It was six o clock and Zack was pacing around his bedroom still undecided on what to wear. Cody walked into the room and sat down on his bed.

"Uhh Zack" He started surveying the clothes all over their room. "What's going on?"

"I'm trying to decide what to wear on my date with Maddie" Zack replied from under yet another pile of clothing.

"Is it really that important?" Cody asked gingerly picking up a shirt that had managed to make its way over to his side of the room. "I mean come on, it's just Maddie, she's not going to care what your wearing"

"Cody, Maddie has never let me take her out before, this is my one chance I can't mess it up, everything has to be perfect" Zack pulled a shirt out of a pile of clothes and held it up against himself whilst looking in the mirror. "I think this one's perfect, it says I'm a serious guy but I'm also fun too"

"You got all that from a shirt?" Cody asked starting to put his brothers clothes back in the drawers.

"No, but girls do" Zack replied pulling the shirt over his head and looking in the mirror.

"You said Maddie wasn't like other girls" Cody said the pile of clothes in his arms getting higher as he stumbled towards the closet.

"Shut up Cody" Zack said turning towards the door.

"Wait Zack you could at least help put away your, whoa!" He tripped backwards into the closet as Zack slammed the bedroom door.

Zack held up his watch. 6.59pm exactly. He took a deep breath and knocked on the door hoping that Maddie wouldn't mind him being a minute early. He shoved his free hand into his pocket, his other hand held a few of Maddie's favourite flowers since he couldn't afford a whole bunch of them, and swayed back and forth on the porch as he waited for the door to be opened. It wasn't until now that the nerves had finally set in. Here he was, Zackary Martin, standing in the porch of Maddie Fitzpatrick's house waiting to take her out on a date. If he didn't feel like he had to act maturely he might have started giggling. He saw a shadow move towards the door and then it opened revealing Maddies younger booger brother Liam.

"Hey there little guy, is Maddie home?" Zack asked in his most manly voice.

"Of course she is" Liam sniffed, "Your going on a date with her aren't you, where else would she be?" He laughed at Zack.

Zack sighed not waiting to be asked in and stepped onto the Fitzpatrick threshold clutching the flowers tightly in his hands.

"She's upstairs if you wanna go up" Liam said uninterested. "Third door on the left opposite the bathroom" He wondered back to the living room.

Zack looked towards the stairs wondering if he should go up or wait down here like he had seen so many guys on TV do. He was just trying to decide what to do when he heard a door shut upstairs and a second later Maddie appeared at the top of the stairs wearing a pair of boyfriend jeans and DC pumps. Her hair was down with a yellow scarf in it, which matched her low cut, short sleeve yellow top. She looked casual, perfect she thought, for a date at the movies with Zack.

"Hey Zack, right on time" She glided down the stairs towards him.

"Wow Maddie you look beautiful" Zack gushed, holding the flowers out towards her. "I got these for you, I hope you like them" He worried that she would laugh at his small offering.

"Thank you Zack they're my favourites" Maddie took them from him and sniffed them. "I'll just put them in water before we go" She headed towards the kitchen and Zack followed her. "So have you decided what movie we're seeing?" She asked busily arranging the flowers in a vase.

Zack immediately stopped smiling, the movie! He had completely forgotten to see what was playing. "Uhhh I thought I would let you choose Maddie" He improvised. "Ladies choice and all" He nervously laughed and shuffled from foot to foot.

"I'll try to pick something we'll both enjoy" Maddie turned towards him. "Ready to go?"

"Definitely" Zack held out his arm for Maddie and she took it. "Do you need a jacket? I don't want you to get cold"

Maddie collected her coat from by the front door. "Mom, Dad I'm going now" She called as Zack opened the front door for her.

"After you beautiful"

Maddie blushed. "Thank you Zack" She walked out into the warm Boston air. Carrie was waiting in the car to drive them to the movies, not exactly the way Zack wanted things to go but he didn't have much of a choice since he couldn't drive or afford a cab. Taking a bus seemed so unromantic too.

Zack hadn't exactly told his mom the truth about him and Maddie going to the movies on a date just in case she stopped them. They both got into the back seat.

