The Greatest Secret
Disclaimer: Nope, don't own iCarly
A/N: As you know, thoughts are in italics and speech is in regular font.
Chapter 103 (Sam's Reveal)
Valerie and Sam were walking from the store, they had to purchase some needed items. They were talking about Spencer and Sasha, and how Carly was going to know eventually that Lisa was not Sam's real mother. They couldn't help but to wonder if there was a way to tell Carly without revealing the secret. Surely there was a way, but they didn't really know any particular way to go about it.
"Well, maybe you could just tell her, but not tell her where you live," Valerie suggested. It was a good suggestion, but Sam didn't exactly know how well that would work. After all, Carly would want to know and feel bad if Sam didn't tell her. Not only that, would it not look suspicious? "I mean she might understand if you don't want to tell her, she'd have to respect that" Sam rubbed her chin and groaned, she was actually out of ideas herself, but surely she could think of something. She didn't even know if she should let Carly know, but the lies were numerous.
"Talk about having a best friend, but not knowing anything about them…" Valerie chuckled once and shrugged her shoulders. She knew that it would have been the same way with her, had she not found out by accident. Chances were, she probably would have felt bad if she knew she wasn't trusted, but she would have understood if the situation was explained to her. Sam looked to a puddle on the ground and smirked. Valerie raised her eyebrow with suspicion as Sam walked over. "Hey Valerie, guess what…" Valerie took a deep breath and chuckled slightly.
"Don't you even dare splash that water on me…" Sam laughed and stomped her foot in the puddle, sending water onto Valerie's pants. "Oh that's it, it's on now, girl!" Valerie quickly moved over and splashed some of the water onto Sam. The girls continued this game until the puddle was too small that they couldn't finish. Instead, they just laughed with each other. Valerie looked to Sam and grinned. "I think you're wetter." Sam felt of her hair and then of Valerie's, she couldn't tell who was wetter.
"Nah, we're probably about equal. Man it's been a long time since we played in a puddle…"
"Oh yeah, it really has…" Valerie chuckled as she and Sam sat against a building. They reminisced about the days when they were younger and so full of life. When they first met, they would always go out in the rain and play, despite being told several times by their authority figures that they could catch a cold. Whenever the rain subsided, they'd go out and jump in puddles. Now at their age, Sam being sixteen and Valerie being seventeen, they didn't really get to do that very much anymore.
"Why are you all wet?" A voice asked. Valerie and Sam looked over with surprise and spotted Carly staring at them with a raised eyebrow. She knew Sam and Valerie were friendly with each other, but she didn't know just how friendly. Sam got up and helped Valerie to her feet. Carly's eyes drifted over Valerie's belly and then up to her face. "Um…Valerie, you're pregnant now? Also, you and Sam…how close are you two, really?" Sam and Valerie gave each other a sheepish look and sighed, it couldn't hurt to tell Carly the truth on how friendly they were.
"Yeah, my husband is the guy that got me pregnant." Valerie chuckled and Carly raised her eyebrows. It was surprising to see that Valerie was married.
"So wait…you're married to someone now? Surely it's not Freddie, dealing with arranged marriage…" Sam frowned and looked away. Why? Why of all times did Carly have to ask that. Valerie slowly sighed and shook her head.
"No, I'm married to Jonah Brown. My full name is Valerie Christine Williams Brown…maiden name included." Carly's mouth fell open, she was shocked that Valerie and Jonah were together. Valerie crossed her arms and raised her eyebrows. "Are you surprised?"
"H-He tried to cheat on Sam! What if…" Valerie smiled and shook her head. Sam rolled her eyes and stared at a nearby billboard.
"Don't worry, he's not going to cheat on me. He is a changed man." Sam couldn't help but to snicker at the statement. It was true, Valerie probably had that man whipped, just like she did Freddie. Carly blinked and rubbed the back of her head, she was feeling pretty stupid right now. After all, it was embarrassing for her. She just doubted the husband of someone when they probably loved each other very much, it wasn't her business to meddle with that.
