


Hallways and Converse Shoes

by ChasingYou



Category: iCarly
Genre: Romance
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2010-09-08
Updated: 2013-03-22
Packaged: 2014-05-02 15:10:10
Rating: K
Chapters: 7
Words: 14,834
Publisher: www.fanfiction.net
Story URL: https://www.fanfiction.net/s/6308888/1/
Author URL: https://www.fanfiction.net/u/1064145/ChasingYou
Summary: A collection of drabbles that follows Sam and Freddie through their years of cuteness and heartbreak. The story explains it self.





	1. Chapter 1

Hallways and Converse shoes

So first iCarly story ever. I'm excited about it, because iCarly is a show that grew on me over the weeks that I watched it. At first I thought it was kind of boring (don't slap me), but then after a couple of shows it kind of grows on you and before you know, you actually like it (again, don't slap me).

Anyway this story will be about eight chapter, maybe more, maybe less.

I hope you like it.

Chapter uno: Endearing thing

School halls were underestimated. Most people think of them as just halls, never look any further than that. They take them for granted, they are just used for walking, maybe hiding every once in a while and that is it. But the halls of school happen to be for a lot more things. People make out in them, people fight in them, people gossip in them, and even an occasionally chasing begins in the school halls. They were build out huge piles of stones, trying to make sure that a hall never collapses. People actually have jobs that are thinking of ways to make the halls more creative, more adjusted to the building they are going to be placed in. Are they going to be in a school, an office, a gym, a theatre, a mall. The halls need to fit in, no matter where they are. They need to be useful, maybe a little bit decorative, but most of all people need to be able to walk through them.

Freddie Benson used to walk the school halls a little bit unsure. The first day of school with every step he took, he imaged more people turning around to watch him walk into their school. Coming on property that was theirs, not his. That was of course before he found out about the principals and the teachers that guarded the school halls as if it was their secret mission.

But years passed and Freddie Benson grew used to the school halls, even treasured them as they were the only thing in his life that stayed the same. Classes changed, clothes changed, teachers went and new ones came in. But the school halls always stayed exactly as they were. Even now, as a senior, Freddie could walk to his locker without seeing anything different. Maybe sometimes there hung a poster on the walls, but most of the times that was it.

For just another year, that is. Because as a senior, Freddie Benson realised that this was the last time that he would walk down these halls. The last time he would see people hide behind dumpsters for a certain Sam Puckett who needed to release her anger on someone. The last time he would have to watch out for punishments from missionaries for running down the school halls.

Another thing didn't really change as he sees Carly walking towards him in the school hall. The three of them still remain friends throughout secondary school. Sometimes the balance between them changed. He used to pine after Carly, following behind her as a lost puppy. But after his crush passed, the balance became more balanced. All three of them did the things they thought was best, still bonding over iCarly and stuff that happened in school or during class. At some point he hung out even more with Sam than he did with Carly, treasuring the feeling he got when he was next to her. Turns out she kind of felt the same way, she never said it with that much words, but she lets him kiss her, so he figured that she felt the same way. So the balance between them changed but in a different way, a good way. Carly was probably the happiest person alive when she found out that Sam and he finally got together, begging Sam for all the details of how and when. Sam being Sam shrugged her shoulders and went to the Shay fridge in search of ham. And Freddie being Freddie had told Carly a little bit when he was with her alone. Fine, he told her a lot, but she was his best friend, he wasn't supposed to have secrets from her.

'Freddie, you have an heart drawing on your shoe,' Carly says as she pointed with her finger towards his left converse shoe. There it was on the white of the front of his dark blue converse sneakers, a little black heart was drown as if it was meant to be there.

'Yeah, I know,' Freddie says also looking down at his shoe. He couldn't help the grin that started on his lips as he remembered how it got there. 'It actually is Sam's six month anniversary gift. This way she could afford it.'

'Well that sounds like Sam, it looks kind of pretty.' Carly says bending down to get a better look at the endearing thing.

'Yeah, I didn't know she could draw hearts that well either?' Freddie responded as he saw Carly draw the heart over with her finger. ´One of her secret talents, I guess´ Freddie says while shrugging his shoulders.

'So what did you guys do on this big day' Carly asks, standing up again and coming eye to eye level with him.

'Nothing,' Freddie replies with a shrug of his shoulders, making his way over to his locker.

Carly stands still for a little while in the middle of the hall, mouth like a fish, before running after her best friend. She taps his shoulder agrily while he is busy carefully selecting the books that he only needs later on so that he can put them safely in his locker. She hears him sigh before twirling around to face her, his eyes asking her what it is that she wants.

'Nothing Freddie! How could you possibly do nothing, This is a special day in your relationship. There is so much you could do, go to a reastaurant, go to a carnival, go see a movie. Hell, go whale watching for all I care. As long as you do something special together.' Carly starts using her hands to give some words of her rant more emphasis.

'Yeah, I know but..'

'No buts, Freddie. Every girl needs to be spoiled every once in a while. You are supposed to show her how much she means to you. Show her that she is special, that she is yours.'

'You're absolutely right, Freddie agrees with her, nodding his head a couple of times. 'With any other girl I would have done that. But you forget just one little thing, I'm not dating any other girl, I'm dating Sam. Big difference.' Freddie says indicating with his two fingers how big the difference exactly is.

`Not that much of a difference, she still has feeling you know?'

'Yeah I know but that wouldn't stop her for killing me when she finds out I call her mine, ever' Freddie points out, giving Carly a knowing look.

'She wouldn't do that, Sam cares about you. She is dating you, isn't' Carly says, giving Freddie her look of sympathy. She loved it when she found out that her two best friends were dating. She could have seen it coming from miles away, but she thought they were both too stubborn to ever admit it aloud.

'Yeah, she is, but that doesn't mean that she won't kill me'

'She won't, I mean she does have some feelings, you know?'

Just at the moment one Sam Puckett strolls down the halls of school as if she owns the whole damn school. In a slow pace she makes her way over to her two best friends, taking her time to look out for anybody who deserves a punch, a huge smile spread all over her face.

'Hey dork,' she says giving Freddie a push with her shoulder slamming him succesfully into the lockers. 'Sam!, that was not neccerary,´ Freddie can´t help but yell at her for pushing him.

'No, but it was fun, wasn't?' Sam says nodding her head up towards Carly as an hello.

'No, it wasn't' Freddie said, rubbing his shoulder trying to smooth the pain away.

'Well, it was for me, so that counts' Sam says, giving him her full grin now after she scanned the school halls for a second time.

'Look like you are in a happy mood. Did something happen?' Carly asked, leaning against the lockers they were standing at.

'Jamie asked me out.' Sam explains, smiling a knowing smile at Carly, also leaning back against the lockers to give Carly her full attention.

'Jamie, you mean hot Jamie. You mean hot, superhot Jamie, as in history guy Jamie who just broke up with Julliet?' Carly asks her, jumping up and down with excitement that is shown all over her face.

'Yeah, that's the one,' Sam says as Carly stops jumping up and down and pulls sam by her arms and forces her into a hug. After Carly releases Sam from her tight hug, she lets out several squeals while jumping up and down again. Finally she calms again, leans back against the lockers and gets dreamy look on her face before saying 'I'm so happy for you'

'Ahem, you did say no right?' Freddie asks, acknowledging himself from Sam´s right.

Sam turns her attention towards him and gives him the most annoyed look any girl could give a guy. As if to let him know that he might be the most stupid person alive just with the eyes. 'Why?'

'Well, because you have a boyfriend, ME!' Freddie says, rolling his eyes at her. He tries to stay calm, he really does. It just annoys the living hell out of him that ever since they entered senior year, guys have become more interested in Sam then they were before. Sure, she has a more womanly body now then she had before. But that doesn't mean that all the guys of school get a free pass to ask her out. No, they all had their chance, before Sam became his.

