Chapter One

The last bell of the day rang, and I stepped out of the classroom and went to my locker. It was a few days before the Valentines' Day Dance, and students were running all over the school telling each other excitedly who their dates were. A few years ago, there had been a Girls' Choice Dance, and I had ended up dancing with Carly. This year, a few girls had already asked me, but there was only one person I actually wanted to be my date for the dance: Sam. Right now she was standing at her locker with Carly, discussing who their dates were.

"I'm going with Lance!" Carly was saying.

"Who?" Sam asked, confused. Carly sighed.

"Lance! The cute guy I had a date with while you guys were in Canada at the Fatcake factory!"

"Oh right! You guys had the date in your bathroom while your toe was stuck in the faucet." Sam chuckled.

"Don't remind me about that!" Carly retorted, although she was smiling. I walked up to them.

"Hey guys."

"'Sup, Freddie," Sam greeted me. I looked at her in the eye, and she dropped her gaze nervously.

"So, who are you going to with the dance?" Carly asked Sam.

"I...uh..." Sam stuttered, her gaze flitting towards me for a split second. My heart leaped. "No one's asked me yet." She finished.

"Well, is there anyone you want to go with?" Carly's eyebrows raised. "What about Brad?"

"How many times do I have to tell you I don't like Brad!" Sam whipped back.

"Okay, okay," said Carly, backing off. "Then who do you want to go with?"

Sam lowered her gaze, and barely mumbled, "I haven't decided." Then, as if desperately wanting to steer the conversation away from herself, she looked up and asked me, "Who are you going with, Freddie?" She held her gaze steadily locked with my eyes.

"Well, a couple girls already asked me, but I haven't given an answer yet," I answered, still looking at her.

"All right then," Carly said. "Let's just go back to my place and have a snack, since we aren't getting anywhere standing around here." Sam and I agreed, and we left the school.

That evening, Spencer left to go to the movies with Socko and his grandmother, who apparently was 96 years old. Carly, Sam and I wre just hanging out in Carly's apartment, planning some iCarly bits for the next show. Sam and I were sitting on the couch together, while Carly was walking around the living room, looking at her notes.

"Okay, so for the tomorrow's webcast, we're going to need a trash bag full of popcorn, a kitten and a jar of lumpy, sour milk," Carly said, reading off our list of ideas. "I'll go to the store across the street and buy the popcorn and milk. You guys wait here and brainstorm more ideas."

"Okay," Sam said.

"See ya," I added. Carly took her jacket and left.

"So," Sam's voice startled me. "Have you decided who you're going with to the dance?" She seemed expectant, even hopeful.

"No..." I trailed off, looking at her.

"Do you want to go with anyone?" She asked softly. I didn't know how to answer.

"Well, I...uh..."

"Just say it!" She said, smiling.

"Okay," I said, shaking my head in defeat. "You're going to kill me, but..." I cleared my throat. "Do you want to be my date for the dance?" There, I said it.

She stared at me, looking shocked. I thought she was going to break my leg right then and there.

"Are you serious?" She asked, and to my utter surprise, sounding very genuine. Now I was the one to be shocked.

"You...you actually want to go with me? I thought you hated me!" I said, surprised.

"Freddie, I don't hate you. I don't even know why I kept being mean to you after I started liking you. But I do like you, and I would be psyched if you would be my date to the dance."

I looked at her straight in the eye, and smiled. "Then it's a deal." She smiled, and I smiled back. I realized my hand was slipping into her own, and we drew closer to each other. Our shoulders touched, and before I could comprehend what was happening, we both leaned in, and kissed each other. I could feel her warm, soft breath on my cheek, and there was no other place I could imagine I would want to be, than sitting right by her and savoring that kiss. When we finally broke apart, she said softly, "I have to go now. See you at the dance."

"Goodbye, my sweet angel," I said. She looked surprised when I said that, like she never expected anyone to call her sweet before, but she didn't seem to mind, and smiled at me.

"Bye, Freddie." Then she left the apartment. And all I could think of was going to the dance with her that Saturday evening.