iDo Care - By: Annie Ray

iDo Care

by: Annie Ray

Fandom: iCarly

"So," Freddie says as we step into the elevator, "Feels good to finally be free again, huh?" I nod and look behind me to see Carly helping a still-dizzy Spencer into the lobby. Ms. Benson and T-Bo are even farther behind them, arguing about shampoo from Jamaica. My stomach lets out a loud grumble and Freddie raises his eyebrows. I need food; real food not that gross Norwegian chizz Norah and her crazy mom tried feeding us.

Freddie has his finger pressed on the hold button, keeping the doors open for everyone else. My stomach growls once again as Spencer falls to the ground and yells something that sounds like, "Am I still spinning?" My mind flashes to the ham sitting in the fridge a few floors above us, and I'm pretty sure there's some leftover chicken.

"Geez, Benson, just go. They're taking forever and mama needs meat!" I yell, still watching as everyone else tries to help Spencer up.

"Sam, I think we should wait for-" I pinch his shoulder and he winces in pain, "Okay, going up." He says as he releases his finger and the doors close. "So much for freedom." He mutters under his breath and I roll my eyes.

"You're ridiculous. You know, if I wouldn't have had that pen we'd still be stuck there." I say and cross my arms with a heavy breath, refusing to look at him. And even though I'm not, even though I can't see his face I know that his eyebrows are raised and he's breathing through his mouth—just like he does every time he's mad at me. I'd never admit it out loud but, I have this boys mannerisms memorized.

"Well, if it weren't for the chip in my head and the fact that I knew it needed to be shorted out-"

"I care about you." I turn and yell in his face, cutting him off from whatever he was saying. He gives me a confused look and shakes his head as if to say, 'what?'

"No you don't." He crosses his arms and stares at the door, just as we come to the right floor and the door is about to ding open, I hit the stop button.

"What do you think I am?" He opens his mouth and starts to answer but I hold up my hand, "I told you I loved you, didn't I? Does that mean nothing to you? Do you not realize that I have said that to… Oh, wait, no one."

"You mean...?" I shake my head, "What about your mom? Or your 'sister'" He puts air quotes around sister and I can't help but roll my eyes. Spite everything I've ever believed, I trust this nub. The fact that he doesn't see that, the fact that he won't trust me back or realize that I really do care about him drives me insane.

"It doesn't matter." I turn so we're face-to-face, "But get one thing straight, I do care about you. I don't want to, but I do. And I thought we had a deal… I thought... I thought we just needed time, you know for you to get more abnormal."

"Or you to get more normal." He quickly adds and I smile. "I'm sorry, I just thought that you were back to, you know, hating me?"

"Well, I'll always hate you," I nudge him jokingly, "But I'll also always love you." I divert my eyes, embarrassed to be so bold with my emotions.

"Fair enough." He nods once and I give him a weak smile. I hit the button and the elevator doors swing open. We walk silently down the hall until we get to the right doors; I turn towards the Shays and slowly turn the nob—knowing full well that Spencer forgot to lock it. I hear Freddie stick his key in his apartment door lock and the door creak open. "Sam?" I turn my head slowly towards him. He's standing there, a sideways grin across his face. "I care about you, too."

I smile back at him and let out a breath, "I know." I nod and step inside the Shay's apartment. Until now, I've been completely okay with the breakup. I mean, at first it stung a little but I got over it. But, after everything that just happened; from seeing Norah kiss Freddie to feeling the slap across my face of Freddie saying I don't care about him, I just can't wait for the day that Freddie gets a little more abnormal—cause let's face it, I'm never going to be normal.

This story can be found at http://www.fanfiction.net/s/7695979/1/iDo_Care