Disclaimer: I own nothing.

Note: All the parts in italics are flashbacks. Read it like you're seeing into Zack's mind. If you like this chapter, you might like my story "When a Tornado Meets a Volcano." Happy reading!

It wasn't like he planned to fall in love with her.

Really, he'd tried nearly everything to stay away from her. Bailey and Cody were perfect for each other. Anybody with half a brain could see that. They belonged together.

Zack knew that…

… but what his brain understood and what his heart felt were two very different things.

And now, staring at the ceiling above his bed, trying and failing to sleep, he could almost laugh at how ridiculous the whole thing was. Almost.

It started innocently enough…

"Please tell me you're a girl because I'm strangely attracted to you right now," the blonde twin said suggestively.

His roommate was a girl.

Somehow, someway, the fates had smiled on him.

Finally.

The hot brunette, Bailey, was offering a winded explanation of her sneaking on the S.S Tipton. He did love sneaky…hmmm, was the rest of her as delicious as her hair…?

And now said hot girl was begging him to keep her secret?

Begging.

On. Her. Knees.

Well.

…he could get used to this!

So, maybe it was better for her to room with London. Mr. Moseby was bound to find out about Bailey sooner or later.

He just wished it could have been much, much, much later.

Why did they have to fall into the hot tub?

Stupid hot tub.

It was going so well too…at least she got to stay on board.

He wouldn't have liked it if she left.

…Wait, why did he care? He'd only just met her.

He blamed the hair. It was just so shinny and long and….was Cody looking at her hair too?

Sorry, Codes.

Not in your league.

Not this time.

Parrot Island- a paradise of lush green trees and white sand beaches, the prefect romantic getaway.

Wrong.

Thanks to Mr. Tipton, it was a barren wasteland of forgotten tourist traps.

(And strange wandering pigs.)

Not exactly the best place to woo Bailey. But he could make it work.

If only Cody Stopped Hitting On Bailey.

It was pathetic, really.

Cody had a girlfriend (…not that it seemed to be stopping him….)

He wasn't sure why it…

… bothered…

him so much that Cody liked Bailey.

It just did.

A spitting contest.

Well… it, ah, seemed like a better idea at the time.

Because, come on, he wasn't just the kind of guy to deal with "baggage."

He was more of a carefree, spontaneous, lets-just-see-how it-goes, kind of guy.

Not a baggage handler.

…right…?

Yeah…yeah, Cody was much better for her.

They could be one of those disgustingly cute geeky couples together.

They could do homework together. Eat together. Dress in matching outfits.

…It was frightening just to think about.

He'd dogged a bullet with that one.

There were plenty of other fish in the sea.

Non-plowing, non- hay-heaving fish...with even more shiny hair.

Yes.

He. Had. Done. The. Right. Thing.

(…maybe…)

A six month plan?

…really, Cody, really?

Half. A. Freaking. Year.

…Pickett may be a geek, but she was still a hot geek.

Any random guy could snatch her up in that time.

This was bad.

This was seriously very not good.

… because Cody was the only one allowed to date Bailey.

No one else.

(…Jesus, six months. It was like they weren't even related to each other.)

Maybe Mom dropped Cody on the head as a child.

It would explain a lot.

(Six Months?)

He had not seen this one coming.

Really, he hadn't.

Hannah. Montana.

Yup. It only took an international pop star to get Cody and Bailey together.

And just as he'd suspected, Cody's six-month-plan resulted in Bailey finally making them official.

…his brother would always be a bit of a coward when it came to girls.

But.

Cody and Bailey are together. Finally.

And…they're happy.

That was all that matters, right?

…yeah…that was all that mattered….

He didn't really think he'd been…interfering …

with Cody and Bailey's…time together.

Not really.

Well…maybe a little.

maybe a lot…

Ok, maybe a whole lot.

But he'd never really had to share his twin with anyone before.

(Yeah… that was what it was.)

Sure, there had been Barbara, but that was not like how it is with…Her…in the picture.

Cody . Was. Crazy. About. Her.

Like, borderline- obsessive-stalker- crazy. (In a non-creep way, of course).

With Pickett, it seemed…serious.

Serious, serious.

..and he didn't know how he felt about that.

Strange.

He guessed he was so happy for them that…

…it ached a little.

(but that could just be the fish tacos talking).

"Just tell her the three words every woman wants to hear. …

I… Was. …Wrong".

Very good advice, if he did say so himself.

Oh, Cody. You have so much to learn.

After all, that self-proclaimed egghead thought that there was something between…

…Him and Bailey?

Please.

(clearly, all that hot air really did go to Cody's head!)

He wasn't without all morals, for cryin' out loud!

He would never do that to Cody. Never ever.

(Sure she was….pretty…. and smart and funny and her eyestwinkledwhenshesmiled… )

But.

Come. On.

…him and Bailey!

Yeah.

Like that would ever happen…

Just for the record, she started it.

No, no- it's true.

Like, where did she get off? Who did she think was?

She. Threw. Coffee. At. Him.

In the face!

The face! That was the money-maker!

And wearing mascara is very normal for anchormen when you were on camera.

It was stage make-up!

Stage. Make-up.

So, maybe he had gone a slightly overboard with all the comments.

…she didn't actually look like a mailman…or need to pander to the male audience…

She actually looked nice. Like a professional.

….a cute professional…

Wait, what?

Pickett wasn't cute!

Well.

…she was kind of hot.

No other girl ever fought with him like that.

Only Bailey.

…God, it figured.

The one girl who made him angry, laugh, smile…

The only girl who made him want to be better.

…was the one girl he could never have.

Zack rolled over in bed, frustrated. It didn't look like sleep was going to happen anytime soon. Not with all these memories. Sighing, he got up and reached for his shoes and jacket lying haphazardly on the floor.

It looked like yet another sleepless night out on the Skydeck . Just him and the stars.

And his memories.

Walking slowly, he turned over in his mind the events since Bailey and Cody's break up. Their completely stupid, idiotic, ridiculous break-up. Come on, who breaks-up in Paris?

Both of them were just too damn stubborn, they both always had to be right. All the time.

But what was right about this?

Cody and Bailey needed each other. Like two halves of a puzzle. And Zack…well. He was the glue that had to stick Cody and Bailey back together.

Zack loved Cody too much to break his heart by going after Bailey.

And Bailey….was better off with Cody.

So, he was going to get them on a date if it was the last thing that he did. A plan was already starting to form in Zack's mind. There was that dance that was coming up for Seven Seas High…

He would get them together. He had to… it was the only thing that would make up for falling for the love of his twin's life.

Even though…

…It wasn't like he planned to fall in love with her.