'Oh yeah, but you are just a little boy that stands in our way'' Sam says, while rolling her eyes as if it was the most obvious thing in the whole world. If you looked closely you could see the gleam that was in Sam's eyes.

'Sam, be nice!' Carly let out, shocked at her best friends reaction, even though she should have known Sam would react this way. Sam will always be Sam. No Freddie Benson can chance that fact.

'Sam, we are not dating other people!'

'Alright, don't get your panties in a twist, I told him no anyways. Oh carly you should have seen the look on his face, it was hilarious' Sam says, turning her body a 180 degrees to direct it at Carly again.

'Oh I wish I had been there' Carly says, her eyes shining with mischief. 'It would have been so cool to see a hot guy being turned down'

'Yeah, me too. Anyways I got to go, Mrs Briggs wants to see me. She finally came up with a punishment for me and my 'wear pj's to school day' idea.'

'Ok bye, Carly says giving Sam a hug once again.

'Nub' she says as she passing by him, he can't help but shoot daggers back at her with his eyes. But as he looks back at her, he can't help but smile when he sees her look back at him with that lopsided grin of her on her face.

'You know you are right. You did give Sam the perfect gift for your anniversary.' Carly says, falling into step next to him as they make way to their next classes.

'What do you mean by that?' Freddie asks, eyeing the brunette suspicious.

'Well, Sam has you marked by a shoe while she is still a free woman. I mean every girl that comes up to you, will look down and see the heart on your shoe and realise that you are already taken or at the very least see that you already have someone who cares for you. But Sam, she doesn't have anything that says 'stay back, I already have a boyfriend.'

'What...' Freddie said, stumbling over his own words as he tries to come up with an answer that can defend his case.

'I say that might be the most perfect gift anybody could ever give Sam,' Carly says patting Freddie sympatically on the back, before walking off towards her next class leaving a confused Benson behind.


	2. Chapter 2

Hallways and converse shoes

Finally, another chapter from my. I´m so sorry it took me so long to write this and post it here. My life has been hectic. School has been keeping me busy. Stupid, stupid school. I haven´t watched iCarly in such a long time. Mostly because here in the Netherlands the network doesn´t send out any new episodes. It only repeats the ones everyone has already seen. So it is like you are in a circle with depressing episodes in which Freddie still has a crush on Carly. I really try to ignore it, but it is kind of hard to to when he says ´I love Carly´ every episode. Anyway enough about that, let´s move on to the good stuff.

Here is chapter 2, I hope you like it.

Chapter deux: the streets you are walking on, a thousand houses long. (Well that's where I belong and you belong with me)

Usually days for Freddie were spent at school, where he tried to stay awake during the morning classes. And where he was taking notes during the afternoon classes. He didn't really like chance in this routine, it was what he did, what he knew. Every morning he knew what he would eat for breakfast before even getting out of bed, and every morning he knew how long it would take him to get to college before he even took off. He knew which road to take, he knew in what order his classes were. That's all he needed to know.

Unfortunately for Freddie, fate has some other path planned out for him. Starting with Monday morning when he walks in the hallway of the university. He spots Carly quickly, because she is looking at his locker as if it is the most interesting thing she has ever seen.

Now, Freddie has known Carly for over fifteen years. And when Carly Shay is staring at something like that, that could only mean two things.

One, there was something totally gross on his locker that was freaking the brunette out. Or and he was kind of hoping that it would be this option, there was something romantic on his locker that she wanted to touch and hold, but she was holding back because she knew it wasn't directed to her. When he sees Carly inch a little bit more forward and her hand is reaching out to touch it, he knows it can't be something gross. Carly wouldn't dare to touch something gross.

Freddie starts to walk a little faster, because he notices that people start staring at the brunette as if she is going crazy, staring at a locker like that. He doesn't want his friend to public humiliate herself, he was a good friend like that.

'Hi,' he says causally, stopping to stand right behind Carly while trying to steal a peak at his locker over her shoulder.

'Freddie!' Carly squeals, clapping her hands as she turns around. She gives him a big smile, showing off all her perfect white teeth.

'So, what are you looking at?' He asks. He still couldn't quite see what was behind the brunette.

'There's a note on your locker.' Carly says before breaking out in a huge grin again. She jumps up and down a little. Then she steps aside so Freddie can see for himself.

It wasn't really a note that hung on his locker. It was more some sort of envelop with duct tape across the whole thing in case anybody tries to open it. Freddie frowns at it, who would send him something like that. He could tear it open like he wants to and just find out or he could wait until he is alone and open it slowly. Treasuring the moment.

Carly beats him, with an 'Open it! Open it! Open it! cheer. That girl should join the cheerleader team.

Freddie figures he should let his friend enjoy this moment with him. He knows Carly wants to know what is in the letter as bad as he does. Maybe even more. And if he doesn't read it out loud to her now, she is probably going to bug him all day. He really doesn't want a bugging Carly around him all day. He loves the girl, but she can be pretty annoying.

So he tries to tear the envelope of his locker, but the duct tape makes it impossible. 'Ugh, I can't get it to come off.' Freddie groans, trying with both his hands now. Carly pushes him aside. 'Here let me try'.

She starts pulling at the thing as if it is a jewel she desperately wants to have. When that doesn't work, she starts to peel at the edges of the duct tape. Freddie knows that if he lets Carly go on that way, it'll take hours before he can finally see what is in the envelope.

'I have an idea.' He pushes Carly out of the way gently. He quickly fills in his number combination of his locker so he can open it. He grabs a pocket knife out of his locker and closes it again.

'I see Sam is rubbing off on you.' Carly says as she sees him cutting the duct tape professionally with his pocketknife. It is a surprise that Freddie has a pocket knife in his locker, it is even a greater surprise that he knows how to use it. Sam defiantly has some influence on him.

Freddie eyes Carly, removing his eyes from his careful cutting. 'Why do you think I can't have a knife by myself?'

'Freddie, please, you really want me to get into that'

He lets out a hmmpfs before returning to his cutting once again, muttering a 'we'll talk about this later.'

After a good five minutes of spluttering and cutting with the knife the envelope comes off Freddie's locker. Carly jumps up and down again before bending down to pick the envelope up from the ground. She eyes it excitedly, before handing it to him.

He quickly tears it open.

He wish he didn't.

A horrible smell escapes the envelope as soon as Freddie has opened it. 'O my god Freddie, what is that?' Carly says, trying to sneak a look on the inside of the envelope.

'I don't know' Freddie quickly put his fingers over his nose. It smells like rotten eggs and fish, not something you want to smell for fun. People in the hallway start to smell it as well, because everyone makes a big loop whenever the come near Carly and Freddie.

'Well, is there something more?' Carly says the excited still in her voice, though it has lacked off a little bit.

Freddie holds the envelope upside down, successfully letting the insides fall out of it. He then quickly throws the smelling thing away. When he gets back at Carly, she stands before him again with the letter in her hand, fingers on her nose. 'this smells too!' she lets out clearly annoyed that it isn't a romantic love letter.

Freddie takes the letter from her, almost afraid to open it. But curiosity gets the best of him very quickly.

'Dork!

Like my surprise? Are you going to remove the pictures now, because I won't stop harassing you until you do.

Pick me up at eight tomorrow, kay?'

He should have known. He really should have known. Dating Sam over a year and a couple of months should have thought him something. He just really should have known.

Dating Sam Puckett has it perks. She's funny, very beautiful, easy to hang out with. Whenever he sees her, his stomach still does flips. And when he kisses her, he feels as if he can go on for hours. It is the greatest fun he had had in his whole life. He simply loves the girl even with all her crazy tics.

