" iPlay Matchmaker"
(rework of "iWin A Date". A and B Plot swapped.) Carly decides to help Spencer get a date, and eventually makes the matchmaker mission a part of iCarly. They also help Gibby with a girl in school named Shannon.
AN: Hey all. Sorry these have been taking longer than expected. I've been back to work since September, and things have been a little hectic. Hopefully I'll be able to get the prompts I have so far out sooner, in the meantime I hope you enjoy this latest entry.
Carly and Sam are on the couch watching TV, when Spencer comes into the living room after his blind date. He walks towards the kitchen, grabs a soda out of the fridge, and takes a drink with a deep sigh once he sits on a barstool. Carly looks at Sam, then turns to talk to her brother.
"Hey, what's going on?"
Spencer sighs, "Remind me to never let anyone set me up on a blind date again."
"That bad, huh?" Carly asks.
"Oh yeah." Spencer says, coming to sit in the living room.
"Why, what happened?"
"She brought her stuffed unicorn… and talked to it…and then wanted me to talk to it." Spencer explained.
Carly and Sam are laughing, but Spencer isn't keen to join in on their fun. As soon as the girls look back at him, they immediately stop laughing, and talk more to him.
"What am I gonna do? She's texted twice already since I've been home. How do I tell her I don't want to go out with her again?" Spencer pleaded.
"Just tell her the truth." Carly said. "Tell her the date didn't work out, and you just want to be friends."
"Yeah, like a girl who talks to her stuffed unicorn is going to accept just being friends. She sounds like a psychopath." Sam said.
"I know, tell me about it."
Carly went to the computer to bring up a website to show Spencer.
"Here, why don't you post a video to . Maybe this time you could meet a girl who's normal."
Spencer looked through some of the profiles. Some girls were into sports, some were into painting, and some were into animals. Knowing about a girl before they go out definitely seemed preferable to another blind date nightmare. He then clicked on the create account button, and began to start a profile.
"Thanks Carly. I guess it's worth a try."
Spencer continued to fill out his profile, while the girls went upstairs to prepare for their iCarly rehearsal.
As soon as Freddie came over, the gang went over all of what would be on the show. Freddie had ordered a new camera lens for filming, and so far it looked really great with the shots having more definition. Carly and Sam liked the routine they had, but there was still a space to be filled, and Carly thought this would be an opportune time to bring it up.
"So what do you want to do after the weird fan talents?" Freddie asked.
"We could see how many chicken wings Gibby can eat with no hands." Sam suggested.
"Hmm, I don't know. He's been in kind of a bad mood lately." Freddie told them. "Carly, do you have an idea?"
"I did have something in mind, but I don't know how we would do it."
"What is it?" Freddie asks.
"Some way to get Spencer a date. Maybe it would help to reach out to our audience."
"Isn't he on that dating service?" Sam asked Carly.
"Yeah, but I thought we could give him a little help too. He does so much for me, it's the least I can do."
"Maybe we could do a dating show. Put the word out to our viewers, and have some ladies compete for a date." Freddie suggested.
"But none of our viewers are Spencer's age." Sam reminded them.
"Yeah, well maybe they have older sisters or know someone single."
Sam shrugged and nodded while Carly pondered the idea. It sounded like a good one if the online dating was unsuccessful.
"So why is Gibby in a bad mood?" Carly asked.
"Oh, he likes this girl, but he's afraid to talk to her."
"Aww, poor Gibby."
"Hey, we're not helping Gibby find a date too. I can only deal with one lost cause at a time." Sam said, and Carly giggled.
"Don't worry, we'll focus on Spencer for the show, and think of another way to help Gibby." Carly confirmed.
Carly hoped that Spencer would be up to the idea, and that there would be a woman out there that could see her brother's artistic vision, and vibe with his sense of humor. Spencer, in addition to being the most fun big brother you could ask for, is also someone who is kind and compassionate, and Carly hoped there was a woman who could see that too.
The next day, Carly came in after school to see Spencer at the computer. He is checking for any responses to his profile, and wants to show his sister the video he made. Carly could see that Spencer was excited, and quickly walked over to him.
"Hey, how's the online dating going?"
"Eh, I don't have any responses yet, but check this out." Spencer said, hitting play on the video.
Carly watched a video of Spencer standing in the living room, tossing a baseball and catching it in his glove. He was talking to the camera, trying to be cool, and also seem suave. Spencer was proud of his work, but Carly looked back at him confused.
"Why do you have a baseball?"
"I wanted to look sporty, and more casual." Spencer told her.
"But you don't play sports."
"Not yet, but maybe the future love of my life is into sports, and I want to be prepared."
They continue to watch the video, and Spencer tosses the baseball before it crashes into something off screen. Carly cringes, and Spencer shuts off the video.
"Spencer, why are you trying to be sporty when it's not really what you're into? Just be yourself."
Spencer stares at the screen with a sigh, "I guess I could try again."
Carly went to the fridge to grab two sodas, and she handed one to Spencer.
