Ok, so I kind of got lost. I lost my job, almost lost my partner, my friends and a whole lot of other stuff. My life has kind of sucked in the last wee while.

This is episode 5 and I like it. I almost completely dropped this story. As I had become bored with how I was writing stuff. So what really inspired me for this episode and the next couple was a friend suggesting I try something different, write them in different ways and experiment with different styles. Although I will be writing in my old style as well, the challenge of experimenting in the different reinvigorated me.

Now I was going to keep this back for a few weeks and post this in December with another two chapters that I'm working on but I finally finished the last part and really wanted to share it. Hope you like it and the different way I've tried writing this.

All the usual stuff, enjoy

The Suite Life on Deck 2

Back On Board

Episode 5: Their Stories

When the students and chaperones met up with the SS Tipton the next day, everyone was glad to be back to the ship and comfortable beds.

Kyle was no longer giving his sister or room-mate angry looks. In fact he had went from being one of the most vocal members of the group to the most quiet.. He spent most of the following week in his cabin only leaving for school and work.

While Kyle had went from loud to quiet the opposite had happened to Alison and Tabitha.

Tabitha completely came out of her shell, proudly holding Zack's hand wherever they went. The morning they returned to the ship, she had rather coyly told everyone at the breakfast table that the older Martin twin had asked her to go steady.

Everyone was upset when London announced she was going to be leaving, her father deciding that no matter how much education she had it would never change much. After Tabitha and Zack had talked about how he had asked her which once again elicited a large aww from all the girls, London was quick to bring attention back to herself and informed them that her flight home was in two days.

- The Sister -

Alison had really benefited from having Tabitha as a friend. Back home she struggled to make friends, having an over bearing mother who constantly picked at her and multiple siblings didn't help

While almost everyone else was helping London find all her property that had somehow found itself spread over the ship for a modest fee, Alison had decided to enjoy her first chance to relax in a week.

Alison, Woody and Kyle had climbed to the top deck of the ship and was sun bathing next to the pool. She watched as her brother and Kyle were toy wrestling in the pool, and made fools of themselves playing like children.

After a few hours Kyle had retreated back to his cabin, while Woody kept cannonballing into the pool. The sun was still blazing away and Alison enjoying the relative quiet that had descended over the pool area. Suddenly she felt someone step into the path of the sun and raised her hand and to shield her eyes to look up and shout at whoever it was.

He had dark skin, and longish hair in a ponytail, he was about her height, her age and he was staring right at her. "Can I help you? Or do you just want to continue to perv on me?" Alison asked scathingly. The boy looked shocked, and replied "Sorry I just thought you were cute."

"Oh," Alison said blushing as he finished. "Sorry, I get easily annoyed and your kind of standing in the way of my sun."

He stepped out of the way, and apologised, "Sorry."

"No more sorrys I think we've had enough of them already." Alison said cutting him off. The boy looked around, then turned back to Alison "Yeah, sor.. I'm Jacob"

Alison sat up and looked Jacob over, "I'm Alison," she continued to look him over and added, "Do you really think I'm cute?"

It was Jacob turn to blush now, as he looked around nervously, nodding slightly. "Would you like to get a drink and you know, hangout?"

"Ok, Sure." Alison blushed standing up and grabbing her towel and walking in front of the dark skinned boy as he followed behind her looking dazed and confused at her reply.

Alison emerged from her cabin, she had changed into a pair of faded daisy dukes and a red chequered shirt that she had tied up just below her breasts. Jacob was sitting staring at the floor outside her door, his eyes travelled up slowly as the teenage girl emerged from her cabin.

The teenagers made their way to the games room where they joined a few of Jacobs friends who were already there playing pool. "So Alison, what did your parents drag you on here for, or are you part of that gay sea school thing?" Bobby a boy with pure white hair and a glint in his eye asked as he looked over her shoulder at a group of girls that had just entered the room.

Alison smiled uncomfortably at his question, "Oh we're going to Europe, just the usual boring stuff." she lied, feeling that it was better in the situation as this group obviously didn't think much of the semester at sea students. Jacob put his arm around her waist as they watched Bobby, and another boy Derek play pool. The conversation didn't really continue much after that, apart from some playful banter between the boys.