Still there are some down sides. She is aggressive and impulsive. He swears sometimes the impulsive thing doesn't have to be a bad thing. When she stands on his doorstep on Saturday morning because she feels like taking a trip, he doesn't complain one second. Even if it is without their parents knowing. When he asks her about it, she simply shrugs her shoulders, saying 'There is a first time for everything.' But when she wakes him up at 4 am because she just saw the biggest pigeon she has ever seen, he can get annoyed.

The aggressive part has decreased slightly. Sam doesn't feel the need to hit him every chance she gets. In fact, she doesn't even hit him that often anymore. Only when she is really annoyed with him, which happens only six times every week. But still when she hits him, she doesn't him that hard anymore.

However she still loves to pull prank at him. It doesn't even matter if he does something stupid, she just loves to prank him. Maybe it is because he is an easy victim. Maybe it is because she knows he'll forgive her anything as long as she agrees to stay his girlfriend. He hates to admit it but she has him wrapped around her little (but very cute) pinkie.

'Freddie, what is that about? What did you do this time' Carly asks, hands placed firmly on her hips. She doesn´t like it when her two best friends fight, mostly because the fights are always about something stupid, like shoe laces. She still couldn´t understand how people could fight over shoe laces.

'I didn't do anything, ok? Sam is just a little bit irritated because she found something in my locker' Freddie explains rolling his eyes at Sam's letter. He needs to remember to write down the date in his agenda later.

'Well, what did you have in your locker'

'Pictures'

'What! She can't get mad at you about that. Let me see them!' Freddie can't help but smile as the excitement is back in Carly's voice. The girl can change moods easier than he can change his font colour.

He quickly opens his locker again, letting Carly see the door of his locker. Carly's mouth falls slightly open as she takes it all in. Almost his whole locker has pictures of either Sam and Freddie, all three of them, Sam and Carly together. Even a picture of Spencer, Carly, Sam and Freddie is somewhere found in the middle. Carly can't help the few wow's and ah's that escape her mouth.

'Yeah, that is not how Sam reacted' Freddie says as he sees Carly look at the pictures endearing, admiring the work that Freddie has done to fit all the pictures into his locker.

'Well, Sam and I are different' Carly says, giving Freddie a look before returning to the photo album before her.

'Believe me, I know and I wouldn't change it, but she could at least try not to care so much about it'

'She doesn't' Carly says, finally pulling herself away from the pictures as she takes a step aside so Freddie can close his locker. 'She has a picture of you two together in her locker as well'

'She has?' Freddie asks. He has seen her locker a thousand times, how come he has never seen it before.

'Yeah, it is taped somewhere to the back of the locker' Carly says before walking away from him. 'I have to go, I'm already late for class.'

Freddie stays behind trying to go back to the times that he stood by Sam as she gets something from her locker. How dare she pull a prank on him when she has a picture of them in her own locker as well. Oh, he is getting back at her. Maybe hanging a picture of them on her locker. Or even better, add some Christmas lighting to his own photo locker. That would freak her out. Freddie walks off slightly more happy, already planning the prank ahead.


	3. Chapter 3

So here it is, chapter three! And I actually figured out how I´m going to presume this story, so yay! I won´t be posting any chapter for two weeks, because I have big tests coming up and I have a lot of learning to do. (school sucks so much!) I actually have one tomorrow, so everyone pray for me. Thanks!

Enjoy!

**Chapter trois**: I could have had you but I blew it. It is sink or swim for us.

Eight months, three weeks, four days, 6360 hours. That was how long he was without Sam. He didn't want to get into the seconds, because that would be too depressing for him. Of course, he still saw Sam every day. She was still one of his friends. She just wasn't his _girl_friend anymore. And somehow that seemed to hurt him more even though time has passed by.

Sam being Sam didn't seem any different. Not now, not before. The days after they broke up and they were no longer _Sam and Freddie, Freddie and Sam_. Sam was still the same brutal Sam. She didn't even seem sad about the break-up at least not in public.

But he knows Sam and he knows that she doesn't show her emotions easily. Especially not at public places, such as the hall ways of their school. Places where everyone can see them. Where people can judge you because of them. And where you can feel naked even with your clothes on. But he knows that Sam was upset about their break up, because he knows her.

She just has a different of showing it. Instead of moping around, Sam joins every sport team that is available just to make herself busy. So she joins the soccer team, the volleyball team, baseball team, basketball team. Anything to not show her emotions, anything to not think about him, or better _them_.

She doesn't cry her tears out when she sees him with other girls, instead she looks for guys she can beat up because she needs to release some anger. She knows she is better than any of those girls anyway. She knows he knows it too.

Sam doesn't stare out of windows, hoping that this is just a bad dream and that everything will go back to normal. She doesn't write her name next to his with hearts in between. Instead she draws skulls with flowers as eyes. And whenever she stares out of the window she is hoping that a bomb explodes in the chemistry section so she can get out sooner.

Sam doesn't handle break-up as normal girls, but she is handling them.

Freddie however handles break-up as most girl would do. He cries the first day, all he can think about is her and her blonde curls. Her smell, her blue eyes, her laughs. His mind has an inner battle if he should burn all her stuff or if he should put them in a box and put the box under his bed. Carly has to run to the supermarket for extra tissues. Multiple times.

But then after that one week, Freddie is done being a girl. Sure he is still bummed about the break-up but that doesn't mean he has to act like it is the world greatest disaster. Lot of shit happens, that is life. But the thing is, how do we react to it. And how do we live after that.

So Freddie picks himself up again, gluing himself together to become whole again. He goes to the gym, because he figures he needs some anger release with a bubbly Sam still around. He's mad at her that she doesn't seem different since their break-up. He gets upset when he sees her talk with other guys as if he is not even there. It helps going to the gym to release all those feelings. The nights that spend screaming on the inside of his pillow become less regular. Except the nights that he dreams about the blond little demon become more vivid. He figures that they are just dreams, a way to release the fantasies he doesn't allow himself to have during the days.

During the first days after their break up, Sam and Freddie rarely talk. Whenever he sees Sam walking in a school hall, he would turn the other way. Taking the long route to get to his classroom seemed to him much better than actually running in to Sam _already_. At least this way he can postpone the day that he has to see her. He claims to himself (and Carly) that it's not like he doesn't want to see her, he just isn't _ready _to see her.

After school, Sam still comes over at Carly's all the time. So Freddie goes back to his room, trying to block out the laughter he hears from the apartment across the hall. The only one happy with this development is his own mother.

After three weeks, Carly has had enough. She demands that they start to talk to each other again before she is going insane and she doesn't want to see either one of them. Freddie doesn't really think Carly is serious. Because he and Sam are her best friends and she can't live without them.

That is until the one day when he sees Carly at the cafeteria in their school. She is surrounded by all these different people that he has never seen before. Carly was always good at making new friends. Better than him at least. So that is the first time that makes him realize that maybe Carly doesn't need them as much as he needs them. And suddenly all these college plans that they had planned together _suck_. And he desperately wants to build a time machine so he can go back in time and realise when his life got so messy.

So he gives in. Carly does her cheerleading part again, including the jumping and the screaming. And Freddie just nods and hopes that the universe is on his side for once. Because he is going to speak with Sam for the first time since one month and he feels like he is going to need all the luck that he can get.

Carly decides that they should come over to her place, so that they could watch a movie. It's almost like a planned date, because Carly calls both of them with a specific time to come over and they don't even need to bring with them.

When they used to have movie nights, it didn't matter when they came over. Sam usually was already over anyway and Freddie was free to walk in whenever he felt like it. And every time he would bring Sam some fat cakes and Carly popcorn, since his mom is the only one who actually buys these things.

But now things are different, so they have arranged movie nights. Without any fat cakes or popcorn. The night doesn't go by smoothly, but it also isn't as horrible as he thought it would be. It is even funny when Sam's stomach rumbles and she searches all the kitchen cases in search for something eatable. Maybe it is because Sam is quite frantic, almost pulling all her hair out. And Carly running after Sam, trying to get her to sit on the couch again and watch the movie.

