Episode 11

"Black Friday 2"

I don't own these characters, but it would be nice if I did.

Wait...In this story, I created some of the characters, so I will actually own them.

Anyways, I do promise to keep them true to themselves.

And as to the ones I create, who they are is up to me, so...

London's Penthouse

While everyone else was socializing or watching the football game on TV, Cody and Bailey continued checking on the statuses of the dishes that were still cooking. And once they were satisfied everything was as it should, they huddled up in the corner of the kitchen and began whispering.

"So, what do you think Mr. Tipton is up to?"

Cody shrugged. "I have no idea, Bails. I do know that I'm getting a bad feeling about all of this though."

Bailey sighed. "Same here. After the last time, I was really looking forward to us going through an admissions process that would be free from worry..."

"So, what do we do?"

She paused to think. "Well, I guess the only thing we can do is forget to tell London when we're going to apply to schools. If we do that, then there's nothing she can tell her father..."

Cody stopped to consider that idea. "I think you're right. I mean, we are going through the early admissions process, so that should buy us some time. Hopefully by the time he does find out, we'll already be accepted somewhere."

Bailey nodded. "Agreed. We'll just keep everything regarding our application and admissions process to ourselves for a while."

Unfortunately for them, their huddle in the corner of the kitchen hadn't gone unnoticed. And they were so engrossed in their little conversation that they did notice someone walking up to them.

"Looks like you two are in the midst of a serious discussion..."

Both turned to see Todd standing there smiling at them.

"Ummm..."

"Well...we're..."

Todd laughed and cut them off. "Just discussing the little bomb dropped on you by London a little while ago, huh?"

Cody sighed. "Busted..."

Todd looked around to make sure London wasn't watching him before he leaned in. "I wouldn't worry too much about it if I were you. I think London is just having some fun with the both of you..."

Bailey was surprised. "You really think so?"

"I know so..." He paused. "...but if you ever tell her I said that, I'll deny it!"

"So she made that whole thing up?"

"No, but for once, I don't think Wilfred Tipton has anything malicious up his sleeve. Besides, I can't see London standing for it if he did. She might like to give everyone a hard time, but she does generally care about her friends."

Bailey nodded. "That's true. She is the one who blackmailed her father back in Kettlecorn..."

Cody could only nod too. "And she is the one who gave Zack the kick in the butt that he needed...You're right, London wouldn't let her father get away with anything like that." He paused. "But that still leaves the question of why Wilfred Tipton wants to know when we're going to apply."

Todd shrugged. "No clue, but I wouldn't let it bother you. And I know London is just teasing you too, but she doesn't know how stressful this time can be for you two. Trust me. I've been through the application process for dental school, and I know how much of a pain that was."

Bailey just looked at him. "Was it really that bad?"

He laughed. "Oh yeah...especially at the kind of places you two are probably looking at."

"Any words of wisdom?"

Todd stopped to think. "Yeah. Expect the unexpected..."

Soon after, the buzzers on the stove went off, and Cody and Bailey got everything out and set it up in a buffet line for everyone. And once thanks was given, everyone attack the food like a pack of hyenas. After everyone gorged themselves once again, everyone proceeded to pass out in front of the TV yet again. And Amy just shook her head and laughed.

"Well, I can see somethings are an awful lot like home around here..."

Bailey laughed. "Yeah, it happens every year. I wish I had a video camera here to catch all of this on film..." She elbowed Cody. "We could call it the Terrors of Tryptophan..."

He laughed. "Very true..."

She paused. "Plus, it would be nice to be able to catch our memories on tape so we could go back and watch them over and over when we're older." Bailey shrugged and turned to her sister. "Anyways, we're about to head downstairs and hunker down ourselves on the couch there. I would advise you to get yourself a nap into so you'll be ready for tomorrow..."

"What's tomorrow?"

Bailey just smiled. "Well, back home, the day after Thanksgiving is an ordinary day. But around here, its considered the first day of the Christmas season. And since most people have it off from work, all the stores have these huge sales so people can begin their Christmas shopping. Some of these sales start pretty early in the morning, and in some places, there are already lines forming as we speak. Amy, welcome to Black Friday. We all plan on being out of the hotel by 5 AM..."

