Water

"Uhh... I don't really want to go to the beach, Carls." Sam stated matter-of-the-factly, as she played with a Rubik's Cube on the couch. "I mean, I don't really tan all that well and y'know that being in the sand makes me feel like I'm standing in a giant litter box."

The summertime was always a good opportunity to get a few extra credits before starting the new year. Carly and Freddie both enrolled in summer school but Sam was spending her summer lazing about.

"Aww c'mon, Sam... What's summer without a little beach fun?" Carly groaned as she drew her attention away from writing in her notebook, "Spencer already said he would give us a ride and Freddie's mom OK'd him going as long as we bring extra sun-tan lotion and set up our stuff in a shaded area."

Sam just groaned. She knew how adamant Carly was by the look on her face and knew that no tantrum was big enough to sway Carly from her decision. This summer, iCarly was hitting the beach.

It was a typical Tuesday afternoon. Carly, Sam, and Freddie were all chilling in the loft as Carly starting jotting down a list of things to bring to the beach. "So I was thinking for lunch we would bring hot dogs and for snacks we could have chips..."

"What about drinks?" Freddie asked.

"Wahoo Punch and root beer." Sam immediately answered, as if the question should've been rhetorical.

Freddie nodded in agreement. "Wahoo sounds appropriate."

"Have you guys heard back from Gibby yet?" Carly asked. "I haven't seen him in a while."

Freddie pulled out his phone and scrolled through his text messages. "He texted me this morning saying he couldn't go because he needs to go to a birthday party for his grandpa."

"It's Gibby's grandpa's birthday?"

Freddie shook his head in response. "No, his grandpa is throwing the party... They're celebrating his grandpa's goat's birthday."

Carly and Sam stared at eachother for a moment. They looked back at Freddie.

"His... His goat?" The three just remained still and silent, no doubt trying to wrap their heads around how a goat birthday party would go about.

"So... beach?" Freddie spoke up, breaking the awkward silence.

"Yep- Hopefully there won't be too many people." Carly mentioned, looking up the weather forecast for tomorrow.

"Ugh..." Sam groaned, "I really don't wanna go to the beach, guys..."

Freddie's ears perked up. Sam, "queen of lazy", not wanting to laze on a sandy beach? "What's your problem with the beach, Puckett?"

"... I just don't like the beach, that's all."

"Whoo! Beach!" The three all stepped out of the car and and onto the sandy dunes. "Whoa, look, there's cabana umbrellas set up for shade!" They set up camp under one of the large umbrellas. The three laid out their towels under the shade. Carly's towel had a flowery blue design, Freddie's towel had Galaxy Wars spaceships, and Sam's was a purple towel with the words "I (heart) Vegas".

Spencer unloaded the large cooler from the car and set it up next to the towels. "You girls go get changed first. Me and the Fred-man can watch the stuff."

Freddie lay on his towel, exposing his little piggies to the radiant sunlight. He had his eyes closed, able to take in the sounds of the waves and laughing children. He took a deep breath in through his nose and smelled the scent of the gentle sea breeze. He exhaled and sighed contently.

"Man, this is the life."

"Hey."

Freddie opened his eyes and saw the two girls clad in their bikinis. "Wow," he said, a slight trail of drool escaping from the corner of his mouth.

"You like?" Carly teased, spinning around full-circle to show off her purple bikini.

Freddie nodded fervently, a slight smile appearing on his face, "Y-Yeah."

"How about Sam's?" Carly asked, motioning to the blonde who appeared slightly embarrassed to be in a bathing suit. Her jacket was draped over her shoulders, hiding most of her otherwise exposed skin.

"Uhm-" Freddie started to say, almost unsure what the "right" answer would be.

"Sam! Take off your jacket!" Carly complained, almost ripping the jacket off Sam and throwing it onto her towel. Sam's face quickly turned a very visible three shades of pink darker. "Well?"

Freddie looked at Sam up and down and grinned, "She looks good."

"Are you going to go change now?" Carly asked Freddie.

"Well, I'm actually already wearing my boardshorts," Freddie pointed out, standing up to show off his hibiscus-patterned shorts. He took off his T-shirt in one fluid motion, messing up his hair slightly in the process.

The two girls just stared at the boy, who seemed slightly more attractive than usual to them.

"Whoa, when did you get so buff?" Carly asked.

Freddie flexed his biceps and grinned. "You like?" he teased.

Carly just laughed, "Sure."

