A/N This chapter will be continued on in the next. It's going to stay on a one page topic: Cody's inner struggle. Don't worry, you'll be surprised at the help he gets. Happy reading. =D
Disclaimer: I don't own the original works, only what I create.
"Agnes?" Zack exclaimed as surprised as Cody was. Well, Cody was more shocked than surprised, so he wasn't talking.
"Zackylicious! Codyrama! Come to Mama!" She screamed attempting to hug Zack first. He, however, after numerous encounters had developed a few escape plans. He rolled away commando style and went to the laptop.
"Don't sweat Cody! I know her one weakness!" Zack said typing and clicking purposefully quick. Cody looked stunned.
Just as Agnes reached them both, Zack found what he was looking for and clicked on it.
"OOOOOOOOOHHHHHHHHH MMMMMMMMYYYYYYYYY GGGGGGGGGGOOOOOOODDDDDDDDD!" Agnes screamed in such a fangirl way as 'Baby' by Justin Bieber came on. She started dancing and making disturbingly intimate scenes with an air figure. Zack just sighed and Cody relieved his brother had prepared for this contingency.
"Good one."
"No problem. We got five minutes, let's book it," Zack said. They were about to slip out but Agnes caught them around thier arms.
"Nice try you two, but you need quality time with Mama," Agnes said in an unmotherly way. Maya and Max were flaring inside, but only Maya had a legitimate reason, or at least a known one. Max reacted on instincts and... protectiveness?
"Hey, I didn't give you permission to grab my boyfriend!" Maya said as she dragged Zack away. He looked relieved and threw his arm around her appreciatively. She smirked at Agnes.
"Cody didn't ask you to assault him!" Max snapped and pulled him away without blushing even though Cody was slightly. Agnes looked like she was getting dangerous... or losing it... or both...
"I can talk to them, can't I?" She asked throwing a flirtatious wink at both of them. They both shuddered but Cody put up a defense first.
"You can talk to us, but in that corner," Cody said pointing over to the other side of the room. She moved forward though, and in a... creative manner.
"Nevermind, Zack you take care of her," Cody said hurriedly stepping back away. Zack gave him a 'Come on!' look, but he had to be fearless for the ladies and his girlfriend so he valiantly tried... and failed.
"Cody doesn't want to talk to you, so everything you say has to go through me," Zack said in a tough-guy voice. She smiled seductively.
"Okay," Agnes said advancing on her prey. Zack copped it.
"Scratch that, everything goes through Maya," he said smiling sweetly at her while she rolled her eyes as he pulled her in front of him like a human shield.
"Thanks, Zack. You're the best," she said resentfully.
"You can talk to Zack, but don't dare think about taking my Cody!" A new voice said. The door opened again. It was Barbara, Cody's former girlfriend. He still backed away.
Great. Who's next? Cody thought and he got his answer. Son of a-
"Bailey?" Zack said. Sure enough it was her there. She looked a bit giulty for coming, but nevertheless, the awkwardness level in the room was high and it was already spread. Cody being the most awkward.
Zack automatically acted on instinct and pushed Maddie, Jessica and Janice to the middle.
"Protect us," Zack said and the three girls gave him a look each. Maddie, a scowl, Jessica, confusion, and Janice, surprise. "You'll understand," Zack added unconvincingly.
"I hate playing referee," Maddie said and looked at London hopefully. "London, can't you do something?"
"Do what? This is good," she said ignoring everyone else's predicaments. All she focused on was the drama.
"There you have it folks. It's a fanclub gathering, with 1 girl after Zack, and 5 after Cody. Well, 6 if you count Max," London added, referring to Max's tomboyishness. She would've blushed but glared instead.
"Cody, if I can talk to you, can you meet me outside?" Bailey said quietly. Cody complied half-grudgingly, half-hopeful. Was this the moment he thought of so long ago? A 3rd chance he had been waiting for all this time? Max noted his expression and saw a ghost of a chance of hope on his face and grew quiet with upset she didn't know where it came.
Barbara would've stopped them but decided not to due to Cody's expression. Everyone continued to discuss inside the room as they waited for Cody and Bailey.
"There goes the exes," London said and everyone felt a reaction, some similar, some completely for different reasons.
"So how's it been going," Bailey asked not looking directly at Cody even though he was. It wasn't what he wanted to hear but he answered anyway.
"It's been fine. I'm alright," Cody said almost devoid of emotion. They didn't notice it, but Max had snuck over to the door and cracked it open ust enough to see and hear them. She kept her expresson neutral, though her emotions weren't. She didn't want to charge in but she felt as though she was losing an opportunity.
"I've been thinking a lot. Particularly that night," Bailey said a little regretfully. Cody sensed this and decided to open up a bit more on his views. Max's gut clenched tighter.
"I'm not exactly proud of what I said," Cody said honestly. "It's weird to hear this, but I guess I was being stupid."
"Join the club," Bailey half-joked, half-agreed. She finally looked at him straight.
"I've been thinking about us. I don't know if you have but, I really feel as though we still have something. Something I don't want to lose..." Bailey said almost hopefully. Cody felt a rush but also a sting. A rush that finally, maybe he could patch up a hole in his heart and take back everything he had done to make it right for that one night in Paris. A sting because he had been noticing himself getting closer to a particular female friend. He almost choked on his answer back.
"Well if the feelings mutual-" Cody started.
"You really think you can just apologize and get him back?" Max interrupted. She couldn't take it anymore. She had her own feelings for Cody and wasn't going to lose without a fight.
