Chapter 9

Ridgeway High School

September 2011

Carly smiled as she approached her locker at the end of the day. The whispers about her and Freddie had not ceased, but they weren't as accusatory as yesterday. Some thought it was still a passing thing, others whispering wilder and wilder tales about her and Freddie in the study hall which were quickly drowned out with cold reality from other people's whispers. She assumed that Sam must have spoken to Wendy and Marsha actually did what Freddie had asked of her.

As she was opening her locker, her favorite brown eye boy approached with a smile on his face. He had one hand hold on to his across the chest book bag strap indicating he was just happily waiting on her.

"Hey," he whispered.

"Hey," she replied cheerfully as she was backing up her own book bag.

Freddie reached behind his head to rub the back of his neck with his free hand as he spoke, "There was something I wanted to ask you."

"What?" Carly asked as she squinted her eyes at him as she wondered why he suddenly became nervous.

"After the next iCarly, would you like to go out?"

"As in?" she asked hesitantly.

"As in a date? A real out and out date?"

Carly licked her lips and grinned. It was an interesting feeling of being asked out on a date from Freddie, specifically on a date and not what they did two Fridays ago or to the park yesterday. Other than hinting at her about asking him to the Girls' Choice Dance, he had never really asked her out.

"I'd love to. What did you have in mind?"

Freddie let out a nervous breath then chuckled. "I thought I'd surprise you."

"Oh?" she replied with a smile and their date being a surprise peaked her interest and excitement than just going out on her first date with Freddie.

She flashed him her 'please for me' look as she asked, "Would you give me at least a hint?"

Freddie rolled his eyes and sighed with a hint of laughter with it, "Okay, we are going out to eat."

"Where?" she grinned and Freddie saw how her eyes lit up.

Freddie shook his head with a grin. "Nope, I already gave away too much."

She took a step closer so the space between them was just a few inches. "So how should I dress? I need to know that much."

Freddie smirked and shook his head trying to hold back a laugh. "Okay, you do need to know that. I'm guessing just about as formally as we did to the Girls' Choice Dance. If that's alright?"

"That's perfect; I have plenty of time to think of something," she whispered then gave him a short chaste kiss on the lips.

It took the tech producer a moment to smile at the gesture, "Well, I'll meet you outside, okay?"

"Okay," she replied happily.

Freddie turned and headed to the school entrance beside the stairwell as Sam approached from the opposite hall. Once Sam reached her locker, Carly flashed a grin to the blonde that threatened to split the brunette's face, "Freddie asked me out."

Sam blinked at the enthusiasm from her friend. She swallowed nervously and debated on how to respond to that since subtlety and being tactful were not her strong suites. "Ah cupcake… he's your boyfriend… you're already going out."

Carly shook her head. "No, I mean, we're going out on a date, a real date. We've never been on a date and said it was a date."

"So when are you going to go on this 'date'?" Sam asked with air quotes.

"After iCarly's webcast."

"Oh," Carly instantly heard the disappointment in her friend's voice.

With a downcast look, Carly replied, "I'm sorry, I know we all hang out after the show, but—"

Sam waved her off. "Mama can find something to keep her occupied, don't you worry. Just have a nice time with Freddie."

Carly tilted her head to the side and asked, "Please don't get arrested?"

Sam rolled her eyes and replied in an overdramatic voice, "Fine mom, I won't get arrested."

Carly replied in a relieved voice, "Good, because I can't tell you all the deets after my date."

"Ewww," Sam replied with a look on her face that suggested she was about to throw up lunch.

"Eww? You've always wanted to know the deets about guys I've gone out with," the brunette replied with a confused expression.

"Yeah, but this is Freddie. I don't want deets about your date with him," she explained as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.

Carly was about to reply until she realized Sam was right. "Oh."

The trouble maker smirked and slightly shook her head. "Fine, fine you can tell me. I'll try not to be too sick."

Carly fluttered her eyes and placed a hand on her chest. "Thank you; you don't know how much I appreciate your sacrifice."

Sam smirked and narrowed her eyes on her friend, "Anything for you kiddo."

May 1980

Ruby wore a confident smile on her face as she strutted over to a particular lunchroom table without a lunch tray in her hand. As usual, some eyes followed her, but they knew if they stared too long she might gouge their eyes out. Beauty was to be appreciated, not to be gawked at as she walked past them and she had no problem reminding them of the difference if the situation called for it. She took a seat at the end of the table and across from the isolated teenager that sat quietly eating her lunch.

