Sam walked into the Shays bathroom. Carly was already there, inspecting her hair-do and prom dress. She turned around to look at Sam with joy.
"You look so pretty." She said jumping up and down.
"Thanks. So do you."
They pulled all their makeup out of the cabinets, including mascara, foundation and lipgloss.
"I just love your dress. Did Sarah take you?"
"I ordered it online with my mom's credit card." Sam said with pride as she pressed down the pump of her M.A.C. foundation. "So I didn't go anywhere except to my computer." Her dress was exceptionally beautiful. It was an Alyce design for sure. The stunning strapless tulle bell sparkled in a lightly stirred lame bodice. The beaded appliqués created a shining effect on the bodice. And the silver color was sure to catch everyone's eye. "Where'd you get your dress?"
"This store which name I do not remember." Said Carly. Her dress was nice too; strapless like Sam's, lilac, and a-line gown corseted in the back. It had a wrapped style bodice and "front-over skirt" and beaded accents on the bodice and skirt. Her hair was wavy instead of her usual strait look as Sam's curls were straightened.
"You never told me who your date was." Said Sam as she brushed Avon waterproof mascara against her eyelashes.
"You'll see. You'll love him."
"Did I meet him before?"
Carly shrugged playfully. "Maybe." She said in a funny voice.
"So do you think Freddie will like it?" Sam asked.
"Your dress? He'll tell you that you look beautiful. Besides, he loves silver."
Sam listened as she applied a gentle pink lipgloss which she wore everyday since eighth grade. Then she got out her favorite perfume from Thierry Muglar and sprayed the violet fumes in her hair.
"Freddies waiting in the lobby and my date will be here soon." Said Carly.
"I'm almost done." Said Sam. She looked inside her silver clutch to make sure she had everything; Camera, breath spray, emergency foundation and cellphone; all there. At that moment, Spencer's wife Sarah came in.
"Hello beauties." She greeted. The girls were always happy to see her. Their excitement grew because Sarah had been carrying a six month old fetus. The girls went over to hug her gently. "I can't believe it's finally happening."
"Were more excited for you." Said Carly. "I'm gonna have a nephew!"
"Ahh, but this is the biggest dance of your life!" said Sarah. "You've been looking forward to this night your entire night!"
"We just hope it's everything we wanted." Said Sam.
"That reminds me of my prom..." Sarah was looking back at her memories.
"What happened at your prom?"
"My date..." Sarah began her story. "...Was two feet taller than myself. To make the goodnight kiss less awkward, I went out and bought three inch high heels. And on the way to school, his truck broke down."
"Oh no." said Sam. "What happened?"
"We walked two miles to the gym. And when I got there, I was tired. That night, we didn't dance at all. We just sat at a table and talked all night long."
"Girls!" Spencer called. "We'll be in the lobby!"
"OK!" both girls yelled.
"I'll see you gorgeous girls down." Sarah blew a kiss at them and followed her husband down the elevator.
"Well, this is it." Said Carly.
"Our senior prom..."
"Well..."
The girls faced one another and screamed as they did when excitement invaded them. They both took deep breaths and chuckled a few times. Sam went back to the refrigerator to get Freddie's boutonnière. Carly pressed the elevator button and they hovered to the lobby.
"Nervous?"
"Why?" Sam questioned. "I've been on several dates with Freddie. We'd be married by now if it wasn't for the age law."
The door opened. Lewbert was fast asleep on his desk. Sam's parents and Freddie's dad were having a long conversation about their carriers while Freddie was talking to Spencer, Sarah, Grandpa Shay and Mrs. Benson and some other kid. He was black with long dreadlocks and his tuxedo was rather casual with the purple vest underneath his jacket.
"Your date is Harper?" Sam exclaimed.
"I didn't feel comfertable asking Jake." Said Carly. "He got himself a date."
When Sam saw Freddie more clearly, she couldn't speak. He looked so handsome. Good thing his mother didn't make him wear a suit she made. He had a nicely tailored black suit, flawless at every inch with one of Spencer's silver light-up neck ties. His tie matched her dress.
