Summary: London gets a phone call from her stepmother, Brandi, that her father has just died in a car accident. London goes into denial, pretending like it doesn't bother her. When she doesn't show up to the funeral, Brandi comes into the Tipton looking for her. Maddie realizes that London is out shopping, since that is how she deals with anything that bothers her or upsets her. Can Maddie help London to realize her true feelings about her father's death? Can London and Brandi ever become like a real family?

Chapter One – Bad News

"Hello," London said, answering her phone on a Wednesday afternoon. She had just come home from school and was standing in the lobby of the Tipton.

"Hello, London. It's Brandi," London's stepmother replied.

"What do you want?" London replied. London did not have a great relationship with her stepmother. In fact, London usually acted as if her stepmother did not exist.

"London, your father was involved in a car accident," replied Brandi, somberly.

"A... a... car accident?" London replied, stunned. She sat down on the steps near the candy counter. "How... is... he?"

"The crash was head-on."

"So? What do you mean?"

"He's gone..."

"What?" London replied, shocked. She knew what Brandi meant, but she was in too much shock to comprehend it.

"The car crash killed him immediately."

London was silent for the next minute. She struggled to hold back tears.

"London? Are you still there?" Brandi asked, breaking the silence.

"Yes."

"Are you okay?"

"Yeah. Umm.. I just want to be alone."

"Ok," replied Brandi. "I'll call you with the details of the funeral when I get them."

"Bye," London replied, about to hang up.

"Oh... and... London?"

"Yes?"

"I know you and I don't get along, but-"

"That's an understatement!"

"But if you want someone to talk to, I'm always here, London."

"I'm fine! I don't need to talk to anyone!" London said, loudly, hanging up.

"London, what happened?" asked Maddie.

"That was Brandi. She said that was my father was in a car crash."

"Omigosh! Is he okay?"

"He died," said London, and she walked to the elevator without saying anything more.

Noticing something was not alright, Mr. Moseby walked over to the candy counter and asked, "Maddie, what's happening?"

"Mr. Moseby, Brandi just called London to tell her that her father was in a car accident," replied Maddie sadly.

"Oh," he replied, shocked. "How is he?"

"He died."

"Oh. How did London react?"

"She walked to the elevator before I could ask her more about it, but I think she's trying to act like she's perfectly fine."

"Oh. She might want to talk to us about it tomorrow. She probably just wants to be left alone," Mr. Moseby said, walking back over to the front desk.

The next morning, Esteban bought a newspaper from the candy counter, something he did every morning. On his coffee break, at 10:05am, he found time to read it. The headline read "Owner of Hotel Chain Dies in Car Crash". There was a large picture of London's father. He read the article, stunned at what he was reading. He passed the newspaper around to the other employees at the hotel.

At 3:30pm, Zack and Cody returned home from school. "Little blonde peoples!" Esteban called at Zack and Cody.

"Hey, Esteban!" Zack and Cody said. "What's up?"

"Esteban handed Cody the newspaper. "Oh no," Cody said reading the article.

"What happened?" Zack asked.

"Mr. Tipton died!" Cody replied.

"Oh. How'd he die?"

"He was in a car accident. A head-on collision -"

"A... what?"

"A head-on collision. Mr. Tipton's car hit another car in the front. Don't you learn anything?"

"How's Mr. Tipton?"

"He's dead. I just said that."

"Oh."

"I wonder how London's taking the news."

"She doesn't read the newspaper, remember?"

"Yes, but Brandi probably called her and told her about it."

The twins walked over to the candy counter.

"Hey Maddie? Has London said anything about her father's death?" Cody asked.

"No. Yesterday, she just told me what had happened and walked to the elevator to go to her suite. I think she just wanted to be alone," Maddie replied.

"And today?" asked Zack.

"She just avoided me at school today. She didn't talk to me at all. She's out shopping now, I suppose."

"What else does London do?" asked Cody, rhetorically.

"I'll talk to her about it when she wants to talk about it," Maddie said.

"Ok," Zack said, and he and Cody walked over to the elevator. They then went upstairs to their suite.

"Hey Zack! Hey Cody!" said Carey, as they walked in the door.

"Hey mom!" Zack and Cody said, hugging her.

"How was school?" asked Carey.

"Great!" answered Cody. He hand Carey a sheet of paper. "I got an A+ on my English composition!"

"That's wonderful!" said Carey, and she hung the composition up on the refrigerator. "And how was your day, Zack?"

"Pretty good," he said, about to walk to his room.

"And what did you get on your composition?" asked Carey.

"Why don't you tell her, Zack?" asked Cody, teasingly.

Zack replied, "Well, I didn't turn it in on the day it was due... So I-"

"So you failed it?" replied Carey.

"No," Cody chimed in. "He got a D-, when he could have gotten a B if he hadn't turned it in late."

"Oh," Carey replied. "Why didn't you turn it in on time, Zack?"

"I forgot when it was due," Zack replied.

"That's why they gave us those assignment notebooks at the beginning of the year. To write down our assignments. I use mine all the time," Cody said. "I'll bet you lost yours!"

"I didn't lose it... It's just been misplaced!" Zack said, defensively. "I think it's under my bed."

"Well, that's going to make it easy to find, considering your side of the room is so neatly organized!" Cody said, sarcastically. In truth, Zack's side of the room was really messy even after Zack had been nagged to clean it.

"It's not organized!" Zack exclaimed, missing the point.

"That's my point! I was being sarcastic!" Cody explained.

"What does 'sarcastic' mean?" asked Zack.

"It means that I was joking!" said Cody. "I know your side of the room isn't organized!"

"Oh," Zack replied.

"Zack, you will be grounded for a week-" said Carey sternly.

"But-" Zack interrupted.

"No buts! Starting today, you are not to leave this suite except for school for the next week. You will come home immediately from school, unless you have basketball practice. And, you will look for that assignment notebook! If you cannot find it I will withhold your allowance for two weeks to pay for it," Carey continued.

"Aww man..." said Zack.

"Go to your room and start looking for that assignment notebook!" Carey ordered.

"Fine!" Zack said, and he stomped off to his room.

"Cody, did you hear about London's father yet?" asked Carey.

"Yeah, Esteban gave me the newspaper to read, and the front page article was about the car crash," Cody replied.

"I didn't get to read the article. Esteban told me. Does the article mention who will be taking over the operations of the Tipton Hotel chain?"

"Uh... Yeah..."

"Who?"

"Brandi Tipton."

"London's step-mom?"

"The very same."

"Oh."