CHAPTER TWO

I don't own these characters, but it would be nice if I did.

Anyways, I do promise to keep them true to themselves.

Later that week, Maya found herself in the library of Cheevers High sitting across the table from Zack Martin. She had followed up on Addison's suggestion and offered to tutor Zack in French. And to her delight, he had smiled and graciously accepted her offer. Today was to be there first study session, and Maya had high hopes.

"Okay, try this one...Le stylo de ma tante est sur le bureau de mon oncle..."

Zack just stared at her. "What does that mean anyways?"

"It means the pen of my aunt is on the bureau of my uncle..."

Zack rolled his eyes. "And just how is knowing how to say that ever going to come in useful to me?"

Maya smiled. "Baby steps. You have to get used to the language before you can find yourself using it in the ways that you want to do..."

Zack shook his head. "This just sounds like such a waste of time to me. I mean, when am I ever going to use this? I don't plan on ever going to France. And its not like I'm ever going to be on a cruise ship that goes around the world. This is America...we speak American."

"You mean English."

"Whatever..."

Maya paused. "Well, you know, there are other ways to get yourself submerged into the French culture to make this easier on you."

Zack was intrigued. "Yeah? Like what?"

"Well...ummm...you could eat French food...go to French restaurants..."

Zack grinned. "Well, I already love French fries and French toast...And I love going to Au Bon Pain..."

Maya shook her head. "No, I mean real French cuisine in a real French restaurant..." She paused. "Maybe we could go together?"

Zack just looked at her. "You mean like on a date?"

Maya blushed. "Well...yeah...if you're interested..."

Zack smiled. "Well, I'd love to..." He paused. "But I can't. My Mom won't let me date..."

Maya nodded. "Yeah, I had heard that rumor. Is your Mom just old fashioned or something?"

Zack sighed. "Not really. She got pregnant with my brother and I when she wasn't much older than we are right now. I think this is her way of making sure we don't throw our lives away like she thinks she did hers. Plus, my Dad bailed on Mom before we were even born, and she is still bitter about that. If you ask me, she wants to make sure we are responsible gentlemen...the exact opposite of our Dad."

"I guess I can understand that..."

Zack smiled. "But the good news is that she has softened her stance. I can date now...when Cody starts dating."

Maya lit up. "That's great news..."

Zack smirked. "It would. But you haven't met my brother...I can't think of any normal, sane girl who would want to go out with him..."

Maya paused to think. "Maybe there is...If I can find someone, how does a French dinner sound?"

Zack grinned. "If you can find a girl who willingly wants to go out with Cody, I would do anything you wanted to do!"

A day later, Maya and Addison were walking through the school talking. And Addison just looked at Maya in disbelief.

"You really want to find someone to go out with Cody Martin? Why not just try to create cold fusion...it'll be easier..."

Maya shook her head. "There has to be someone."

Addison sighed. "Let me think. Meet me after school, and I might have a few ideas..."

So, after school, Maya met up with Addison, and Addison had assembled one of the oddest groups of girls she had ever seen. Maya shrugged and began talking to all of them. And one by one, all of them flat out refused to consider going out with Cody. The next day, they were sitting in their biology lab trying to regroup.

"There has to be someone!"

Addison shook her head. "I'm afraid not. Those were all of the desperate girls in the school that I could think of..."

Maya sighed and looked over at another table and saw a girl hovering over a dissection tray all by herself. "What about her? Who's that?"

Addison looked over. "Oh...That's Bailey Pickett. You want to avoid her at all costs!"

"Why?"

"Well, rumor is she once killed a boy who looked at her funny. She disappeared for an entire semester last year. We're all pretty sure she's crazy. We think she's spent time in a loony bin..."

Maya paused to think. "She might just be what we're looking for then. Someone like her won't be afraid of Cody like everyone else appears to be..."

Addison sighed. "Maybe...I guess it wouldn't hurt to try..."

Later that day, Bailey was alone in the art lab working on a painting when Maya and Addison walked in and right up to her table. Bailey tried to ignore them, but after a few minutes, she sighed and turned to them.

"What do you two want?"

Maya became nervous. "Ummm...I was hoping to ask you a favor..."

Bailey turned back to her painting. "I don't do favors..."

Maya was scared and held up her Fench book in front of her"I just think that if you..."

Bailey took her paint brush and reach over painted a large 'X' on Maya's book. She stared at Maya. "You were saying?"

Maya swallowed and backed up away from Bailey. She and Addison began running away from her as fast as they could. And once they got far enough away, they stopped to catch their breath. Addison looked over at her.

"Told you she was crazy!"

Maya was panting too. "You might be right about that...but I still think she's exactly what we are looking for..."

Addison just gave her an incredulous look. "You can't be serious..."

"I'm dead serious. From what everyone says, Cody is an antisocial outcast. Who better than someone who appears to be just as antisocial if not even more. We just need a new approach...that's all."

Addison paused to think. "Well, we could try to pay her to do it..."

Maya shook her head. "I don't have money like that."

"I don't either, but I might have an idea...but you might not like it though."

"I'm all ears."

"Well...Remember, you aren't the only one who wants to date Zack."

Maya sighed. "I remember...that airhead London Tipton."

"Yeah, she's an airhead...but she's a rich airhead..."

"What's your point?"

Addison smiled. "Simple. We persuade London to be our financial sponsor. We get her to pay Bailey..."

"And just how do we get her to do that?"

"Again...Simple. We play it up to London that if she bankrolls someone to take Cody out, she gets what she wants in Zack."

Maya frowned. "But that's not what I want..."

Addison smiled and cut her off. "I know that...and you know that. But London doesn't. We let her think its her idea. And while Bailey is hopefully wooing Cody, you can get tutoring Zack and getting closer and closer to him. And if Bailey is successful, you'll be right there to get your knight in shining armor..."

Maya paused. "I guess that could work..."

"Do you really have any other options?"

Maya sighed. "No, not really..."

Addison grinned. "Trust me. I'm almost positive this can work. And once London is able to bring Bailey in, we can help her behind the scenes in winning Cody over..."

Maya thought about that. "Yeah, I guess we can."

Addison kept grinning. "We need to go find London Tipton then..."

To be Continued...

Author's Note: I finally introduced Bailey, and many of you may wonder why she is acting the way she is. And you may be wondering why Cody is acting the way he is. I will explain that all in good time. While this will be similar to the movie 10 Things I Hate About You, I am making several artistic changes.