Chapter 8

Operation "Make Haley Believe that Chris is a Lying Jerk" is in operation. Zack watched as the two so-called lovebirds sat with each other at one of the tables on the Sky Deck, a table in direct view of the smoothie counter again, just talking. Chris was on the clock, but he took a break when Haley showed up. School has just ended, so the deck was beginning to flood with teens. Chris leaned in and planted a kiss on Haley's cheek and she smiled. She looked down at her lap sheepishly, and at that moment, Chris made a disgusted face again, but Haley didn't see it. Zack shook his head as he gripped the knife he was holding as he chopped up a kiwi.

"Ow!" he exclaimed and noticed that he sliced his finger. He quickly found a towel and covered it and got out the first-aid kit. As he was taking care of his bloody finger, he still watched the two. Chris told Haley that he had to get back to work, and kissed her on the mouth before he stood up. It shocked Zack that, in that one second, he wished he was Chris.

"Hey, what happened to you?" Chris asked when he came behind the counter.

"Cut myself. What does it look like?"

Zack's voice came out edgy, and Chris held up his hands. "Whoa, I was just asking. Why the bad mood? You hit on a girl and she rejected you?"

Zack let out an irritated breath as Chris got busy making a customer's smoothie by chopping up some bananas. "No. I just found out that one of my good friends is being played and cheated on by her new boyfriend."

Chris stopped chopping and looked at over at him. Zack finished bandaging his finger and turned to face Chris, giving him a mean look. Chris cleared his throat, obviously uncomfortable. "Really? Poor girl."

"Yeah, poor girl."

The two guys stared hard at one another. Zack stepped up to him, not hiding the anger in his voice. "Listen, pal, you need tell Haley the truth, or..."

Chris gave him a challenging look. "Or what? She didn't believe you the first two times you tried to tell her. Yeah, I knew the friend she was talking about was you. She'll never believe you, and I'll never tell her."

Zack really wanted to punch that smug look off his face. "It really sickens me that I have to work with you. And I thought you were a decent guy."

Chris did not seemed phased at Zack's insult. "I am. What guy doesn't want to make a girl happy? You know, I'm making two girls happy—my hot, college girlfriend, and my butt-ugly, schoolgirl girlfriend."

Something strong and a bit scary shot through Zack's system, and he about went at Chris, but more people came up to the counter and ordered smoothies. Zack had to stop himself and he hated that he had to do so. He got to work, also hating that smug look that was still on Chris's face.

He's gonna find some way to make Haley believe him. But how? He should find that girlfriend of his. He would be able to spot her out of a crowd since she was, admittedly, really hot. He looked around the Sky Deck, but the hot brunette was nowhere to be seen. Maybe he'll follow Chris after his shift is over. And he'll bring Haley with him. Well, after he apologizes again for calling her hideous.

The evening went on, and soon, the sky became dark. Chris got off his shift, but Zack still had two hours left of his. How's he going to pull his plan off? He spotted Steve, who was working the tables. He went up to him. "Hey, Steve, could you cover me for like twenty minutes? My mom just texted me and said she really needs to talk to me about something. I think it's a family emergency."

Steve's eyes widened. "Oh my gosh, I hope it's not serious. Does Cody know?"

"Yeah, he does. Don't worry about telling him."

"Okay. Yeah, I can cover you."

He patted his shoulder. "Thanks, man. I'll be back as soon as I can."

"Don't worry about it. Just take care of whatever's going on."

Oh, he hopes that he does. "Thanks again, man."

Zack left him, and when the guy wasn't looking, and Chris was heading off the deck, Zack sprinted to the girl's cabins. He stopped at Haley's door, a bit out of breath. Once he composed himself, he knocked. He realized he was still in his work clothes and apron.

"Oh well," he said and the door opened. Haley's eyes widened and hurt suddenly filled them. "Hey, before you shut the door in my face, just hear me out for a second, okay?" She nodded, not saying anything, and he couldn't help but notice her her skinny jeans and purple V-neck top that showed her curves. "Look, I'm sorry about what I said. Honestly, I'm more sorry than I've even been about anything in my life."

He waited for her response. She gulped hard and looked down. "Um... well, usually people say 'it's okay, I forgive you' but I would be lying if I said that. And I feel horribly about it."

"Hey, you don't have to feel horrible. I was the idiot."

"But you were telling the truth."

He pursed his lips, knowing she was right. She looked up at him, and he stared at her blue eyes, eyes that he couldn't keep his gaze away from. "You're not hideous. You have gorgeous eyes."

Said eyes widened again. "Are you serious?"

"Yeah. In all honesty, I can't stop looking at them whenever I see you."

Her cheeks started to turn pink, which confirmed the fact that she likes him. He smirked at that. "So... I actually came here to ask you to do something."

"What?"

"Come with me."

"Why?"

"Just trust me, okay? Really, I'm trying to be a good friend here."

