A/N: This one is for my friend because she is a big fan of SLOD & especially a big fan of Zack & London. Set the week before prom & the entire story is in Zack's POV. Please read & review!


Man, what am I going to do, thought Zack as he was wiping down the counter of the juice bar thinking about his problem. Prom was only a week away and every student in Seven Seas High was busy making plans and getting ready for the big day. Everyone was so excited! That is, everyone but Zack. Maya is going to think I'm such a loser if I'm not able to come up with the cash to take her to dinner at the Coral Lounge on Prom Night, Zack thought.

Zack had been putting in extra shifts at the juice bar to try to earn more money. But the ship was currently docked in New York, so the juice bar wasn't as busy as it normally was. Still, he made sure to come to work instead of going ashore. In an effort to look busy, Zack started wiping the counters harder as Mr. Moseby walked up to the counter.

"Hard at work, Zack, or hardly working?" Mr. Moseby said as he perused the papers on his clipboard.

Seeing a possible answer to his dilemma, Zack said, "Mr. Moseby, that hurts. By the way, did you notice I mopped the floor back here?"

Mr. Moseby looked up from his clipboard, narrowed his eyes at Zack, and replied, "What do you want?"

Putting on his most placating smile, Zack said, "Now, now, no need to be hostile, I was just wondering if you could give me a cash advance on my paycheck."

Mr. Moseby rolled his eyes, muttered an "Oh dear", and trying to be patient said, "Zack, I have given you cash advances on your last two paychecks. I'm afraid I won't be able to do it this time."

"But, Mr. Moseby, I need money to take Maya out to dinner before the Prom!"

"Here's an idea: Pack a lunch" Mr. Moseby said as he walked away.

Well there goes that idea, thought Zack as he stared after Mr. Moseby.

"Hey Zack"

Zack turned towards London as she walked up to the juice bar and sat down. She looked like a million bucks as usual, but there was something different about her. She wasn't smiling and she looked like someone told her she was poor.

"Hey London, what's the matter with you?"

"Nothing, "London said, and then she sighed and blurted out, "Ok, fine I'll tell you! I'm bummed because I don't have a date to the prom!"

Raising his eyebrows at this outburst, but suddenly thinking this could be another solution to his problem, Zack said, "That's because you've turned down every guy that's asked you, and the rest are too scared to ask you. But, I think I have a solution to your problem. Why don't I coach you in how to be more approachable to guys?"

"Hey! I don't need help getting a guy!" London exclaimed.

Zack sighed and said, "Let's regroup here. Do you or don't you have a date to the prom?"

"Oh yeah, I see your point."

"Well, my shift is over in ten minutes. What say you give me $1,000 for expenses and we'll get started right away."

"Expenses? What Expenses?" London asked suspiciously.

"Err, umm . . . Coaching fees."

London thought about it for a moment, smiled vacantly, and said, "Right. I'll meet you back here in 10 minutes" London said as she turned to walk away.

"Better make that 20 minutes. I want to go back to my cabin to change!" Zack yelled at London's retreating figure.

Chuckling and mentally giving himself a high five, Zack thought, this is going to be fun.


"Hold on!" Zack yelled as he was pulling on a shirt in his cabin.

"Zack! I've been waiting for you up by the juice bar for the past 10 minutes!" London yelled back from the other side of his cabin door.

Zack opened the door & pulled down the rest of his shirt to find an irate London. Being that London was one of his closest friends, he was used to her being impatient.

"I said I would meet you in 20 minutes, not 10."

"Oh whatever, let's go!" London grabbed his hand and started tugging him along.

"Hey, I'm supposed to be the one coaching you!" Zack said as he sped up his pace to get ahead of London, "Besides, you're going the wrong way. I'm going to take you to the other side of the ship to show you what kind of clothes you should wear to be more approachable."

At this London stopped in her tracks, "Uh uh! You are not taking me there!" and she started digging in her heels.