Alison eventually slipped away and joined the female members of the group who were relaxing on the couches next to the pool table. "So I was like no way and then she was like yes, hello." the red haired girl who was talking who she later learned was an

Australian named Tracy, hadn't taken a breath in so long Alison thought she would pass out soon. Instead the girl just kept on talking allowing the schoolgirl to drift into a period of prolonged boredom.

It wasn't until the girl actually asked Alison something that she actually even acknowledged her existence. "Sorry, what?" she started being knocked out of her daze and asked not realising that the Australian girl had been talking to her. Tracy was pointing at Woody, who had just entered with Zack and Tabitha. "Why is that loser waving at you?

Alison looked at her brother as he waved at her from the other side of the room. "Isn't he one of those sea school losers?" the girl sitting next to Tracy asked turning back to look at the blonde girl. "He's not a loser." she replied loudly defending her brother, as she shot up angrily causing everyone to look at her.

"That's my brother, and he's not a loser!" Alison shouted making her way over to the door. Tracy started to laugh, "Oh my god your one of those loser school kids." all the other teenagers in the group started to laugh as well apart from Jacob who frowned.

Woody was looking worriedly across the room at his sister as she looked close to tears as Tracy started picking on her, "Yeah we're going to Europe, My parents are rich. Oh My God your right your brother isn't the loser you are." Tracy spat venomously at Alison as a few tears ran down her face. Alison looked angrily at the red head, as she wiped her eyes, she looked as if she wanted to say something but just shook her head and walked out pushing Tracy aside. "Oh my god, loser." Tracy added once Alison was out of ear shot.

Alison woke late the next morning, showered, got dressed slowly and walked out of her cabin straight into Jacob who was leaning against the wall outside the room. "What do you want?" she asked suspiciously.

Jacob frowned again "To apologise and to ask why you lied to us, to me last night?" Alison stared at Molly as he stood back defensively.

"Because your friends made fun of my friends, what was I meant to say after that." she replied before walking away.

Jacob followed the blonde haired girl all onto the deck and "You could have said anything, you didn't have to lie." Alison turned and stared him down, "No I could have said yeah I am in the semester at sea program, and then let your friends look down on me, because my parents can't afford to book a cruise on here, because my family have to scrimp and save to send me and my brother here." Jacob looked down at the floor and mumbled. She continued "You and your friends you guys live in a completely different world, and I've got to stay in mine."

Jacob watched as Alison walked away, in anger he kicked the wall, and rested his head against his hands. He would have kicked the wall again if Mr Moseby hadn't appeared at that moment to scold him for the first kick.

The sky deck was near empty as Alison walked onto it. Woody was sitting alone at the juice bar. She took the seat next to him, and he turned to look at her, "Hi." he said happily taking a large drink from his glass. "Hi." Alison smiled and replied so low it was almost a whisper, "I think we should talk."

- The Stowaway -

Where is she? Zack thought to himself as he left Tabitha's cabin. They had arranged to eat lunch together but his girlfriend, although his girlfriend hadn't showed up. It still felt weird calling the dark haired girl his girlfriend, simply because she wasn't the normal type of girl that he went out with.

It had been over an hour since they were meant to meet and Zack was searching the student cabins. As he walked down the corridor he decided that moving around wasn't a good idea if Tabitha was looking for him. So slightly annoyed he made his way back to his cabin.

He was just about to open the door to his cabin, when the door behind him opened and his brother came out in a very chipper mood humming to himself. "Oh hey Zack." he said watching his brother grip the handle. "what's wrong?" he asked worriedly as he noticed how agitated he was.

Zack looked down at the handle and tried to turn it but couldn't find enough strength to turn it. He turned to his younger brother and replied, "Nothing, its fine."

Cody frowned at Zack, "Yeah cause when everything is fine with me I go sulk in my room." he said nodding sarcastically.

"I cant find Tab." Zack said defeated, slumping against the wall. "And I have no idea where to find her, I've looked everywhere."

Cody bit his lower lip in thought. "Have you looked in the hold?" Zack looked up at his brothers words. "What?" he asked slightly confused before, "NO, why would she go down there?"

"That's where you found her the first time and she was in the mailroom this morning, maybe she got something that upset her." Cody said helping his brother to his feet. "she knows down there pretty well, if she's upset maybe she went back down there. He turned to lock his door, and had to sprint after his brother who was already halfway across the deck before he was able to catch up. "Zack slow down, we don't even know if she's there or not."

