A/N: This is Sillver here, posting my very first chapter in a story I've co-written. Next chapter will be written by strawberryfinn, and then I'll take the next and so on and so forth. You can read the complete storyline for Run on our profile page; and be sure to check that out! Enjoy the story!

Disclaimer: We do not own The Suite Life of Zack and Cody.

RUN

By: SillverMedal and Strawberryfinn

Prologue

"Flight one sixteen to Los Angeles, California now boarding."

Zack looked over at the flight attendant now collecting tickets. He looked as his own in his hand and rose slowly from his seat. He walked as though in a trance, as though invisible shackles kept him from running, bolting, escaping to the plane. To his future. He tried to smile at the woman as she checked over his ticket.

"Thank you, sir, enjoy your flight,"

Fat chance, he almost said, but instead just nodded pleasantly and walked onto the ramp. He looked at all the seats as he walked onboard and, after a glance at his ticket, found thirteen B. A window seat. He'd been sitting down with his little personal carry-on bag for five minutes when someone sat down next to him.

"Hey,"

Zack looked to his right. His seating partner looked to be the same age; thick brown hair, bright green eyes, red t-shirt and jeans and holding a UCLA brochure. "Hey," said Zack.

"Name's Jake," said the boy, holding out his hand.

Zack shook it. "Zack," he introduced himself.

The captain came on, bidding them all to look at the emergency booklets (which nobody touched) and to warn them of some possible turbulence as they made their way across country. The plan ascended into the air soon afterwards and both Zack and Jake ordered carbonated beverages.

"So," said Jake after half an hour or so. "You going to get your fifteen minutes of fame or actually going to school?"

"School," said Zack, laughing a little as he answered. "UCLA. I have no idea how." It was the truth. A B+ GPA wouldn't do it, but his shockingly good SAT and ACT scores combined with his extra curriculars apparently would.

Jake laughed. "Same here," he held up the pamphlet. "Hence this," Zack grinned and they settled into a comfortable silence for another forty five minutes. "So you from Boston or…?"
"Yeah," said Zack. "My mom sings at the Tipton Hotel so we lived in one of the suites since I was twelve."

"Oh, okay," Jake nodded. "Yeah, I'm from Burlington. My dad has a place there so I live with him."

"And your mom…?" Zack asked without thinking. He did that a lot.

"She died," Jake answered shortly. "When I was fifteen."

"I'm sorry," Zack responded sincerely. "That must've been hard."

Jake shrugged. "Just you and your mom, then?"
"No," said Zack. "My mom and dad are divorced, but I also have a twin brother so it was just the three of us."

"Twin brother?" Jake grinned. "Very cool, man. Where's he going?"

"For college?" Zack asked. Jake nodded. "Harvard Law School," Zack rolled his eyes. "He's the high achiever."

Jake laughed and Zack joined in, even though it really wasn't all that funny.

"Zack must've just boarded the plane," said Carey checking her watch.

"Okay," said Cody in an I-could-care-less tone of voice. They stood in his new dorm room, setting up the laptop and phone and looking over the class descriptions.

"So you all set, now?" Carey asked her son. His hair was freshly cut short and he'd never looked so tall and grown up to her then he did now in his first day of college. He smiled warmly at his mother.

"I'm all set," he said. "Thanks, mom," he leaned in to give her a kiss. Something his brother would never have done so maturely.

"Call me if you need anything," Carey reminded him on her way out.

"I will," said Cody.

She waved and he sighed as he turned to face his new dorm. It was small, but it would work well. He hadn't met his roommate yet, and he hoped it was someone who wasn't going to be partying all night.

He had just settled in and was on the laptop when he heard someone walk in the room. Turning he caught site of who he took to be his new roommate (considering the boy was holding suitcases and had just dropped them on the ground). With a grin Cody half rose from the chair.

"Tapeworm?"

"That's my name," said Cody's old friend cheerfully. "What are the odds, buddy?"

"Of being dorm mates with your old best friend?" Cody pretended to think it over. "Hey, impossible's in right now," he stood up to embrace the other boy quickly.

"Yeah?" Tapeworm raised a brow. "Then we pretty much rule the school already." He grinned and collapsed onto the bed. "This is gonna be great."

"Yeah," Cody agreed, trying to ignore the little headache that had begun to bother him. He blinked a few times and a little warning alarm went off in his head. He cleared his throat, suddenly feeling hungry, starving for something…

"You okay?" Tapeworm asked from the bunk, sitting up.

"What?" Cody shook his head. "Oh-yeah. Fine." He clenched his hands as they began to twitch and took a deep breath. "I'm gonna go use the bathroom. I'll be right-back, after I-yeah. I'll be-right back."

"Don't get lost!" Tapeworm called after him but Cody was already running out into the hallway, fingers taking comfort in a little bag in the pocket of his sweatshirt.

Some things couldn't wait.

To Be Continued

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