After that it is mostly the three of them with Carly babbling about her latest date with Peter. Where they went, who they saw, what they ate. Sam and Freddie on either one side of her. Freddie would stare at his food, not really hungry, occasionally looking up at Carly to let her know that he was still alive. Sam would look around the cafeteria in search for anyone else she might know that she could beat up.

That is how are days are spend for a good two months, Sam and Freddie slowly finding a new balance between them. Going from people who run towards each other, from people who run from each other, to people who can be in the same room with each other. They still aren't the best of friends, but they are getting at their frememies level again and that is enough for now.

He isn't surprised when Sam starts dating first again. Freddie knows he needs more time to get over her, than she needs time to get over him. But he also knows her better than anyone else, and he knows that this guy isn't anything serious. He is just a random guy that Sam needs to forget about him.

His name is Jacob. A twenty year old guy that has been in more detention than any of the other guys that goes to Seattle college. If you seem the reputations that both Jacob and Sam have, you would think they were a match made in heaven. Both have a record, both have a reputation, both are good looking, both are stubborn, both are fighters. Turns out it was.

Sam and Jacob became a regular things after having a on and off relationship for a couple of months. Freddie doesn't really know how to deal with this. So Carly takes him to watch a movie and they each have a large bowl of ice cream. Freddie eats Carly's bowl as well and he lets her grasps his hand during the sad parts of the movie. Carly hands him tissues without making any comment and he silently thanks the Gods for a friend like Carly.

The days after that one specific movie night, Freddie spends a lot of time in the gym again. It helps and he likes the fact that his body gets in a better shape. It also doesn't hurt that he gets more looks from girls. He secretly hopes Sam notices as well.

But when he sees Jacob and Sam across the hallway one day and they are acting sickly in love. Well as crazy in love as two crazy teens like Sam and Jacob can be. She nudges him in the shoulder and he laughs before grabbing her wrist and kissing her, That is when Freddie decides he has enough. He is done with his self-pity. It is time that he takes his life in his own hands.

It takes time, more time than he thought. But he is glad that he didn't rush it. He works on his friendship with Sam, because even thought things are still as they used to be. He doesn't want to hang out with her only when Carly is around. Sam is a great friend and he wants her in his life. So they play baseball together, because Sam has try-outs next weekend and she wants to make a good impression (she makes first team).

He joins the AV-club of college, because he has missed filming and producing. The AV-club in college is bigger than it is in high school but the guys that are in it remind him of himself so it feels like he is home.

Freddie's life is good, even almost normal. And it is on this day, 6360 hours later, that Freddie meets his new girlfriend. Of course, it would be nice if this time it goes normal. Boy meets girl. Girl likes boy, boy likes girl as well. Not like his disaster that was Carly. Boy likes girl, girl never likes boy back. Or his relationship with Sam, which took quite some time before it actually was a relationship. So if Freddie could chose, he really wanted his next relationship to go like the clichés predicted.

Turns out faith was finally on Freddie's side. Because suddenly a girl trips over something and falls directly in front of him, dropping everything that she had in her arms all over the school halls.

Freddie is quick to react and bends down to retrieve all the girl's stuff that she has lost when she fell. He gathers it all up in his hands and then stands up to see her. Only to find her already looking back at him.

The first thing Freddie notices is that she is a pretty girl. Not like Carly beautiful or Sam gorgeous, but her own kind of pretty. Her nice features give her an angel like face with her brown hair falling just over her shoulders. Their eyes lock, brown ones meet other brown ones.

'Here is your stuff back,' Freddie says, trying to sound nonchalant, even though he feels like a fish on dry land. 'Thank you.' the girl says taking her stuff from his hands. Her hand touches his and he swears he can feel something. Or _maybe _he realy wants to feel something, because Sam is still dating Jacob and he kind of wants to show her he can move on too. And _maybe _he wants to feel something because that means that finally, _finally_ he has gotten over the one girl that was still in his head.

She balances all her stuff on one arm and Freddie has to admire the way her whole body shifts to balance the extra weight. She extends her right hand as an introduction 'I'm new here. My name is Alice' the girl says.

He has a feeling someone is staring at him so he looks around the hall and sees a staring Sam looking back at him. Her mouth is slightly agape, taking in the scene. The look of surprise that was on her face for a minute is washed off her face as quickly as it was on and she is being invincible Sam again. She grins at him, nodding her head up to him, before walking away.

Freddie shakes her head at the blonde demon before turning his attention back to the brunette that just fell against him. 'Hi, I'm Freddie' he says, shaking the outstretched hand of Alice.

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I would love to hear what you think. So please review.


	4. Chapter 4

I can't believe how long it has been. School has been keeping me busy. But I have some tests right now and after that I am free for almost three weeks, so I can't wait. And then I finally have time to write again. And I just saw Harry Potter 7 part 1, so I'm being very Harry Potter centric right now. I can't believe how brilliant Rupert Grint was as Ron Weasley. I had to shut my mouth because it was haning open.

Anyway back to the story. To make up for my late update, I'm going to update two chapters at once. So please don't be mad at me for too long.

Look down, that button is screaming your name.

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Chapter quatre: _Before the doors close and it comes to an end. With you by my side I´ll fight and defend._

She was sad. He was happy. It was becoming a mantra. A mantra of their lives together. Tied together through years of friendship. A shred of a relationship in between.

He takes a step closer to her, she takes two steps backs. She takes his hand as they walk, he lets his hand slip from her. He comes up to walk beside her, she runs for the miles. She listens to his music, he doesn´t hear a word she says.

Sam sings her lungs out at the empty stage before her. This was supposed to be it. He was supposed to love her. She was supposed to love him back. They were supposed to hold on and make it through.

´Just stay strong, ´cause you know I´m here for you.´

Tears slip down her cheeks before she has a chance to stop them. She hates that she lets them fall but she can´t help herself. Her dream has just been shattered and she can´t help it but for once she wants to be the one crying. She wants to feel vulnerable. She wants to feel like the victim.

´there´s nothing you could say, there´s nothing you could do´

She felt betrayed. She felt awful. She felt hurt. She still feels all those things. She feels like all those stupid silly girls in the movies that she used to watch with Carly when Freddie had other things to do. She didn´t really wanted to watch those kind of movies, but Carly always talked her into it.

It always started with a girl being hurt by a man. She always wondered why those girl were so stupid to fall for such a jerk. That was until now. Until it happened to herself. She hated herself for being so weak, for being such a fool for not seeing any signs that showed her that Jacob was betraying her for freaking three months.

´Because we´ll make it through, we´ll make it through´

She breaths in and out, wipes the tears from the eyes bitterly. She didn´t even like the song, but there´s was something about it that just made her sad. And she needed something to make her sad, to allow herself to show her how she feels on the inside.

´You sing really well´

Sam spins around faster than a whirlwind. She wants to shout at him, she really does. But she doesn´t because she doesn´t want to push him away. She knows she is going to need her friends now more than ever. So she settles on being quiet and lets him walk over to her.

´I didn´t even knew you sang´ He says, looking at the ground before locking his eyes with hers. She swears her stomach does a little jump, but she ignores it. Those feelings are in the past, buried and burned, never to be seen again.

She shrugs her shoulders before muttering a ´sometimes´. He nods his head, somehow showing more understatement with that one movement than anyone else ever could. He fidgets on his place some, she notices. His foot moves towards her but then he takes a step back and he is playing with his hands. When she looks up at his face, she can see in his eyes that he is a little lost as well.