"Maybe we could help you on iCarly."
"How?"
"Some kind of dating show. We could put the word out, and get more people interested. What do you say?"
"Hmm, I don't know. I'll have to think about it." Spencer said.
Carly nodded, and went to the living room to begin her homework. She couldn't help but feel bad that Spencer has yet to receive a response, so she hoped the promotion on iCarly will help.
While at school, Carly talks to Sam and Freddie about what's next for the show. Spencer agreed to the iCarly help, and they announced the dating show on their last episode. Carly has been sifting through some submissions, and she thinks she has some positive prospects. Carly comes up to her friends in the hallway to show them what she has found.
"Hey, what have you got?" Freddie asks.
"I found three women who could work for the show. I thought we could do a mystery date theme. That way Spencer is picking someone he really does have something in common with."
Freddie looks at Carly's notes to see who they were working with. One girl was local, and a painter. That one seemed promising, and one that Spencer would have the most common interests with. Another was a pastry chef, who Sam was definitely interested to meet, and the third girl is a veterinarian. While Sam was along for the ride, Freddie and Carly felt good about their choices for Spencer, and are looking forward to the show. Meanwhile the friends all see Gibby at his locker. He observes his crush, Shannon, across the way talking to her friends. He wants to approach her, but alas is too afraid. Freddie walks up to him with Carly and Sam behind him.
"Hey, you still haven't talked to her?" Freddie asked.
"I tried, but everytime I see her, I forget what I want to say." Gibby tells him.
Carly walks up to Gibby, placing a hand on his shoulder.
"Gibby, I know you're scared, but you need to stop driving yourself crazy, and tell her how you feel. Maybe she'll surprise you."
"How can I be sure she would even like me back?" Gibby asked.
"I don't see any reason she wouldn't; you're a nice guy." Carly said, and Gibby shrugged.
"Tell you what. Why don't the four of us, and Shannon all go to the Groovy Smoothie this weekend. Maybe there will be less pressure if we're all with you."
"Okay." Gibby nods.
Now that they have a plan for Gibby, it was time for them to get through the school day, so they could prepare for the upcoming dating show.
The day has come for the dating show, Freddie is inside setting up, and Carly is out in the hallway with Spencer. She is checking over his outfit, and helping him adjust his hair. Spencer is at the door, bouncing on his heels while trying to psyche himself up, before talking to three girls he's never met before.
"Relax, you'll do fine; don't worry." Carly told him.
"Are you sure this is a good idea?" Spencer asked.
"I swear. We all checked out these girls, and they're really cool. I promise, this time no stuffed animals will join you on your date." Carly said, and Spencer laughed, nervously.
Freddie poked his head out the door. "Okay, we're ready."
"Okay, you've got this." Carly said, and they all went inside.
Spencer sat down at his seat behind the screen, where he'd be unable to see the girls until the very end. Freddie helped set up his mic, and after a quick sound check, Spencer sat staring down at the cards in his hand with questions for the girls.
While he appreciated the effort Carly was putting into all of this for him, Spencer wasn't sure he knew how to do this whole dating thing for real. Sure he's dated before, with one or two of his relationships actually lasting a few months, but usually things ended when they wanted more than a starving artist could provide. Spencer tried to tell himself that he was happy, and that he was living his life exactly the way he wanted to, but deep down, without someone to love he always felt like something was missing. He hoped that this experiment would at least be a step in the right direction, and that one of these girls would be happy just to know him.
Spencer sat up straight as the girls started their intro. They recapped how they were on a quest to find love for Spencer, and that one lucky girl would win a date with her brother.
Their voices were disgusted, but Spencer liked what he heard so far with a painter, pastry chef, and a veterinarian to choose from. He cleared his throat while preparing to ask his first question.
"Okay, girl number one, what is your favorite kind of music?"
"Well, I like rock and roll, some pop, but I'm not a big fan of rap."
Spencer nodded, while asking girl number two the same question. She answered with pop, while girl number three answered with pop and country. Most of the other questions went along smoothly, and Spencer was starting to feel good about this.
It's been really fun getting to know the girls, and Spencer has learned a lot about them. He learned that the first girl who is a painter likes romantic comedies and has two cats, the second girl who is a pastry chef told him her ideal vacation would be to a big theme park with lots of rollercoasters. Spencer was really into her adventurous spirit, and she sounded like she liked to have fun. Girl number three who is the veterinarian said she is looking for someone tall, and someone who loves animals just as much as she does. Spencer of course was tall, and he loved dogs, but was still working on warming up to cats. He had one bad experience, but is still willing to give them another chance.
Soon the question portion of the show was over, and it was time for Spencer to make a choice.
"Okay Spencer, you've talked to all three girls, and have gotten to know plenty about them. Who are you going to choose?" Carly asked him.
"Hmm…well, everyone seems really great, but I think I'm gonna go with…number two."