She pursed her lips, then muttered, "Okay. But, I have homework..."

"Homework can wait." He took her hand and he heard her gasp when he did so. They walked out of the cabin area and onto a deck next to the ship's railing. She let her hand go. "Wait, so... what are you up to?" she asked.

"Just follow me."

He walked on and he made sure that she was walking behind him. They made it down to that hallway where he ran into Chris's girlfriend. She went into one of the doors, but which one was it? "Okay, it has to be one of these rooms," he said.

"What has to be one of these rooms? What are you doing, Zack?"

"You'll see."

He knocked on one door and an elderly woman with short, curly silver hair answered it. "Yes?" she asked.

"Hi. Is a tall and beautiful young woman with brown hair staying with you in this suite? She's a good friend of ours, and she told us to swing by and say hi."

The lady shook her head. "No, there's isn't a young woman staying here. Just my husband and I. It's our fifty-year anniversary." She winked.

"Oh, well, Congratulations. And sorry. Wrong door, then."

"But there is a young woman of that description next door. I've seen her come out of it, along with a boy."

Yes! Zack wanted to shout. "Thank you, ma'am."

She shut the door and Zack went to the next suite, Haley walking with him. "Zack, really, what are you doing?"

"You'll see, Haley, just wait." They came to the door and he knocked. "Oh, you're so busted now..." he muttered, referring to both Chris and that girl, and Haley still looked confused.

The door opened and that beautiful girl appeared. Her eyes widened when she saw Zack and Haley. "Hello. You're that guy from before."

"That I am. I'm looking for Chris. I have a good feeling he's in there."

Her brown eyes widened, and Zack could see the fear in them. He gave her a daring look, knowing that he caught her. She turned and shouted, "Chris! Door's for you!"

Wow, that was easy, Zack thought. The Chris that came up to the door was indeed the Chris that both he and Haley knew. She gasped. "Chris!"

He stood in the doorway with the brunette. "Hey, Haley. It's not what it looks like here."

Her eyes began to water and she looked from Zack to him. "I think it does," Zack said. "You're busted, man—caught in the act. I told you I was telling the truth," he said to Haley.

"Really, though, it's not what you guys think," Chris defended. "Courtney here, she's—"

"Your girlfriend, that's what," Zack cut it.

"No," Chris refuted. "Courtney is my cousin. She's here on semester break, and we were just hanging out."

"Cousin?" both Zack and Haley said at the same time.

"Yeah," Chris said. "Haley, look, the girl that Zack was talking about was indeed Courtney, but she's my cousin."

"A cousin who you call babe and can't wait to kiss?" Zack questioned, his voice full of disbelief. "Yeah, right. I heard your conversation."

"You misheard it, Zack." He said to Haley as he came out of the doorway and took her hands, "I wouldn't do anything to hurt you, Haley. I was actually just telling Courtney about this amazing girl that I stared dating." He looked back at Courtney and gave her a look that told her to say something. Zack's frown lowered.

"Yes, he couldn't stop talking about you from the moment he came to hang out," the brunette said. "We were going to call our moms, since they're sisters and all, and tell them that we met up on the ship, but Chris just couldn't shut up about you."

"You have got to be kidding me," Zack huffed. "That's a load of crap. He told me himself earlier the truth of everything, Haley. You can't believe him for a second."

"It was just another misunderstanding," Chris said. "Zack's just getting things mixed up."

Zack's heart pulsed in fury. "No, I'm not, you lying cheat! I heard you talking to Courtney, and saying things that a cousin should never say to another cousin, unless you're in Alabama!"

"Zack, please stop," Haley demanded. "Look, I really appreciate that you're looking out for me, and being a good friend, but... really, it's all just a misunderstanding."

Zack couldn't believe that this was happening! Anger coursed through his veins and he shook his head, sending daggers at Chris with his eyes.

"Zack, maybe you should go and get back to work," Chris said and put his arm around Haley. "Mr. Moseby will have your head when he notices you're gone."

Zack folded his arms and looked between the three. He knows that he's not going to win this time, and again, he hated the smug look that Chris was giving him, telling him 'I won'. "Fine. But I'm not through with this. You'll get caught in your nasty lie, Chris. And Haley, you deserve better."

He turned and started cantering away, really wanting to go back and pry Chris away from Haley. How the heck is he going to show Haley who Chris really is? Maybe he should just...

He stopped. "That's it! I need to talk to Cody."

Zack made it back up to the Sky Deck and went straight up to Cody at the towel counter. "Hey," Cody greeted him. "Why'd you leave so suddenly?"

"Forget that. Listen, I need you to help me with something."

"I'm not writing that paper on Louis IX for you."

"No, no, this doesn't have to do with school. Do you have any kind of recording device?"

"Why?"

"Just, do you?"

"Our phones have recording capabilities. Are you going to tell me what's going on?"

Zack smirked. He's going to get Chris this time.