Chapter Seven: Homeless Heart

With her mother asleep on the couch, Sam was left to open the front door revealing her date Freddie Benson in his finely tailored tuxedo with a beautiful bow tie matching the colour of her dress. She was rendered speechless by the moment and she could only smile, a smile, which Freddie returned. "You look beautiful," Freddie said almost breathlessly as he finally broke the silence between the two.

"You coming in?" She asked motioning her head to the couch that contained her mother's sleeping body. "She's practically comatose," Freddie took a few moments to consider the possibilities. He took a good look at Sam in her dress, he'd never seen anyone look quite so beautiful and he knew he couldn't cross that threshold.

"Nah, we best get going. We don't want to be late," He said coolly.

"Speak for yourself Fredwad," She flashed him a toothy grin as she grabbed her purse and stepped out of the house. "I hate wearing this thing, I feel like a Barbie doll,"

"Sam, you look amazing," Freddie presented his arm, which Sam happily took, and they made their way to the car. Sam had to admit she had come around to wearing the dress, not that she'd ever admit it to Freddie, Carly would be the only person she'd tell something like that to but that just wasn't possible. As they made the way to their transport for the evening Sam had been expecting Freddie's car but what she was greeted with was sleek black limo.

"Freddie what the hell is this?" Freddie was taken aback by Sam's reaction. "Why the hell aren't we taking your car?" Despite Sam's questions, Freddie could only smile.

"Sam, you only go to prom once,"

"No Freddie you go to prom more than once, we went to one last year," She snapped.

"This is senior prom, this is it. The end of an era, let's see it off in style," Freddie opened the door to the limo and motioned for Sam to step inside. Sam looked from Freddie to the limo and back again then, she reluctantly climbed in slowly shaking her head as Freddie joined her.

"I've known you so long yet you still manage to surprise me Benson,"

"Well Puckett I do have my moments," He grinned. Freddie reached into a small iced contained and pulled out a corked bottle.

"What's that?" She asked as he opened the bottle and poured the sparkling contents into two glasses.

"Relax its sparkling water, the driver would never allow us to drink," He continued to grin as he took a sip from his glass. He tapped on the dividing screen and the car roared to life. "Let's go to school," Freddie offered a glass to Sam and they made a toast to one more night at Ridgeway.

Decked out in all its finery, Ridgeway was no longer a school it had become a venue. Limos and classic cars had begun to pull up outside the entrance. Freddie and Sam could have stayed in their limo all night, inside the limo there was no pressure of the senior class to act like a couple. There was no muttering behind Sam's back about how she stole Freddie, no rumours about Carly trying to steal him. Inside the limo, they were just a boy and girl in love spending time together. They knew when the limo pulled up outside the front entrance it was time to get out; Freddie considered asking the driver to take another spin around the block to give them some more time alone. Or some time to prepare but he knew that no amount of time would prepare them for the stares and the judgement when they got out of the limo. Freddie looked over at Sam and she nodded her head reassuringly, something he wasn't used to seeing from the blonde but it was a side of her he could get used to.

Sam couldn't help but feel nostalgic as she and Freddie walked through the hallway, countless moments had been spent in this hall over the years, coming up with some scheme, planning an iCarly bit or torturing Freddie by the lockers. Back then, she'd never have imagined she'd be in the position she was, walking into the senior prom on Freddie Benson's arm. Looking back she could only smile. Freddie was looking back too, he didn't look back on his moments of torture with as much fondness as Sam did but he was just as happy with where he ended up, heading into the prom with Sam Puckett.

As expected Sam and Freddie were greeted with several turning heads when they entered the gym and hushed voices followed them as they went to find a table. As Freddie expected the shock of him and Sam showing up together and the accompanying judgement died down as the night went on as did most high school gossip but he knew it wouldn't be the last time he heard his name slandered that night.

Jennette didn't know what to expect when she showed up at the senior prom. She knew that she would have to see Freddie with Sam and just thinking about it knotted her stomach and she hadn't even entered the gym yet. She made a quiet entrance to the gym, just slipped into the crowd, and desperately searched around for friendly faces. Her heart leaped when she found Carly Shay who like her had been left on the outside of the new Sam and Freddie relationship. Carly spotted Jennette before she'd made her approach and smiled gesturing her over. "Hey Nettie," Carly greeted her warmly.

"Hey Carls, no date either?" She asked.

"Nope, spent so much time arguing with Sam I forgot about the dance to be honest,"

"Must be nice, I haven't had chance to forget about it having Sam and Freddie shoved down my throat at school every day, can't tell you how happy I am schools over,"

"Are you sorted for college?" She asked.

"Yeah, got my confirmation from Caltech this morning,"

"Isn't Freddie going to Caltech?" Carly asked.

"Yeah he is, it's just gonna be something I'll have to deal with," Jennette seemed deflated at the idea of having to face Freddie every day. Jennette was a little disappointed that college wouldn't be the fresh start away from Freddie that it could have been.

Sam had now spent her entire senior prom sat down starring at her date. This was something she enjoyed doing but she needed to get up and mingle with the view members of the senior class that still liked her. "I'm gonna get a drink and see who will talk to me," She muttered to Freddie as she stood up and walked off; Freddie smiled and nodded as she walked off. Finding someone to talk to proved a more difficult experience than Sam had anticipated. It wasn't long before she gave up and went to get a drink. At the punch bowl, she ran into possibly the last person she wanted to see. Her boyfriends, ex-girlfriend Jennette. Sam looked at Jennette with a blank expression, she didn't like this girl but she had no reason to say anything to her, Sam after all was the villain. Jennette was the wounded puppy of the story; she was the one who had her boyfriend stolen by the evil and manipulative Sam Puckett.

"Surprised you had the nerve to come over here," Jennette didn't raise her head when she addressed Sam. Sam was just about to leave when she turned back to Jennette.

"Here's me thinking the punch was for everyone,"

"It's not for thieves," It took everything Jennette had not to sound like a lost child.

"I didn't steal Freddie," Sam made no effort to hide her annoyance, "If anything you were just keeping him warm for me while I came round to the idea," Sam grinned and took a sip of her punch. The next thing she knew her face was wet and Jennette was holding an empty cup up to her face, the gym had fallen silent and for the first time Sam noticed Carly at Jennette's side and finally Jennette had done something that had successfully hurt Sam.

"First you steal my best friend then you ruin my dress,"

"You stole Freddie I steal Carly so we're even. I just didn't like the dress," Jennette wouldn't have known what hit her when Sam lunged for her and the two girls fell to the floor. Jennette's hands went up to guard her face but Sam inflicted no damage as she felt herself being pulled up by the waist.

"What the hell are you doing," Sam spat at who ever picked her up. She paused when she saw that it was Freddie. Freddie looked at Sam for a moment, and then to Sam's surprise he left her and went to Jennette's side.

"You ok?" He asked as he helped her get to her feet.

"I'm fine," She said coldly as she brushed herself off, "Just go worry about your girlfriend," She added before she walked away from Freddie who then turned to Sam.

"Well it's good to finally know where your priorities lie," If Freddie didn't know any better he could have sworn she was tearing up.

"Sam I was just making sure she was ok,"

"Before you checked on me, just thought you'd get me out the way and go check on her,"

"Sam it wasn't like that," Freddie pleaded.

"Save it, go check on your real girlfriend," Sam turned and walked away before Freddie could say another word. He was left in the middle of the gym and as the crowd, dispersed back into their groups Freddie caught the eye of Carly who like him had been left in the middle of the dance floor. Carly could only manage a weak smile before the song changed to something slow and the two just looked at each other.