The artist was wearing a blue bandana today and she paid little notice to the girl who had taken a seat across from her. Ruby noticed the white bandage still covering the side of Taylor's face with a purple daisy sticker in the center. She wondered briefly how bad the slightly shorter girl was cut to have a bandage remain for a third day.

Ruby smirked as she greeted the girl, "Hello."

Taylor looked up from her homemade sandwich hesitantly and gave the girl a bewildered look.

The smirk on Ruby's face softened to small smile. "I'm Ruby and you must be Taylor," Ruby greeted the bandana wearing teenager with a surprisingly warm smile.

The brunette nodded hesitantly in response and took another bite out of her sandwich as she eyed the slightly curly raven haired teenage girl with dark eyeliner who was even paler then her.

"There's no need to be scared of me, I don't bite—much," Ruby replied with a smirk to the artist's hesitant look.

There was a brief look a fear that flashed in the artist's eyes and raven haired girl picked up on that in an instant. Ruby found she suddenly needed to clear her throat. "I'm just kidding. Steven and I have been friends for a long time and I just wanted to see how you were doing." Ruby saw the brief smile from the brunette at the mentioning of the long haired boy's name, but it quickly vanished and looked downcast at the lunch table when she mentioned about being friends for a long time. Surprising herself, Ruby found the need to say to the brunette sitting across from her, "I'm not his girlfriend if you're wondering." She then shrugged a shoulder to finish, "He's available… if that matters any to you."

Another brief smile formed on the artist's lips before taking another bite out of her sandwich to hide it.

The paler girl propped up her head with her elbow on the table and rested her chin in one of her palms. She used the hand to briefly cover her mouth so the artist wouldn't see her smirking at the other girl's reaction to that tidbit of information.

"So… are you doing alright?"

Taylor took a sip from her juice then nodded.

"Has Steven checked up on you? I know he wouldn't want anyone bothering you, but you'd have to let him know; he's a good guy underneath it all, but I'm guessing you already know that."

This time the brunette didn't react at all to the question, but staring straight at the raven haired girl.

Ruby snorted out a breath and grinned, "You don't speak much do you?"

Taylor smirked and shook her head. Ruby was just about to reply when Taylor suddenly broke eye contact and looked over the shoulder of the paler girl and saw three freshmen boys she knew from around school.

"You finally have someone to talk to Dorkman?" a blonde hair boy asked with venomous laughter and rested a hand on the raven hair girl's shoulder as he looked down at the artist. The two other boys with him joined in the laughing.

Ruby turned around in her seat and glared at the boy. He pulled back his hand like had just touched a hot skillet. Ruby stood up and looked straight into the boy's eyes just inches from his face. "Who in the hell do you think you are to touch me?"

He raised his hands up in surrender, "I'm sorry, I didn't—"

Ruby lifted a finger up to his face and lectured at him, "You didn't what? Mean to touch me? Do you feel up girls you don't know whenever you feel like it? You touch me again and I'll make it where you have to start using the ladies' restroom, because you won't have the equipment to go to the boy's restroom. Do you understand?"

He swallowed nervously and replied, "Yes."

She dropped her hand and nearly growled at him in response, "That's ma'am to you little boy."

"Yes ma'am," he babbled out.

She then looked to the other two boys. "What the Hell do you two find so funny? What makes you think you can just interrupt a conversation I'm having with someone? You boys better learn your place before I have to teach it to you."

The other two boys just shook their heads.

"Good, you two are thinking." She looked back to the first boy just about two inches from his face and whispered, "Now drag your sorry freshman rears out of here before I tell Steven Shay you're harassing her and he beats you down worst than Evan or did you idiots forget he did that?"

One of the other boys replied with fear evident in his voice, "We're leaving." The three turned and walked quickly away from the table as Ruby glared at him the whole time.

Once they were out of the cafeteria, Ruby took her seat back at the table. She snorted out in disgust, "Freshmen boys. Grabby horny little things."

Taylor laughed and Ruby found it surprisingly soothing and pleasant.

"You find that funny?"

Taylor nodded and wiped a tear from a watering eye.

"Because it's true?"

She nodded enthusiastically.

Ruby surprised herself by returning a genuine smile to the girl. "If anyone bothers you or you need anything or… need any advice on anything, you just ask me, okay?"

Taylor blinked at who she thought was a strange girl. A few moments later she nodded her head as her answer.

"Okay then; have a nice lunch sweetie," Ruby smile then stood up and left the table.

Author's Note: I hope you all enjoyed this installment. If you did, please leave a little review and let me know what you think.