Chapter Text
2008
Sam woke up with tear stains on her cheeks. She wanted to kick herself, knowing why only two seconds of the day had passed and she was already in a bad mood. One look at the calendar above her dresser told her it was Father’s Day.
Sighing, she got ready and went out into the living room to see her mom passed out on the couch. She didn’t blame her, though. This day was hard for Sam, but she knew it took a toll on her mom too.
She took the short walk to Bushwell Plaza, deciding there was no reason to wallow in self-pity by herself if she could complain about it to Carly and feel a little bit better.
Knocking on the door to the Shay apartment, she frowned when she was met with silence. It was too early for both Carly and Spencer to be out, but then she felt a pit drop to her stomach when she remembered. They had mentioned they’d be spending the weekend with their Granddad in Yakima to celebrate.
What’s there to celebrate anyways, she thought to herself, turning around and pressing her back against the door. She hadn’t thought the day could get any worse, yet here she was, alone again.
She was about to leave (where to, she had no idea) when the door she was facing clicked open and she was face-to-face with the dork that lived across the hall, a video camera in hand.
Freddie stopped when he saw her, his eyebrows furrowing. “Sam? What are you doing here?”
“I’m always here,” she responded, her tone implying the “duh” she almost added.
“I mean, why are you in the hallway instead of inside?”
“Carly’s not here, diphthong,” she retorted. “She’s in Yakima with her dumb Granddad.”
“Her Granddad’s not dumb, Sam, that’s rude.”
“That’s rude,” she mimicked him, making a face. “Whatever. I don’t need this today. It’s only ten in the morning and I’ve already had a bad day.”
“Did something happen?” he asked, concern outlining his face subconsciously. Clearing his throat, he added, “I mean, don’t act like you’re the only one who has bad days.”
“Oh, yeah? Try waking up on this stupid holiday with your mom passed out on the couch and no idea where your dad ran off to when he left seven years ago!”
Freddie leaned against his own doorframe, knowing his face had turned red with anger. Did she not know this day was hard for him too? “Well maybe I didn’t do that. But what about waking up on this stupid holiday with your mom at the cemetery visiting your dad who you’ve never even met?”
That shut her up. Freddie had never told her what happened to his dad. Maybe Carly knew, but he had only started coming along with them to the apartment after school a few months ago, when they started iCarly. So Sam hadn’t exactly cared enough to know about his life, but it might’ve served useful in this conversation.
When she didn’t respond, he sighed and pushed himself off the doorframe. “Listen, it’s not that big of a deal. I gotta get up to the studio and install this camera, will you let me past?”
Normally, Sam would do anything but let him past her, except maybe she had done enough damage for one day. Without a word, she made sure to shove past him with her shoulder before making her way back down the hallway and into the elevator.