CHAPTER SEVEN

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

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

Bailey had caught Cody before he fell all the way to the floor, but she could definitely tell he was not in good shape. She wasn't sure how many Solo cups he had drank, but by judging by the way he was struggling to stand up and the goofy look on his face, she feared too many. Add that to the fact that he was almost completely dead weight, and she knew he was drunk. And when he began talking, Bailey could tell his speech was definitely slurred.

"I'm okay...I just need to lie down for a minute."

Bailey kept walking him outside to get some fresh air. "Uh uh. You'll lie down when you go to sleep."

Cody laughed. "Sleep is good..."

"Not if you have a concussion it isn't." She finally got him outside and found a chair for him to sit on. "Here, sit down for a minute." Once she got him sitting, she knelt down to try to see if he was going to be okay. Well, she was until she was interrupted.

"We need to talk."

Bailey looked up and saw Maya. Pointing to an almost passed out Cody, she spoke. "I'm kind of busy at the moment."

Maya sighed. "Can you give me a minute?"

Bailey shook her head and made sure Cody was stable – well as stable as he was going to get. Standing back up, she and Maya walked a few feet away.

"What?"

Maya took a deep breath. "Its off. The whole thing is off. You don't have to pretend to like Cody anymore..."

Bailey frowned. "What are you talking about?"

"Zack never wanted me. He wanted London the whole time..."

"Maya, do you like the guy?"

"Well...yeah..."

"And was he worth all of this effort?"

Maya paused. "Well, I thought so..."

Bailey looked over to check on Cody and turned back to Maya. "He either is or he isn't. First, London isn't even half the woman you are. Secondly, never ever let anyone make you feel like you don't deserve what you want..." Bailey placed her hands on Maya's shoulders. "Go for it! Fight back!"

Bailey looked over to check on Cody again. And this time, Maya noticed.

"Wait a minute...Are you and he...?"

Bailey sighed. "Don't worry about it. I've got everything under control..."

Maya smiled. "You are! You actually like Cody!"

Bailey rolled her eyes. "Don't push it, Maya..."

Maya kept smiling. "Uh huh..."

Bailey looked over again at Cody and found him about to fall out of the chair. As quick as she could, she hurried over and caught him. She helped him stand up. "Come on, lets get you out of here."

And as Bailey helped Cody stumble away, Maya just stood there shaking her head and laughing. Well, she did until she remembered her own problems.

Bailey helped Cody walk away from the house over to a garden that had two swings set up.

Cody shook his head trying to clear the cobwebs. "This is so patronizing..."

Bailey laughed. "Leave it to you to still use big words when you're smashed..."

Cody laughed too before he paused. "Why are you doing this?"

"I told you...You may have a concussion."

Cody sighed. "You don't care if I never wake up."

Bailey smiled as she helped him sit on of the swings. "Of course I do."

Cody looked up at her. "Why?"

Bailey kept smiling. "Because then I'd have to go out with guys who actually liked me..."

"Like you could find one..."

Bailey laughed. "There. Who needs affection when I have blind hatred?"

Cody looked at her again. "I never said I hated you."

"Could have fooled me..."

Cody closed his eyes. "You don't understand. Its just that..." But at that moment, he fell back backwards, and Bailey almost had to dive to catch him. Once she had Cody upright again and settled, she took a seat on the swing next to him.

"So, why did you let her get to you?"

"Who?"

"London..."

Cody shook his head. "I really, really hate her."

"Why?"

"Long story."

Bailey smiled. "Well, you sure showed her. Drinking your body's weight in hooch really put her in her place..."

Cody laughed. "Well, you know what they say..."

Bailey laughed too. "No, what do they say?"

She looked over and found Cody almost passed out holding on to one of the ropes. She jumped up, and began slapping Cody's face trying to revive him.

"Cody! Open your eyes! Wake up! Look at me!"

Slowly, Cody did so and he was looking up directly into Bailey's eyes. "Hey...You're eyes have a little green in them..."

Bailey just smiled.

"I mean it. They're very...very..." But before he could continue with what he was saying, he couldn't help himself and threw up. Bailey sighed and sat back down. She just rubbed the top of his head as he continued to exercise the demons.

Back at the party, Zack and Theo were talking when London came up behind them.

"Hey, several of us are heading over to Chelsea's for an after party party. You guys coming?"

Zack checked his watch and began hemming and hawing. "I have to be home in twenty minutes."

Theo turned to London. "I don't have to be home until two."

London shrugged. "Last chance..."

Zack tried to act sincere. "I really wish I could, but you know my Mom...Darn."

Theo smiled. "That's a shame." He turned to London. "Shall we?"

London smiled. "Sure. Lets go." She wrapped her arm around Theo and they began walking off.

Zack stood there in shock. "Theo!"

Theo laughed. "Hey, you passed..."

Zack shook his head. "What a jerk!"

As Zack was standing there stewing, Maya walked right past him.

"Hope you had fun tonight..."

Zack sighed. "Tons..." He paused and watched as Maya kept walking. "Hey, Maya...Would it be possible to catch a ride home from you?"