The three applied their suntan lotion and were sunbathing. It was fairly hot and soon the heat was getting to them.

"Jeez, it's hot," Freddie said matter-of-factly. "I'm gonna hit the water. You guys coming with?"

"Sure, I'll go." Carly said, taking off her GoGo sunglasses and standing up. "Sam?" Carly looked down at the skinny blonde who chose to remain lying down.

"... I'll just stay under the umbrella. Tell me if you guys decide to go play beach volleyball or something." Sam simply replied, grabbing her towel and curling up under the umbrella. She dug through the ice chest and found a slightly chilled Peppy Cola.

"Not going for a swim, Sam?" Spencer asked as Sam cracked open the cola and took a deep swig.

Sam shook her head and shrugged her shoulders, "Nah. The ocean's not really my scene."

Spencer eyed Sam suspiciously for a second but his unsure look was quickly replaced with a glimmer of hope in his eyes. "So you'll stay here to watch the stuff?"

"Oh, go and play, you overgrown kid." Sam scoffed, putting on a fashionable pair of shades. Spencer just cheered a type of exclamation usually only heard by Baby Spencer and raced toward the big blue sea.

Sam smiled slightly as she watched her three friends playing in the ocean.

Sam sighed as she gently awoke from her peaceful slumber.

"Hey sleepyhead."

Sam's eyes jolted open as she saw a slightly wet Freddie seated on his Galaxy Wars towel. A drop of water trickled from Freddie's brow and fell off the tip of his nose.

"Carls and Spence went to play beach volleyball but you were sleeping. We thought we'd just let you sleep."

Sam stretched and yawned loudly. "What time is it?" she asked, looking up to the sun still high in the sky.

Freddie quickly checked his PearPhone. "Almost 2pm."

"Aww, I slept through lunch?"

Freddie chuckled. "Wanna go for a quick swim before eating?"

Sam shook her head and pouted. "Uhm, nah."

Freddie's head dropped a little bit, half out of disappointment and half out of surprise. "Oh c'mon Sam- You haven't gon in the water all day! Aren't you hot?"

Sam combed her fingers through her hair and noticed the bit of sweat on her brow. "I know... But still, no thanks. I'll pass."

Freddie sat still for a moment, thinking about what his next action would be.

A smile suddenly grew on his face.

"C-MON." Freddie shouted, grabbing the surprisingly light Sam and making a mad dash for the water.
"Freddie, no!" Sam screamed, squirming to get free. When the hell did the dork get so strong?

The two hit the water, the salty seawater splashing around them. Freddie laughed as the cool water made contact and he let go of his grip on Sam. But oddly, he still felt the weight of Sam's body around his torso.

"Sam?" he questioned, as he stopped his movement. The water had settled around them but Sam still clutched to Freddie, as if for dear life.

"Hey Sam, you can let go now..."

"N-No..." Sam stuttered, only tightening her grip around Freddie.

"Sam, are you afraid of the water?" Freddie grinned slightly, a little happy to learn a new fact about Sam Puckett.

"N-No..." Sam repeated, her voice faltering a bit. She wasn't convincing anybody. "I'm not a-afraid. I just... Can't swim."

Freddie chuckled softly, holding Sam up with his strong hands. She seemed even lighter in the water. "Relax, I've got you," Freddie reassured. "Try putting your feet on the floor. We're not that far out and even someone as short as you can stand here without drowning."

"Is that a shot at my shortness?" Sam asked threateningly, slowly loosening her grip as she felt around with her feet for the sandy sea floor.

Sam stood on her own two feet, the water barely reaching up to her chest. She still felt a little scared and kept one hand around Freddie's arm, in good measure. She never knew if she might drown and need saving. Which, in her opinion, wasn't very likely (but she still wanted to be safe).

"C'mon, let's go out deeper."

"No, I think I'm cool over here," Sam replied.

"It'll be fine," Freddie reassured, "You can use me as a floatation device. Freddie started gently floating further out as Sam still kept a firm grip on him.

"Having fun yet?" Freddie asked, swimming around a bit.

Sam smiled. She had to admit that the cool water had a very nice feel and the scorching sun didn't seem so hot anymore.

"... Yeah."

A/N: Haven't had a whole lot of time to actually type stuff out and put into real readable words. I have a hundred different ideas for stories but it's a whole 'nother thing to make the idea into a decent story... Thanks for taking the time to read.
I appreciate all likes/reviews/favorites/follows/etc etc. :)