Courage

He tried to steady his breathing. He tried to stop his hands from sweating. He tried to stop his limbs from trembling.

But he couldn't.

What he was about to do required every ounce of courage he had packed into his body.

Okay, he told himself. There's about a three percent chance this will work out, and about a ninety-seven percent chance it will blow up in my face… But don't think of the odds!

Feeling like it was now or never, Freddie headed across the hall to Carly Shay's apartment. Carly wasn't home, but he knew she left a spare key inside the nearby potted plant for when Spencer locked himself out of the apartment. He let himself in. The living room area was empty, but he heard the television going on in the iCarly studio. He took a deep breath, and started up the stairs.

Once at the top, he stared in through the glass door of the studio. There she was. Sam Puckett, lounging on a beanbag chair absentmindedly eating chips as she watched some fight on T.V. This is it, he told himself. He opened the door.

Sam turned around. "What are you doing here Fredug?"

"Sam, I-I-"

"What up with the stuttering? Forgot how to talk, Nub?"

"Well, see the thing it, I was wondering if you-you, wanted, maybe, I dunno-"

"Can you just spit it out already? I need to get back to this match! Rocker Smash and Thunder Wave are about to get into the arena!"

"Ummm, do you want to-to do that segment on iCarly with Gibby and the vat of lard?"

Sam frowned. "That's what you wanted to ask me?"

"Yup," Freddie lied.

Sam looked at him suspiciously. "And you couldn't just text me that?"

"Um, my mom took my phone," Freddie said quickly. "Said cell phones cause ear sores."

Sam shrugged. "Yeah, you do get a lot of ear sores. And I'm game for that segment, but I get to keep all the extra lard!"

"Fine," Freddie said. "Well, see you around then."

"Whatever Freddipox."

Freddie closed the door behind, cursing himself for chickening out.

I'm going to do it next time, he told himself firmly. Next time I try, I WILL ask out Sam Puckett.