CHAPTER ELEVEN

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

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

Heading home, Zack felt like he was on top of the world. He had a date to the prom with a great girl, and he was really looking forward to Friday night. And on top of that, with his brother now having a girlfriend of his own, maybe that bug that crawled up inside of him would finally die. To Zack, life was looking great. Sure, there was the whole London issue, but he didn't think it would be that big of a deal. Upon walking in to the suite, Zack saw his brother laying back on the couch reading a book.

"Well, well...if it isn't Casanova himself..."

Cody looked up at his brother. "What are you talking about?"

Zack grinned. "Oh, don't try to deny it. I saw you and that Bailey girl walking out of school today, hand in hand. I'm proud of you, Codester."

Cody sighed. "Thanks...I think."

"No, really. I'm happy for you. Though, are you sure about her though? You aren't worried she's going to snap and kill you?"

Cody shook his head. "Do you really believe everything you hear?"

"Dude, there were like witnesses..."

"No, there weren't, because it didn't happen. She told me the truth today, and I don't blame her one bit for what she did. In fact, I admire her for the restraint she showed."

Zack grinned again. "Uh oh...Is my little bro in love?"

"Zack..."

"Dude, more power to you if you are. I think I'm beginning to get that feeling myself..."

Cody looked over at Zack in horror thinking he was talking about London. "Zack..."

"Its all good, Bro. And Friday night, we'll be dancing the night away with our ladies."

Cody shook his head. "You might, but I'm not."

Zack turned and stared at his brother. "What did you just say?"

"I said I'm not going to the prom..."

"But you have to! If you don't, you know Mom won't let me!"

"I have my reasons..."

About that time, Carey came back into the suite from her daily workout.

"Hey, boys..."

Zack ran up to her. "Mom! I need to talk to you about prom on Friday night."

Carey looked over at Cody. "Are you going?"

Cody shook his head, and Carey turned back to Zack. "Sorry, Honey. If Cody's not going, you're not going..."

"But Mom! Its prom. Yeah, we'll dance a little, and we'll kiss a little and then we'll come home. Its no big deal!"

Carey raised her eyebrows. "No big deal, huh? How about the fact that you two were conceived on my prom night?"

Zack was incredulous. "Okay, one, that was way too much information. Two, for the one billionth time, I'm not you or Dad. I won't make those mistakes!"

Carey shook her head. "Sorry, Zack. You know the rules..."

Zack turned and glared at his brother. "You and me are going to talk now!"

Cody looked up just in time to see Zack storming right at him. The next thing he knew, Zack was dragging him into their bedroom and slammed the door behind him.

"Look, Cody...I'm begging you here. What will it take to get you to go to the prom? Want me to pay for everything? Consider it done! And don't give me any crap about you not being able to get a date! You and I both know you could have one if you wanted one..."

Cody sighed and sat down on his bed. "Look, I know you hate having to sit at home because I'm no Harry High School..."

Zack slumped down on his bed too. "Like you care..."

"I do care. But, I'm a firm believer in doing something for your own reasons and not someone else's."

"Well, I wish I had the luxury. I can't even do things for my own reasons because you don't feel like it! You're helping Mom hold me hostage!"

Cody paused and swallowed. "London never told you she asked me out, did she?"

Zack's head whipped around and looked at his brother. "What?"

Cody nodded. "Yeah. Freshman year...her first senior year...right after Dad came back into our lives..."

Zack shook his head in confusion. "You and London?"

Cody held up his hands. "Whoa, whoa, whoa...I just said she asked me out. Of course, I turned her down flat. She is soooo not my type."

Zack was even more confused now. "What's the point of this story then?"

Cody sighed. "There was a girl I was interested in though. Her name was Barbara, and she was very intellectual...though a bit too competitive. Anyway, I did go out with her for a few months. She was a senior then too. And she invited me to go to her prom with her..."

"Wait a minute! How did I not know this?"

"Because there are reasons I never broadcasted it."

"And you went? How did Mom allow that?"

"Mom doesn't know. I told her I was going over to a friend's house to study, and she bought it."

Zack shook his head. "Why did that never work for me?" He sighed. "So, what happened?"

Cody tried to hold his emotions in check. "It was all a set up. When I got there, Barbara was with another guy, and they were making out on the middle of the dance floor. I was standing there in complete and utter shock. I couldn't believe she was doing that to me. Zack, it hurt really bad. And to make matters worse, I heard someone cackling laughing..."

"London?"

Cody nodded. "Yeah. Fortunately, there was that girl Maddie who took sympathy on me and explained to me what had happened. London had paid Barbara to romance me and then humiliate me at the prom in front of everyone. According to Maddie, Barbara was leery at first, but when London offered her a full ride to Stanford got her to change her mind. Seems London doesn't take rejection very well..."

"Wow..."

"And I was humiliated. And I decided right then and there, I was never going to let anything like that happen to me ever again. I wasn't going to let a girl get in close enough to ever hurt me like that again..."

Zack paused. "What about Bailey then?"

Cody sighed. "I can't explain that...I wish I could, but I just can't help myself. There's just something...special about her. Trust me, I fought it as long as I could, but I don't want to anymore."

Zack paused to consider everything he had just heard. "And that's also why you have don't want to go to the prom? Because of the bad memories?"

Cody nodded. "Pretty much."

"You know, you could write over those memories. Wouldn't that be just up your alley to go again this year to prove that you were above what happened years ago, and it didn't bother you anymore?"

Cody paused and chuckled. "I hate it when you make sense..." He paused. "But about London, I..."

Zack cut him off. "I'm not going with her. I'm going with Maya."

Cody frowned in confusion. "Who's Maya?"

"You know, petite brunette, sassy...killer bod..."

"Zack!"

Zack smiled. "Relax. She's also shown she won't put up with my crap...And she's one hell of a kisser."

"To quote you, way too much information."

"Well, what kind of a kisser is Bailey?"

Cody shook his head. "I'm not one to kiss and tell."

"So, you have kissed her then..." He paused. "Come on, Cody...Please go the prom? I'd do it for you!"

Cody sighed. "Fine..."

Zack did a fist pump. "Yes!" And with that, Zack ran out of the room to go call Maya to give her the good news. Cody just shook his head and smiled. He pulled out his cell phone and dialed.

"Hey, its me...Is it too late for me to accept your invitation to the prom?"

Meanwhile, in a house not too far away, Bailey was hanging up her phone. She fell back on her bed, kicked her legs and let out a celebratory scream. Of course, this drew the attention of her mother who came rushing into her room.

"Sweetheart, is everything okay?"

Bailey looked up at her Mom and grinned. "Never been better..."

Eunice smiled. "What's his name?"

Bailey just looked at her mother. "What's whose name?"

"The boy that that made you just jump for joy..."

Bailey grinned. "Cody..."

"Well, you make sure he's good to you." She smiled. "By the way, this came for you today..."

Bailey took the envelope from her mother and opened it. She read it and looked up in shock. "Oh my gosh!"

"Good news, I take it?"

"The best, I mean...This might be the best day of my whole life!"

To be Continued...