So she walks away from him to grab the bottle of water that she only brings with her whenever she goes to the auditorium to sing. She once read it in a magazine that water does wonders to your throat so she figures it doesn´t hurt if she actually takes that advice. Because she likes to sing and bringing a bottle of water with her every time she goes to sing doesn´t hurt her.

From the corners of the eyes she sees Freddie look at her with eyes full of question. She knows she has got to answer them, but she doesn´t know if she is ready to face the answers yet.

She wants to head out of the auditorium, she really does. Because how long can two people possible stand in silent without looking at each other. Afraid for what is in the other's eyes and afraid to be the first one to open their mouths. So she does what she does best, she ignores Freddie and walks to the exit. If only his hand didn´t shoot out to grasp her wrist and stop her.

God, sometimes she really hates him. When they were dating he was understanding and sweet and caring. And she really loved him for it, but sometimes it killed her because he was just so perfect and she was absolutely not. It killed her that he was so much better than her, even though he said it was the other way around. He never was good a lying.

Even now, when they were broken up for a good year, he was still there for her. He was still the first one to come after her and talk to her. He was still the first one to stop her from fleeing her problems. He was still there to make her feel better, if she _let _him.

´Why don´t you just explain to me what happened out there?'' He asks, letting his hand fall down to her hand, lightly grasping it, before dropping his hand to his side.

She watches him carefully trying to figure out why of all people he is still to one that wants her to open up. Why he is still the one to want to know the Sam behind the 'inner rock chick' as he once said. Whenever Freddie talked about Sam when they were still together, he would describe them as two girls, two beautiful girls. One was this inner rock soul chick that was though and brave and there was this girl hidden behind this soul. A girl that has all these amazing qualities that only a few people get to see it. And he was one of them. He still is.

She would call him out of all this crap, because she wasn't two girls in one, she was just Sam. And if he wanted a threesome, he had to go look somewhere else because she wasn't into that kind of stuff. He would just grin at her and tell her that she was more than enough. Then he would grab her by the waist and bring her closer to him so he could kiss her. Freddie was a great boyfriend like that. And he was sweet and caring and not too shabby looking.

Sometimes she had wished that Jacob was more like Freddie. Because Jacob was rough around the edges just like she was. And that made him too familiar to her, because he was a lot like her. At first this was perfect because this meant that she didn't need to figure him out. He was a lot of fun to be around and they had the same kind of humour. They even had a lot of things in common, something that her and Freddie rarely had. So she figured that this relationship with Jacob could be it, you know. It wasn't difficult, it wasn't easy, but it worked.

Except for the part where it got boring. Even Sam started to notice that she was postponing her dates with Jacob almost as much as he was doing it to her. And when she caught him with that skank Marissa, she really shouldn't be that surprised, really. But Marissa was a cheerleader, the prom queen of her former high school. She was everything, Sam was not.

When Sam caught them in a very compromising position in the dressing room, she knows she should have confronted Jacob. She should have gone in and she should have yelled to him as if there was no tomorrow. But she just couldn't. So she just stared and felt the ground slip from under the feet. And then she just ran. She ran as hard as she could, away from that skank, away from her boyfriend. That _cheating _bastard.

She calls Carly and just cries to her on the phone, because she can't quite grasp what she just saw and she feels sad. She just needs someone that feels sad with her. Carly is immediately worried and asks her all these questions that she is not ready to answer yet so she waits until Carly gets it and she tells Sam that it is going to be okay and just listens. And that is all Sam really needed. Carly really is a great friend.

She does confront Jacob, she only does it the next day, She waits for him at his locker and then she simply says it, 'I heard Marissa is a nice lay' and she eyes him between her lashes and she knows that she got her point across because his eyes don't acknowledge her but look everywhere else.

She hears him mutter excuses as he walks next to her in hallway, but she doesn't want to hear them. She really doesn't. Because she doesn't blame him for getting bored with her. Getting bored of _them_. Even she had to acknowledge that they had had their good time and now it was just waiting until the bomb exploded. So it did.

But she yells at him because she is still mad that he cheated on her. She yells at him because he made her think that she was not good enough for him. She yells to him for making her feel insecure. She yells at him for all the other things he has ever done at her. And he yells back. He screams she needed to give him more attention, he yells that she was too busy with her singing. He yells a lot of thing, some things are true, some things are just mean. She knows he needs to release some of his anger, she needs it too. They are the same.

So they both display a lot of feelings that day. Feelings are scattered all over the hallway, but no one picks them op. People stop to watch and whisper to each other, but no one interferes or tries to stop the fight between the couple.

And that is how she ended up here. After all the yelling, both Jacob and Sam just looked at each other taking deep breaths. She was the first one to walk away, but she knows he follows her quickly because she can hear the hallway clear up behind her. She knows she still has classes to attend but she doesn't feel like going so she turns left instead of right and walks straight to the auditorium. She needs to let it out and this is the only way she knows how.

She doesn't tell Freddie all that. He doesn't need to know. This is her pain, her break-up, her life. He has his own life now, his own new girlfriend. He doesn't need to take care of Sam anymore. He doesn't need to know all the things that go on with her life. They are no longer connected in that way. At least that is what Sam thinks, but still Freddie is here.

He cares enough about her to follow after her after a fight in the middle of the hallway. He still wants to know what is going on with her. He is still there. He still _cares_.

Freddie is still waiting for her to say something, _anything _really. She can see him from the corner of her eye. But she doesn't really know what to say to him. How much she wants to share with him about her break-up with Jacob. He is still her ex-boyfriend.

Finally she mutters, 'I'm going to be fine'

She doesn't know if she is trying to convince herself or him, but it seems to work because Freddie looks at her with a small smile on his lips.

'Of course, you are', he says. 'You are Sam.'

And just like that she knows she is going to be fine. Freddie's right, she is Sam. No guy can bring her down. She is strong, free and independent. She lets him hold her hand as they walk back to the exit of university. That small gesture gives her all the comfort that she needs.


	5. Chapter 5

And the second chapter is up! I'm working on chapter six as we speak and I think that after that I only need one more chapter and then I'm done. Finished. Klaar!

Anyway I hope you all enjoy this chapter. Thanks for reading and please leave a review. Reviews are all that a writer needs.

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Chapter cinq: _I just called to say hello._

Sam feels lonely.

It's stupid really. Sam is member of the soccer team, the theatre club and follows almost all her classes, but she still feels lonely. She has many friends, or at least people who know her. Anyone of them would want to hang out with her if she would call them. But whenever she wants to dial their numbers, something holds her back.

She knows what it is, she just doesn't want to acknowledge it. She knows that she hates that she can't memorize the home numbers of Summer, Rory, Ron and Seth. It is like her head refuses to know their numbers by heart like she knows the numbers of Carly and Freddie.

It seems so silly when she writes it down or when she says it aloud. But deep down she knows that she is meant to know only two numbers by heart. The numbers of her two best friends. She knows it doesn't make any sense but Sam has accepted the venom of her brain and simply has learnt to live with it. But sometimes, especially now, she hates it.

Carly has been her best friends for years. Ever since the girl shoved her back in the cafeteria after Sam shoved Carly first, she knew her and Carly would become friends. Or enemies. Whatever it they were to become, they were meant to be in each other's life.

Now Sam has never been a girl to think fate has anything so say in life. If Sam wanted something, she would get it. She wouldn't wait for fate to give it to her. She has learnt to take care of herself and to make things happen for herself.

But when Carly entered her life, she simply knew that they would be in each other's life forever. No matter what happened, Carly would be the one thing that she could be sure of. The one thing that would always be there.

And she was, except that sometimes Carly got busy with other things. Sam would never call Carly selfish, but Carly does have moments when she only thinks about herself. Not intention, but she still does it. Sam doesn't really blame her for it. Everyone has flaws. Sam has many. Carly only has one as far as Sam can see.

