Author's Note: Miss Finn decided to try some romance. I don't know… I don't think it's the best I've ever written, but I don't think it's so bad either. I don't own The Suite Life or any of the characters. I don't own the song She Will Be Loved by Maroon5. I don't even own the plotline—this comes from the Prom episode. This is a piece on what Zack was feeling. This is a Zack and Maddie story, I hope you like it. Read and review.

Zack sighed hard, sitting dejectedly down at a table, and running an arm across his eyes. Stupid Maddie. Stupid prom. He'd tried so hard to make everything perfect for her, and now look what she'd gone and done. She never liked him in the first place—she'd fallen for some stupid guy, three years older than her, not three years younger. He'd just mistaken it—thought that Maddie was talking about him. God, he was stupid.

Of course she doesn't like you. You're too young for her, too immature. You'll never be able to get her. Never.

She was so beautiful though, out there on the dance floor talking to her friends. The gentle curve of her chin, the way her blonde hair framed her fragile face. How her white dress was frilly and curved, fitting her slender body.

God. She'd never liked him, and she probably never would.

Beauty queen of only eighteen
She had some trouble with herself
He was always there to help her
She always belonged to someone else

Zack stood up, savagely grabbing a serving tray full of food from the table. He might as well make himself useful, so he could finish, and get out of here.

"Here," he muttered, shoving up the tray into someone's face. Stupid girl. "Take one."

The girl took one, probably just to get him away from her. Zack walked solidly away.

He didn't want to be here, but he couldn't just leave. He couldn't help it. He still loved Maddie, even if she didn't love him.

I drove for miles and miles
And wound up at your door
I've had you so many times but somehow
I want more

What was he to her? Someone she could just take advantage of—shove her way around? Since when had he become so useless?

He collapsed down on a chair, holding his head in his hands.

His smooth-talking got him nowhere; she didn't seem to appreciate him at all.

And it was crushing his twelve-year-old heart, over and over again.

Yet why did he still love her? Why couldn't he hate her like he should?

I don't mind spending everyday
Out on your corner in the pouring rain
Look for the girl with the broken smile
Ask her if she wants to stay awhile
And she will be loved
She will be loved

"Hey," whispered a voice, and Zack felt a hand on his shoulder. He recognized it as his mom, and didn't bother turning around.

"Zack," pressed his mother, and Zack reluctantly turned to face her.

"What?" he snapped, hating himself for being so rude. But he couldn't help it. He still loved Maddie, and he'd just suffered another heartbreak.

Tap on my window knock on my door
I want to make you feel beautiful
I know I tend to get so insecure
It doesn't matter anymore

"Zack, honey," his mother said, looking directly into his eyes. "I know it's hard. Come on, Zack. You have to understand—she's fifteen! She's three years older than you, and it's always going to be this way. Let Maddie date guys her own age, come on Zack."

"I… I thought she was talking about me," Zack managed to squeak out, now feeling embarrassed and ashamed. "I should have known better."

"Oh, Zack," Carey whispered, pulling her son close to her. "It's ok—things will get better. Maybe when you're older…"

"I've been waiting all this time to get older," Zack bit in. "But it's not changing at all… she still doesn't like me, or even appreciate me. But I can't stop loving her…"

It's not always rainbows and butterflies
It's compromise that moves us along
My heart is full and my door's always open
You can come anytime you want

"Oh, Zack," whispered Carey, feeling her heart break for her son. "It'll be ok."

Zack let himself be pulled into her embrace. He wanted nothing more than to break down and start crying into his mom's shoulder. But he couldn't.

"Love stinks," he whispered to himself. Because it did. It really did.

I don't mind spending everyday
Out on your corner in the pouring rain
Look for the girl with the broken smile
Ask her if she wants to stay awhile

After awhile, his mother pulled back. "Are you going to be ok?"

"Yeah," muttered Zack. He didn't want to think of this.

Love. What was it? It gave you the most perfect feeling in the world—like you were drifting through bliss, only to pull it all away and destroy it. Love? Yeah, right. It ate away at you, and then ripped you apart, leaving you there bleeding, barely hanging on to consciousness.