"Oh, yes, I am. If you're serious about wanting a date to prom, you need to trust me" Zack said as he held tightly to London's hand in case she tried to bolt, and pulled her along.

They entered a boutique that Zack knew Maya shopped in, and while Zack scanned the items of clothing, London was hiding behind him, gripping the back of his shirt with her eyes closed and her face pressed into his back.

"London, it's okay, you can open your eyes."

"No, I can't! Someone might see me in here!" London grumbled into his shirt.

At this, Zack turned around to face her, held her by the shoulders and said, "Get over it! Your dad owns this ship and this boutique, so no one is going to care if you buy something here."

London sighed and opened her eyes. She stared into Zack's eyes for a few seconds, possibly trying to gather strength from him, and nodded her head. In those few seconds, staring into London's eyes, Zack realized something for the first time in the six years of being friends with London. London was vulnerable. For a split second, Zack had the insane urge to pull London to him and hold her.

"Fine. Now that we're here, what do you think I should buy" London said dejectedly breaking Zack's thought process and bringing him back to the reason they were in the boutique.

Zack turned towards the items of clothing again and rubbed his hands together. Having "helped" Mr. Moseby once with his wardrobe, he was actually enjoying this. But this time, he was really going to help London be more approachable because the fact that she was still in the boutique was a testament to how badly she wanted to go to prom with a date. Plus, ever since he was a 12 year old kid, he always wondered how she would look as a normal girl instead of an heiress.

Zack walked over to a pile of jeans and picked out a stone washed pair of cropped skinny jeans, and then he walked over to the tops and picked out a fitted, bright pink, off-the-shoulder top.

Zack said, "Here, try these on" and handed the clothes to London, who grabbed them, rolled her eyes, and marched towards the fitting room.

Zack lazily followed her, and waited outside of the fitting room. He could hear the rustle of clothes as London changed, and he was struck with an uneasy feeling that he was doing something wrong. Maya was ashore, visiting her family, and shopping for last minute things for the prom. In fact, she was due back on the ship the day before prom. Get a grip, Zack! You're not doing anything wrong! Zack mentally chided himself.

Then again, Zack wasn't so sure how Maya would react to him helping London. Maya didn't exactly trust him with other girls, but then again, London wasn't just any girl – she was one of his best friends. Then yet again, London was a beautiful girl and could make a potato sack look amazing. Not to mention, she had a great body. Whoa! Where did that thought come from?

Zack shook his head to clear his strange thoughts when he heard the door to the dressing room open. He waited for London to step out, and when she didn't, he said, "Are you going to come out or do you want me to go in?"

"I'm coming out, but you better not laugh!" London said.

Then London stepped out from behind the door. Zack felt like he got sucker punched as he stared at her. He literally stopped breathing for a couple of seconds. London being London was always dressed in the highest fashion. She never wore the same outfit twice, and she never wore anything casual, let alone wear a pair of jeans. It's funny how some girls have their "Cinderella" moment when they are wearing a beautiful dress. In this moment, with the skinny jeans hugging her curves, and her left-shoulder bare due to the off-the-shoulder style of the shirt, London was breathtaking. It was like she was a totally different person. A softer, more down to Earth, version of herself.

When he didn't say anything, London started to get fidgety, and she said, "If you don't like it, just say so. Don't just stand there like an idiot".

"No, I mean, yes, I like it. You need to buy that outfit. In fact, don't change out of it. It's perfect for the next thing I have in mind" Zack managed to say.

As London was paying for her clothes, Zack's thoughts became chaotic. For the first time since he's known London, he was aware of her as a girl girl.

Zack, you have a girlfriend! AND London is still London! She's just your friend! Zack mentally lectured himself.

However, Zack couldn't stop himself from stealing glances at London as she finished paying. She just looked so different! When she was done, she turned to look at him with a slight smile.

"That wasn't as bad as I thought it would be" London said, looping her arm through his, as they walked out of the boutique.

Trying to keep his head in the game, Zack decided to talk about what they were going to do next.


A/N: Please R&R!