Disclaimer: I do not own the Suite Life of Zack and Cody.
Chapter Three
"Hello," Maddie said coolly to the same receptionist she had seen a mere two days earlier as she walked into the office that Zack and Cody owned.
"Hello," the receptionist greeted just as coolly, "let me guess, you need to talk to the boss?"
"Yes," Maddie tried to smile, "but, Zack this time, not Cody."
"Lucky him," the receptionist said dryly, "just go up to the fourth floor and I'll call him to tell him your coming. He should be waiting for you."
Maddie walked towards the elevator, considerably more nervous than she had been when she had first decided to go through with this conversation.
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"Zack Martin," Sheila said, in a rather irritated fashion as she paged her boss, "that girl is coming up to talk to you."
Zack didn't even have to ask what girl she was talking about. Sheila found anybody who broke the rules an annoyance, and knew she felt no different about Maddie after her sudden and unscheduled visit the other day.
"Thanks," Zack answered, rather nervously. He had hoped that he could forget about Maddie and ever talking to her. But, apparently Maddie had different ideas. What could she possibly have to say to him?
Would she approach him about that night? That night that he still couldn't talk about. Would she ask him why he had avoided her? That would lead back to that night. Would she … His thoughts were interrupted by a knock on his door. Zack nervously got out of his seat and answered the door.
"Hey Maddie, come on in and sit down," Zack said, feeling the nerves in his stomach jumping around. Maddie smiled at him before sitting in one of the chairs across from his desk. Zack then went and sat in his own seat.
"Zack … I wanted to talk to you," Maddie nervously said, willing herself to not play with her hands in her lap.
"I assumed so," Zack flashed her a grin, "since you came here and all."
"I .. it was really surprising seeing you the other day," Maddie admitted, "and, I guess I just wanted to say that I haven't been happier in the few years that we haven't talked than I was when I saw you. You were one of my best friends, and I don't want to lose you again."
"Maddie …," Zack tried to interrupt, but Maddie just kept talking.
"And, I know that things ended kind of badly. But, I was hoping since you were kind of the one to initiate conversations the other day that you could at least try and be friends again," Maddie blurted out.
"Maddie," Zack sighed. This was worse than he had thought it was going to be. He didn't know how he was going to tell her that he didn't think he could be friends with her. It seemed impossible now that she had said all of this.
After a silence that seemed to stretch on, Maddie stood up from her chair, feeling tears rise up in her eyes, "Sorry I disturbed you."Maddie," Zack started again, but as she turned back around, Zack couldn't think of any words to say, so just blurted out a few, "I'm sorry, I don't think I can go back to being friends with you."
With those words, Maddie Fitzpatrick left his office, for what seemed to be the first and last time. But, as he watched her leave, Zack wondered how come he felt worse about letting her leave than he thought he would have?
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Zack Martin cautiously walked into the museum that Cody had told him Maddie worked at. After contemplating his and Maddie's situation, he realized how much of a jerk he had been. He should have just talked to her about being friends again, what kind of signals had he sent her by first initiating conversation in ten years and then telling her that he didn't want to be friends? He hated to hurt Maddie, and he especially hated to see the first-hand effects of his hurting Maddie.
"Can I help you?" a curious lady asked as he looked around the museum, hopelessly.
"Yeah," Zack smiled, looking the girl up and down. She was very pretty, "your phone number would help a lot."
"Does that line work on people?" the girl asked wryly, "because I find it to be a very disappointing one."
"Most of the time it doesn't," Zack continued to smile, "but, it does get them talking to me, which is what I was going for all along."
"So, you're the sneaky type?" the girl mused, "at least you are kind of cute."
"And so are you," Zack retaliated, "so, what do you say to dinner tomorrow night?"
"Without even knowing my name," the girl shook her head, "and you were doing so well."
"Well, who says I don't already know your name?" Zack asked her, "I think it is something along the lines of Meagan."
"It's Margaret," she corrected.
"Well, see I was close, so dinner tomorrow night," Zack informed her, "I won't take now for an answer."
"Okay," she smiled, "I'll meet you outside of the museum at seven o'clock."
"And you didn't even learn my name," he shook his head at her, "it is Zack Martin."
"Wait, as in Maddie's Zack?" Margaret suddenly asked.
"Um, I guess," Zack looked confused, "actually, I'm here to talk to her. Do you know where she is?"
"Zack," Maddie looked confused as she joined the two. Margaret still looked rather surprised that the handsome man who had just asked her out was in fact Maddie's Zack. The look on Zack's face was somewhere between surprise at being called Maddie's Zack and hopelessness as he noticed the look on Maddie's face, she looked confused and hurt.
"Can we talk?" Zack quietly asked her. When she nodded, he started to follow her towards her office, before turning around and looking at Margaret, "I'll see you tomorrow night."
Maddie looked curious at that last statement, but didn't say anything, even after her and Zack sat down in her office. Zack took a deep breath before beginning the speech that he had thought up before he had come to the museum.
"Maddie, first I want to say I am sorry," Zack blurted out, "I was stupid to not even give our friendship a chance."
"If you don't want to be friends with me," Maddie coldly said, "I don't want you to be friends with me. Especially if it is just because you feel bad."
"Of course it's not just because I feel bad," Zack defended himself, "you were right, we were always good friends. I don't think I realized how much I missed that until after you left my office today."
"Why did you think it wouldn't work in the first place?" Maddie asked curiously.
"Because ..," Zack tried to think of the best way to put it without bringing the night she had broken his heart up, "I think I felt that since I didn't have any feelings for you anymore, it would be impossible for us to remain friends. But, I think without those feelings, we can be better friends than ever."
"And you're sure about this?" Maddie questioned, "Because I want you to be absolutely sure."
"I am totally sure," Zack smiled, "ten yeas without you in my life was plenty long. I don't think another ten years would be good for my health."
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"You're going on a date with Zack?" Maddie asked Margaret later as they were out for a cup of coffee.
"I'm sorry," Margaret apologized, "I can tell him tomorrow I can't see him again. I had no idea that he was your Zack."
"Wait," Maddie said, recalling what London had said last night about Maddie leading Zack on, "I don't want you to do that. I am okay with you dating Zack. I have no romantic feelings for him."
"Okay," Margaret shrugged, looking somewhat unconvinced, "but he is quite the charmer, don't you agree?"
"He's always been like that," Maddie rolled her eyes, "I swear he could make any girl weak at the knees."
"Except for you," Margaret pointed out.
"Except for me," Maddie confirmed. She knew for a fact that she had never had any romantic feelings for Zack Martin.
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"You asked out her work friend?" Tapeworm asked Zack as the two were getting some coffee after they had gotten off of work.
"I didn't know it was her friend," Zack protested, "you know how I get when I see a pretty girl, I ask her out."
"And how do you think Maddie feels about this?" Tapeworm questioned.
"She shouldn't feel anything about it," Zack shrugged, "she only ever considered me a friend. I could always get the girls I want."
"Except for her," Tapeworm pointed out.
"Except for her," Zack sighed. He knew that Maddie had and never would have romantic feelings for him.
