When Carly walked into school the next day, part of her was scared that nothing had changed. That people would continue to ask about her elicit lesbian affair with her best friend. She didn't know if she could handle another day of that. No, she was sure she couldn't.

It didn't seem to matter how she felt, though, because no one was in the mood to talk to her. Everyone she said 'hi' to, everyone she waved at, they'd all just glare at her and continue on muttering in hushed voices. It was even more shocking to her system than the constant congratulations.

In first period, Mrs. Anderson seemed to be a lot happier with her. She not only called Carly's first name this time, but also gave her a big smile. She was the only one, it seemed.

She was completely shunned in the hallways. One girl, who she didn't know, approached her with deepest loathing etched into her features and, without speaking, communicated a death threat. Carly was mortified. She ran to the bathroom, immediately locking herself into a stall and pressing her back into the door.

This had never happened to her before. People liked her, always liked her. And those who didn't, well she probably never found out about them because Sam was always at her side.

There was a gentle knocking on her door that made her jump all the same. She spun around and stared at the Converse on the other side.

"Carly?"

It was, thankfully, a voice she recognized.

"Wendy?"

Carly unlocked the door and pulled it open. Despite knowing the face, she almost wished she had left the door shut. Wendy's eyes were squinted into a hateful glare, her mouth at the ready to fire abuse Carly's way. She stared at the girl she had only yesterday considered a friend and wondered what she could possibly have done wrong.

"Did I do something wrong?" She asked.

This, apparently, was the wrong question. Wendy swallowed hard and rolled her eyes, stalking over to the door and flipping the lock. It was then that Carly noticed how alone they were.

"Wendy?" Her voice sounded weak. Meek. She could hear it.

Wendy strode back over to her, backing Carly into the stall and slamming her hands on either side of her head. Carly was shaking. Images of her dead body found on a bathroom floor circled through Carly's mind.

"What gives you the right to do this to her?" Wendy yelled in Carly's face. "You think you're too good for her?"

Carly opened and closed her mouth soundlessly for several moments. "Who?"

Wendy slammed her hands into the stall again. "You know damn well who I'm taking about!"

Carly put her hands up in surrender. "No, no, there's been a misunderstanding." She pleaded.

"I think you're the only one who's misunderstanding." Wendy whispered in her ear.

Carly walked out of the bathroom a few minutes later, nursing a swollen and bleeding bottom lip. Her feet led on autopilot to her math class. She went to her normal seat, quickly taking notice of how empty the seats around her were. She lifted her head and realized people were even leaning against the wall to avoid sitting next to her. She sighed heavily, dropping her head and sitting down. Sam wasn't there. Her math teacher didn't look at her once.

Lunchtime eventually showed up. She sat outside, completely alone. Freddie seemed to be under the impression he would come to bodily harm if he spoke to her. At least, that's what she kept telling herself. Sam was nowhere to be seen. Figures.

Everyone seemed to be angry with her. She couldn't walk down a hall without a foot sticking out, hoping to trip her. People also apparently forgot her name and were exclusively calling her 'that bitch.' Everywhere she looked, her peers were talking loudly and cruelly about her.

The tears were already flowing by the time she entered sixth period and didn't stop until she got home and fell into her brother's arms. He held her for several minutes, readjusting her into a more comfortable position on the couch as he stroked her hair. When he deemed it safe to speak, he shifted her so he could look into her eyes.

"What happened?"

Her head pounded, her vision was blurred, but she garbled out, "I don't know."

He hugged her tightly against him again. "Did you get into a fight? Your lip's busted."

"I don't know." She cried into his shirt. "I don't know what's going on!"

"What do you mean?" Spencer pressed gently.

"I went to school this morning and everyone hated me!" A fresh wave of tears washed down her face at her own words.

"Everyone hated you?" Spencer exclaimed. "Why?"

"I don't know!"

He held her until she could no longer produce tears. Then he laid her down on the couch, tucked a blanket around her and went into the kitchen to make her some cocoa and get something cold for her lip. By the time he got back, she was fast asleep, having used up all her energy. He stood again, setting down the cocoa, and heading over to shut off the lights when the door burst open, in rushing blonde hair, which he soon realized was attached to Sam.

"Sam!" He whispered to get her attention and put a finger to his lips before pointing at Carly.

She looked even worse than Carly. Her clothes were torn, a shiny bruise forming on her left cheek. She was panting hard, leaning into the door as she nodded.

"What happened?" He mouthed at Sam.

She rolled her eyes. "People are stupid." She mouthed back.

He watched her slump over to the couch and curl up next to Carly. After a moment, he decided to leave them be and headed into his bedroom.

Carly awoke when the sky had turned dark. She sat up with a start; feeling like her face was twice the size it usually was from her swollen eyes and lip. Then she noticed a curled up body next to her, warm and blonde. She jumped on the body and shook it awake.

