Her blue eyes blinked, and then she left. All that curly blonde hair went with her. Things weren't supposed to be this way. I wasn't supposed to love her, and I wasn't supposed to miss her when she left. Wishing I could go back in time and change everything, I recalled how it all began.
"No, Carly, no!" I protested. "You can't make me do that!"
"Why not?" my best friend, Carly Shay, giggled. "Freddie, you told me two years ago that you love Sam. Why don't you just ask her out?"
"Because she'll reject me! You remember what she did to Gibby when he asked her to the junior high dance, don't you? She'll do the same to me and worse because I'm not just asking her to be my date to a dance, I'm asking her to be my automatic, permanent date."
"And I'm sure Sam will be more than glad to have you be that guy for her. Take a chance. It's either she says yes or you get beat with two Honey Baked Hams. In other words, it's all or nothing."
"You know, I'm pretty sure she'll beat me with three hams."
"Hey, as much as you think you know Sam, I don't think you do. She have been acting like a little girl for all this time and covering up her true feelings by abusing you like one with the flu abuses the toilet."
"She told me I looked like a toilet once. And I think I do know her well enough to figure that once she's done beating me with both hams, she'll flush my guts down one."
"You said both hams."
"What does that have to do with anything?"
"You have more confidence in yourself than you did when you said three!"
"Carly, shut up!"
"Shutting."
But I knew she was completely right. Though I did love Sam Puckett as more than a friend, I still feared her. She'd kick my ass if she didn't love me. And the chances of her loving me seemed slimmed. Carly, however, had convinced me.
"I'll ask her out."
She beamed.
"Excellent. Take charge, Freddie."
For a minute, I was ready to take charge. Then I remembered that Sam's answer was really taking charge of me.
My friend assures me it's all or nothing…