He reacted the same way to Sam. He was nearly speechless, seeing her wearing his favorite color.
"Hello handsome." She said as she went over to her date.
"Wow... oh my god."
"You look good too."
"Not just good, beautiful. My tie... it matches your dress..."
Sam nearly blushed at his compliment. Then she remembered the flower for his jacket. Out of the plastic container, the florist put two pins in there.
"Ok, I've been practicing, so chill." She joked as she took the white rose and looked for a spot on his jacket.
"Ouch!"
Sam stepped back.
"I'm kidding." He teased. "That doesn't hurt."
"Oh, stop it!" she playfully slapped him. "Almost done..." she was glad to get it on. It wasn't her best. She practiced the day before with her dads wedding jacket and pinned her fingers a couple of times. It was much harder than it looked in the teen movies.
"This should be much easier..." he said as he took the white corsage from his mother.
"Oh it's pretty."
"Yeah. I was arguing with my mom at the flower store."
"I take it you didn't pick it out."
"Yeah, I had a little trouble..."
He applied it to her wrist and then watched as Carly and Harper copied them.
"The limos waiting outside."
"Pictures first." Mrs. Benson insisted.
"Oh take my camera!" said Sam. She took out her Canon Power Shot digital camera as Carly pulled out her red Promaster.
The four stood in front of the front desk. A few pictures were of the whole group, some of Carly and Harper and a couple of Freddie with both girls. The last ones were of Freddie and Sam and they weren't in any boring position. He wrapped his arms around her waist right in front of his mother. Before they left, Sam and Calry took a picture of Sarah where they had their hands on the bump.
"Everyone's waiting in the limo." Harper reminded them. "We better head off. The place is pretty far from here."
"Where are we going anyway?" Sam asked.
"It's a surprise." Said Freddie. "The prom committee just told us to go to the pier of Lake Christina."
"Prom on a dock?" Carly shrugged. "I don't like it."
"It just might be different." Said Freddie. "Let's leave before my mother cries."
The group agreed as they headed out the doors. The black super stretch limo was pulled up by the curb and the chauffer was waited by the door. The man in the uniform opened the door with his gloved hand.
"Good afternoon." He said as he bowed.
"Oh, fancy." Said Carly. "Thank you, it is very nice."
Waiting for them were Jake Randall, his date Wendy, Valerie and Jonah. They applauded as the other half of the group got inside. Sam started saying hi to everyone and got overexcited. Everyone looked amazing. Like Sam and Freddie, Valerie and Jonah matched. Valerie was wearing a lowcut pink baby doll dress that looked more suitable for homecoming. Jonah had on a pink spotted tie.
"Val, it's good to see you." Said Carly. Since Valerie was a year higher, she wasn't in their class. But she got out of her freshman year of college a week before and since she was dating Jonah, he immediately asked her.
Freddie couldn't believe the size of the limo. There was a bar, fish tank and Guitar Hero on a big TV. The enguine roared and Freddie went to the bar to make drinks. Orange juice and sprite were mixed together and poured into eight glasses. The gang banged the glasses together and toasted the big night.
"No, I'm telling you, that producer is an imbassol." Said Freddie. "He tried to ruin iCarly."
A deep conversation sprung out right as the car pulled out and went on the highway.
"He added a dinosaur named 'Zeebo'." Said Carly. "Who knew preschoolers liked the show?"
"And then they fired me!" Sam complained. "They replaced me with Amber Tate!"
"Amber Tate!" Jonah exclaimed. "Shes hot!"
Valerie glared at him evilly.
"Not as hot as you dear..." he covered.
"So you guys." Wendy began. "You all know Tasha James in the president of the prom committee. She spent three hundred thousand dollars over budget."
"Stop." Said Jonah.
"Her daddy wrote a big check."
"What could she have possibly spent three hundred thousand dollars on?"
"Rich bitch." Sam explained. "Maybe for rich food and real decorations?"
"No." said Jonah. "I can't believe that crap."
"Ok..." said Sam. She took out her Canon. "Picture time. Get into a wacky pose!"