The other girls clapped, and the second girl, whose name is Vanessa, came up to Spencer with a hug. The kids congratulated them, while Spencer and Vanessa headed out for their date. Carly and Sam thanked their viewers for watching, before capping off the episode with a little random dancing, and Carly is happy that this was a success.
Carly and Sam were already at the Groovy Smoothie with Gibby, and soon Freddie walked in with Shannon, who joined them all at the table. Gibby sits up putting on his best smile as Shannon sits across from him.
"Uh, hey Shannon. You look nice tonight."
"Thank you." Shannon replied, with a polite smile.
Gibby clears his throat, shifting in his seat while Carly pats his shoulder, whispering to him, "You're doing great."
Gibby takes a big sip of his smoothie while trying to think of something to say to Shannon, and maybe engage in an interesting conversation. All the while, Shannon is staring at Freddie, asking him about his computers and what kind of equipment he uses for the show. Freddie tries to be polite giving her straight answers, but the more he talks the more Shannon giggles while moving in closer to him. The last thing Freddie wanted was to lead this girl on, one because his heart already belonged to another, but also he wanted to try and steer her more towards Gibby. In an attempt to pique her interest, Freddie told Shannon about Gibby's ideas for the show.
"So Shannon, did you know Gibby was the one that helps me with the transitions for the show?" Freddie asked.
Gibby sits up, giving an affirming nod. "Uh yeah, it took some time to find the right one, but overall, I think they turned out pretty good."
"Oh, that's really cool." Shannon replied.
Freddie looked back at him with a hopeful grin, but Gibby was still doubtful. Their evening continued with the gang still trying to talk up Gibby. He asked Shannon about school, and what electives she was taking this year. She was polite to him, but alas her attention was still fixed on Freddie. Finally Gibby decided to be brave, and tell Shannon what he really felt.
"Look Shannon, everything my friends have been telling you about me, well…isn't really me. The truth is I really like you, and if you're interested I like to go out with you sometime just the two of us."
Shannon looked at Gibby opening her mouth to speak, but nothing came out at first. Then she took a breath to respond.
"Oh well, Gibby, I think you're really nice, but…I just don't feel that way about you. I actually like someone else." Shannon told him, and then turned to Freddie.
Freddie nervously rubbed the back of his head before answering her.
"Shannon, I'm actually in the same situation. I think you're really nice, but I like someone else. I'm sorry." Freddie told her.
At the table, no one wanted to make eye contact, and Shannon stood there tripping over her words, trying to gather herself.
"Uhm…Uh…I didn't mean for this to get awkward. Maybe this wasn't a good idea; I'm sorry."
"No, it's okay." Freddie said. "I should have told you how I feel sooner."
"It's not your fault, I just…uhm…I think I'd better get going. I'll see you all at school tomorrow." Shannon said, as everyone mumbled a quiet goodbye.
Gibby hung his head while stirring his smoothie as Carly placed a hand on his shoulder.
"I'm sorry, Gibby."
"It's cool," he sighed. "It was worth a shot, right?"
The others nodded, before Gibby was approached by another girl from the side.
"Hey, I heard what went on with that other girl, and I think that was really brave."
"Thanks." Gibby said, looking up at her.
The girl then laid her arm on his shoulder, and a blush creeped up Gibby's cheeks. He took notice of the braids in the girl's hair, and her deep brown eyes as she stood there confidently with her other hand on her hip.
"Her loss if you ask me. I think you're pretty cute."
"Uhm, thanks."
"So you wanna, grab your smoothie, and come join me over here? We could get to know each other better."
Gibby looks back at his friends, who give him a nod, and then he makes his way to her table. It wasn't the matchmaking they were expecting to do tonight, but nonetheless the gang considered tonight to be a success. Leaving Gibby to hang out with this new girl, Carly, Sam, and Freddie decide to call it a night, and head back to the apartment.
As they enter the hallway toward Carly's door, Sam can't stop laughing about how this whole evening went down.
"I can't believe the two biggest nubs I know manage to find girls who are crazy about you. If only they knew you like I do." Sam laughed.
"Well, I still had to say no anyway. It wouldn't be right being with Shannon when I don't feel the same way."
"She certainly dodged a bullet there." Sam said, punching Freddie's arm.
"Can we order food now so her mouth is occupied with something else?" Freddie asked.
"Okay," Carly laughs. "Do you want pizza or Chinese?"
"Yes!" Sam responds.
The gang enter the front door to a dimly lit living room, with Spencer and Vanessa making out on the couch. They are all shocked, but remain quiet as they slowly back out the door. Sam tries to sneak a quick picture, before Carly yanks her arm back, pulling her outside.
"I guess their date went well." Carly said.
"I'll say." Freddie added.
"Well, you wanna get food at your place?" Carly asked Sam.
"Might as well." Sam answered.
The three of them left to get dinner, leaving Spencer alone as another successful date is finishing up for the evening. Carly didn't expect her matchmaking to go this well, but she's glad to be able to help people she cares about, and maybe in the future, they'll find love.