Chapter One

Maddie was giving change back to a customer when London came running to her.

"Maddie!"

Maddie rolled her eyes. "What London?"

"My birthday's in..." London starting counting on her fingers. "Six days! Yay me!" She did her annoying little clapping scene.

"That's nice," Maddie said.

Zack and Cody came flying in from nowhere.

"Bye Maddie!" London called as she fled out of the hotel.

"Bye London." Maddie sighed. London could be annoying sometimes. "What can I get you Zack?"

"You, sweet thang!"

Maddie rolled her eyes again. Zack always had this cute little crush on her. "Honestly, what do you want?"

"No need to snap at me!" Zack calmed down. "I'll take my usual."

"Cody? How about you?" Maddie asked.

"My usual."

She threw them their candy and the boys gave her the money, and dashed to the elevator.

Maddie stuck the CLOSED sign on the counter, and went to take her break.

Chuck, her boyfriend, who also worked at the Tipton, came over to talk to Maddie.

"Hey! What's up?"

For the first time that day, Maddie smiled. "Not much."

Chuck noticed Maddie's glum expression.

"What's wrong?"

Maddie took time to think about it. Nothing was wrong. Why was she acting like this?

"Well. Everything here is always the same. London's always in her too-happy moods, Zack and Cody get the same candy everyday, I still work here... I guess I just wish that things would change. Nothing ever changes."

Chuck agreed. "Yeah. That's the way I feel. I do the same way. It gets boring. At least I get to see you!"

That made Maddie smile. "At least I get to see you too!"

Mr. Moseby came out of the elevator.

He came over to the two teens. "Chuck, you're needed on the 17th floor, room 174."

"Bye Maddie!" Chuck told Maddie as he left.

Mr. Moseby turned toward Maddie. "You should get back to your post soon."

Maddie nodded.

She walked back to the candy counter to continue living her boring life...

Zack and Cody were playing video games when their mother opened the door.

"Hey guys!"

"Hi mom," they said, their eyes not leaving the screen.

"So how was your day?"

"Good."

Carey rolled her eyes. All her sons ever did was play video games. She decided to go and pull the TV plug from the wall. That would get the boys' attention.

"No fair!" Zack whined.

"You boys spend too much time with that stuff."

Cody looked at his mother. "Point is?"

Carey gave up. "Okay, London's birthday is in a few days. What should we get her?"

"She has everything in the entire world!" Cody exclaimed.

"Except a brain," Zack joked.

Carey shrugged. Her son was right, London Tipton wasn't that brainy. "That's not nice!" she scolded, chuckling.

"Look, I've gotta go rehearse for tonight's show, again. Be good!" Carey was out the door.

London came waltzing into the lobby, both arms covered with shopping bags.

Maddie didn't even notice London was there, since she was on the phone with her mother.

"Mom, you can't do this to me!-- I know, but---Oh come on!---Ugg!" Maddie hung up the phone. Her eyes were flooding with tears.

London noticed that something was wrong.

"Maddie, what's wrong?"

Maddie kept sniffling, not really wanting to share her news with anyone.

"Oh come on! You can tell me anything!"

Maddie supposed that she should tell London. Either way, she was going to find out eventually.

"That was my mom on the phone."

"Okay...and what did she say to make you cry?"

"I'm moving."