Amy's eyes went wide. "5 AM? It'll be like being back on the farm!"

"Yeah, kind of..."

"You're serious? We're really getting up early to go shopping?"

Cody laughed. "Well, we'll be there, but no guarantees everyone will be 100% awake. And we'll stop to get caffeine before we hit the subway. Trust me, it may seem like a pain, but its good to go ahead and get our Christmas shopping done tomorrow and have it out of the way..."

Amy just shook her head. "Wow..."

Bailey smiled again. "But the good news is after we're done, we'll take it easy and do absolutely nothing. And then you can sleep in in the morning since your flight out isn't until tomorrow afternoon..."

"Well, I guess that'll work. Oh well, I am up here to experience new things. Bring it on!"

Of course, at four o'clock the next morning, she wasn't as gung ho. And while Amy wasn't happy, no one was more unhappy to be waking up so early that morning than Zack was. He begged and pleaded for the chance to stay in bed a while longer and meet up with them later. He even promised to play pack mule later but to no avail. However, Maya promised him that once they were done for the day, he would get to take a well deserved nap. She even promised him they could order in a pizza that night with whatever he wanted on it. Zack still wasn't happy, but that did get him up and out of bed. About an hour later, everyone was ready, and they were all out the door a few minutes before 5:00.

And when Amy saw the size of crowds and the madness, she was totally blown away. But Bailey quickly told her than she could show no fear and had to be ready to get in there and fight. For almost the first seven hours out of their day out, they clawed, scratched pushed and managed to actually buy most of the gifts for their other family members. A little after noon, everyone was starving and in need of sustenance, so they happily headed for the food court. And when they were done eating and caught their second winds, the guys went one direction while the ladies went in another one.

Amy looked at Bailey and Maya. "You really think its a good idea for those two to go off by themselves? I don't think they're feeling to well. I mean...both have already run to the bathroom at least four times a piece..."

Bailey just shook her head and laughed. "Trust me. They haven't seen the inside of the bathroom here yet..."

Maya laughed too. "Well, maybe once. Both did grab a 24 oz cappuccino before we got on the the subway. But those other times, they just needed to get away from us for a few minutes."

Amy just looked at them in confusion. "Huh? I don't understand."

Bailey just smiled at her. "You remember this morning when Maya and I would try something on and mention how much we liked whatever it was, but we could justify buying it?"

She nodded. "Yeah..."

"Well, when they said they were going to the bathroom, I guarantee they were heading back into those stores asking the clerks to put those things we tried on aside for them. I bet they are heading back to those places right now to actually buy them."

"Why would they do that? That doesn't make any sense!"

Maya smiled at her. "Well, it does and it doesn't. Its just the way things are, so its not really their fault. At some point along the way, a few women ruined it for the rest of us..."

"How so?"

"Their boyfriends or husbands or even their brothers or dads bought them something they genuinely thought they would like. Well, for whatever reason, what they bought was either the wrong size or the wrong style or something like that. Instead of appreciating the sentiment, the women they bought the gifts for stupidly yelled at or chastised the guy, and we're paying the price now. Amy, guys talk, and once others heard the horror story, they were willing to do anything to make sure something similar didn't happen to them. So guys stopped buying clothes for women and resorted to giving them gift cards. While they are nice enough, they don't have the same personal touch."

Bailey continued. "And it would have continued that way until one guy found the loophole to this problem. If he heard the woman in his life say she liked something she was trying on, he rationed that it would be something safe he could buy for her." She nodded down to the boots she was wearing. "Like these boots. I liked them last year and mentioned it in passing to Cody. Christmas morning, I opened the package and there they were. Anyways, it worked wonders. The woman he bought the gifts for bragged to her friends that her feller was so thoughtful. They, in turn, lamented that their fellers weren't as thoughtful. Somehow, those guys found out and confronted the original guy who found the loophole. He explained the genius of his plan, and like the original horror story, the loophole has spread like wildfire among guys. So, that's why it is the way it is..."

Amy paused. "So, basically...you're manipulating them to make sure you get exactly what you want?"

Maya laughed. "In a way, I guess we are. But I like to think of it as just playing the hand we were dealt."

