CHAPTER SIX

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

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

Friday night had finally arrived. In the suite on the 23rd floor of the Seattle Tipton, Zack and his friend, Theo were getting ready to head out to the party. Well, that was the plan. First, they had to sneak past Carey Martin and get out of the suite. And both crept as quietly as they could, doing their best not to make a sound. But it was for not. Carey Martin had the finely tuned ears that only a mother could have.

Not even breaking her eyes away from the television, Carey spoke. "You should you used the fire escape." Only after she knew that realization had dawned on them that they were busted, did she get up off of the couch and walk over to them.

"Hey...Mom."

"And just where do you think you two are going?"

Zack scrambled for an answer. "Ummm...Just a small study group, Mom."

Carey looked at them. Both were dressed in khakis, button up shirts and blue blazers. "Uh huh...A study group, huh? Otherwise known as a kegger?"

Theo put on his best fake smile. "Its just a party, Ms. Martin."

Carey just looked at him. "And hell is just a sauna..." About that time, Cody came into the suite from helping out Chef Paulo. Carey turned to her other son.

"Do you know anything about a party?"

Cody just shrugged his shoulders. "Not a clue."

Zack sighed. "Mom, people are expecting me to be there!"

Carey just gave him a look. "You know the rules. If Cody's not going, you're not going."

Zack groaned in frustration and stomped over to his brother. "Why can't you be normal?"

"Define normal."

"Bunny Lowenstein's party is normal!"

Carey frowned and turned to Theo. "What's a Bunny Lowenstein?"

Cody rolled his eyes. "Bunny's party is just an excuse for the miscreants that go to our school to have an excuse to drink and cop a feel on each other in hopes of distracting themselves from accepting the emptiness that is their lives."

Zack pulled Cody over to the side. "Can you forget for one night that you are a future Unabomber and please be my brother?" He paused. "Please." He paused again. "Please, Codester. Please do this for me..."

Cody hung his head and began shaking it. "Fine! I'll make an appearance."

Zack looked up and he and Theo began to celebrate. Carey gave Cody a glare before sighing.

"Its starting..."

Zack smiled. "Its just a party, Mom."

Carey shook her head. "No drinking! No drugs! No kissing! No tattoos! No piercings! No ritualistic animal sacrifices!" She paused. "Oh God...I'm giving them ideas."

"Relax, Mom. It'll be fine."

Carey glared at Zack. "Don't do anything stupid. I was a teenage parent once. You don't want to have to go through that. You both have way too much potential to waste."

Cody shook his head. "We're leaving..."

He grabbed his jacket and headed for the front door. Upon opening it, he found Bailey standing there getting ready to knock.

"What are you doing here?"

"9:30, right? I know I'm early..."

Cody sighed. "Whatever. I'm driving."

Bailey shrugged and looked inside. "Since when did your brother become a walking billboard for the Gap?"

Across town, Maya and Addison were both getting ready for the party as well. Maya was going on and on to Addison about a conversation she had had with Zack the day before.

"He actually lit up when I noticed his sweater was from American Eagle. And the fact that I did notice, he said 'really meant a lot to him'..."

Addison shook her head. "Lets forget about you for a minute. How do I look?"

Maya looked at her. "Like my Great Aunt Mildred. Lose the scarf..."

Addison sighed. "I'm just so nervous. The last time I was at a party, it was at Chucky Cheese. Wow, now that was a lot of fun..."

Maya just looked at her and shook her head.

In an affluent part of town, Bunny Lowenstein was playing hostess and serving her guests a selection of French chocolates.

"I want everyone to enjoy themselves, but remember...don't touch anything!"

No sooner had she said that then the front door swung open and a horde of teenagers descended upon them. Some were carrying stereos and speakers, but a lot more of them were bringing in kegs and other forms of alcoholic beverages. Bunny Lowenstein could only look on in horror.

Among the last to arrive at the party was Cody, Bailey, Zack and Theo. Almost immediately, Zack and Theo went in their own direction. Cody rolled his eyes and began walking around the house, watching other people engaging in what he considered degenerate behavior. Bailey was trying her best to keep up with him when a drunk guy stumbled up to her. Slurring his words, he spoke to her.

"Hey...Kiss me!"

Bailey just gave him a look and turned him around to an also inebriated girl. "Kiss her instead..."

"Okay..."

The guy pulled the girl in for a kiss. Bailey looked around trying to find Cody, but he had disappeared. Sighing, she was about to go looking for him again when the girl grabbed her arm. "Hey! Thank you!" Bailey rolled her eyes and continued her search.

Meanwhile, Cody was still walking around when he walked right past London. Upon seeing him, she grinned and made her way over to him.

"Well, well...If it isn't Cody Kitten. Finally seeing what its like to have a social life?"

Cody rolled his eyes. "Ha ha..." He smirked. "Oh wait...is that a new wrinkle on your forehead?"

London gasped and pulled out her compact to check as Cody made his escape. But London was after him quickly.

"So, where's your brother?"

Cody turned around and glared at her. "Stay away from my brother!"

London smirked at him. "Oh...I'll stay away from him, but no guarantee he stays away from me..."

