Again, guys, my apologies for the delay from last chapter...but I feel I must say something. Special thanks should have gone out last chapter to Chinsky for helping me get over my writers block...but didn't. So let's all thank my favorite kick boxer, shall we? (Applauds). So...here we go again, eh?
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Katie lurched out of the car, eager to get some air. It was Friday afternoon, and they'd just arrived at the hotel they were staying at.

"Ok! Room assignments everyone!" Summer said before they'd even had a chance to breathe. "Michelle and I are in room 17, Marta and Tomika are in room 19, Eleni and Katie are in room 21, and Freddy and Zack are in room 23. Any issues?"

"Yea." Freddy said. "Do I really have to room with Zack?"

Everyone frowned at this. Why wouldn't Freddy want to room with Zack? They were best friends. Katie's eyes narrowed as she glared at the glum looking Zack. What had he done to make Freddy angry?

Summer consulted her ever-present clipboard. "Ok...I suppose...if Eleni doesn't mind rooming with Zack you can room with Katie. Is that ok?" she asked the girls. Eleni shrugged and Katie nodded. "Ok. So we're set." She handed out the keys, and they all went to unpack in their rooms.

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"So, what happened?" Katie asked as she and Freddy emptied their suitcases into the two twin dressers.

"Zack's a jerk. That's all." He said nonchalantly.

"Ok, but why is he suddenly a jerk?" she pressed.

He glanced at her, as if measuring her interest, and then he sighed. "If you don't know then I'm certainly not going to tell you." He replied.

She glared at him. "Come on, maybe I can help."

"You can't."

"How do you know if you won't even tell me what your mad at him over?"

"He said some stuff that he shouldn't have. It's not a big deal, we'll be over it by tomorrow and you and Zack can switch rooms." He said this with such finality (AN: is finality a word?) that Katie didn't ask anything else.

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"So Zack." Eleni asked. "What are you and Freddy fighting over?"

He glanced at her, startled. She had finished unpacking a half hour ago, and was now laying on her bed watching TV.

"What are you talking about?" he asked, not meeting her eyes.

"Freddy isn't rooming with you. You're not rooming with him. The only way that would happen other than a nuclear blast killing one of you, is if you're fighting. So what are you fighting about?" she concluded.

Zack sighed. "It's stupid. Nothing important." He said.

"Then you'll have no problem telling me about it."

The difference between Katie and Eleni was that Eleni knew how to press, but press cleverly. Zack remained silent. "Zack, maybe I can help." She added soothingly.

"Somehow I doubt it." He said.

Ok, it was time to move from clever to demanding. "Zack, so help me God, if you don't tell me what you and my bone-headed cousin are fighting about, I'll find out on my own and I swear to you that you won't like the results!"

He stared at her. She sounded mad, and she'd never threatened him before. He grinned. People usually complained when Eleni's demanding side reared its head, but Zack found it a refreshing change from the sarcasm she usually exhibited.

"Ok." He said gamely. "I'll tell you." She raised her eyebrows, inviting him to continue. "Katie likes Freddy." Then he fell silent.

"Is that it?" Eleni asked.

"No."

"Then finish porfavor."

"I didn't know you spoke Spanish."

"I've taken if for the past four years Zack, don't go changing the subject."

He grinned again, in spite of himself. "Sorry, it was worth a shot. I suppose you don't see the problem?"

"Well, I think I already know, but for arguments sake, I think that I'll let you tell me." Eleni said.

"I think I love Katie."

The silence that followed was not the content silence. It was the thought provoking silences, which often lead to awkward silence. "I knew it!" Eleni shrieked.

Zack's head shot up. "What?"

"I knew. Freddy and I figured it out when we went to the movies last weekend."

Zack's surprised look turned to a glare. "You knew." He deadpanned. She nodded. "You knew, and you made me tell you anyway?!" his monotonous voice turned into a full out shout.

"Zack, I didn't know for sure. I was guessing, taking a shot in the dark." She said, trying to do some damage control.

"Don't sit there and lie to my face! You knew, and figured 'hey, you know what'd be fun? Making Zack squirm!'" His face was turning red.

