Serendipity (Book 1)

iDefine Love by xxkissfromarosex

Chapter 4: Principal Franklin

Theodore Franklin liked to read up on his students before they arrived at his high school for their freshman year. In a storeroom adjoining his office, there was a large filing cabinet which held every student's details. It was locked, and only he had the key to access the files.

Two years on from first meeting the iCarly trio, he could still remember reading their personal files.

Carly Shay was the brunette who had impressed him with her consistent grades and her school spirit. In her junior high, she'd been involved in all sorts of activities to do with the school community. Her father was away in the army, and her older brother was her current guardian.

Spencer Shay. The creative boy with no concept of reality. Ted had always been fond of Spencer, despite what Ms Briggs believed. In a way, Spencer reminded him of himself when he was younger. Everybody has a dream, and everybody wants to make that dream come true. Spencer had wanted to be an artist. Ted had always wanted to teach. He was more than happy to let his little sister into the halls of Ridgeway High.

Fredward Benson had stuck in his mind for two reasons. One, the boy's unfortunate name, and two, he was a genius. His computing skills were way advanced for a boy of his age, and his academic subject grades were higher than the average for his grade. Ted had no problem with letting Fredward into his school either.

But in all his years of teaching, Ted Franklin had never come across a file as large as Sam Puckett's. Before she'd even started high school, she'd had many detentions and was constantly in trouble for her general rowdiness. He wasn't one to turn students away, but he had hesitated when he'd read her file.

But then he'd read a note for her junior high teacher that had been slipped in with her personal records. It told Ted that, although Sam could be rambunctious and disruptive, she was actually a bright girl. Carly Shay was her best friend, and she usually managed to keep Sam from getting into too much trouble.

So he gave her the benefit of the doubt and accepted Sam.

Upon her first week, he'd already seen her twice; both times in his office over something she denied vehemently, but he knew that she'd done it anyway. That was how they worked. He'd call her in, she'd deny everything (sometimes even before knowing what he wanted to talk to her about), he'd eventually give her some sort of punishment, which she'd ignore and go about her business as usual. It was like a dance they'd perfected.

Since iCarly had started, he'd seen Sam in his office a lot less. He knew she was still tormenting students, because Gibby would hobble into his office on numerous occasions, complaining about the ferocious blonde. His underwear would usually be ripped to shreds, and Ted had become accustomed to having a box full of spare boxers for times like this. The Principal would usually just hand a pair to Gibby, not wanting to hear what Sam had got up to this time.

One time, instead of looking upset, the boy had simply come into the office and had pulled a pair of underwear from the box himself, not saying one word about Sam Puckett. He recognized this behaviour, and hoped that Gibby hadn't fallen for Sam. Now, that would be disastrous! And dangerous. For Gibby, of course.

It wasn't that he didn't want to care; it was that he couldn't care anymore. He loved the kids at his school, and being a Principal was his dream job, but he couldn't fix Sam Puckett if she didn't want to be fixed.

He still tuned into iCarly every week. The antics of his pupils made him both humored and proud at the same time. His daughters, Emily and Rachel, were big fans of the show, and they was ecstatic to hear that Carly, Sam and Freddie all attended their daddy's school.

For an eight year old, Rachel was extremely perceptive. She ran into the living room after a web cast with a question for him.

"Does Sam love Freddie?"

Ted nearly choked on his drink. "What?"

"Does Sam love Freddie?" His daughter repeated, "She picks on him all the time, and she calls him all these weird names."

"So?" Emily had piped up from behind her magazine, "Maybe she just doesn't like him."

"Yeah, but d'you remember when Marcus picked on Kelly in the third grade, and then Mom told me it was because he liked her? It's like that!" Rachel recalled indignantly.

"They're not in the third grade, are they though? They're what? Fifteen?"

"Sixteen," Ted corrected Emily, who shrugged.

"Whatever," She turned back to her magazine. Rachel jumped on the couch next to her father.

"Can you ask Sam for me? Pleaaaseeee?" She begged, batting her eyelashes at him.

"I can't ask Sam if she loves Freddie, Rachel! I'm their teacher."

"Can I ask?"

"No," Ted responded firmly, a smile upon his face at the thought of Freddie and Sam together. They hated each other, from what he could see. She made his life a misery, and he was in love with Carly.

Of course, Ted could see that what Freddie felt for Carly wasn't love. He himself had had a crush on a girl a lot like Carly when he was fourteen. Her name was Grace. Grace was everything he thought he wanted; charming, pretty, clever, popular. Ted thought he and Grace would be married one day, and the only thing getting in his way was another girl, Melissa. Melissa was Grace's best friend, but she was mean and made fun of him frequently. As they grew up, though, Ted found himself falling out of love with Grace and falling for Melissa instead.

He didn't know why at the time, but as Melissa strolled into the living room and gave him a kiss, it all made sense. Opposites attracted. It didn't matter whether you were five, fifteen, or fifty, the testimony was still the same and it still worked.

Some days after Rachel's observation, Ted walked through the halls at lunchtime. He came across Sam and Carly, who were chatting on the bench outside the doors.

"Hey, Principal Franklin!" They called cheerily. "Did you see our web show on Friday?"

"Yeah. You guys were great! My daughter loves you," He smiled, "Except now she wants to blindfold me and tickle me with stuff. Is that normal?"

"Yep!" Sam confirmed, grinning.

"Hey, Sam!" Freddie approached them, "You've still got my Bio homework. Could I have it back?"

Sam rolled her eyes. "Yeah, yeah, hold your chizz." She pulled a blue folder from her bag and handed it over. Freddie's eyes landed on the front cover; an eyebrow cocking up in disdain. He showed Carly Sam's artwork, and she giggled.

"Sam!" He moaned.

"What? I thought it needed cheering up!" She defended her art. She prodded the folder on the drawing of the cat eating a parrot and beamed proudly. "That one's my favourite. It took me ages to get the parrot just right."

"Did you actually do any homework?" Carly asked, amused by their spat.

"Nah. Sorry, Principal Franklin," She looked up at him with the decency to look a little guilty.

"Hey!" Freddie pouted petulantly, "Shouldn't you be apologising to me? I'm the one whose homework you ruined!"

"OK, nub, firstly, I didn't ruin it. I only drew on the cover. And secondly, I think it looks awesome!"

"It's horrible."

"Your face is horrible!"

"Hey! No personal attacks!"

As the bickering escalated, Principal Franklin exchanged a defeated look with Carly. There was something in her eyes, but he couldn't quite put a finger on it. Was it...envy? Or frustration?

Instead of choosing to interfere, he span on his heel and walked away.

He knew better than to mess with what was meant to be.