The morning that followed after Christmas day was cold. The day after Christmas felt like a very gloomy day especially for one very particular young man who was a student of Yale. Cody Martin got out of bed and got ready for the day. He only had a few hours left to spend time with Bailey before she had to return back home for the remainder of their winter break. He knew that he would see her the rest of the school year but he couldn't help but feel like he was to miss too much. Cody became so dependent of getting through life with Bailey with him. He needed her so much. She was his life preserver. With a quick breathe of fresh air, Cody got his clothes and prepared himself for wee hours that he had left with Bailey.

An hour passed by and Zack woke up, much to his surprise. He dragged himself out of bed and shuffled his feet across the floor as he made his way to the kitchenette to get himself something to eat. He looked around at his surrounding and saw that his brother was finishing a bowl of cereal. Zack cocked an eyebrow up absolutely shocked that Cody hadn't cooked anything for breakfast. Zack had to know what was up.

"Hey, Cody, why didn't you cook something nice this morning?"

"I'm too depressed to want to cook. Bailey's leaving today. Besides, I felt like having cereal."

"But you're going to see her again! It's not the end of the world."

"I know. It's just that ever since Bailey and I wasted six months apart, I feel as though we need to make up for it and now that I've got her back in my life, I want to spend as much time as possible with her. I love her."

"Okay, whatever you say, man."

Zack then looked around and didn't see their mom still sleeping.

"Hey, Cody, where's mom?"

"She woke up five minutes after I had woken up. She grabbed a banana and left, telling me that she would be running some errands."

"Oh."

Zack grabbed a bowl and spoon and snagged the carton of milk and the cereal box. He poured the cereal and milk in the bowl and put the food products away in the proper places. He scooped his spoon in the bowl and started to eat. Cody stood up from the table and washed up his bowl and spoon and put the silverware away. He looked over at Zack who was eating at the table.
"You know what, Zack?"

"What?", Zack mumbled through some food.

"This day is pretty sad. How ironic that's it's the day after Christmas."

"Tell me about it. Well that's life for you."

"Zack, do you have any plans for today?"

"Not really. I mean I do plan to something today but I don't have an agenda like you might have. I'm going with the flow."

"Whatever you say, Zack. I'm going to go now."

"Okay, see you later, Codester."

"See you later, Zack."

While Zack was busy scooping up another spoonful of cereal, Cody left the suite. As soon as Cody arrived at Bailey's hotel room, he knocked on the door in a desperate manner. He heard her call him from inside and told him that he could let himself in. He opened the door and looked around to spot Bailey. Cody saw that Bailey was finishing getting her luggage ready when she would to depart. He frowned momentarily before he could let her see his sad expression. Bailey finished closing her suitcase and turned around to face Cody. Oddly enough, Bailey had a sunny smile on her face as she approached Cody. However, she frowned as soon as she could detect that something was amiss from Cody's distressed body language. She knitted her eyebrows together in a downward arch and slid her hands on his slumped shoulders.

"Cody, what's wrong?"

"I'm depressed."

Cody didn't feel like talking much so as an tactic, he attempted to avoid conversation with Bailey by leaning his chin on one of her shoulders.

"Why are you depressed?"

Cody just gave Bailey a mumble in reply. Bailey knew that there was something him but she knew that she couldn't help him unless she could hear him clearly. She knew what she had to do and that to get his chin off her shoulder so she could hear him better. Bailey slipped her right hand behind Cody's neck and gently pinched a part of his skin. She let go as soon as he yelped in pain and jumped back from her while rubbing the back of his neck.

"What was that for, Bailey?"

"I had to do something to get you to speak clearly. Now, may I please know what you're depressed about?"

Cody stopped rubbing his neck and stared into Bailey's brown eyes.

"I don't know why I should be depressed, I just am."

"What do you mean by that?"

"I'm depressed because I know that today is the day you have to leave and go back home for the rest of the break and that I will only be able to spend just a few more hours with you until you have to leave."

"You're depressed because I'm going to be leaving soon? Cody, I know that you want to spend time with me and that I understand that you want to make up lost time when we foolishly wasted six months apart but you shouldn't feel depressed about my departure."

"Why?"

Bailey looked deep into Cody's eyes and she walked up to him. She cupped his face with her left hand and stared at his aqua eyes with deep sincerity.

"Cody, I would never want for you to feel the way that you do right now because I'm leaving. Sure, we'll miss each other while be apart from each other but that's okay. Neither one of us is going to die and we're definitely not going to break-up again ever. Please, believe me."

Cody took in a deep breathe, leaned his forehead against Bailey's and looked at her with a better attitude.

"I believe you."

Bailey smiled and then quickly gave him a peck on the lips. Cody leaned away and she pulled herself away from his body.

"I guess we have to do as many things as we can without passing out before you have to go."

"Are we seriously going to do a lot of activities?"