But in those times where Carly was selfish, Sam could always turn to her other best friend. Even though she doesn't let him hear her refer to her as her best friend. She would never hear the end of it. Deep down she knows, he wouldn't bring it up. But still acknowledging aloud or to herself makes a lot of difference.

She had known Freddie before she knew Carly. Both of them went to the same primary school. She had known his face, knew that he lived with his mother and that he was a geek. That was his label. Hers was a though, no friends girl. You would think that they could become each other's friends, but anyone who would have said that didn't know Sam very well. Sam would rather be alone than become friends with that geek. So that is how both Freddie and Sam spent their primary school lives, alone.

When Carly came, Sam's life changed. Because suddenly she was forced to hang out with Freddie as well. Because wherever Carly went, there was Freddie already waiting. And Sam who finally found a true friend and home, wouldn't let some geek stop her from hanging out with Carly. So that is how Freddie became a permanent feature of her life. He was wanted, but he was there.

Their relationship changed over the years. It changed many times. From enemies, to sharing first kisses to sort of friends. Thought neither of them acknowledge each other as friends. People could get ideas out of it.

But after a failed relationship between Carly and Freddie, Sam started to notice that she didn't mind spending time with the geek anymore. During the brief creddie relationship, Sam found herself lonely and aching for some attention. Not the attention from her best friend, but for the attention she usually got out of fights with Freddie. One might called it jealousy, Sam thought it was insanity.

But the insanity wouldn't go away. It seemed that every day Carly and Freddie become more joined at the hip and Sam become more insane. And quickly she began hoping for better days. For days like before. When all her and Freddie did was fight and Carly would stand by and roll her eyes at them.

It didn't surprise her when she felt relief when Carly and Freddie finally ended their relationship. Both of them weren't heartbroken, but they were both surprised that the relationship didn't seem to last. Because Carly and Freddie seemed to be so perfect for each other. Sam doesn't deny that it surprised her as well. Carly and Freddie are a match made in heaven, but maybe that is why their relationship didn't work out. They were too alike, too similar and just too _perfect_.

The three of them hung out again and everything seemed to go back to normal. Except that the insanity still didn't go away. Every time he was around, her stomach would do a little turnover and she suddenly wasn't hungry anymore. Carly even took her to the doctor, because she thought Sam might have the stomach flu.

Sam was still surprised that Carly had let it go after only one visit to the doctor. Maybe that was enough for her best friend to know that Sam was okay. Meanwhile Freddie suddenly got a lot more attention from other girls at school. Sam wasn't stupid, she knew he was good looking. But after dating Carly, he got a certain confidence flow. Almost every girl wanted to go out with him, but luckily for her, Freddie didn't really know what to do with all the attention so he didn't really do anything about it. Maybe he wasn't over Carly yet, either way Sam was very grateful that he didn't start to date other girls.

It took almost one year and a half before Sam and Freddie finally got together. It was their final year and Sam has come to conclusions that the insanity was something that wouldn't go away easy. So she took it as a burden that just didn't go away, like her desire for ham or her need to prank Freddie.

It wasn't a surprise when it happened during a fight. It actually seemed fitting. Finally all the years of fighting and building up sexual attraction came to an explosion that made the sparks itch at their lips until after the kiss. Sam still couldn't believe that he was the one who had kissed her first. She was sure that she would be the one.

Either way, after that. It was awkward for quite some time. Both too stubborn to do anything about the sexual tension that hung in the air whenever they were in the same room. Until Carly had enough and set them out on a date. They went to movie and had actually a lot of fun.(It surprised her too) After that it was kind of game on. (She still didn't want to admit to people that he was _her _boyfriend for three months until they took a bet on it. After that it kind of became normal for her to say that Freddie was _her _boyfriend. She even changed her Facebook account for him)

But now, almost three years after the start of their relationship, Freddie was the one who had a serious relationship, only it was not with her. He and Alice were suprisely good with each other and Sam didn't like it. She didn't like it at all.

She wasn't jealous. Okay, maybe she was a little jealous. Ok, maybe a lot. But that didn't have to do with anything. It just sucked that she had dated a lot more people than Freddie after their relationship but every time something went wrong.

She knew she didn't made the finest choices when it came down to guys. One was a cheating, rough guy that was too much like her. Then she had dated her chemistry partner Ted for a while, doing exciting experiments with him. But after a while it seemed that the only thing that was appealing about him was that she got a chance to set something on fire. So she broke that off as well.

And now she was dating the quarterback. If her high school self could have looked into the future, she would have kicked her future ass. But there was something about Peter that was just so attractive. And it was fun that for once the guy that all the girls in her school were after wanted to be with her. Rough almost boy like Sam got a quarterback. It was ironic.

However Sam found out that dating a quarterback wasn't all that fun. It was almost painful. Because he wanted to her to come to every home game his team played. And he also wanted her to laugh at all his jokes. Because he was the quarterback, he was popular, his jokes were funny. Except that they weren't.

Now Sam is a person that always thought she would be the funny person in a relationship, so she didn't worry about finding someone that was even funnier. But now she realises that there needs to be a certain connection on the humour aspect. Or else, the relationship was doomed.

And so, it came to a quick conclusion that Peter and her relationship was doomed. She would end it with him this afternoon. After they win their home game, she hopes it helps him to get over the break-up. She already knows that he doesn't really care about her anyway, all he needs is the win the game. Maybe he can even hook up with a cheerleader.

Sam opens her locker bitterly. It is just so stupid that she has a boyfriend, she has a education, she has friends, but she still feels lonely. She knows it is because she misses her two best friends. The one that were there for almost every step on the way. But they are too busy with their own lives. She can't even think of the last time they have hung out with just the three of them. Every time they try, one of them will bring their boyfriend or girlfriend and then they end up with six of them. Most of the time it was four of them, because Sam never was the type for double dating. Let alone, triple dating.

She shoves all her books in the locker at once and slams her locker shut as hard as she can.

'Wow, bad mood, should I stay away' She hears say from behind her.

She turns around and can't help the smile that comes as soon as she sees him. Unbelievable that he can still be the one to make her smile. She thinks it might be the insanity again.

He grins back at her while making his way over to her to hang against the lockers, never once breaking eye-contact with Sam. She releases a sigh that she didn't realise she was holding in. It seems that this is the first time that she is in close proximity of Freddie since weeks.

'No, stay close as possible. I might need a punching bag,' she says grinning back at him with her usual smirk. She can handle this, the banter. It is what it is. Her and Freddie. Always were, always are, always will.

He grins back at her and opens his mouth to say something when Alice comes up. She smiles at him and she can see Freddie's face light up at the sight of his girlfriend. How sappy, Sam thinks. And she doesn't feel the aching in her stomach. She _really_ doesn't feel it.

Alice says hi to both Freddie and Sam and Sam does a small wave because she doesn't know what she is supposed to say to the new girlfriend of your ex-boyfriend. How are you seems to be such a personal question all of the sudden.

Freddie and Alice are engaged in a small conversation about their lunch. He has his own sandwiches with ham and cheese made by his mother. And she is thinking about soup. It is sort of cute Sam supposes if you want to know what your boyfriend eats for lunch.

But then Alice walks off and it is just her and Freddie again. She tries not to look at him, she really does. But it is like his eyes have electric pulses and she is drawn to them. He smiles again when she looks at her before asking her how she is.

'Alone'

It slips from her mouth before she can stop herself. She can see Freddie look at her warily trying to see if she is pranking him or if she has a moment of insanity and is actually telling him the truth. He settles for the latter one because moments later he is asking her why.

'Well, you know Peter. I thought he would be funny you know. Everybody always laughs at his jokes in class. But when everyone thinks he is funny, he really isn't', she says, shrugging her shoulders.

