only one person that was their perfect match. You could make it work with another person if you really tried, but it would never be right. You could force two puzzle pieces together and make them fit together if you tried hard enough, but it would always be strained and unnatural. But once you found the right piece, it just fit perfectly, easily, naturally. Sam was my other puzzle piece. We sat there under the stars in the back of my truck together – me leaning against the cab of the truck with my legs stretched in front of me and my arm around Sam, and Sam curled up and snuggled into my side, sighing contentedly. Suddenly the first firework exploded in the sky and Sam sat up excitedly onto her knees, looking up at the sky.
"Look, Freddie!" she said, tugging on my hand to get me to sit up. I obediently sat upright and edged forward slightly, so that I was sitting behind Sam. She was gazing up at the sky, her face full of wonder and a slight smile on her face. The fireworks lit up the sky, illuminating Sam's face – her smooth skin, her beautiful blue eyes, the curve of her nose. The colours flickered across Sam's face as the fireworks exploded, filling the sky with light and colour. She watched the fireworks with an expression of awe and wonder, reminding me of a little kid seeing fireworks for the first time.
"They're so pretty…" she said quietly, as though she was talking to herself.
"Yeah, they are" I replied. Her eyes glanced back at me, sitting behind her with my legs stretched out in front of me in a V. She rolled back, shifting from kneeling to sitting, and scooted backwards until she was sitting between my legs. She relaxed back, leaning into me and resting her head in the indentation by my shoulder. She continued to gaze up at the sky, relaxing completely into my torso. I leaned back against the cab of the truck and rested my cheek on the top of Sam's head, watching the fireworks. Now that I was no longer supporting myself on my hands, Sam took them in hers and wrapped my arms around her, resting our intertwined hands on her stomach. She began to absentmindedly play with my hands, twirling my fingers around hers and tracing patterns lightly on my hands with her fingers. Sitting there, with Sam leaning back against me, my arms wrapped around her and our fingers interlocked, I felt like Sam and I were one person. I couldn't tell where I stopped and where she began, and I loved it. This summer, this night, this moment, was perfection. We sat in silence, watching the fireworks flash across the sky. I turned my head and gave Sam a tiny, soft kiss on the top of her head, letting the honeysuckle scent of her hair swirl around my mind. I closed my eyes and breathed in, savouring the moment.
A/N: I try my hardest not to make anybody too OOC, but it's difficult for me when it comes to Sam. I am nothing like Sam, so I don't know how she thinks, and when it comes to Seddie, we have never really seen that side of Sam, so I am basically guessing what she would be like. Also, in this chapter, I was also guessing what Sam would be like drunk. It's a combination of Sam on laughing gas from iThink They Kissed and what I'm like when I'm drunk haha. Hopefully she isn't too OOC for the rest of the story, when the Seddie really gets going, but just let me know if you think she is.