Bailey nodded. "Exactly. And I know Cody knows I'd never get mad at him for trying to be thoughtful. But at the same time, I can't blame him for being a little cautious. Christmas is supposed to be a joyous occasion. No wants it ruined by getting yelled at or to feel like the person didn't like their gift."

"So, that's it? You never get anything you don't explicitly say you like after you try it on?"

"Of course we do. Anything not clothes, we can just mention it anywhere else at any time, and most will make reminders for themselves. You have to remember that just because a guy doesn't look like he's listening, it doesn't mean he isn't."

"Bailey's right. I was mentioning to Zack the other day that my backpack was beginning to get a little worn. I can almost guarantee I'll have a new one for Christmas. And there are exceptions. Take last year for example. Zack bought me an Eli Manning jersey even though I had never mentioned wanting one. But he had a good idea..." She turned to Bailey. "...that I'm sure Cody probably helped with to purposely get it big so I could wear a sweatshirt underneath it."

"I'm sure Cody was probably behind it. My birthday before we started college, Cody got me a Yale sweatshirt because he knew those were supposed to be baggy."

Amy shook her head. "This is all a little much to grasp..."

Bailey smiled. "I know it sounds crazy, but think about it positively. It lets us know that our guys actually do listen to what we want and care about us enough to try to make us happy."

Amy shook her head. "Well, I don't think I'll ever do anything like that."

Maya laughed. "Famous last words...Besides, it works both ways. I know Zack's been dropping hints for a while now about certain things. I bet Cody has too."

"Yeah, he has. He's been talking about how he'd love to have a 4 in 1 laser printer/copier/scanner/fax machine."

"Sounds expensive."

Bailey laughed. "Yeah, but I found the one he wants on-line. If I order it on Cyber Monday, I can get it for 80% off from one place. And seeing the look on his face when he opens it up will be priceless."

Amy ran her fingers through her hair. "Maybe I should enjoy how simple life is in Kettlecorn while I can..."

"Might be a good idea. But, eventually, you'll get used to everything. I mean...I did."

Maya checked her watch. "And its almost one, and we have several stores to hit before we meet back up with the guys."

Bailey nodded. "You're right. I want to get finished today so I can be done with my shopping."

Maye picked up her bags before paused. "Now what store did you find those boots in? I absolutely love those! I think I might need to make a detour there to try on a pair once I meet back up with Zack again..."

Everyone finally called it a day about five o'clock that evening after having spent twelve hours out in the insanity. Everyone was happy to be home, but no one more so that Zack who finally got to enjoy his pizza and take a nap. Saturday brought with it the time for everyone to get back to their regular lives. Amy had to head back to Kettlecorn, and Cody and Bailey had to head back to New Haven to finish out their fall semesters. They would only have a week of classes left when they got back while Zack and Maya would have two at BU. So, after having a final lunch of leftovers with everyone, Cody, Bailey and Amy said goodbye to everyone. The first stop was to drop Amy off at Logan International. And once they had her checked in and she had her boarding pass, it was time for the Pickett sisters to part ways again.

"I really enjoyed having you up here with us for the last week and a half, Amy."

Amy smiled. "I had a lot of fun too. I knew life away from the farm would be different, but I now have an idea of just how different it can be..."

Bailey laughed. "Well, I hope it hasn't scared you off from it..."

"Actually, quite the opposite. I can't wait to get back this way for good. After getting a glimpse of what the outside world has to offer, I can't wait to see what else it has!"

"Just remember to keep up with your studies so it will be a possibility for you."

Amy grinned. "I will, Sis. I'll see you two in a few weeks in Kettlecorn..." She turned to Cody. "Even though she can be an overprotective pain in the butt, you better take good care of my sister for me!"

He smiled. "Don't worry, I'll do my best. Besides, you saw her in action on Friday morning. I think she can more than take care of herself..."

"I know. I have to admit...I'm not sure whether I more scared or impressed."

Soon after, it was time for Amy to head through security. And as she did, it was time for Cody and Bailey to head back to New Haven.

New Haven

About four o'clock that afternoon, Cody and Bailey were back in New Haven and settled back into their dorms. And that's when they decided to do something they hadn't done in almost two weeks – laundry. But they had their laptops with them and were busy editing their own and each other's final papers for their three seminar classes. By the time they were done, both felt good about all of them and believed they were ready to turn them in.