Cody was about to say something in return when everyone heard that one word that gets everyone's attention.

"FIGHT!"

London clapped her hands together and went running to find it. Cody shook his head, but he was almost trampled by would be lurkers. In the main living room of the house, two guys were having a knock-down-drag-out fight. Bunny Lowenstein was freaking out.

"Guys! Please take it outside!"

And soon, she got her wish as the both went crashing through the patio doors.

"Thank you!"

Meanwhile, Cody was still walking around when he walked past London again. But this time, she wasn't alone – she was with Zack. London smirked.

"Look who found me..."

London was about to guide Zack away when Cody grabbed his shoulder. "Zack, wait. There's something I need to tell you..."

Zack slapped his hand away. "Don't touch me! And don't acknowledge me in public. I'm trying to have some fun here and enjoy my teenage years. Its a party that a girl actually wanted to come to with you. I suggest you go find her!"

And with that, Zack walked off with London. Cody just stood there stunned. At the same time, two people were making their way towards Cody. One was Bailey. The other was a girl holding a tray of solo cups.

"You want one?"

Cody sighed, grabbed one and downed it. Just as he did, Bailey arrived at his side. "What's this? I've been looking all over the place for you. And since when do you drink?"

Cody frowned at her. "I don't drink. Alcohol kills brain cells."

"What do you think was in the punch?"

Cody paused and grabbed another cup and downed it.

"What are you doing?"

Cody smirked. "Its a party. Isn't the point of it to get smashed?"

Bailey smirked back. "I say do what you want to do."

"That's funny. You're the only one." And with that, Cody grabbed another cup. "Later..."

Meanwhile, Addison had been circulating and trying to talk to various guys. But her hyper self was a real turn off to them, and all of them just left her standing there. Maya found her and walked over to her.

"Hey, have you seen Zack?"

Addison smiled at her. "Relax. I saw him earlier. I..." She paused and pointed towards the stairs. "Ask and ye shall receive." At that moment, Zack and Theo were walking down the stairs. Maya walked over to meet them at the bottom.

"Hey Zack!"

Zack looked up and saw Maya. He wasn't quite sure what to say, and he could feel some awkwardness.

"Ummm. Hey Maya. Do you know my friend, Theo?"

Maya paused. "Yeah. I think we have Home Ec together." Theo just looked at Maya and then gave a questioning look back at Zack.

Maya continued. "Ummm. That jacket looks great on you." She smiled. "You look amazing tonight."

Zack smiled. "Thanks. I..."

But he was interrupted. "And we all know I look amazing!" London walked down the stairs as Theo smiled at her and nodded his agreement. London wrapped her arm around Zack.

"Come on, Zack...We're congregating around Mr. Cuervo." London began leading Zack away.

He turned his head to look at Maya. "See you around, okay?"

Maya just stood there in shock. She felt hurt. She felt angry. She felt used.

For the next little while, London had her arm wrapped around Zack's shoulder, droning on and on about herself. At one point, she began boasting how her Dad was going to let her model some clothes for the Tipton line of casual wear. As London began striking poses, Zack just looked at her, wondering what the hell he was doing.

Finally breaking away, he began walking around the party. Looking into one room, he saw London showing off even more poses for several other guys. He rolled his eyes and walked on. And that's when he came almost face to face with Maya. The expression on her face was not a happy one. Zack wanted to say something to her, but he just couldn't find the right words. Wanting out of the situation, he walked on and grabbed Theo's arm.

"Is it just me, or has this party really started to suck?"

Meanwhile, Bailey was still looking all over for Cody. As she walked past two people making out in a corner, she felt a hand grab her arm. Turning, she saw the same girl from earlier.

"Really...really...thank you!"

Bailey nodded and continued her search. And that's when she saw Cody with another cup in his hand. She ran over to him and tried to take the cup away from him.

"Why don't you let me have this one?"

Cody pulled the cup back towards him. "This one's mine! Get your own!" And with that, Cody walked into another room. Bailey was about to follow him when London stopped her.

"How did you do it?"

Bailey was getting aggravated. "Do what?"

"Get Cody to act like a human for once in his life!"

Bailey was about to say something when everyone in the whole house heard that familiar guitar rift. It was Nirvana's Smells Like Teen Spirit (Hey, it is Seattle after all).

Bailey ran into the room and found Cody on top of a table dancing along to the song. She stood there not really knowing what to do when Cody started head banging with the rest of them. Unfortunately for him, on one such attempt, he banged his head against the chandelier over the table. Fortunately though, Bailey was there to catch him when he fell.

To be Continued...

Author's Note: For anyone who hasn't seen the movie, the whole thing is on Youtube. I've been using it to refresh my memory for sequence of events and to make sure I catch the good lines from the movie. Now, somethings will be different as I've changed the gender of every major character. For example, the roles played by Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Heath Ledger are the roles Maya and Bailey are playing. Conversely, the roles Larissa Oleynik and Julia Stiles played are the roles Zack and Cody are playing. BUT...remember, I am changing things to make the more in line of the SL characters. So, while you may have a general idea of what's coming, what you think is coming might not actually be what is coming. Was that confusing enough? lol