Love stinks.

And she will be loved
And she will be loved
And she will be loved
And she will be loved

His mother walked away, leaving Zack sitting there, still lost and confused.

I love you Maddie. Why can't you see that I'm worth more than all those guys? Why can't you see I'll stay here for you, all the time, stay constant for you. Why can't you see that you make everything better for me, piece everything together? Why can't you love me back—why Maddie? Why can't you love me back?

I love you.

I know where you hide
Alone in your car
Know all of the things that make you who you are
I know that goodbye means nothing at all
Comes back and begs me to catch her every time she falls

Zack felt tears come to his eyes, and viciously pushed them away. Zack had never been able to deal with emotions, and he still couldn't. He grabbed the tray of food and walked angrily to the guests, demanding that they try some. Now.

He walked up to a girl and said, "Take some."

The girl wanted to know what was in it.

"I don't care, take some right now," Zack demanded furiously. People were so difficult, so insensitive. He hated this.

Tap on my window knock on my door
I want to make you feel beautiful

Someone touched his shoulder. Zack whirled around, his eyes murderous. "What?"

It was Maddie, her face looking concerned and rather hurt, her lips looking pink and shiny, coated with lip gloss, and slight eye-shadow making her look fragile and more beautiful than Zack had ever seen her.

How much he wanted to just break, tell her how he felt, tell her how beautiful she was—tell her everything. But he couldn't.

"Oh, it's you."

I don't mind spending everyday
Out on your corner in the pouring rain
Look for the girl with the broken smile
Ask her if she wants to stay awhile

He walked away, stabbing the floor with his feet. He didn't want to face her; he didn't want to talk to her.

"Zack?" she asked timidly, following him.

Oh God, what did she want now?

"Go away," he said, feeling pain burn up in his chest. He didn't need this.

"Zack," she protested, pulling him towards her. "Zack, I know how you feel."

"How could you know how I feel?" Did she know how pathetic and useless and small he felt? How something he loved had been ripped repeatedly from him, over and over? How did she know? She'd never known anything… how did she know now? How did she know how he felt, everytime she pushed him away after he'd done so much to try and please her, make everything right for her?

And she will be loved
And she will be loved
And she will be loved
And she will be loved

"I do," Maddie said, looking straight into her eyes. Zack looked back at her, feeling himself melt inside her beauty. Oh God.

"Then how do I feel?" he snarled, ashamed when he saw her pain. Even though he was mad, he had no right to hurt Maddie, no right to treat people like this.

Maddie sighed. "You feel so young, so immature, and the person you like doesn't like you back. You feel like dying, like someone's stabbed you, and you'd rather die than go on, but you have to go on, because you have to keep on hoping that one day that person will change their mind. You hate yourself, you're trying to find out what's wrong with you and why that person doesn't love you the way you love them. Zack, please understand. If I ever have a boyfriend, I want him to be just like you… you're just so young though, Zack. When you get older, you'll see. Things will be different."

Please don't try so hard to say goodbye
Please don't try so hard to say goodbye

Zack was sitting there, numb. How did she know everything… how did she know everything he was feeling inside.

He managed to get some words out. "Will you… will you dance with me at my prom then?"

Maddie smiled, and Zack was lost in her beauty again. "How about this, Zack? I'll dance with you at your prom if you dance with me at mine."

"Really?" Zack felt so excited, so happy.

Maddie nodded.

Yeah
I don't mind spending everyday
Out on your corner in the pouring rain

Walking to the center of the dance floor, a slow song came in. Zack extended his arm to Maddie, who smiled and then took his hand. He slipped his hands over her frame, breathing in her lavender smelling hair. Then he concentrated, moving slowly to the rhythm of her body, trying to frame this moment in his mind forever.

Maybe she didn't love him. Maybe he was just her friend, someone she could fall back on. Zack didn't know, but that was good enough for now.

Try so hard to say goodbye

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