Zack's POV:
"Zack, are you okay?" my best friend Max asked me. I can't argue with her, I usually am more excited about basketball. "You seem more nervous than I've ever seen you."
Drew and the 'Drew Crew' agreed with her, and so did Cody and Tapeworm. We were all playing basketball in the park together. We didn't like Drew anymore, even though he deemed me and Max 'cool' enough to hang out with him. He doesn't like Cody or Tapeworm, so that doesn't work for us.
"Yeah Zack, what's wrong?" Cody asked, as he saw my face tighten. Cody followed my gaze and he and I both saw Drew staring at Max, then turning and laughing with his friends.
Cody's POV:
I followed Zack's gaze and saw Drew staring straight at Max. Max didn't think anything of it, but I could see why Zack did. He likes her a lot, and she's pretty much the only person who can't see that. Even Mr. Moseby pays enough attention to us to notice how he acts around her. Anyway, after the basketball game - in which might I add Zack zoned out and didn't make one shot, Drew asked to talk alone with Max. Zack, Tape and I followed them without them seeing, and heard everything he said.
"Max, do you want to go to prom with me?" he asked without hesitation. Drew really didn't seem that interested in her, but every girl was envious of Max, and so was every guy. They all wanted to date her, but they all thought that she was dating Zack, so they didn't ask.
"Ew, no!" Max replied shortly. She began to walk away, but Drew didn't give up.
"Come on, babe, you know you want to."
Max looked disgusted. "First of all, I'm not you're babe, and secondly, I definitely don't want to go out with you! So leave me alone, Drew."
Again, Max tried to walk away, but with no luck. Drew went up to her and kissed her smack on the lips. Tape and I both had to hold Zack down before he blew out cover. Drew could beat me and Tape up easily, Zack not so much, but still. Max began to cry, something no one had ever seen until now. Drew laughed and said before running off, "so I'll see you at prom, babe."
Max started to shiver and sob, and she sat down on a nearby bench. Once we were sure that Drew was gone, Zack ran up to her. Tape and I went home, wanting to leave the two alone for a while. We still couldn't believe what we had just seen.
Normal POV:
Zack ran up to Max and embraced her in a hug. She cried into his shoulder, so fragile and scared.
"It's okay Max, everything's going to be okay," Zack coaxed.
Zack took Max up to the Martin family's suite at the Tipton. They arrived to see Cody and Carey sitting on the lounge. Carey had obviously heard the story from Cody.
"Oh, Max honey, are you okay?" Carey asked the sobbing sixteen year old. Zack took her over to the couch and she soon stopped crying. Max was sitting in between Zack and Carey, and Cody was sitting on a lounge chair.
"I can't believe he did that," Max said, lost in thought.
"I'm going to ring your mum, Max, and I'll ask if you can sleep over, okay?" Carey asked.
Cody took Carey's place on the lounge, watching his friend closely. She was still clinging onto Zack's arm, scared and afraid.
"What if he had done something worse?" Max asked, fearfully.
"Then I would have beaten him up until he was begging for mercy, while Cody would be calling the police. And don't even worry about that ever happening Max, because I would never let him, or anyone else, ever hurt you again," Zack added softly, making Max blush.