The gang got into silly poses and made funny pictures. Then they peeked their heads out of the sunroof. Townspeople held signs saying, "Congrats '12" and "Go Seniors!" They even saw other promgoers, in their cars, on buses and on motorcycles and in trucks. They all waved to them.
"How faraway is this place anyway?" Sam moaned impatiently.
"Were almost there." Said the limo driver.
Sam peeked out the sunroof once more and jumped down screaming.
"What?"
"Our prom... is on a cruise."
"No way!" Jake opened the window and looked out at Lake Christina. An enormous luxury ship stood with pride in the middle of the lake.
"Oh my god." Carly muttered astonished. "Tell the driver to go faster."
"Were here." The driver said. The graduates immediately got out of the car so the chauffer had no excuse to open the doors for them. Jake tipped the driver and caught up with the rest of the gang. The dock was crowded with seniors dressed up for a night of glamour, dancing and burning romance. They were all waiting in line for rides to the boat. Gondoliers in striped shirts made several trips back and forth.
"How many in your group?" Mr. Howard asked. He may have been a junior high teacher but they seemed to enjoy running senior prom.
"Eight." Said Carly. An elegant gondola pulled up next to the dock. Freddie helped Sam get on as the gondolier held out his hand for everyone else. Freddie and Sam got to lie down in the back while the others had to sit on the little benches.
"Hey, Carls." Sam called. "Take a picture of us."
Carly took Sam's camera and took a shot of Sam and Freddie cuddled close. The boat pulled to a station where crewmen in fine uniforms waited to pull out the passengers. Sam almost fainted at what she was seeing. As all of the students entered the boat, Ms. Briggs waited at the front.
"Good afternoon ladies and gentlemen." She said. "My, my, do you ladies look beautiful. Is that you Sam?"
"Yeah, it's me." Sam obviously wasn't thrilled to see Francine as one of the supervisors. "What's wrong with you, you're so nice to me."
"Sam." Carly muttered.
"I see you haven't changed since my English class Samantha."
"Never will." Sam smirked with pride. "Make sure you check all the others for tequila." At that, the group passed her and proceeded into the ballroom.
The whole place looked amazing. Tables had been assorted with blue tablecloths and baby blue roses. A dance floor was set up in front of the stage where the band was setting up. Half the wall was a giant TV screen where they must have been showing music videos to the songs they were going to play. For extra space, the balconies had more spots for more groups to have a few drinks and dance. When people looked up, they'd see a huge glass ceiling with the ships logo in the center.
Right away, they realized they were at the prom of the era. No party could outrun what this one had. It was on a boat, they served drinks, the dance floor was huge and they must have planned a gourmet dinner. Jake went to the front desk to get keys to the suite. As he stood in line, Gibby, the school geek was waiting behind him.
"Can I help you sir?" the college student behind the desk asked Jake.
"Eight keys to a suite." He said.
"Any suite?"
"Yes sir."
The man at the desk nodded and went out in the back. Thirty seconds later, he came out with eight keys to suite three-zero-six.
"There you go, enjoy the prom."
"Thank you sir."
Then it was Gibby's turn. Before he requested room keys, he asked if he could have a suite on the third floor. The man behind the desk shrugged and got him three keys.
"Ahh, look." Said Sam in a taunting tone. "It's Gibby."
"No flower." Said Wendy. "Not surprising."
The girls watched Gibby walk toward Jeremy and Nevel who waited for him by one of the marble podiums. They didn't have buttoners on their jackets either. Sam snickered to herself as Jeremy sneezed into a customized handkerchief. Jake returned with the keys and the real party began.
-NEXT SCENE-
Dinner was just served. The group shared a seafood platter of garlic shrimp, s-cargo, caviar, calamari, scallops and mussels. The main dish was a lobster with melted butter. Most people didn't finish, but Sam finished the whole thing. "I'm going to put my stuff away." Said Sam. She picked up her purse.
"I'm coming with you." Said Carly.
The other two girls agreed to go up with her. They entered the glass elevator and waited until the door opened again.
"Sam, Gibby's starring at you funny." Said Wendy. "Haven't you noticed?"
"Maybe it's because he asked me to the prom."