Later that evening, they were taking it easy watching TV in Bailey's room when Gertie and Tapeworm finally returned from their break as well.

"I don't know about you guys, but I wish I had a couple more days off. It feels like we just left this place..."

Cody laughed. "Not me. These next couple of weeks will be a welcome break for us. Our last final is on Sunday the 15th, and the next day, we head back to Boston to spend the next week with Mom. Then on the 23rd, we hop a plane to Kansas to spend Christmas with Bailey's family. And then on the 30th, we hop another plane from there to Miami to spend New Year's with Dad. Finally, on the 3rd of January, we fly back to Boston for one last week of cramming for the MCAT. I get tired just thinking about all of that. So I welcome a routine week of classes and then finals compared to all of that..."

Tapeworm paused. "That does sound rough. Well, look on the bright side - at least you're both racking up mad frequent flier miles..."

Bailey sighed. "I guess. I've already bought a big bag of gum for my carry on bag to keep my ears from popping so much."

Gertie nodded. "I know seeing your families will be great, but I can't imagine all that traveling around. And its not like the same clothes will work for both places. I'm sure it will be cold in Kettlecorn but nice and warm in Miami."

"Tell me about it. We're each allowed to check one bag for free before we would have to sell a kidney to pay for a second one. I think we've decided to pack all of our winter wear in one bag and our warmer wear in another. So, one week, we'll live out of one bag, and then the next week, we'll live out of the other."

Cody sighed. "We're really hoping Dad has laundry facilities for stuff like undershirts, underwear and socks..."

By the time the final week of classes was over, Cody and Bailey had turned in all three of their final papers and biochemistry lab report and were ready for reading week and finals. And like had been discussed earlier in the semester, their Friday seminar professor did in fact cancel the last class of the semester. Instead, he would show up and be there for people to drop off their papers. After handing theirs in, Cody and Bailey headed for their secret study place in the library to begin studying in earnest. In reality, it was just a microfiche room that no one ever used, and hardly anyone knew was even there. But, it was secluded, and they could talk among themselves without bothering others.

Friday through Sunday were spent studying for Developmental Biology before they switched over to Biochemistry on Monday. And they spent every waking hour not eating or sleeping studying for it for the next four days. By Friday morning, they were sick of looking at the material and were ready to get the final over with. And when they walked out of it exhausted, Cody turned to Bailey and sighed.

"Well, look at it this way. That part of the MCAT should be extremely fresh in our minds..."

After another day and a half of studying, they took their Developmental Biology exam on Sunday morning. And when they walked out of it, Bailey shook her head.

"Five semesters down, three to go..." She paused and turned to Cody. "How do you feel?"

He shrugged. "Other than tired, I'm fine. Why do you ask?"

"Well, the last time we walked out of our last final for the semester..."

He nodded before smiling. "No worries this semester. Nothing wrong with me that a nap won't fix."

"Good."

"You know, I should be happy were done right now, but I'm not. Maybe its the fact that even though were on winter break, we'll still be spending every day of it still studying for a test."

Bailey sighed. "Tell me about it. Cody, right now, starting to plan our wedding actually sounds like fun right now."

Cody laughed. "Gee...thanks."

She laughed too. "You know what I mean. I just think maybe we should hold off studying anymore until we take some time for ourselves."

He grinned. "Trying to tell me something, Sweetie?"

She laughed again. "Again, you know what I mean..."

"I hope you mean what I think you mean..."

Bailey just wrapper her arm around his waist. "You know, to be honest, I don't know what I mean right now. But if you think I mean what I think you're hoping I think I mean, I'm thinking we may be meaning the same thing..."

Cody laughed. "Wow...I actually understood that...I think. Is this that language of our own that Tapeworm keeps talking about?"

She laughed too. "Come on. Lets head back to the dorm. Before we do anything else, we both really need a nap. Either it is our own private language or we've both hit the same level of insanity..."

A nap later, and they were more like themselves. Well, more coherent anyways. They decided to put off packing until the next morning and went out to grab dinner and watch the most mind numbing, stupidest movie they could find. And when they got back to the dorm that night, they finally figured out if they were on the same page in what they both thought and meant.