"So, that's surprising…Sam's boyfriend and Freddie…no wait…"
"Yeah, he told you that was just a role play," Valerie said quietly. She looked to Sam and frowned, Carly didn't know anything about it being Sam's responsibility though. Carly rubbed her chin and frowned.
"What about you two, though…I saw you playing in the puddle, it just seems like you're friendlier than I thought." Sam's eyes darted back to Carly. This was it, Carly would have to know about Valerie, anyway. She slowly exhaled and closed her eyes.
"Valerie and I are best friends," Sam answered while crossing her arms over. Carly's eyebrows rose and she stared at Sam with a blank look on her face. She honestly did not know how to respond, so she decided to wait for her to continue. "We've been best friends for years. Everything we've done, we've done together, just about. In fact, I bet you didn't know that I still have a job."
"You have a job? It's not at the chili place, is it?" Carly felt her stomach begin to drop, Sam had lied to her about something? Why couldn't Sam tell her about Valerie? Or was this another secret from someone who had to keep secrets? Sam and Freddie hated each other, so that was probably unrelated.
"No, I work at Sherry's Kitchen with Valerie, it's a great place."
"I see…and how long have you two been friends for?"
"We met when we were nine…well, I was nine and Valerie was ten." Jonah and Freddie met when Freddie was eight, so they'd been friends for a very long time. Carly couldn't believe her ears, why hadn't Sam ever told her about Valerie before! "I tried to introduce her to you several times in the past, but you were never interested…so when you finally did meet her, well…"
"It was on bad terms," Valerie stated while raising her eyebrows and shifting her eyes to the side. Carly still didn't understand, Sam had acted like she didn't like Valerie whenever Freddie 'dated' the girl. Sam must have read her mind, because that was the very next thing she was going to talk about.
"I just want to say, that yes, Valerie dating Freddie was faked…she was role playing, we all were. I-"
"It was my idea!" Sam looked to Valerie and her mouth fell open. Valerie smiled at her and shook her head, not wanting Sam to worry. She felt that it'd be best if Carly didn't think Sam was behind it. "Freddie came to me with the suggestion, so I decided that it'd be fun to role play. I thought it'd be boring with only me and Freddie, so…I asked Sam to join in. Naturally, she didn't like it because Freddie was there, but she did it anyway just for the hell of it." Sam spoke not a word, she didn't think she should say anything after hearing that.
"I see," Carly said with a frown. Maybe she had been jaded, she didn't know. She just felt that she'd been seriously lied to. She didn't know just how many lies really were going on. "I-Is there anything else? Are there any other lies?" Sam looked down and slowly closed her hands. There were quite a few, but she couldn't say them.
"There is one thing that I think you should know…" Valerie raised her eyebrow and looked toward Sam, wondering what it was she was going to say. Carly crossed her arms and tried to hide the fact that she hated being lied to. "My real mom…is dead."
"What?" The word was slow and drawn out, out of pure shock. If Sam's real mom was dead, then who was the woman parading around as her mom? "I…what do you mean she's dead?"
"Sarah Puckett, that was her name. She died from a disease a long time ago…" Valerie's eyes were slowly widening, she hoped, prayed that Sam wasn't going to tell her where she lived. She immediately began thinking of ways she could help Sam out if needed. "Come with me, Carly…"
"Okay…" The three girls walked toward Lisa and Sasha's house, it wasn't far at all. Sam knocked on the door and Sasha opened it. She stared at Sam with wide eyes, seeing Carly next to her. Carly's jaw dropped and she took a step back. How could this be? Sam lived with Sasha? Sasha quickly led them in and found Lisa in the other room. Lisa walked out with wide eyes as well, she was finding it hard to believe that Sam actually brought Carly over while Sasha was here. "Sam, what is Freddie's cousin doing at your house?" Valerie pressed her lips together and still spoke nothing, she trusted her friend to do and say the right words.
"I never wanted you to know where I really lived, it's…it was a dump, basically. I have no mother, my family never wanted to take me in, so I lived here temporarily…" Lisa and Sasha stood with silence, they didn't actually know what to say.