"He what?" all the girls gasped as they entered the suite. It was just as if they won a week stay at a luxury hotel. The suite had four bedrooms, a bathroom twice the size necessary and a bar. Sam opened the closet and tossed her clutch up to the top shelf. Carly and Wendy laid down on the nearest bed while Valerie went over to the bar and got out a bottle of Caribbean Banana Rum.
"How come you never told me?" she asked after her first chug.
"Val, are you drinking?" Sam asked.
"Who cares if I am?"
"Uh... we do." Said Carly.
"We told you to stop." Said Sam. "You promised."
"Like the way you promised to quit smoking?"
At that moment when Sam turned around to glance at her, a cigarette was lit and in her mouth.
"Sam..." Wendy moaned with a sigh.
"I'm trying!" Sam snapped as smoke fumed out of her mouth. "It's not easy!"
"She's right." Said Valerie. "I couldn't quit, even if I wanted too."
Val's friends glanced at her shocked. Carly was about to yell when Wendy brought back up the subject of Gibby.
"How did he ask you out?"
"Gibby?"
"Yeah."
Sam chuckled. "He thinks that I like him just because I bully him all the time. Good lord."
"Well what happened."
"He came up to me a few weeks ago at my locker and started talking to me in his geeky language, so of coarse I didn't understand it. It wasn't as confusing as the way Ruben talked..."
"I remember Ruben. He was weird." Said Carly.
"Then Gibby kissed me."
"Woah, he kissed you?"
"I'm not done yet." Said Sam. "Freddie still dosent know. It would make him jealous. And here's the funny thing; Germy and Nevel asked me out too. Anyway, I'm heading back down."
Sam smeaed the cigarette on the ashtray and left without another word. As she walked toward the elevator, the doors opened and Jeremy stepped through. He let out a gigantic sneeze which startled Sam.
"I'm sorry Sam." He said. "Did I get any on you?"
"No, I hope not." Said Sam.
"Don't you look nice tonight."
"Thanks." And at that, Sam passed through. The tone of her voice and the new cigarette between her fingers were a meaning of 'get lost'. Jeremy made his way down the hall and into his room. Nevel was standing by the bar, drinking Irish Beer.
"So..." he started in his newly drunk voice. "How do we get in?"
"Wait for the maid to arrive..." said Gibby. The turned around and saw him in a dark corner. "We'll stab her and throw her in the bathtub, then take her key."
"That's dark." Said Jeremy before he sneezed again.
"Well its payback time for what Sam has done to us." Gibby exclaimed. They were just graduating high school and the boys were going to different collages than Sam was. Of course, they'd probably never see her until the reunion. But they didn't want to say goodbye without giving her their special present.
"Just a couple of more hours." Said Gibby. "Nevel, you watch Sam. Jeremy, wait for an employee to come and ask them to come in the suite."
His minions obeyed him eagerly. Gibby watched them leave and sat back onto the bed.
"Revenge is sweet..."
-NEW SCENE-
Lights burst off and neon lasers shot through the darkness. Mamma Mia! blasted though all the speakers as Freddie and Sam danced like never before. The scene from the movie was playing on the giant screen. From the ceiling, purple sequins danced down to the ground. Everyone was having the time of their lives. Nevel sat down at an empty table and watched her. The fast song ended early and a slow, loving song came on. The light settings changed and everyone was paired up and swaying slowly to the music.
Freddie pushed back a strand of Sam's long hair and leaned his forehead against hers. Her arms clung around his neck as he stroked her hair. He kissed her forehead and gently pushed Sam's head to his chest. They were in pure bliss. Four minutes later, the song ended and Carly called them over.
-NEW SCENE-
"Excuse me miss." Jeremy ran over to the old maid in the hallway. She was around sixty years old with white hair and frail arms.
"Can I help you?" she sounded tired and exhausted.
"There's a spill in my suite. A friend of mine accidently dropped some rum on the sheets."
The old woman sighed and nodded her head.
"I'll be right in with a new sheet."
"Thank you."
Jeremy stepped into his room and waited. Gibby stood at the corner, a seven inch knife in his hand.
