Chapter Nine: Stronger

School was out and Sam and Freddie's relationship was going well but no matter how well things went for them the prospect of their impending separation weighted heavy on them. Carly had not spoken to Sam or Freddie since the Senior Prom and Sam wasn't sure she cared all that much. Sam hadn't forgiven Carly for telling Freddie how she felt about him and Freddie was more interested in maintaining his relationship with Sam than trying to salvage a friendship with Carly. As fall drew closer, the idea of going to college became less exciting because he knew what he was leaving behind.

Carly had spent a big part of her summer making plans for the fall. With her two best friends no longer speaking to her she was looking ahead to college and the new life she could make for herself there. The reality of her moving away was slowly creeping up on Spencer and with her leaving day getting closer Spencer became more and more clingy to his sister and Carly was becoming increasingly annoyed by it. Carly's bedroom was now full of cardboard boxes as over the summer months she had slowly began to pack up her life as the day when she would load it all up into Socko's van drew closer.

Freddie's room lay littered with boxes. Most of his days consisted of his mother making ridiculous lists of things he will need for college. There was always something she forgot to think of the previous time and by the time August arrived, he was just about ready to kill her. "I'm not sure how much more of her I can take," Freddie said on the phone to Sam one August afternoon.

"It's just one more month, besides if you spent a little more time with me you might not have to put with her as much," Sam replied.

"You make a good case Puckett; you should be a lawyer,"

"With my criminal record, your funny Benson," She smiled involuntarily knowing he couldn't see it.

"Ok so law schools out of the question but what are you going to do, you didn't apply to any colleges that I know about so what's your plan?" He asked.

"My plan is that I have no plan, I couldn't get into college if I wanted to and to be honest I don't know what I'm gonna do," She admitted with a sigh.

"Sam…" Freddie began.

"Yes Freddie I will think about it deeply but right now the fact that my boyfriend is moving to California is my main concern,"

"What about the fact that you're best friend is also moving to California?" He asked.

"You just had to go remind me that she will be in the same state as you,"

"Don't start that it's not like she planned it,"

"Oh don't sit there and defend her, I find it hard to believe that the thought of being near you didn't factor into her decision and then there's a certain ex-girlfriend who will be at the same college of you, plenty of choice for Freddie Benson isn't there,"

"Sam you're over reacting, you know I'm not interested in Carly I turned her down and I actually broke up with Jennette to be with you. Neither of them is a threat to our relationship and I wish you stop acting as if they were." Sam knew he was right but lately her jealousy had become out of control. Since Carly came out of the woodwork and announced her feelings for Freddie, she felt that her relationship was under attack. No matter how many times Freddie denied having feelings for Carly, Sam had been there all those years when a younger Freddie had wanted nothing more than for Carly to love him back and now he had that. Every day she expected him to turn around and say 'You know what Sam I'm in love with Carly, see ya," Sam hated feeling so insecure.

"I know it's just my imagination but it took us so long to get here I'm just scared something will ruin it," Sam didn't like it when she was forced into situations that revealed her insecurities but lately she felt comfortable enough with Freddie that she could tell him some of the deep dark secrets that she kept locked up.

A few more days passed before Sam finally made the familiar journey over to the Bushwell Plaza. Unlike so many other times, she had visited that building over the last few months she was not there to see Freddie. She spent a brief moment standing in the hallway starring at Freddie's door before she turned on her heel and knocked on Carly's. When she opened the door Carly seemed more surprised to see Sam standing there than Sam was about being there herself. "Sam, what are you doing here?" She asked her usual bubbly personality shining through that made Sam feel sick to her stomach.

"Don't get your hopes up I'm not here for an iCarly reunion show," She said leaning against the doorframe.

"Fine, why are you here?" Carly asked again.

"You told Freddie you were in love with him, why?"

"Because I am,"

"What were you hoping to get out of it? Did you want Freddie to ditch mean and coming running into your arms," Sam asked.

"Well I wouldn't want him to do something as feminine as run into my arms but yeah something like that," Carly said her bubbly demeanour turning into a smug attitude.

"So how'd that work out for you?" Sam asked with a small smirk on her lips.

"He stayed with you though lord knows why anyone would do that,"

"Maybe I'm just a loveable person,"

"You know you said that to me five years ago and I didn't believe you then, in fact you're even worse now," Carly said.

"That maybe the case but whatever I am now I'm also the girl Freddie is in love with and you, you're the girl who waited too long. What did you always assume Freddie would be there when you were ready to settle?"

"How dare you, I love Freddie," Carly demanded.

"Yes but you really love him or do you suddenly love him because you graduated high school without a boyfriend and your worried the same might happen to you in college,"

"Think what you like but your relationship won't last a week long distance, he'll go off and meet some beautiful, intelligent science girl and fall madly in love with her and you'll meet some street tough with tattoos up and down his arms and go on a crime spree and forget all about each other,"

"Oh I bet you'd love that, then you'd try and steal him from another girl, you missed your chance Carly now it's time to sit back and let Freddie be happy with a girl that actually loves him,"

"Would this be the same girl that used to beat him up?" Sam slapped Carly.

"You know damn well why I was like that; between an absentee father and a wacko mother I didn't know the meaning of affection, violence was all I knew it was how I expressed myself. How dare you throw that in my face." Sam walked out of the doorway and away from Sam; Carly leaned against the doorframe as Sam had before and sighed. That situation had escalated quickly. For a moment, Carly found herself wondering if her friendship with Sam was even salvageable and if she even wanted to save it. When Carly looked up, she saw Freddie standing in his own doorway.

"I think we need to talk," He said.