'So that is the end of him', Sam mutters before daring to glance up at Freddie once again. He stays silent but looks at her with eyes full of questions, before nodding his head. He doesn't say anything for a while after that. Just stays with her. And she likes the comfort because it is Freddie and he is the only one who can comfort her in this way.

'Well, if you ever feel to bitter and lonely, I tivoed some Funny Girl. I know funny girl is no quarterback,' Freddie says.

Sam is almost too stunned to speak but eternally grateful that he doesn't ask anymore.

'Thanks'

And then he is off. Just as suddenly as he came, he goes away with a little wave. She smiles at his retreating back before walking away to her own class. But just before she rounds the corner, she dares to glance one last look over her shoulder at the boy she used to love.


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter six: Cause none of it was ever worth the risk.**

**Author's note: **I'm sorry it took so long to upload this. Life got in the way. The good news is that chapter seven (the last chapter) is written as well and will probably be uploaded later this week.

**Disclaimer: **I don't own iCarly.

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Sitting outside on the school steps was no other than Sam Puckett. Freddie wasn't that surprised to see her there. It was a Sam place as he would like to call it. While they were still going out they had a lot of places like this. Places that nobody else thought romantic, that nobody would even stop to look at. That what made them special and Sam had a thing for seeking them.

He sat next to her, not so far away so they would seem strangers, but also not as close as lovers could be. Freddie wished he could move a little closer.

'So, I heard you broke up with Seth?'

'Yeah, what a big nub he turned out to be'

Sam let out a sigh facing the other side of the school grounds, there was such a huge contrast between everything when it was day or night. When it was day, people sat on the school grounds in front of school as if they owned it. Especially when the weather was good, but at night, people went out into the city searching for cheap drinks and seduction. The school grounds stayed behind, hiding in the dark, waiting for the sun to strike once again.

'What happened?' Freddie asks, disturbing Sam.

'Well, Freddie, you know Seth right?, Sam asks while turning to see Freddie confirm this suggestion, before looking away again. 'He was the big funny guy, but I don't know.. It seems that lately he just wasn't that funny anymore. I think we lost the connection on funniness' Sam says before sighing once again.

Freddie couldn't help but snicker at Sam's words choice. Only Sam could come up with that sort of reason to break up with a guy and make them sound completely reasonable.

'So no more funny guys for you?' Freddie asks with a quirk of his eyebrows.

'No I think I've had my share.'

It stayed quiet for a little while between the two teens, both thinking other thoughts. But connected in the way that it was Freddie who came to see if Sam was okay.

'Just so you know, a little funny couldn't hurt'

'No, that couldn't.' She said, letting out a small chuckle, finally looking at him.

'I got to say, you do have quite a record on guys. I mean there's me, Jacob, that chemistry kid, a quarterback, your biology partner Miles, and now Seth. That's 7 guys in what .. three years.' Freddie says while holding up three fingers to Sam.

'Hey, it was longer than three years, I dated you for what, 1 year and 8 months, right? And after that I started to date the others so..'

Sam started to think real hard, holding both her hands to count.

'Ok, well that did take me three years. But still, if you count you as well, which you did, then it was four years.'

'True, but I'm special.'' Freddie says while nudging his shoulder with Sam's.

'Now don't get so cocky on me, Benson. All you got was Carly, me, Alice and Elisabeth'

'Yeah, so..'

'Well, maybe you should spice it up a little, start dating a cheerleader or something.' Sam suggests while trying to keep a straight face.

'Haha, maybe I should.' Freddie shakes his head a little. Him dating a cheerleader, that would be something. Maybe he could even try out for the football team. But he should keep that to himself, Sam would die from laughter if she heard that thought had crossed his mind.

'Anyway, speaking of Elizabeth, how are things going between you two?' Sam says successfully turning the subject from her and Freddie to Freddie and his current girlfriend.

'Well, to be honest, we kind of are losing the connection as well.'

'What do you mean?'

'Well...she freaks me out!' the nub says as he looks at her with eyes the size of saucers. Sam can't help it but laugh at the ridiculous look he gives her, it doesn't suit him at all. But that face does cheer her up.

'You, how is that even possible, you are a freak yourself.'

The smile that comes over her face makes Freddie think about the times that he was still obsessed with his neighbour and Sam was just an annoying bug that came along with hanging out with Carly. She usually got this smile when he found out that she had pulled another successful prank on him. He used to hate that smile. God, how things can change.

'Thanks, Sam. That's real nice' Freddie says, but he smiles nevertheless.

'I try'

A silence filled the air then. But it doesn't feel intense of awkward anymore. It feels comfortable enough to wait it out for someone to speak up again. Of course patience is a needed factor in waiting and Sam was never one to wait.

'Soooo …are you going to tell me?'

'She wants to have three children.'

'What?'

'Yeah, she wants to have three children, two girls and one boy. And the boy has to be in the middle, because that evens it out. Oh and she has names for them too, Allison, David and Jennifer.' He said holding up three fingers as if he already has three children and he is about to get the pictures from his wallet.

'You're kidding?'

'Oh no, I wish I was. God I really wish I was' He takes a breath before letting it out slowly.

'She also wants a wedding in the spring, because she likes how it symbolise new things, like new leaves and new bonds, like a marriage. And she is going to wear a white dress, and I should get a black suit, because that will look great with her white dress'

'Dude, that girl is a psycho'

'Yeah, I know, she even has our honeymoon planned'

'Oh yeah, where are you going?'

'Paris, of course'

'Of course'

'I'm sorry Freddie' Sam says and places her hand on his forearm. He smiles a little at her and Sam can feel her heart beat a little faster as a reaction.

'Yeah me too, but I think it is time that I break it off with her'

'To be honest I think so too' Sam says, giving Freddie's arm a little squeeze before letting go of him.

'Yeah, I figured. I mean if a guy did this on you, you would be running for the hills right now' Freddie chuckles at himself, he can literally see it happen.

'Please, no guy I date could ever be so mushy'

'You would probably stomp the mushiness out of him.' Sam wouldn't fall for a guy that would try to sweep her off her feet with red roses and chocolates. She would throw a punch at him first then laugh at him and then tell him that it is never going to happen. And Carly would be there telling Sam to be nice and aww'ing at the red roses and chocolates. Sometimes Freddie wonders how Sam and Carly even managed to become friends.

'So, have you figured it out, how you are going to tell her?' Freddie is pulled away from his thoughts by Sam's question.

'No idea, I think that maybe if I hide long enough, she will think I'm dead and she'll move on'

He knows it is a sad excuse, but facing Elizabeth is so much harder than he had originally planned. Every time he tried to break things off with her, she tells him how glad she is that he is her boyfriend and how happy he maker her and all that crap.

'Dude, even running up the hills is easier than that' Sam smiles at him and Freddie can't help but smile back. She does have a point there.

'Probably, but I'm good at hiding'

'Believe me, you are not so good as you think you are.' Sam says while thinking of all the times she could easily find him after he pulled a prank on her. He really was terrible.

'Oh I am, just not at the hiding part'

'Smooth'

'Yeah'

Maybe he can ask Sam to break it up with Elizabeth with him. Not that he would ever do that to Elizabeth, but then Sam can stay with him just a while longer. And she can smile at him and touch his hand or arm. God, he is turning mushy.

'Well I'm going to go, I have spent enough time with you today.

'Nice to see you too Sam'

And there she goes..

'Ah, you love me Benson, and you know it'

_If she only knew how true that was_

Sam stands up and brushes her jeans clean from the dirt that might have gotten there after the time she spend on the chairs. Freddie can't help but look over her again. She just has this electric pull that draws him towards her. No matter where he is, he needs to look at her.

As she starts to walk away, he needs her to give him one last look. He just needs one more Sam laugh thrown towards him. Just one more glance that would make his day worth it.