The older twin stopped dead and threw his brothers hand from his shoulder where Cody had grabbed him. "I need to find her, what if something's happened to her." Cody raised his eyebrows as his brother looked back exasperated. "Zack, I really doubt she's down there, drowning in a pool of her own blood." The younger twin joked.

The joke had failed. Zack's eyes almost popped out of his head at his brothers words and immediately turned to rush off again, and would have if Cody hadn't jumped in front of him. "Ok wrong thing to say, but I'm sure wherever she is, she probably just needs some time to think." The older twin nodded and took a deep breath as he and Cody continued to the sky deck.

Zack dropped his brother off at the sky deck, where he saw him pass a key to his girlfriend and then continued on alone, on his search for Tabitha, no longer having to pretend to be calm.

The stairs creaked as he walked down them. The light were on, for all the good that they did. The room was still half in darkness and Zack was straining his eyes to see. He walked around the crates peering around every corner looking for Tabitha, but the darkness were not helping.

Zack reached the far end of the cargo area. As he got closer he could hear a hushed voice singing, he didn't recognise the tune but it seemed peaceful. He rounded the corner and saw her, she was curled up against the back wall, holding an aged teddy bear. "Tab?" he said trying to get her attention as he moved closer, "Tab, what's wrong babe?"

She looked up, her face terrified until she realised who it was. She was still breathing heavily as Zack sat down next to her. "I'm sorry." she said as he took a hold of her hands.

"Hey, its ok. What's wrong though, you were meant to meet me remember?" Tabitha stared into his eyes as he spoke. "Oh yeah, sorry." she replied

Zack moved closer and placed his arm around her shoulders pulling her closer to him and hugging her. "What happened, why are you down here?"

"I, I got a package from my mum." Tabitha said into his chest and he felt his t-shirt beginning to get wet as she cried softly into it. "She sent you the bear?" He asked poking the fuzzy object in her hands

Tabitha pulled away from her boyfriend and looked into his face. "Henry, his name is Henry." Zack let out a laugh as Tabitha handed him the bear, "Ok, Henry. Is he special?" he asked poking his finger into a hole underneath the bears arm.

"He was my best friend back home." she said pulling Henry from Zack. "Whenever stuff happened I told Henry, he was like my diary that I didn't write in. He made me feel safe." The blonde boy the last few tears from his girlfriend eyes and pulled her into a another hug, "pretty stupid I guess." she added

"No not stupid at all." zack replied "Cody still has his blankie, he thinks I don't know he has it onboard."

Tabitha looked down and said "Once I ran away I thought I would forget what happened and I did eventually and being here with you guys has helped so much. Seeing Henry though, that's why I came down here." Zack stared at her confused as she continued "I felt guilty that I had left him when I ran away, how stupid is that feeling guilty for leaving a teddy behind, but now that he's here I just remember what happen and I feel stupid for not telling someone."

"It's not stupid." Zack said butting in on her. "Yes it is, I could have stopped it Zack, but instead I told a teddy." Zack saw another tear start to fall and quickly wiped it away. "Hey, don't think about that. He's here now, and so am I and if you hadn't run away from home I would never have fallen in love with you and I'm never gonna let anyone hurt you again."

Tabitha's looked up into her boyfriends face and kissed him softly. "You can sweet talk anybody." she said letting out a giggle as Zack help her get up. "Just make sure it's only me your doing it to though,." As they walked out of the cargo hold and up the stairs Tabitha held both Henry and Zack close to her but punched him on the arm when he said, "Now c'mon you owe me breakfast."

- The Twins -

Kyle Stepped out of the mailroom smiling. Under his arm he held a box wrapped in brown paper. The box contained three months worth of comics that he was looking forward to reading when he got back to his cabin. He made his way down the corridor past a worried looking Zack who pushed past the brown haired boy.

He stopped and watch as his cabin-mates older twin marched down to the corridor to the mailroom.

A few minutes later Kyle stepped out on the sky deck where Alison and Woody were having hushed and what looked like a heartfelt conversation. He had planned in joining them for lunch but changed his mind, not wanting to interrupt them.

The corridors around the student cabins were deserted when Kyle finally arrived at his cabin. He walked in taking note of Cody's being gone, no doubt off with Molly he thought throwing the package onto his bed and entering the bathroom.

Kyle stepped out of the bathroom still drying his hands, wiping them across his vest. Across the room sitting on Cody's bed was Molly. "How did you get in here?" he asked glaring at his sister.

