Just The Way You Are
By: Riley
Summary - Zack reflects on his parents' relationship and why he's happy it isn't as 'normal' as it could be.
What I always find to be weird is how often people in my life try to make me feel bad about my Mom and Dad being divorced. If anything, I think it's better they're this way rather than having them be together. Seriously, if you've ever been in a room with them for more than ten minutes, you'll understand why they never worked out. I'm not saying that it's not a good thing that they weren't together at some point—let's face it, if it hadn't happened then they wouldn't have had me and Cody and trust me when I say the world needs more handsome—no one would see that they're only good as friends. If they hadn't been married and had kids I didn't think they'd be close friends, but they'd be friends nonetheless.
So why is it that if I'm happy with it, everyone around me gives me a sympathetic look when I say they're divorced. Like it's the end of the world. It actually isn't that bad at all. Living in the Tipton hotel is the best thing that's ever happened to me and Cody, we've made some great friends here and we've had so much more freedom to do things around here than when we were living with our grandparents. Well, it was cool, they actually let us do whatever, but it wasn't as fun as messing with Mr. Moseby. Even Cody could admit, despite his having 'matured' over the years—whatever—it's some of the most fun he's had as well.
As it is, our family is probably one of the most normal families you could ever have…if you consider a lounge singer mother and a rock star father normal. It's normal to me; their constant sniping at each other is nor mal, too. It's the way they show affection for each other in some ways, there's hardly a moment that either Mom or Dad come through the door of the suite or Dad's apartment without some sort of a sarcastic taunt inches from throwing itself into conversation. For example, now that Dad has moved to Boston he comes over to the suite to visit us a lot, and that's only when we don't go to his place every two weeks or so.
He always comes through the door the same way, prompting the same conversation that always has me and Cody shaking our heads and smiling at Mom's and Dad's antics.
"Hey guys," Dad would say once the door was opened to him. He would then throw out his arms and grin at me and Cody as we hurried across the suite to hug him. "Daddy's home!"
Mom was usually on the couch eagerly waiting to throw us out—she can say that she doesn't do that, but I've seen the countdown for when we move out of her hair. (I'm assuming she's starting to run out of hair dye, why else would she be so anxious about it, we're adorable and fun to be around). "Since when is this your home, Kurt?" She would ask. "I don't seem to remember you paying rent on this place since we've moved in here."
"And my taking the boys off your hands every few weeks isn't pay enough?" Dad replied as he held his arms around me and Cody.
Cody and I rolled our eyes at the same time. It was always the same conversation, something about child support, blah blah blah. They were never serious about it, I know that Dad paid what he could; they had some sort of agreement. And as Cody always reminded her, it was great for our cognitive growth—which, by the way, isn't a strange sort of disease you can catch like I thought it was—if we spent as much time with Dad as we could as well as giving Mom time to herself so she didn't grow more grey hairs.
She's not getting any younger.
"It would be if you went far enough so that Mr. Moseby didn't have to watch me like a hawk day after day to be sure they truly are gone." Mom smiled towards Dad, a somewhat forced smile. "And I thought having Zack and Cody constantly looking over my shoulder was bad enough."
"You're constantly cheating on your diets and don't follow the workout routine that we've set up for you," Cody pointed out. "If we don't force you to do it, you're not going to live much longer."
Dad and I laughed as Mom got that look on her face that showed she was tired of our constant critiques of her life. But if we couldn't annoy our mother like that who could we annoy? Dad must've felt the same way for he walked over to Mom and gave her a hug, which caused Mom to roll her eyes but hug him back, smiling almost as widely as he was. But then she studied his face and a light groan escaped her lips before she placed her hands on her hips.
"How much?" She asked.
That was the best thing about them, they still knew each other well enough to know what it as they weren't saying. Cody and I can do that with just one look at each other, but most of the time that was because Cody was showing how annoyed with me he was about something. He seems to have a permanent scowl on his face because of something I do now. It's funny, actually.
"I just need enough for this month's rent," he explained.
"What happened to the rest of it?"
"I put it into paying the producers at the studio to be sure we could finish the album." Dad clasped his hands together and rocked back and forth. "Once we get the album out and start selling them…I can pay you back with the money I make."
"I should've known you were going to come to ask for money."
"Hey, I came to see my boys, too." Dad walked over to me and Cody and put his arm around us once more, flashing Mom a charming smile. I recognize it because it's the same smile I have, the ladies fall for it all the time. "How many times can you get sit back and just hang out with the guys?"
Mom gave Dad a funny look. "Kurt, your band mates are men."
"Not ever since they started doing their morning yoga routine. I haven't seen so many manly men talk about chakras and deep breathing and incense, and fragrances since Cody." Dad jerked his thumb over to my brother, who appeared slightly offended.
"You won't be complaining once your chronic back pain goes away," he reminded Dad.
"Oh yes, that chronic back pain that seems to flare up at some of the worst times," Mom added.
"That hurts." Dad feigned offense.
"I highly doubt that."
I couldn't help but laugh again; it was just so funny to see Mom and Dad to act this way, so friendly and happy with each other. (Trust me, this is when they were happy with each other, I've seen them fight). Even thinking about them getting back together is enough to make me laugh hard at anyone that suggested it. Cody had thought and hoped it would happen once Mom was dating this really rich and really famous guy—who I was sure was going to work out—and now even he can't see them together again rather than just being our parents. It'd be too weird.
"So what are you guys up to tonight?" Mom asked as we made our way to the door.
"We're going to the Red Sox-Yankees game," I explained. "We're going to sit back, scratch, belch, and burp our way to another win for the Sox…and make the Yankees that are staying at the Tipton's lives a living hell."
"Then we're going to hit the town and see if we can pick up some chicks," Dad added, causing me and Cody to grin and Mom to give him a disapproving glance. Dad's smile immediately faded and he stood up straight. "I mean chicken," he quickly corrected himself. "Pick up some chicken on the way home. You still like fried chicken, right? Your diet lets you have it?"
"Yeah, I'm sure that's what you meant," Mom agreed. She waved as Dad pushed us towards the door. "Have a good time. Don't stay out, too late."
"If the Red Sox play the way they have been playing for the past couple of weeks, then we're bound to have an early lead in the seventh inning stretch and the come out on top by the end of the ninth inning, especially with the increase of RBIs and batting averages over the past couple of months," Cody rambled. "Meaning if the streets aren't completely crowded we should be back by eleven at the latest."
"Right," I agree, motioning to him. "What he said."
Mom laughed and went over to me and Cody and gave us a hug and a kiss before backing away. I turned and watched as she eagerly closed the door behind us and locked it. Dad then led us out of the Tipton and to his car, with Mr. Moseby locking the doors to the hotel after us.
"Now that we've gotten rid of your mother, what do you say that we go out and have some real fun?" Dad asked as he got into the driver's seat and started the car. Cody and I immediately agreed, signifying our bond with Dad as we planned to do what would be against Mom's wishes.
But that was always the fun thing about Mom and Dad; there were things we could do with them that we couldn't do with the other. As much as I would like to have him around more, Dad isn't really a family man, he's on the road too much. But when he is around, he's the best Dad we could ever have. Just as Mom is the best Mom we could have where she disciplines us and holds a lot of responsibility over me and Cody, but doesn't always have the capacity of being the loose, carefree, fun parent like she wishes she could be. And while the two of them weren't together anymore, I don't want them to be.
Our family is fine just the way it is.