Chapter Five: The Source
Sam and Cat's Living Room
Moments Later
"And upload," Ellie mummers to herself. She clicks on her PearBook - seated at the kitchen bar.
"Cool," Sam replies. She sips her uncanny Barbeque and Mango smoothie on the couch. The dirty blonde concludes her LinkedIn search. Frustrated, she slams her PearBook shut. "I checked everyone's LinkedIn profile. Not a single employee - current or former - has video editing experience."
"How about a third-party?" Ellie inquires. She approaches the teenage rebel and motions for the smoothie. Sam hands it to her. Ellie drinks and strangely looks satisfied. She takes a few more sips.
"Puckett, you have strangely good taste," She admits.
"You're just figuring that out?" Sam chuckles. Then the mood is ruined by a DING from Ellie's laptop. The 11-year-old dashes to her laptop.
"Crap! The video got blocked," she pulls at her hair.
"What?!" Sam yells, joining the young Ellie to hover over the laptop together. The blonde girl reads out loud, "Your video has been removed due to alleged copyright infringement. If you believe this was done in error, please submit an appeal for us to review within 14 business days."
"Do you have any connections at PearTube? You are a celebrity after all"
"No! PearTube had just come out when iCarly launched."
"Life before PearTube? I can't remember that"
"When were you born, Ellie?"
"2002"
"God, just hearing that makes me feel old. Anyways, I can't wait for the video to be approved to upload. And the user who filed the copyright seems like a throwaway one. We need a Plan B."
"Holy shit. The video got 1 view before being taken down. I'm guessing it's that user," Ellie hastily clicks on the laptop. "The viewer was a Male from…L.A County, aged 30-40."
Sam looks perplexed, "I don't have any male enemies who are that old. I can't think of anyone who wants to frame Cat as a robber…" A dramatic pause. A lightbulb goes off in her head, "Actually, I do. Grab a helmet"
Handy Quick
Later
Sam and Ellie rush into the convenience store. Sam rushes to the Magic ATM in the back, but it's nowhere to be found.
Ellie grabs a pair of earrings and approaches the shop owner, Yokvish; he's too busy taking selfies.
Ellie slams the earrings on the counter to grab his attention. Still doesn't register. She clears her throat. Yokvish snaps out of it and puts the smartphone away. "Those earrings. Too small for you."
"They're for my doll."
"$4.99, please."
"Drop the innocent facade!" Sam charges over to Yokvish, "I know it was you! You framed Cat!"
"Guilty as charged," He admits. Sam tries to climb the counter - She's on the brink of ripping his face off. Ellie wraps her arms around Sam's waist, restraining her. Sam roars.
"Let me explain," he clarifies, "The police never gave me back my money. Kept it for themselves - those slimy bastards. They never even charged you two, let alone reveal to the public that you robbed my ATM. It was the redhead's idea, so I decided to frame her at the Bibble Store: Same crime, different location."
Sam and Ellie freeze. Ellie stares at Sam, horrified. "You two stole from an ATM?"
Sam is left speechless. Ashamed, she hangs her head low. Ellie approaches the exit, disgusted.
"Ellie, wait!" Sam pleads, but it's too late. Ellie is gone. A beat. Sam looks dejected and ashamed.
"If you and the redhead tell the public that you robbed my ATM, then I'll allow you to post that analysis video about how Cat never stole the bibble. Do we have a deal?"
Sam's palms get sweaty; her heart races; her breaths grow heavier. "I need to talk to Cat first."
To be continued
Date of Publication: September 24, 2023
(Author's Note: My apologies for the delay. I got laid off recently. The IT world is crazy volatile right now. So my number one priority is to land a new job, hopefully along the lines of IT in which I worked previously. So unfortunately that will cause some delay in the upcoming chapters. Thank you for understanding.)