Chapter 2: "It'll Be Our Little Secret"


"Come on, how long does it take for one guy to rinse off?" Zack complained after I'd been in the bathroom for 15 minutes, scrubbing away octopus ink and changing into a graffiti-covered hoodie and a green star-fish patterned t-shirt.

"Well excuse me for moisturizing," I snapped without thinking. "Which I need to do after I shave," I added hastily in my deepest voice.

"Shave what?" Zack, who was still wearing his ink-stained clothes, peered at me as I stepped out of the bathroom. "You're like one of them hairless cats."

This observation worried me. How long would it take everyone else at Seven Seas High to notice my complete and permanent lack of facial hair?

Zack went into the bathroom, and moments later I heard the shower start up. I looked at my reflection in my dresser mirror. A wisp of hair had slipped out from under my baseball cap. Since the coast was clear, I took off the cap and shook out my long reddish-brown hair.

"Hey, did you see my soap on a–woah," I whirled around to see Zack standing in the bathroom doorway.

"Dude, you need a haircut," he chuckled.

"Uh, I can explain," I stammered, my thoughts a jumble.

"Please tell me the explanation is that you're a girl." Zack took a step a closer to me. "Because I'm strangely attracted to you right now."

I felt my cheeks burn. In spite of the horrifying situation, my own attraction to him was flaring up again. "All right, all right, I'm a girl," I confessed, unable to think of a plausible lie. Taking a deep breath, I spilled my guts about how I'd applied to Seven Seas High as a boy, and how waiting until next year to apply as girl had not been an option.

"I can't go home now, I just can't. You have to promise you won't tell anyone I'm a girl!" I twisted my hair back up under my cap and knelt in front of Zack, who was sitting on my bed now. Any remaining shreds of my dignity evaporated. "Please, please, I'm begging you." I grabbed his hand in a final act of desperation.

Zack flashed a smile that would have made my knees wobble if I hadn't already been sitting on them, and patted my hand. "Don't worry, it'll be our little secret."

The door suddenly flew open. "Woody said he's willing to trade room–" Cody strode in, then stopped short when he saw Zack and me with our hands clasped. "Why are you guys holding hands?" he asked with a very puzzled expression.

Zack and I jumped to our feet. "Uh, secret handshake," he offered, and we both mimed a series of mismatched hand movements. I even snapped my fingers. Totally lame.

Before Cody could respond, Zack said, "Oh, by the way, I am not trading roommates!" He shoved Cody out of the cabin and shut the door in his face.

If I hadn't been consumed with relief, I would have felt sorry for Cody.

After dinner, Zack, Cody, Woody, and I went up to the game room on the Sky Deck for some "guy" time.

"Why didn't you want to trade roommates?" Cody asked Zack. His feelings were clearly hurt by this turn of events.

"We figured opposites attract," Zack said, shrugging.

I quickly agreed. "And by opposites, he means, like clean and messy, not like boy and girl." OK, it was time for me to shut up.

Zack came to my rescue. "Why don't we go play some pool and let Cody and Woody work out their issues?" He nudged me toward the pool table.

"We have issues?" Woody asked Cody, sounding devastated.

"No, no, no," Cody protested but was too honest to keep up the lie. "Yes," he admitted sadly. Good thing Cody isn't my roommate, I thought as I lined up my first shot. He would never be able to keep my identity a secret.

Zack leaned in to help me position the cue. "Thanks, Zack," I said. This time my knees did wobble.

"Why can't we get along like that?" Woody whined at Cody, then went off in a huff.

Cody looked over Zack and me. "What are you doing?" he questioned.

We sprang apart. Zack resorted to "How 'bout them Patriots?" and I chimed in with a lame "Yeah!"

London walked into the game room. "I hate this stupid sea school," she grumbled. "And I hate this stupid boat."

Zack pointed to one of my favourite arcade games. "Hey, the Galaxy Raider game is open!"

"I love this stupid boat!" London cheered. "Dibs on the gold headphones. They match my outfit!"

All hell broke loose shortly after that. Zack, Cody, London, and I were deep into Galaxy Raider when a live boat drill began. We didn't hear the test announcement, only the ship's foghorn sounding three times—the "sinking ship" signal.

I totally screamed like a girl as we scrambled around searching for lifejackets, but luckily nobody noticed. We were all screaming.

"Rich people first," London bellowed, shoving me aside, as the four of us tried to pummel our way through an exit door. Her force sent me sprawling. Zack, Cody, and London tumbled forward.

As I lay facedown on the deck, wondering if any bones were broken, I heard shouts and splashing from below. "We fell overboard!" That sounded like Zack. "Why is the ocean so hot?" Definitely London.

"Probably because it's a hot tub," replied the dry, cranky voice of Mr. Moseby, the ship manager. So they were safe after all.

I looked around cautiously, aware my hair was flopping in the breeze. The Sky Deck was deserted. My baseball cap sat a few feet away. When I was satisfied I was still in one piece (which was only slightly disappointing because a personal injury lawsuit against London would have been worth millions), I got hold of my cap, stuffed my hair back underneath, and went to find the nearest stairs. Whew, that was close.

I must have taken a wrong turn because it took me ages to find my way back to the cabin. The S.S. Tipton is actually bigger than Kettlecorn. I trekked across four different decks, and up and down countless sets of stairs, before I found myself in our narrow hallway. By then I was tuckered out and ready for another shower.

Cabin 8-102 was empty. I threw my baseball cap and hoodie onto my bed and began to pull off my sweaty t-shirt.

At that moment, Zack stepped out of the bathroom, wearing only a towel. I'm sure my eyes bugged out and my jaw dropped. "Oh hey, Bailey," he said casually. "Where were you?"

"I, uh..." I mumbled, trying to look away. My cheeks were flaming again. Dizziness threatened to overwhelm me. "I got lost."

A noxious gassy smell interrupted my swooning and we heard a knock at the door. "Zack!" It was Cody. "Are you sure you don't want to trade roommates?"

At this Zack and I began to laugh. We laughed and laughed until we both fell onto my bed. My secret was safe. Hopefully it would stay that way.


A/N: This chapter is where the plot spins off from the series and Bailey begins to live her secret double life. Thanks for reading and let me know what you think so far. Xoxoxo – Ellie.