'Hey Sam, will you join the squad for me' She turns around at hearing her name, but when she hears what he asks he can see her trying not to look disgusted.

'Why?'

'To find myself a cheerleader of course, I mean if I should date a cheerleader, well it has to be you.'

And there it was, a grin spread over Sam face after the surprise washes away. Her face shows the appreciation of the suggestion he is making. She lets out one last snicker before turning away from him, as she walks away he can hear her murmur 'I'll check it out for you'

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Please leave a review to let me know what you thought of this chapter :)


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter sept: hold my hand, hold my heart, let love grow.**

**Author's note: Tadáááá the end. Wow, I can't believe how long it took to write me this. Well, I had actually finished it but I just never took the time to upload it. Shame on me. Anyway I had so much fun writing this. I hope you had fun reading it and please review. (oh by the way, excuses to anyone who speaks French and reads the part that is in French, my French isn't as good as I thought it would be. I apologise.)**

**Disclaimer: **I don't own Icarly.

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An usual Friday, this Friday was supposed to be an usual Friday. But it wasn't. The Friday that Freddie had in mind when he got out of his bed this morning was supposed to be as all his other Fridays, get up at nine, go to class, eat lunch, go to his other class and then go home to do some homework. And everything went according to his plan. His presentation for English went well and he had eaten his lunch at his usual table with his friends. He had even managed to avoid any football players who found it necessary to slam him in the lockers every now and then.

Yes, everything was actually going as he has planned it to go. Except when he saw his locker at the end of sixth period. His locker was covered with yellow post its. Not a single blank greyish place could be found.

He groaned knowing already that this has either to do with a prank pulled by one of the football players or a prank pulled by one Sam Puckett. Noticing that there aren't any violent remarks on the post-its, he guesses that it is the latter of those two.

He wants to rip them all at once from his locker. But something stops him when he sees the post it that is put on the handle of his locker. 'Don't take gifts for granted, Benson. Mama will know if you throw this away'.

What does she mean with that? Now Freddie is seriously considering to rip every post it from his locker. If only he didn't know Sam as well as he does. He takes his phone out of his pocket and calls her.

Voicemail. He should have expected it, Sam usually doesn't pick up her phone unless it is Carly or her mom. So he leaves a message before deciding to call Carly. She is usually up to date with the plans that Sam has for him.

'Hi Freddie' Carly says after only one dial. That girl is quick.

'Hey Carly. Weird question, but do you have any idea why Sam has decorated my locker with post-its?'

'Oh right, wait. I'll be right back'

Freddie hears her put down the phone before he hears her running up the stairs. It only takes her two minutes before she is back on the phone again.

'Are you still there?' Carly asks.

'Yeah, of course.' Freddie says.

'Alright, there we go.' Carly stays silent for a while but then he hears a soft mumbling. He wants to ask Carly to speak up but then she actually starts to speak in language that sounds a lot like Spanish.

'Voulez-vous something. Oh man, my French is crap.' Sam was the one who took French in high school, Carly and Freddie choosing Spanish instead. Sometimes Sam still uses phrases from her French, though mostly it is 'Merde' that she uses.

He can hear Carly sigh through the phone. He is just about to ask her what is wrong when she is talking again.

'You know what, I'm just going to say it. It is a puzzle. You need to put the puzzle together and then you will know what to do next'

'Right', Freddie rolls his eyes. God just his luck, how is he ever going to manage to put together a poster that consists of hundred or more post-its. 'Isn't there another way, Carly? There are like a hundred post-its! How am I supposed to fix this puzzle. Do you know what the message is? Can't you just tell me?'

'Oh Freddie, I am under strict instructions from Sam. She made it very clear that I can't tell you the message or give any other hints.'

'But..god, she is so annoying sometimes'

'I know, but you like her anyhow so…'

'I used to like her that way Carly,' Freddie wants to make his point but is interrupted by Carly once again.

'Oh Freddie, come on' Carly says Freddie doesn't have to see her face to know what kind of face she is pulling right now.

'Fine, fine, but can you at least tell me if it is a good message?'

'It is a good message, a very good message.'

Freddie can't help the grin that crosses his face when he hears that. He has waited for this to happen. He has waited so long.

'Is it to tell me that she loves me? Or that she wants to get back together?'

'I'm not telling you anything, it would ruin the surprise! Now go fix your little puzzle and end these endless situations that you two call games.'

'I don't choose to play these games, Carly. Sam is always starting them..' He wants to argue with Carly but is interrupted by the beep indicating that Carly has hung up.

/

It didn't take him as much time as he had imaged to put the post it puzzle together. He first collected all the post-its in a bucket that he borrowed from the janitor's closet without the janitor knowing. He felt kind of bad about that, but the man has about a thousand of the same buckets in his closet. Freddie was sure that he probably would not even notice that one bucket was gone. (how wrong he was to assume that. But that is a story for another time).

Then he brought the bucket up to his dorm room. Thank god he had a room on his own and did he no longer live with his mom. If he lived with his mom right now she would want to know what he had in his hand and what he was going to do with it. God, she might actually offer to help.

When he got home it was actually time to start the puzzle. After a while (two hours and fifteen minutes) he had the puzzle completed and he was able to read the message that was written across the post-its. It was a poem if you could call it that.

les violettes sont bleues,  
cela est votreindice final.  
viennent à la maison,  
où levainqueur duconcours de cuisinevies.

Just like Carly Freddie had chosen to take Spanish when he was in high school. But he was dating Sam when they were still in high school and sometimes she would take the time to teach him a few things and in return he would teach her Spanish. His French wasn't as good as it used to be when he still practiced it with Sam. But he understood where he needed to go, and that is all that matters.

The moment he got to Carly's he started to look at all the hiding places that Sam has used before. Like under the cushions of the couch where he had found his wallet once after it was missing for one week. He looked in the sugar pot where Sam used to keep her collection of German ham. He looked in the fridge because god knows what Sam has kept there. But he couldn't find anything that looked like a clue, though of course the clue being from Sam he could never be too sure.

He was just about to give up when a thought occurred to him. He had forgotten to look at Sam's favourite spot in the Shay's house. When he reached the attic, it was clear that this is where he was supposed to go. He could still smell the meat snacks that Sam carries around with her.

On the car at the back of the studio stood a lonely converse shoe with a heart on its white sole. Underneath the shoe was a note attached. Another post-it, of course. This one said something in a language that Freddie had never seen before. He figured that it was Dutch, since that was the only language that Sam every took time to learn because she had always wanted to go to Amsterdam.

_Als je de andere schoen wilt vinden, _

_Kom dan naar het park. _

_4 uur, op het plein met de fontein._

When Freddie had translated the message (thank you, google translate), it was a quarter to four so he had to run to be on time at the park. When he got there, he saw the other shoe stand alone on the fountain. But this one was in a other colour (_red) _than the one that he found on the attic (_black)_. Even more strange, this one was a total different size than the one that he found on the attic.

He was so focused on the two shoes and what the hell Sam was trying to communicate that he didn't hear the person coming up behind him. He almost jumped when he heard a soft voice behind him. So soft he almost didn't recognize it as the voice of his other best friend, his enemy, his former girl-friend, the blonde one of their trio. He turned so fast he thought he might have a whiplash, but he just wanted to see her.

"So Benson, I believe you have something for me', Sam said holding two other converse shoes up. They were identical to the pair that I had in my hands with one minor detail. The one that was red had a little heart on the sole, he recognised them now as his old pair. When he looked at Sam, she had the biggest smile on her face he has ever seen and he couldn't help it but smile back.

'I believe I do'.

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Translations: (the french translation is done roughly because my french isn't as good as it used to be)

Violets are blue.  
This is your last clue.  
Go to the house where we defeated the cook

/

If you want to find the other shoe,  
Then come to the parc,  
4 pm, at the fountain.


End file.