"Hi Maddie" Carrie said cheerfully. "Thanks for agreeing to take Zack to the movies, I don't feel safe about him going alone" Maddie looked at Zack with a quizzical look in her eyes, to which Zack responded with his 'please don't say anything' eyes.

Maddie cleared her throat. "No problem Carrie, I had nothing else planned for tonight. She looked over at Zack again and smiled. "Besides, I like spending time with Zack" She reached over and squeezed his hand. Zack thought his heart might explode out of his body and might have spontaneously kissed Maddie right there if his mother hadn't been in the car.

Soon they pulled up outside the movie theatre. Carrie stopped the car and turned to face the two of them. "Have a good time and don't see anything too scary will you? I don't want Zack to have nightmares again"

"MOM!" Zack warned scooting over and moving Maddie towards the door in case his mother said anything else.

"Here sweetie" Carrie said handing Zack some dollar bills, pay for Maddie, to say thanks for taking you out"

Zack smiled to himself. "Okay Mom, thanks" He shut the car door and joined Maddie in front of the theatre. "Right so what shall we see" He rubbed his hands together in excitement. He was finally on a date with Maddie. Alone.

"How about Space Death Four?" She pointed to a nearby poster of two guys and an alien wearing shades. "I hear it's supposed to be good, it's about two space bounty hunters and a wise cracking alien space cop"

"You wanna see Space Death Four?" Zack asked amazed. "I've wanted to see that for ages but Cody's to much of a wuss, I never imagined that you…" He trailed off.

"Come on lets get tickets!" Maddie grabbed his hand and pulled him over to the kiosk.

Two tickets and a buttload of popcorn later they were in line for the movie. Zack had bought a giant box of popcorn for them to share; he figured he might try the 'accidental hand touching whilst going for popcorn' trick.

They found their seats and sat down, Zack immediately going for the popcorn. Maddie smiled. "I hope they have some good trailers" She said as she watched him.

"mmm" Zack agreed with a mouthful of popcorn.

The lights started to dim and a few stragglers took their seats. Maddie moved as close to Zack as she could in her seat. Zack took the hint and put his arm around her. She smiled and rested her head on his shoulder.

She's so pretty, Zack thought not concentrating on the screen at all.

"Thanks for taking me out Zack" Maddie whispered.

"No problem" He whispered back. I'm having a really great time"

"Me too"

"Hey could you guys shut up!" A large guy in the seat behind them said crossly. "Some of us are trying to watch the movie!"

"Sorry" Maddie said meekly, sliding down in her seat as Zack did the same next to her. They looked at each other and put their hands over their mouths to stop from laughing.

Two hours later the movie ended. Zack stretched out in his seat as the lights in the theatre came up and looked over to Maddie who was doing the same.

"Great movie" He said standing and holding out one hand towards Maddie, who took it and stood beside him.

"Yeah, proves they can still make action movies the way they used to" She said as they walked hand in hand out of the movie theatre. As they crossed the lobby Maddie removed her hand from Zack's. He looked confused for a second but held open the door for her anyway.

Once they were outside they turned to walk towards the Tipton, it was a busy night and Carrie had agreed to meet them two blocks over in the car. Maddie rubbed her arms as the cold night air hit her and pulled on her jacket, glad that Zack had reminded her to bring it. Zack himself had his own jacket on already and shoved his hands into his pockets as they walked.

"Sorry about back there" Maddie started. "I know this is a date and all but I didn't feel comfortable holding a fourteen year olds hand, I go to school with some of those girls and you know how people can be" She sort of trailed off. "Are you mad?"

"I'm not really mad, I know people will make fun, I wish that we could pretend it didn't bother us, but I don't want anyone to make fun of you Maddie. Besides secrets are always more fun" He grinned at her and she laughed moving quickly over to hug him and then quickly back again.

They both fell silent before Zack spoke up again.

"I know it wasn't the best date in the world Maddie, but before we get back in the car I just wanna say that it was by far the best date I've ever had" He stopped to look at her, stepping ever so slightly closer. "I understand that this was probably a one time thing but…" He struggled to find the words. Maddie put her hand on his shoulder.

"We'll see yeah?"

"So it's not a no?"

"It's a definite maybe" She smiled and began walking again.

Zack grinned and started dancing behind her.

"Zack come on your mom's waiting"

"Yes Maddie" He grinned again running to catch up with her.