The next morning, Cody and Bailey had breakfast with Tapeworm and Gertie one final time before leaving for winter break.

Tapeworm shook his head. "I don't think I like it when you guys get done early and I still have a final left to take..."

Cody laughed. "Hey, we lived through you doing the same thing our freshmen years. You'll just have to deal with it now."

Gertie laughed too. "Ignore Dennis. I would say have fun over your break, but from the sounds of it, it will be a lot of work."

Bailey nodded. "Yeah, but we just keep telling ourselves that once we get through all of this, our senior years will be breezes. We hope the old saying of the freshmen year, they scare you to death; sophomore and junior years, they work you to death; and senior year, they bore you to death is true."

"You and me both. Though, I am glad we aren't spending this time back in the hospital again."

Cody nodded. "Me too. I'm just glad I can laugh again without it hurting..."

Tapeworm teased him. "You better be. Somebody around here has to laugh at your lame jokes..."

After breakfast, everyone hugged each other goodbye for one last time until 2014.

"Good luck on the MCAT."

Tapeworm nodded and grinned. "And have fun on your North American Tour..."

A few hours later, Cody and Bailey had their things packed, the car loaded and on the way back to Boston.

Boston

While Cody and Bailey were finishing the last of their finals, Zack and Maya were finishing up their brief reading period at BU. Tuesday, the 17th through Sunday, the 22nd, would be their finals period. And through out that week, when they weren't in a final, they were holed up in Zack's suite studying. They barely even knew Cody and Bailey were even back. When they were in the suite, they were in Cody and Bailey's room studying for the MCAT. And when they weren't, they were usually across the hall spending time with Carey.

On the 22nd, Zack and Maya both finished their last final that morning before meeting up to grab lunch.

"So, how was your accounting final?"

Zack sighed. "All things considered, it could have been worse. And your Women's Study final?"

Maya shrugged. "Actually, it wasn't that bad at all."

He narrowed his eyes but was smiling. "I hope so. I'm already suffering from what you learned in one of your classes. As bad as that's been, something tells me things you learned in there could be much, much worse. You know, like the fact that all men are evil..."

She laughed. "Nah. I'm sure some of my classmates hold that view, but it was actually pretty interesting...for a humanities class."

"Saying we should have taken it over that movie class?"

"Yeah. I'm still getting over watching a movie and not looking for hidden meanings..."

Zack sighed. "Tell me about it. I want to watch a shoot 'em up movie and not think think about society's preoccupation with violence."

Maya smiled. "Well, just think, tomorrow, you can sleep in as long as you want..."

"Hardly. While I don't have to work tomorrow, I have my practice GMAT test at 8:00 AM sharp. They want us to take it under the exact same conditions we'll have in January. So, no sleeping in or hitting the snooze button for me..."

"That's right. You'll have to call me once its over and tell me how it went."

Zack sighed again. "It really sucks that you're heading back to New York tonight."

"I know, but my dorm is closing at 5:00. They won't let me stay any longer..."

"But you'll be back on the 29th right?"

She smiled again. "Of course. We have an early flight to Miami the next day. And once I'm back, I'm back for good."

He smiled too. "Good. I'm just going to really miss you while you're gone."

"Me too. And we'll exchange gifts with each other when I get back. I want to see your face when you open them this year."

"Same here." He shook his head. "Your first night back and we'll have to crash early to get to the airport on time."

Maya laughed. "Well, there's a good reason for that. We're meeting Cody and Bailey at the airport in Atlanta before heading on to Miami. That way, your Dad only has to make one trip to pick us all up. Besides, early morning flights were way cheaper."

"I know. But don't be surprised if I sleep all the way to Atlanta."

"I'm actually kind of expecting it..."

Zack sighed again. "Are you sure you can't stay tonight at the Tipton? I'd feel better if you did. You wouldn't have to drive at night plus Cody and Bailey are picking Mimi up at the airport this afternoon. I know she'd love to see you again."

Maya paused to think. "Well, I guess I could do that. If I left when you headed for your test, I'd miss both rush hour traffics in New York..."

He smiled. "See? It makes perfect sense. Lets head on back to your room to get you packed up then."