Sam looked surprised at first, but understanding quickly dawned on her face. "Carly, I'm so sorry. I tried to stop them, I really did. But I can only kick so many asses a day, you know. There just wasn't enough time. When I heard what Wendy did, I-" Sam rambled, but Carly cut her off.

"What happened?" She asked curtly.

Sam's expression left her face, replaced by one that seemed very neutral and very dead. "I did what you told me to. I told everyone that we aren't together."

Carly's jaw dropped. "That's what today was about? Everyone hates me because you told them we aren't together?"

"I think they took it as you broke up with me." Sam shrugged, rolling her eyes. "People are stupid."

"So what? Why would people have that big of a reaction at all? What do they care?" Carly exclaimed.

Sam shrugged again. "I didn't think they'd make that big of a deal, either, but they did." She rubbed her lips together. "I think it's because of iCarly."

"What does the show have to do with anything?" Carly questioned incredulously.

"Oh, come on, Carly. We're kind of famous." Sam pointed out.

"So?"

"Think about it. How many fans do you think we have?"

"I don't know, a lot?"

"Exactly. And how many of those do you think have been waiting to find out we're actually together?"

Carly frowned at her. "I didn't think any of them were."

"Open your eyes, Carly. You're pretty and girly. I'm tomboyish and funny. You're a brunette, I'm blonde. We compliment each other in so many ways!" Sam exclaimed. "And you don't think our viewers didn't notice? You don't think some of them sit at home and watch our show and think about whether we're together or not?"

Carly shrugged. "I guess I never really thought about it before, so I didn't really consider if anyone else did."

It was then, sitting on the couch with Sam, that Carly realized the last time she had been so close to her best friend Sam had kissed her. Kissed her. Carly jumped back off the couch, blushing from her hairline to her toes.

"So, this was a good talk, I think we've figured everything out."

Sam stood, frowning at Carly with her eyebrows raised. "What have we got figured out? I've been fighting all day and you like you've taken a few hits yourself. We need to figure out a way to end all of this."

"Well, that's something we could do through a phone call, right? We don't have to do that now." Carly could hear the panic in her voice, there was no way Sam didn't.

"Is something wrong, Carly?" Sam asked, stepping closer.

Carly moved several feet back towards the stairs. "Nothing, nothing's wrong. I'm fine. I'm great. I'm so fabulous, you have no idea."

"Why are you freaking out?" Sam questioned, stepping ever closer.

"I'm not freaking out!" Carly exclaimed, clambering up a few steps.

"You are totally freaking out! And now isn't the time!" Sam paused, staring at Carly for a moment. "Maybe we should do a web show."

Carly stopped momentarily in her freaking out to frown at Sam. "Uh, we already do. Its called iCarly."

"I know that!" Sam snapped. "I mean we should do one tonight, explaining everything so people will stop hating you."

"How are we supposed to explain everything? I don't even know everything!" Carly yelled at her best friend. "I'm a victim in this whole thing! You do a web show and explain everything!"

"I said I was sorry, Carly! What else can I do?"

"Yeah, you said you were sorry and then you made things worse!"

Carly was steadily backing up the stairs, Sam following closely as they argued.

"I was only doing what you told me to!" Sam defended. "You told me to tell everyone we aren't together!"

"That's not what I'm talking about!"

"Then what are you talking about?"

"I'm taking about-" She broke off, having reached the top of the stairs and the entrance to her bedroom. She tried to get inside and slam the door shut, shoving Sam out, but was unsuccessful in her attempts. Sam followed her in, shutting the door with a light click behind her.

"What are you talking about?" She asked again, in a much softer tone.

Carly stared at her, mixed emotions raging through her body. She couldn't tell them apart or differentiate between the different feelings at all. So, instead of yelling or crying or some other expression, she sat down on her bed and put her head in her hands.

"Carly?" Sam whispered as she approached. "Carly, what's going on? What are you so upset about?"

Carly lifted her head back up, staring at Sam as if she'd never seen her before. "How could you put me through all of this?" She asked in a whisper.

Sam open and closed her mouth. "I-"

"First you tell everyone we're together, and you have yet to tell me why you did that, by the way, and then you won't give me any answers and you avoid me. And then," Carly licked her lips, wondering whether she should really continue or not. "And then, you kiss me, and you tell everyone we aren't together, so now everyone hates me."

Sam made another go at speaking, but failed. "I-"

"What do you want from me?"

Sam stood there for several moments, frozen. Then she shrugged and headed for the door. That was all Carly had really expected. But it hurt, all the same.

Sam paused momentarily at the door, her head down, her hand on the knob. "I'm in love with you." She muttered before she walked out, leaving teardrops on the wood floor.