My aunt just passed away, unexpectedly. I feel so sick to my stomach. And my internet went out for a few days. And my car is in the shop because it's broken. And I'm trying to write so I can take my mind of things, but it's not working. And who invented the funeral? It's the most horrible thing ever.

Oh, well. Anyway, I kind of see where this fic is going now. I'm working on it. Hope you like chapter 2. I'm really sorry for my lack of enthusiasm.

Disclaimer: I don't own anything except the characters I make up.

Chapter 2

On the beach...

Zack was lying on a towel, running his fingers through the sand next to him. The plane ride was, as he had stated to Cody, the coolest plane ride ever. He didn't even care when Cody reminded him that they had never flown before, because access to just about any movie he could think of and what seemed like an unlimited supply of soda made that comment pointless. Not to mention the equally amazing stretch limo ride over to the hotel, which made traveling with London, in Zack's opinion, the only way to go.

"A Tipton?" Maddie had asked increduously.

"Duh," was London's fast and simple reply.

Zack sat up and looked around. He saw Cody walking down the beach with a magnifying glass, peering at various seashells. "Leave it to Cody to figure out some way to educate himself while on vacation," Zack thought. He got up and walked over to his brother.

"Hey Cody, you want to go for a walk? Maybe explore a little?" Zack asked hopefully.

"Maybe later. I just found a starfish! Maybe my next science project could be titled 'Seeing Stars: Life Through the Eyes of a Starfish'. I wonder if they have eyes? And if they do, where are they?" Cody said excitedly, turning to see the disappointment on Zack's face. His smile faded.

"What's wrong, Zack?" he asked, putting his magnifying glass in his pocket.

Zack shrugged. "I just thought we could hang out."

"You know what? I promise that all day tomorrow, we will hang out. Just the two of us," Cody said. Zack smiled.

"OK, but I'm gonna hold you to that," Zack said, walking off and leaving Cody to revel in his discovery.

Truth be told, Zack and Cody haven't been spending as much time together as they used to. Zack played basketball after school, while Cody went to his chess club meetings. Zack liked to play video games, while Cody liked to compete in local science fairs. Zack enjoyed going to the mall with his friends, while Cody enjoyed doing math homework. Zack knew they were two different people with different interests, but he missed hanging out with his only brother.

Zack decided that he would walk around to see what this place had to offer. Maybe he could find something that he and Cody could do tomorrow; something they would both enjoy. He was walking around for a few minutes when he spotted two young Hawaiian natives arguing near a path, which was located in the wood on the edge of the beach.

"I'm telling you, he said there was treasure down there!" one of them said loudly. Zack stopped.

"Treasure?" he thought. He turned to look at the two and crouched down behind a tree to listen.

"Man, that's just a hoax for the tourists," the other native said, but the first one shook his head.

"Dude, Johnny went down that trail. He said it was just like in the stories that his grandpa used to tell him. He said he went down there and came to the boulder that looks like a turtle and he found some jewels buried there. How do you think he got that new car?"

"Whatever. You've completely lost it." The two were still arguing as they walked away towards the beach. Zack watched them go and then turned his head to view the path that they were standing by.

"Jewels, huh?" he said to himself. "I think I know what Cody and I are going to do tomorrow."

That night, at the hotel...

Zack and Cody were sitting in their room at the hotel and Zack was doing his best to convince Cody to go treasure hunting with him.

"C'mon, Cody, it'll be fun! Just the two of us, exploring like we used to," Zack was saying earnestly.

"I don't know. Whenever we go exploring, we usually end up in trouble. And I don't want to get in trouble while we're on vacation. And what were you planning on telling mom?" Cody asked. Zack could see he was just fishing for excuses.

"I was gonna tell her that we're going to the shops down the street to hang out. Please? Do it for me?" Zack said, pouting out his lower lip. He knew Cody couldn't resist that one.

Cody sighed. "Fine, we'll go on your little treasure hunt. But then you have to help me find some more starfish."

"Agreed," Zack said joyfully, jumping off Cody's bed and getting into his own. He wanted to be well rested for the day ahead of him.

The next day...

Zack saw Cody approaching him and burst into laughter. He had told Cody to meet him in front of the path, but he didn't expect what he saw. There was Cody lugging an oversized backpack, strapped to his shoulders and around his middle, along with a visor on his head and sunblock in his right hand.

"This isn't an overnight retreat," Zack said, still giggling.

"If you keep making fun of me, you're not getting any of the picnic lunch that I packed," Cody said matter-of-factly. Zack stopped laughing. He would never mess up his chances at a good meal, especially one prepared by his brother.

The two turned and stared, facing the woods. Zack was thinking that it looked a little creepy, but he wasn't going to back out now. He turned towards Cody.

"Ready?" he asked.

"Ready," Cody replied. The two spit into their hands and shook on it. Then, they started down the path.

Hope you liked it.