Logan International Airport

Cody and Bailey were in the baggage claim area waiting on his grandmother's flight to arrive with plenty of time to spare. And just getting out of the hotel for a few hours was a relief to them as they both were really getting sick of studying. Both had decided that for the day they and Mimi would both be in town, they would take a break from the grind to spend time with her. Finally, the passengers on her flight began entering the area, and they saw her in the middle of the pack. And immediately, both ran over to hug her.

Mimi hugged them back before smiling at them. "Well, this is a pleasant surprise. You two are usually gone by the time I get here."

Cody smiled back at her. "Well, this time tomorrow, it will be us boarding a plane. But we wanted to spend as much time with you as we could before that."

"I appreciate that. From what your Mom's been telling me, you both aren't getting any kind of a real break at all."

Bailey let out a weak laugh. "You can say that again..."

Mimi smiled. "Well, if any two people can handle it, I know its you two. Can you two manage to take a night off to hang out with an old woman?"

"Of course we can, Mimi. Cody and I would love nothing more."

"Good. Lets get my bags, and we'll head back to the hotel. Besides, I can think of a much more fun topic for us to discuss..."

"Yeah? What's that?"

Mimi grinned again. "Well, for starters, let me get a good look at that ring Cody gave you!"

Bailey smiled as she held out her hand. Mimi just shook her head and whistled. "Wow! I think I need my blue blockers here. That rock is gorgeous..."

"I think so too, Mimi. I couldn't imagine a more perfect ring considering the history behind it."

Mimi turned to Cody. "Well, I guess this another good thing that came out of the Martin side of the family..."

Cody sighed and shook his head. "Mimi..."

She laughed. "Sorry. I couldn't resist myself. I'll try to be better while I'm here considering I know you all will be spending New Year's Eve with Kurt."

"We would appreciate that. Despite what you think, Dad's a really good guy..."

"Well, if you can sire two wonderful boys like you and Zack, he must not be all bad. Okay, lets get back on topic here. I know you two have already picked a date. What else have you decided?"

Bailey shrugged. "Nothing. We've been focusing more on other things like our classes, the MCAT and medical school applications."

Mimi nodded. "I can understand that, but its only a year and a half away now. Some people...like me...are going to have to begin looking for plane tickets. It would be nice if we knew where the destination for those flights was going to be..."

Bailey turned to Cody and sighed. "That's a really good point."

Cody nodded. "Yeah, it is. I think all we know so far is that its going to be outdoors surrounded by nature. Other than that, I have no idea. Once our test is over, we should sit down and discuss this more."

She smiled at him. "I glad you remembered..." She paused. "But you're right. We do need to sit down after the MCAT and make some decisions. Where outdoors we want it should be the first question on our list."

Cody paused himself before smiling. "Well, there is an obvious answer to that question, but it would be completely impossible for us to pull off..."

Mimi spoke up. "And where exactly would that be?"

He grinned. "In Hawaii. It was where our first date was. I guess it would be symbolic for us to go full circle from having our first date there to getting married there..."

Bailey's eyes lit up when she heard that. "Oh my gosh! That would be absolutely perfect! On the beach or maybe along a cliff overlooking the ocean. That would be so romantic!" She paused and slumped her shoulders. "But you're right, Sweetie. The logistics of it would be mind blowing. We have so many friends and family we would want to be there that it just wouldn't make any sense financially."

Mimi spoke up again to interrupt them. "Can I say something?"

Both Cody and Bailey turned to her and nodded. "Of course."

"You only get married once...hopefully. I can still remember my wedding day to your grandfather like it was yesterday. Even with him gone now, I'll still have those memories with me until it is time for me to rejoin him. So, whatever you do for yours, make sure its exactly what you want it to be."

Bailey nodded. "You're absolutely right, Mimi."

She grinned. "And one last thing? Nothing is impossible if you want it badly enough..."

To be Continued...

AN: Okay, I know I'm posting on Tuesday, but I decided to speed up my posting as I've gotten another idea for a story that I'm contemplating writing once this is done. So, here is the deal I'm going to make. As long as I'm averaging 10 reviews a chapter, I will post on Tuesdays, Thursdays and on either Saturday or Sunday. Right now, we're at 97 through 10 chapters for an average of 9.7 reviews a chapter. If the total is up to 110 through 11, I will post again on Thursday and so on.