"No. My point is that we better start our day of spending as much time together as we can before you have to leave."

"Okay, that's fine with me."

Cody and Bailey left the hotel room and spent the rest of the morning together.

They did all that they could to spend time together before it was almost time for Bailey to leave. While Cody and Bailey were walking in the lobby, hand-in-hand, they spotted Zack and Maddie in the lobby talking to each other. One particular detail that Cody and Bailey did notice was that their friends were standing under the mistletoe.

"Do you think that they know?"

"I don't know. Maybe we should ask them."

"Maybe we should. I mean, it looks like Zack is about to stop talking to catch some breathe."

"How do you know that?"

"I've seen him talk for a certain amount of time before he runs out of breathe while talking to Maddie."

"Why would you know this?"

"Because I'm always out of breathe when I see you."

"That was so corny of you to say that."

"You would know."

"What does THAT mean?"

"You said corny which could refer to the main crop from your hometown, Kettlecorn, which is corn."

"Oh, like you're so smart, brain boy."

"Farm girl."

There was an awkward silence between Cody and Bailey. Cody had abruptly let go of Bailey's hand as both of his hands. He began to rub his sweaty hands on his pants.

"You know…we kind of sound like London."

"That's a scary thought."

"You know, we were just teasing each other."

"I would know since I started it and now I can't get my hands dry."

"Why?"

"Because now I want to add an adjective to when I was teasing you about being a farm girl and turn it into something nicer."

"Well, I have something to admit as well…"

"What's that?"

"You sure are a sweet and smart guy."

"Huh. I was going to say that you're a cute country girl."

Both of Cody and Bailey blush but look away. Cody's hands finally dry up and then he looks back at Bailey. He boldly takes her hand rightfully back into his. With his gentle action, Bailey looks back at Cody.

"We still have time to let Zack and Maddie know that they're under the mistletoe."

"Let's do it. I mean there would be no harm if we slightly embarrassed them. After all, we teased and embarrassed each other."

"You're so right, Bailey Bunny."

Bailey let out of soft giggle from the cute pet name Cody used.

"Thank you, Cody Kitten."

Cody kissed Bailey on the forehead as a 'you're welcome' and then pointed in Zack and Maddie's general direction. He made his appearance clear to them.

"Hey, Zack! Hey, Maddie! Do you two know that you're under the mistletoe?"

Zack and Maddie looked over at Cody and Bailey who were suspiciously waving and smiling at them and snickering a little bit as well. Zack and Maddie were confused until Cody pointed out to them what was hanging over their heads. Both blondes looked up and saw the mistletoe still hanging in the same spot as the night before. They looked back at each other and shared an awkward silence. Either Cody or Bailey gabbed something about following tradition. Zack nervously rubbed one of his arms while Maddie was standing in front of him.

"Look, Maddie, we don't have to-"

Maddie interrupted Zack by planting a nice kiss on his left cheek. Zack looked at her very bemused. She simply smiled at him.

"It was nice talking to you Zack."

With those words said, Maddie wove Zack goodbye before heading up to her room to start packing for she would have to leave the next day. Zack had his cheeks filled up with a pink hue. He was somewhat embarrassed but not in a way that he wanted to yell or pummel his brother. Actually, he wanted to thank Cody and Bailey for indirectly getting Maddie to kiss Zack. With the blush gone and enough built-up courage, Zack sauntered over to his brother and friend.

"Why did you guys do that?"

"We'd figure that you wouldn't mind. We appreciated your apology and thought about what to do for you in return and I guess the idea just popped into my head."

"I didn't know what to expect so I just went along with it."

"Thanks you guys."

"No problem" "You're welcome."

"Hey, Bailey, when do you have to leave?"

"I leave by noon."

"Well, that's just thirty minutes from now. Unfortunately, I actually have plans by noon so would it be okay if said goodbye to you now?"

"Sure, Zack."

Zack hugged Bailey while saying goodbye to her. Then he released her from the hug and embraced his brother. Once he was done being all nice and sensitive, he left the two to be by themselves. Cody looked at Bailey expectantly once Zack was gone. She looked back at Cody letting him know that they would have to go back up for her things and come right back down to say goodbye. Cody and bailey silently fulfilled their task as a team and within minutes they were back down in the lobby. It didn't take long for bailey to check-out. Cody escorted Bailey to the outside and gave her a brief goodbye and kiss before seeing her off in a cab. He waved at her as her cab drove away. After a while of just standing at the front of the Tipton, Cody went back inside and got a little teary-eyed. He rid his eyes of tears and kept his chin up. He knew that he would have to say goodbye to Maddie the next day which wouldn't be too much different from Bailey's departure except for the fact that he wouldn't kiss her. Cody just went back up to the suite that he wanted rest as he knew that the rest of the winter break wouldn't be much to talk about after tomorrow. He would simply just let the rest of winter break be as it would be until he could back at Yale with Bailey.

The End