Maya stood there and sighed herself. She knew she wanted to tell him to go jump off a cliff. But she didn't.

Meanwhile, after Cody had threw up, he was in much better shape. By no means was he sober, but he was able to walk on his own and put together coherent sentences again. But, Bailey still had to drive him and his car back to the Tipton. Realizing he still needed a little while, she took him to a small park across the street from the hotel, and they both sat on a park bench. Cody began looking up at the stars.

"This is what I should be doing..."

Bailey laughed. "What? Being a bum on a park bench?"

Cody shook his head. "No. Look up there. What do you see?"

"I see stars and the moon."

"Look harder. We don't know what's out there. There could be almost anything. Maybe even other planets that support life. Maybe life that doesn't have their heads so far shoved up their butts like we do here on earth..."

Bailey smiled. "That would be nice. Who knows...Maybe you'll be the one to find it?"

Cody sighed. "Oh, my Mom would love that. She would tell me I was throwing my life away for nothing..."

Bailey paused. "You don't strike me as the type to ask your mother for permission."

Cody turned to her. "What? You think you know me now?"

Bailey smiled. "I think I'm getting there."

Cody shook his head. "The only thing people know about me is that I'm scary..."

Bailey paused and nodded. "Well, I'm no picnic myself..."

Cody turned to face her again and both just looked into each other's eyes. Bailey felt her heart beginning to race, so she decided to change the subject.

"So, your Mom...is she a pain?"

Cody sighed and shook his head. "Not really. She just wants me to be who she wants me to be..."

"And who's that?"

"Well, for one, not my Dad. She's still so bitter about him that she won't even let us talk about him in front of her. He made contact again with us a few years back, and we're talking. He seems like an okay guy. But Mom doesn't want me to throw my life away like she thinks she did. And then, I just know there is a part of her that wishes I was more like Zack..."

Bailey nodded. "Ahhh...Zack." She paused. "No offense, and I know everyone likes your brother, but...he's not all that."

Cody turned to look at her again. The hints of a smile crept on to his face. He didn't know if it was the alcohol talking or what it was, but he really took a hard look at Bailey. And for the life of him, he really liked what he saw. There was no disputing the fact that she was gorgeous, but it was more than that. Could it be that she was someone who actually understood him? Someone who saw him and could accept him for who he was?

"You know...I might have been wrong about you."

Bailey smiled. "Thanks...I think."

"No, I mean it. You are not what I had envisioned at all. And that's definitely a good thing..."

Bailey kept smiling. Cody, with a little help from the liquid courage still in his system, decided to go for it. He closed his eyes and leaned closer to her.

For her part, Bailey saw it coming, and every fiber of her being wanted to meet him halfway. But those pesky defenses she had built up were sending off warning sirens in her brain. She was confused. And she was scared. She was feeling things she hadn't felt before and didn't know how to deal with them. She wanted...no she needed some time to think and try to figure things out. Well, her brain did anyways. Her heart was telling her she already knew everything she needed to know. Finally, she decided that this particular moment with Cody half drunk was not the time to do this either way.

"Maybe we she do this another time."

Cody opened his eyes and pulled away. He just looked at Bailey in confusion. And then the anger came. He couldn't believe he had let himself been suckered in like this again. Shaking his head, he stood up and stormed off back towards the hotel.

Bailey continued sitting there kicking herself. All things considered, the night had gone pretty well, and there had been a definite thaw in Cody. He had let down his walls some, and she had gotten to see some of the real him. And what she had saw, she had really liked. But, she was afraid those walls were now back up and now, heavily fortified.

About the same time, Maya had pulled her car up to the front of the Tipton. The entire drive over had been eerily quiet. Maya had her anger built up inside and was afraid to unleash it. On the other hand, Zack really did want to say something, but he had no idea what to say or where to even begin. Once out front, Maya put the car in park as Zack undid his seat belt. Gripping the steering wheel, Maya finally spoke.

"You never wanted to go to a French restaurant with me, did you?"

Zack paused. "Yes, I did..."

Maya turned to him. "No, you didn't!"

"Well, no...not actually..."

Maya cut him off. "Then that's all you had to say!" She paused. "Have you always been this selfish?"

Zack just stared out the windshield and swallowed. "I guess..."

Maya was on a roll. "Just because you are handsome, it doesn't mean you can treat people like they don't matter!" She tried to control herself. "I mean, I really liked you. I defended you when people called you shallow...I helped you when you asked me for it...I even relearned French for you!" She shook her head. "And then you just blew me off like I was..."

She was interrupted by Zack pulling her in for a kiss. And not just any kiss. It was a kiss that made Maya's toes curl. And she wasn't the only one who was feeling that kiss. Zack was too.

When they finally broke apart, Zack smiled. He got out of the car without saying a word and began to walk into the hotel. Before he did, he turned back and saw Maya had a look of complete shock on her face. Zack kept smiling. Maybe this night didn't suck so bad after all.

And for her part, Maya was blown away. That was the last thing she had expected. But that kiss...She felt herself getting woozy and held onto the steering wheel to settle herself. And that's when it hit her. And that's when a smile broke out on her face.

"And I'm back in the game!"

To be Continued...