"Is she coming?"
"Yes."
At that, the door knocked. Jeremy answered it and the maid stepped in with the sheet covering most of her body. Jeremy closed the door and silently clicked it locked. The old woman raised her shaggy eyebrows in confusion.
"I don't see a stain."
"It's there." Said Gibby. "It's just hard to see."
The maid bent down and looked closer. Still confused, she fogged her glasses with her breath and wiped them. Gibby stepped behind her and put the knife in front of her neck. At that, blood burst out like a flood breaking the great wall that tried to hold it. It burst onto the old white sheet before the old woman dropped dead on the floor.
Immediately, the boys went through her uniform and found the master card she used to get in all the rooms. Jeremy dialed Nevel.
"Get the lifeboat ready." He told him. "Step one is complete."
-NEW SCENE-
The group sat at a table. All of them, including Carly had drinks in their hands.
"Cheers!" they softly tapped the glasses together and took a sip of the expensive champagne.
"So were finally done with high school." Said Harper. "Amen to that!"
"Yeah, and then were going to different universities." Valerie whimpered.
"I know." Said Wendy. "What if we never see each other again?"
"Don't act like that now." Said Freddie. "Because soon, everyone's going to get emotional and everyone's going to cry and it drives me nuts."
"Same here." Said Sam.
"But still." Said Wendy. "What if I never saw you again Sam?"
Sam didn't reply to that.
"Exactly. And were all going to different colleges except Jake and Harper who are going to the same one. I'm going to New York in three months."
"And I'll be off in Ireland." Said Freddie.
"Am I the only person going to school in Seattle?" Sam asked a little repulsed.
"You can visit Spencer and Sarah anytime you want. Maybe they'll let you babysit Larry. That's what their going to name him."
"Maybe."
Sam sighed.
"I need a breather."
"You're not going upstairs to smoke." Said Carly.
"I said I needed a breather."
Sam got up. No one went up to follow her but Freddie stood up and took her hand. When he saw her face again, there were tears in her eyes.
"Sam... What's wrong?"
"Don't you get it? We may never see each other again!"
"Sam that's crazy. I'll never go through a day without talking to you in someway."
"Freddie, I love you. I just don't think I can be away from you that long. You're going to Ireland for God's sake!"
"Long distances will never separate us." Freddie held Sam close. "I will always love you, and when we graduate, I'm going to ask you an important question."
Sam smiled and let the last tear out.
"I'll count the minutes." She said. "I need to go upstairs and take a breather."
Freddie nodded.
"I'll be back soon."
-NEW SCENE-
Gibby's large figure stood in the second closet of Sam's suite. He saw her purse in the first one and suspected she'd open the closet. No, that wasn't his plan. He was wearing a bellhop's uniform of who he murdered and hid in his suite moments ago. A cart stood outside the door and Jeremy hid underneath. Sam walked in quietly and flicked on the light. Gibby was correct when he predicted she'd get her purse and probably sit down for a bit. He watched her walk into the restroom.
Sam opened her purse and took out a container of pills. She filled a glass with water and swallowed one of the pills. Then she washed her face, applied a new layer of foundation on her face and reapplied her lipgloss before she went back out again. At that moment, Gibby stepped out and took a spray bottle out of his jacket. He stood in front of the door. The moment Sam saw him a feeling of terror had grown inside her.
"It's payback time for the way you've treated me." He said darkly.
"What do you mean?" Sam backed away a few steps insecurely. At first she thought he wasn't serious.
"You know what I mean. You're going to rue everything you've done to me."
"Gibby this isn't funny. Get out of here!" she backed off more and tripped on the leg of one of the beds.
"No Sam. I'm not leaving until I'm happy." He hovered over her as she still backed away with only her arms. The wall stopped her from going any further.
"What?" she was more confused than afraid now. Gibby sprayed the liquid from the bottle into her eyes and watched her eyelids fall down. He grinned proudly picked her up in his arms.
"Phase Two, complete."
To be continued...
Yeah, I made it so long I had to do two parts. I know you've been waiting a long time for this and I apologize for the delay.