"If you had told me that, then I would have-"
"You would have what?" Sam turned and looked into Carly's eyes. Her eyes were filled with sadness, while Carly's were still filled with surprise and confusion. "Would you have wanted to take me in?"
"Yes. I would have offered, and Spencer would have as well…"
"I know, even Valerie offered once when she found out. I don't exactly live here anymore…in fact, it was recent, but Mrs. Benson found out about my living arrangements and…" Valerie looked up and swallowed, she hoped Sam could say the right things and not reveal the big picture. "Well that crazy woman…ugh! She forced me to move in with her. I hate it, because I have to live under the same roof as that Benson twit!" Valerie chuckled and closed her eyes, slowly shaking her head.
"Nice save," Valerie thought.
"You live with Freddie and Mrs. Benson?"
"Yeah, and I hate it. However, it's better than what I had…" Carly didn't know what to say, she didn't know how to respond. If Sam lived with Freddie, did that mean she was Freddie's bride? No, it couldn't be. Mrs. Benson would never choose Sam.
"So, do you know who Freddie's bride is?"
"Yeah, Mrs. Benson chose some dumb girl…I think her name was Amanda or something." Sasha and Lisa raised their eyebrows and glanced sideways at each other, everyone was wondering how this would turn out. "Frankly, I don't care. I have met her, she is as much of a dork as he is, it's fitting for him, I think."
"Oh…are they already married?" Sam shrugged and crossed her arms.
"No, I don't think they're supposed to marry until they're twenty." Carly grinned and Sam raised her eyebrow, she knew what this meant. Carly was most likely thinking she could still get Freddie. "If you're thinking of competing with her for Freddie, I'm sure she'll compete, but I think it'll be hard. From what I know of her, she seems rather defensive of him." Valerie chuckled and rolled her eyes, she found this situation funny. Sam was telling about her relationship with Freddie, without revealing who his real wife was. "From what I know, those two are very much in love."
"They…are?" Carly swallowed and Sam gave a smirk. A nearly dangerous look flashed in her eyes, Carly wasn't quick enough to catch it, but Valerie got it.
"Oh yes, they really are. They've met, they've fallen in love, and it would be hard trying to pry him away from her. I think it's like…you'd have to pry him from her cold, dead arms." Sasha and Lisa were smiling now, they decided not to interrupt Sam. After all, Sam was telling the truth here. "From what I know, she will never let you or any other girl steal him away."
"So I guess you've seen them together…"
"Yeah, they annoy me sometimes, but what the hell. You know, I think she was hurt when Freddie went on that date with Shannon, but I wouldn't know…I don't talk to her all that much. All I know is they succumbed to that desire that night, because they kept me up…I was right in the next room!" Valerie's eyebrows rose up, she hadn't been expecting that to come up.
"So you're telling me…they've even…"
"Made love? Yes, one time. I think Mrs. Benson told them they shouldn't do that anymore until they're older…She knows you have a crush on Freddie, she knows how much you want him, and I think she's willing to fight you if she has to." Valerie crossed her arms and leaned against the wall, it would appear Sam was now challenging Carly. Carly probably didn't even realize that Sam was really talking about herself. Carly clenched her fists and grinned with determination, taking Sam by surprise.
"Then four years to go, I'm sure I'll get Freddie to go out with me!" Sam's face fell slightly, but she wasn't going to let this bother her. She stood up straight and accepted Carly's challenge gracefully. She wouldn't make any statements about it, since she didn't want to give it away about who was actually with him. Sam merely shrugged and smiled politely at Carly.
"Good luck. I still don't see what you see in Benson, but whatever. Your brother's the one dating his cousin."
"Not by blood, though."
"Yeah…whatever, I'll never understand what Shays see in Bensons or vice versa." Carly shrugged and looked to Lisa and Sasha. She felt good knowing Sam told her the truth about that. Especially since when her brother married Sasha, she would have found out about Lisa.
