"Guys... I just realised what time it is," Sam laughed, as the elevator doors slid open. She stopped dead; the words "The store hasn't opened yet" dying on her lips.

Carly was lying beside Freddie; their hands entwined as they kissed each other fiercely.

"Oh my God," Sam breathed, as Carly sat up, a look of apologetic horror on her face.

Freddie shot up too, running a hand through his messed-up hair and dropping Carly's hand.

"It wasn't what it looked like!" Carly cried, aware of just how stupid she sounded. She felt tears begin to well up in her eyes; she was going to lose Sam.

"Okay," Sam said, her voice so quiet, close to breaking. She sat down heavily, her long blonde hair fanning out across her back as she bent forwards, determined not to cry, not to give in.

She was Sam, she was strong and she could get through this.

"I'm going home," Freddie whispered, and he stood up. Carly stood with him, and watched as he left the room.

"Sam?"

"Fuck off," Sam murmured.

Carly burst into tears, and soon Sam was crying; screw it, she could cry once a year, couldn't she?

"I'm so so sorry, Sam," Carly sobbed, standing there in the middle of the iCarly studio as everything crashed around her; her best friends; nothing was the same any more.

"Yeah, I know," Sam sniffed. She composed herself, wiped her eyes fiercely on her sleeve and stood up. "I'm going home."

"Want me to get you a taxi?" Carly offered shakily.

"Nope," Sam said, popping her lips, attempting to sound casual as she scooped up her bag and walked slowly down the stairs. She heard Carly's sobs behind her and revelled in the sound; before she got into the elevator and closed her eyes, sinking back against the door.

She left the building, grateful that Lewbert was asleep somewhere, and stood outside in the cold morning.

She walked into the street, which was deserted. She couldn't see much any more, silent angry tears were pouring down her face.

She sat down after a while, leaning her back against the cold brick of a huge block of offices. She closed her eyes, flung her head back and howled.

"Excuse me."

Sam slowly became aware that somebody was shaking her shoulder. She looked up into the face of a woman, who was heavily made up to disguise the bruises across her cheeks.

"Are you okay, hon?" the woman asked.

"Yes," Sam said fiercely.

"Man trouble?" the woman asked, sliding down the wall to sit beside Sam. She dug in her purse and pulled out a compact, expertly re-applying foundation and examining her face from all angles. Satisfied, she turned back to Sam.

"Yes," Sam said darkly. "And my best - my ex-best friend."

"Aw, hon," the woman said, shaking her head. "You don't wanna bother with stuff like that. You think you've got problems now; what'll happen when you go to school and you've got no friends to hang about with, huh? No man's worth losing a friendship, take it from me."

"Thanks," Sam said shakily, standing up. "But I don't take advice from whores," she added, spikily, and ran off.

She ended up a few blocks away; mind swimming and her head aching.
She was a mile or so from home, but she didn't want to go back just yet. She walked some more, ignoring the pain in her feet and concentrating on the ache in her chest. She jumped as her cell phone vibrated, and pulled it out of her pocket to see "Freddie calling" flash up on her screen.

"Hello," she said, hesitantly.

"Hi," Freddie said, sounding breathless. "Where are you?"

Sam shrugged, then said, "I don't know. Why?"

"Carly's really upset, she thought you might have got hit by a bus or something," Freddie said, and Sam could hear the smile in his voice.

"Haha," she said bitterly. "No, I haven't got hit by a bus. I just didn't want to spend any more time in that back-stabbing bitch's apartment, thanks." She was on the verge of snapping her phone shut, but Freddie murmured,
"I'm really sorry, Sam."

"For what?" Sam asked, deadpan.

"Kissing Carly, not believing you... It's not like you to get this upset about something, so I know you must - " he swallowed, " - like me?"

"Well, I did," Sam said. "But you like Carly now, right?"

"I've always liked Carly," Freddie admitted, though something in his voice made Sam cling to the little hope she had.

"But?" she asked, sensing that word was coming next.

"But there might be a chance... If we can, you know, start over," Freddie said haltingly.

Sam fought to keep the smile from her face. "I'll come round in an hour."

Freddie laughed. "I was thinking more like twenty minutes."

"I need an hour to get ready, trust me," Sam remarked coolly. She hung up the phone, then stared at it for a long time.

A passing taxi was rewarded with an excited shriek of "Taxi!" from Sam, as she told the driver her address.