Eleni got off the bed. "So what are you saying?" she asked coldly. "You're saying that I asked to embarrass you? To...get some ammo in case I ever needed it? That's bull and you know it Zack. I wouldn't do that." He had to admit, she had a point. Out of the lot of them, Eleni was the person least likely to stab someone in the back, or lie to them.

They stared at each other for a few minutes before coming to a stalemate. "Sorry." Zack murmured. "I didn't mean any of it."

"I know. So what do we do about Katie?" The two of them remained silent, until he couldn't take it anymore. He left the chair, and walked out the door without a word.

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Later that night, Tomika and Summer were shooting pool against Katie and Freddy while Marta and Michelle leafed through the TV guide, looking for something good to watch. Then Eleni burst through the heavily polished double oak doors.

"Has anyone seen Zack?" she asked breathlessly. "He left the room at least five hours ago, and hasn't come back since."

Katie's eyes widened, and Freddy dropped his pool stick. "He's missing?" he exclaimed. "Why didn't you tell me when he left?" he roared at his cousin. She seemed to shrink under his furious glare.

"I didn't know that he'd be gone this long, I figured they'd kick everyone out of the restaurant, or here, or wherever they let people in the hotel this late. I'm sorry." She said softly, fighting back tears. She rarely ever cried, but on the rare occasions that Freddy reamed into her, she did.

"Ok guys, calm down." Katie said. "We'll find him."

Freddy turned on her, and glared. "We'd better!" he exclaimed. She stared at him. He'd never yelled at her like that before.

"Yell at them again, and you won't be able to play the drums anymore on the count that your drum sticks will be put into a wood chip shredder." Tomika said. There were very few occasions that she got angry, and yelled at her friends, but she could see that both of the girls were on the verge of tears. Michelle and Marta had stopped looking through the guide, and were eyeing Freddy, Katie and Eleni.

"Ok, here's what we'll do." Summer said, taking command. She'd stayed silent, waiting to measure out their options. "Michelle and Marta go back to Katie and Freddy's room, in case Zack calls there. Tomika, you go back to Eleni and Zack's room in case he calls there. Freddy, Katie, Eleni and I will look through the hotel for him. Ok?" They all nodded. "Ok, do one of you have your cell phone?"

"I do," Eleni said pulling out her phone.

"Ok." She turned back to Michelle, Marta and Tomika. "If we find him, we'll call one of the rooms. See you later." She added, pulling Eleni, Freddy and Katie out of the room. She turned to them once they were down the hall. "Listen." She told the girls. "I'm going to go with Freddy, I don't trust him not to yell at you right now, ok?"

Katie's eyes narrowed slightly, but no one noticed. Eleni just nodded, grabbing Katie's arm and dragging her down the hall. "Do you think we're over-reacting a little?" she asked.

"Well, Zack's never been to Boston. If he left the hotel, he may not have known how to get back. Plus, it was Summer's strict orders to relax tonight, not to cause excitement, and he's doing the exact opposite." Katie said, trying to make her feel better.

"Yea, I guess." Eleni muttered. Then they set off in search of Zack, knocking on doors, and Eleni even braved the men's bathroom to see if he was in there. But each search turned up negative. Then her phone rang.

"Hello?" she asked nervously.

"El, it's me." It was Freddy. He sounded subdued, almost dull. "Have you found him?"

It broke her heart to have to tell him that, no they hadn't found his best friend, but were still looking. She was silent for a moment, and then she hung up, and filled Katie in.

Her eyes told Katie everything she needed to know. Summer and Freddy's search had turned up fruitless as well. Zack could be anywhere, and they still had the half the hotel to search. Katie was beginning to feel doubtful...would they ever find him?

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Ok...contest time!! Whoever can write the longest, most helpful review gets a cookie!!

On another note...did anyone see Summerland last night? I did...so sad, so sad. Hmm...let's see, anything else that I need to say? I do? Well I didn't think I had too...but...REVIEW PORFAVOR!!! Again, special thanks to Chinsky...cuz I love ya.