"And who are you to judge, Max?" Bailey said back. Cody had told her about Max back when he was still with her.
"I'm the girl he's been comforted by after you ripped out his heart!" She spat back. Bailey started getting heated.
"You don't think I didn't feel that way? That's why I'm apologizing. I need him!" Bailey shot back and Cody's heart felt touched despite the argument.
"Oh sure, he develops a six-month plan for you, but you think you can match all that by simple kisses and seductive apologies?" Max countered. Cody told her how it was so easy for Bailey to gain his trust again. It hit a nerve and Max knew it.
"Well why do you even care now? Cody may have known you first, but him and I go back way more than you do!" Bailey defended which turned into offense because it hit a nerve in Max this time.
"Way back? He's done more for you than you deserve!" Max attacked. Ouch. That's cold, Max. Cody thought but he warmed at how she was trying defend him indirectly from his own faults by countering with positives.
"Whatever my mistakes, I'll accept that! Cody knows that and he knows I'd do it all over again just to be with him once more! What've you done that's so great? You just happened to be there to give a hand when he was depressed! It could've been anyone else! It would've been me if I hadn't been fighting my own emotions! I know that I still feel for Cody and the closest you have is probably a temporary crush on him!" Bailey said with venom. Max was fighting a losing battle as the words sunk in and she realized the possibilities of her words.
"You were probably taking advantage of his weakness to snatch him up, weren't you? But I won't allow that because I'm the one who really cares for him," Bailey said with an evil smirk. It made her look prettier but not in a normal, good way. At this point Max couldn't argue and Cody felt pain again. He had to stop everything- at least just for now.
"Bailey," he said politely and she looked at him expectantly with hope. "I know that you're trying hard, and I feel touched, but this right now is too much. Max," he addressed as she looked at him a little guiltily.
"I appreciate what you've done to help me, I really do. But this is my choice, and I got to solve this on my own. I'm going to do- a little side tracking. I'll see you guys later. And please," he added pleadingly in an innocent manner. "Don't fight anymore. That's the last thing I want, and I regretted it when I took it too far..." Cody walked away and went down the elevator to his room. Bailey and Max looked awkwardly at the floor well aware of each other's presence.
"Sorry, I got a bit protective," Bailey said sincerely with no spite. Max copied her actions.
"Sorry I was being rash," she said. "Be friends?" She added. "For Cody?"
Bailey felt a bit uncomfortable about that when she mentioned Cody but agreed and shook hands. They opened the door and everyone in the room fell out. Apparently they were eavesdropping. Max and Bailey looked at them suspicious. Zack laughed awkwardly as they got up.
"I can explain... It was Barbara's idea," he said as he got his foot stomped by said person. "Owwww... okay I get it..." It was Barbara's idea though.
Cody walked out the hotel and checked his black-with-silver-line G-Shock. It was 12:07. He sighed. The day was cool and the sun was out, but behind the clouds a bit so the sky was a light gray mostly. He had put on a black leather jacket, black skinny jeans, a red short-sleeve, red and black Nikes and took his IPad with him with white headphones. He might as well go exploring or something. Anything that would help him think. He went over downtown and bought lunch from a Dunkin Donuts. He kept on walking until he reached the park. It was one next to a forest and had a granite walkway with seats on the sides every few meters. It was located on the the far east of the city.
He sat down on a sidebench to have lunch. When he cleaned up he started walking north looking at the sights around him. There were a few couples along the way and he felt a twinge of jealousy everytime he looked. He sighed quite a bit.
It seems like the life I had... Or maybe I'm not meant to have... Why? He asked himself in his head. Why is it this way? Why is everything so hard no matter what I do? It's like I'm always at square one...
He checked his watch. 4:54. He had been walking for at least a mile and the November day was getting darker. He sat down on a convenient chair with a lightpole beside it. He sighed again.
"I have to choose," he said to himself. "But it's going to hard. I have to break a heart to get one. Or maybe I shouldn't choose at all... No, that would break more hearts..." he soliloquized. He started thinking about recent memories now.
He thought about what Bailey said. She sounded like she meant everything she said. He had always felt the longing to get her back. But then there was Max. She did bring up good points even if he didn't want hear. But she also made him question more. Was he sure on what to do? And why had she been arguing? This really was his own matter with Bailey. His own faults... but did she sympathize? Or maybe did she empathize? Who was right and what was right? Was there really any answers out there?
He got up and started walking back.
No matter what choice I make, I can't avoid facing reality. I'll have to choose... Cody resolved. He started playing music with his headphones on. The first song was Space Bound by Eminem. As he listened to the lyrics, he could virtually see the events happening, not exactly, but relatively close. Instead of like the video though, the characters were replaced by the people he knew and himself. His mind must be trying to show him something. Before he could comprehend that the nest song in his playlist went on. Pieces by Sum 41. Yes, he had some older songs because he felt some deserved to be remembered. With this and the next song he reflected on the relatability of the lyrics. The next song was Which to Bury, Us or the Hatchet by Relient K.
The playlist ended conveniently when Cody reached the hotel. The lights above were out but the lobby still had a few people and staff around. He entered without saying anything and went to his room. He got prepared for bed and went in without changing his clothes. That really didn't matter right now.
God, if you can hear me, or someone... I'm not doing so well with recovery on my own... I'm not asking ofr much, but I need help, so please, if there is hope send me some with help...
What Cody didn't know was that help was going to arrive sooner than expected and help him with multiple taks...
Not bad for some quick work right? Please R & R.