Chapter 14 –Be brave

If someone has enough courage to ask a question seriously, then you should be brave enough to answer truthfully.

~Cameron Milton

Carly's POV

It hadn't taken too long for Sam to fall asleep. I quietly sneaked out of the bedroom and closed the door behind me. I just hoped Freddie was still awake. I wasn't sure when else I would be able to speak to him in private.

I walked over to the guestroom, which Freddie and Spencer shared. I stood in front of their door. Was I really going to do this? Should I? Was it my place to do this? I knocked on the door. I didn't know. But it didn't matter anymore. There was no going back from here.

Spencer opened the door. "Hey, kiddo, what's up?" he greeted me. "Hey Spence. Nothing. I just wanted to see Freddie. Is he still awake?" I asked. Spencer shrugged. "Don't know. Let's check." He walked over to Freddie's bed and kneeled next to his head.

He grabbed his shoulder and gently shook it. No response. "Hey." Spencer whispered. "Freddie." Still no response. "YO FREDDIE, ARE YOU AWAKE?" Spencer suddenly shouted into his ear. Freddie's eyes jolted open as he jumped up out of his bed.

"Dude!" he yelled. "What?" Spencer asked innocently. "Just wanted to know if you were awake." He mumbled. "Yeah, well, now I am!" Freddie said. "Good, I wanted to ask you something." I said. Freddie sighed and rubbed his eyes. "What is it?"

"Err, could you come downstairs with me?" I asked. Spencer and Freddie looked curiously at me. "Why, is it a secret?" Spencer asked disappointed. "No." I said. "It's just… not important. Just a little…" suddenly the best excuse hit me. "Girls thingy!" I said. "Make up and stuff. You wouldn't be interested."

"Well I'm not interested either!" Freddie said. "I don't care! Just come with me!" I grabbed Freddie's hand and dragged him out of the room, being stared at by Spencer. I shut the door behind us. "What was that all about?" Freddie demanded.

"Well it's not about make-up, that's for sure!" I said. "Praise the Lord!" Freddie said sarcastically. "I'm serious, Freddie! Let's go downstairs." "Fine." He started walking towards the stairs. "You better hope it's something worth waking me up for." He mumbled.

"Okay, for the record, I did not know Spencer was going to wake you up like that." I said. "He was just supposed to check whether or not you were awake." I didn't feel he needed to know that if Spencer hadn't woken him up, I would have.

"Fine." He mumbled. "Fine." I said. Freddie sat down on the couch. I dropped myself next to him. "Now what is it?" he asked impatiently. I took a deep breath. "Well, I don't really know whether or not it's my place to do this, I mean, I don't know if I should, but then again, I think I have to because…" Freddie cut me off.

"Carly! Please stop. It's very late and I cannot understand you when you ramble like that!" he said. "O. Sorry. I'm nervous I guess." I said. "Well, why don't you just tell me?" Freddie said softly. I took a deep breathe before spilling. "Do you like Sam?" It was a simple question, but the load it carried with it was so heavy.

Freddie just stared at me for a while. "Why? Why, does… does she? I mean…" he stuttered. "Does she like me?" Panic and confusion were written in his eyes. I wanted so badly to ease his mind. But I knew I couldn't betray Sam. I couldn't break my promise and tell him her secret.

"Do you?" I asked. The expression on his face changed into one of pain. "Yes." He whispered. "But it doesn't matter. I know she doesn't like me back." I had to control myself not to openly sigh. Honestly, what was the matter with these two?

"Why would you say that?" I asked. "Don't you think I've tried?" he whispered monotonously. "Every time I try to get closer to her, or look into her eyes… every time that I try to tell her how I feel, she…" his voice had turned into an almost inaudible whisper.

"She just… looks away. Or changes the subject." His eyes had gotten moisty and red, but he wasn't crying. I had to be careful with my words. "Have you ever thought of the possibility that, maybe, she's afraid too, that you wouldn't like her?" I asked softly.

His teary eyes looked at me, full of disbelief. "Did she tell you..?" I interrupted him. "Freddie, I'm not going to tell her that I spoke to you, so whether or not I spoke to her about this is really irrelevant right now."

What I didn't tell him was that I was also scared as hell for what would happen if Sam found out I even talked to Freddie about this subject –let alone if she found out I told him anything about her feelings.

"Anyway, I… I really think you should talk to her." I said. "I really, really do." Freddie slowly shook his head. "I don't know Carly. I don't know. What if she…" he shook his head again. "Just, please try. It'll really be worth it." Wondering if maybe I said too much, I looked into Freddie's eyes.

"Listen, I know it's scary to tell her. It really, really is. But, do you really have a choice? I mean, isn't life too short not to tell the truth? Too short to give up?" Hoping that maybe I had persuade him, I got up. "Well, I'm going to bed." I informed him.

"Think about it okay? Please don't give up." I pleaded one more time before walking away. Just before I left the room, I heard Freddie's whisper –maybe more to himself than to me.

"I won't. I won't give up on her."

Next chapter, Pam Puckett is coming back into Sam's life...