"Sam, thanks for telling me the truth." Sam raised her eyebrow and Carly gave a soft sigh. She appreciated Sam coming to her rather than finding out on her own. "You told me this before the wedding, I admire that you told me before I found out on my own…you know you can come to me about anything." Sam frowned and shifted her eyes to the side.
"Yeah, right…" She sighed and looked up at Carly. "If only I could come to you about anything. You're likely to tell Tyrone and he'll take me away from Freddie…" Then it dawned on her, with Carly's determination to get Freddie, she would most likely tell Tyrone about the bride just so Tyrone could take her away and 'save' her. Therefore, it was a good thing that Sam didn't tell Carly that it was she who was with Freddie.
"By the way, what does Amanda look like?" Sam tapped her chin lightly and smiled, she could have fun with this.
"I believe she's got shoulder length, red hair…she stands at Freddie's height and is very thin. She's thinner than either one of us…but it's just her body makeup, I think." Carly tapped her chin in thought and her eyes widened with realization, she knew exactly who the girl was. Valerie winced and Sam raised her eyebrow. Upon thinking about her description, she realized she'd just described Amanda Becker, a girl who was a year behind them in school. She was always handing out snacks in the cafeteria at lunch, homemade goods. Valerie would help her out sometimes. "Crap…I guess we'll have to see if Carly can be trusted not to tell Tyrone."
"So, do you know where Freddie is?"
"Spending the day out with his family…" Carly raised her eyebrow and looked around the room. Family usually meant more than one, and his basic family was in this room in the first place. "I don't think Amanda is with him, actually…" She knew Amanda was on vacation with her family for a few months, at least that's what she heard. "I'm pretty sure she's on vacation for a while…"
"Yeah okay, I'm…I'm going to go now…" Carly quickly left the house and Sam fell into the couch. She let out a frustrated sigh as the others walked around her.
"Why did you do that?" Lisa asked in a cautious voice. "You didn't have to, and you could have dropped the secret."
"I know, but I just couldn't take it much more," Sam said while rubbing her forehead. She had grown increasingly tired of Carly's crush on Freddie, she wanted it to end. "Not only that, but why is it that the lies seem to be growing worse? Now, thanks to me, the lies are going to affect outside people!"
"They already do," Valerie said while crossing her arms. She smiled and sat next to Sam. "They affected me and Jonah, they affected Jake, they affect a lot of people…hell, even Gibby. I'm sure Rueben was affected by them as well. Think about it, so much has happened…"
"I just want to tell the truth for once! I mean, god…it's Carly, she's one of my best friends! I should at least be able to tell her…but I can't, because Tyrone will take me away from Freddie. Then, she's going to continue to want to go out with him, and…it hurts!"
"I know it does," Sasha said as she gave Sam a hug. "I wish, we all wish that we could do something to help…but none of us know what to do. Though, at some point of time…Spencer is going to have to tell Carly that she may one day be Freddie's stepsister." Carly may know it wouldn't be incest, but to her, it would still be creepy.
"If he did that, she wouldn't crush on Freddie anymore, probably…but I'm more worried about what will happen when she finds out it's me that is dating him…"
"Freddie's looking out for you, he won't let anything bad happen," Lisa stated with a small smile. Valerie gave a nod and hugged her friend, hoping to give her some comfort. "Trust me, I'm sure things will all work out in the end."
"It's Carly…she probably won't believe what anyone says about Tyrone unless she saw for her own eyes the kind of person he is…but that's probably never going to happen…do you think Freddie's going to be mad at me?"
"Nah, what reason would he have to be angry?" Valerie asked while playfully nudging Sam. Freddie might be a bit upset or shocked that Sam told Carly all that she did, but surely he wouldn't be mad, because she didn't reveal the complete truth. Of course, everyone knew that Freddie could never stay mad at Sam for long, if at all.
There you go, I hope you liked the chapter! By the way, Amanda is going to be important, she'll be seen in a future chapter. Next chapter, we see Tyrone again. Well, review!