A Promise Kept

By Jeune Ecrivain

Rated T

Genre: Romance/Humor (Zack/Maddie)

Summary: Five years after "A Prom Story," Maddie dances with Zack at his prom as she promised. As a result, the two friends soon discover that the difference between 17 and 20 doesn't mean as much as the difference between 12 and 15.

A/N: Why do these chapters always look longer in Word than online? Anyway, with this chapter I think it's only right that I crank the rating up to a T. Things get kind of heated towards the end here.

Part VII

"Maddie, I think something's up with Zack."

Maddie turned around to find Cody Martin sitting at the candy counter. She furrowed her brow. She hadn't noticed anything unusual about Zack lately. A little concerned, she asked, "Why?"

"Danielle Quaker came up to me yesterday," Cody replied, "and asked me if Zack had switched teams. At first I didn't know what she was talking about, but then she told me that she'd practically thrown herself at him the day before and he didn't take the bait."

Maddie's eyes widened. She had seen Danielle Quaker a couple times when she'd attended a dance at the Tipton, and until recently she'd also heard the Martin twins occasionally rave about how utterly gorgeous she was. Maddie had to admit that Danielle was definitely a looker. She had the body of a model and a face to match. "Danielle came on to Zack?" she repeated, trying her best not to let any possessiveness show in her voice.

"Yeah!" Cody said incredulously. "This is Danielle Quaker we're talking about here, and Zack turned her down! I don't get it! The hottest girl in school hit on him, and he didn't take the chance!" He shook his head. "You know what he did, according to Danielle? He told her he was already seeing someone special and he didn't want to ruin it!" Cody continued shaking his head, perplexed. "Zack hasn't mentioned anything about a new girlfriend to me, Mom, Tapeworm, Esteban, or anyone else!"

Maddie fought the urge to smile warmly to herself at Zack's act of fidelity, and instead she feigned confusion. "You're right, Cody. That is weird."

"I swear, if I hadn't known Zack my whole life, I'd be tempted to think he actually had switched teams, if you get my drift!"

Oh, ho ho! Maddie chortled inwardly. I can assure you he still plays for the same team he always has! "Oh, please," she scoffed amusedly. "This is Zack we're talking about. There's got to be some other explanation."

"I know," conceded Cody. "I'm just…really baffled. 'Cause if Danielle Quaker was hitting on me, I'd just take her and start making out with her before she changed her mind."

"Well, maybe Zack's maturing and he realizes how superficial she is," Maddie offered in hopes of throwing Cody off.

"Well, I know she's shallow. Heck, she's arrogant enough to conclude that if some guy doesn't bite on her hook that he's automatically gay. Still, if I ever had the chance to just have a raw make-out session with her, it'd be very hard to pass up. Zack had that chance, and he blew it! I just want to know why! Why would he invent a fictional girlfriend in order to blow off a real girl who was showing interest in him?"

All the while, Maddie maintained a façade of calmness, but inside she was beaming. Even though she and Zack hadn't explicitly said anything about making things between them official, Zack had turned down another girl for her. It said a lot about what she meant to him, and she suddenly just had to see him. Thinking quickly, she said, "Well, maybe I might be able to get something out of him. Where is he now?"

"In the suite," answered Cody. "I have half a mind to talk some sense into him myself, but I have to go help serve food at Mom's show."

"Perfect," Maddie said quietly. "When you get there, tell Mr. Moseby I'm taking my break now, ok?"

"Will do."

Maddie smiled to herself as she walked away and boarded the nearest elevator. Within minutes, she stepped out onto the twins' floor and found the familiar suite with no trouble. Fighting the urge to giggle aloud, she knocked on the door and waited anxiously for a response. When Zack opened the door, she couldn't help but beam at him.

"Maddie, what's up?" he said, looking a little surprised to see her.

"Zack,…I…I don't know what to say," she replied. "I almost wish a hot guy would flirt shamelessly with me so I could reciprocate!"

"Huh?" Zack responded, confused and a little irked at the idea.

"Cody told me about how you turned down Danielle," Maddie explained. "It was really sweet of you."

Zack's look of confusion disappeared, replaced by a knowing smirk. "Oh, that," he said, gesturing for her to come in. "C'mon, Maddie. I know I can be a flirt sometimes, but I'm no two-timer."

She stepped into the suite, and he closed the door behind him. "I know, Zack. You wouldn't do anything like that. It's just…we never made anything official between us, so technically you were perfectly at liberty to have some fun with her. The fact that you still didn't means a lot to me."

"Well, technicality aside, it still would've been pretty tacky for me to go out with her. I knew you'd still be hurt considering how well things seem to be going. Plus, that day I found you talking to Mom and London about us, they referred to me as your secret boyfriend."

"Those were their words, not mine," Maddie reminded him.

"Still, the fact is, I didn't want to take the chance of hurting you. I don't like it when you get hurt, and if I was the one who caused it, it just would've made it worse."

She smiled warmly at him. "Who knew you could be such a romantic?" she teased.

Zack shrugged and gave her a lopsided grin. "Just don't tell Cody," he quipped.

Maddie didn't respond. Instead, she looked at him coyly and walked up to him. Her expression slowly turned serious as she let her eyes meet his. She let her hands glide up his arms and over his shoulder before wrapping her own arms around his neck. She leaned in gingerly. Zack took the hint, seized her by the waist and met her halfway as they shared a soft yet sensual kiss. They gazed into each other's eyes. "Just for the record," said Zack quietly, "be my girlfriend?"

Maddie nodded eagerly and captured his lips with hers again. The kiss deepened before they broke apart, but their lips no sooner separated than interlocked again. As they continued to kiss each other, Zack guided her to the couch and lied down slowly on it, taking her with him gently until she was directly on top of him. Maddie moaned softly, and the two kept kissing one another hungrily. She massaged his upper lip with both of hers, and he did the same to her bottom lip.

As the two continued to lock lips, Maddie became aware of something stiffening underneath her. Although both were too busy to notice it, a rosy blush crept into her cheeks. Yep, she confirmed silently to herself. Zack Martin is still as straight as they come.