Molly looked slightly scared as she lifted her hand to show him, "Cody gave me his spare." she said as she flashed the key, before slipping it back into her pocket.

"Ok." Kyle replied softening his glare and added, "Why are you here then?"

Molly eyed her brother suspiciously, "Oh I'm sorry I didn't realise I needed an appointment to see my own brother." she scathingly replied.

The younger twin shifted uncomfortably on the spot and rubbed the back of his head nervously as his sister continued to stare. "I just want to know what's going on with you?"

"M, I'm …" he started but he seemed lost for words. "I'm trying to understand it all, but you've never had a boyfriend before." Kyle said taking seat on the top of the desk.

Molly let out a laugh, "You don't really expect me to believe that, do you K?"

"Yeah I do, it's the truth" he looked away and under his breath added "mostly."

Molly approached her brother, "Just tell me, please?"

"Kyle turned away. "You took the one proper friend I had." The older twin shook her head as he spoke. "You've always had trouble making friends, but this time, I guess I had the problem."

"What abut Zack and Woody, what about everyone else?" Molly asked as she gave her brother another questioning look.

Kyle's eyes flickered towards his sister and then quickly away. "I only hung out with them because you and Cody were."

Molly quickly tried to recall any memories of ever seeing Kyle with any of the others without Cody. "K, I'm so sorry." she said as she took hold of her younger brothers hand realising how lonely the last six weeks must have been for him. "I'm still confused though. If Cody is your best friends on board, why are you pushing him away?"

Molly didn't miss Kyle avoiding her eyes as he replied "I don't… I can't…I just did."

The brown haired girl frowned at him as he spoke. "K this is ridiculous. Why won't you give me a straight answer?" Kyle pushed off the desk and walked to the door and took hold off the handle. "Don't walk out on me, I came here to sort this out. I realise you've been lonely but you've been avoiding the two people you say are your only friends on the boat. So tell me why?"

Kyle looked around still gripping the door handle with tears running down his face that he tried drying with his hoodie on the back of the door. "I told you I don't…"

"Don't give me that crap, I want the truth. TELL ME THE TRUTH?" Molly cut off her brother angrily watching as he continued to cry, "Kyle just tell me what's wrong?"

They both stood in silence for a minute neither moving. His face was red and blotchy, he kept drying his face but it wasn't working as he was still crying. Molly opened her mouth to ask again but Kyle cut her off "I'M GAY AND YOU STOLE THE PERSON THAT I LOVE!" he shouted before collapsing against the door and sliding down onto the floor.

- The Gang -

The ship still had two days until they arrived at their next stop, and the sun was beating down on them all as everyone lined up to say good bye to London. Zack and Woody were loading the last of her luggage onto the helicopter, whose pilot was shaking his head, obviously not sure that they would be able to take off with so much on board.

"Well I would give a speech about how much I'll miss you all but I probably won't so here's a hundred dollars each." she then reached into her purse and pulled put ten hundred dollar bills and handed one of to each person even Nia who had shown up just as London had mentioned giving them money. "Ok bye everyone. Oh wait" and she rushed back to wards bailey and hugged her to everyone surprise. "Ok I can go now." and with that she boarded the helicopter and waved as it started to rise off the ship.

Moseby was waving the most and was dabbing his eyes with his handkerchief, Bailey was upset as well at losing her roommate and best friend although still looked quite surprise at getting a hug. Woody was waving furiously for London to come back and Kyle was standing back away from the group as they waved her off. Molly turned back to face her brother who stared back impassively, let out a deep breath before walking towards the stairs.

Ok I will admit that the last part and Tabitha's part seem a bit rushed and I don't know why they were because I actually wrote them first. I split the 5 sections into blocks and wrote them I think it was Tabitha's ,The Group bits, The Twins and then finally Alison.

Another thing is Kyle, I didn't even realise I was hinting it until the last part. Although people had mentioned it I just played along with the joke I even mentioned it I the second episode and said ye that's why the character is acting strange. The original character outline I wrote for him was

Kyle West:-

Kyle is a good student who enjoys rock music, comics and soccer. He is really happy to be on board the ship as he wanted to spread his wings and be act more like an adult away from his parents. He normally has no problems making friends. This is in contrast to his sister who isn't sure about being on board and is very shy.

On board though the dynamic is switched and Kyle feels left out and left behind as his sister makes her own friends. He has a slight crush on bailey but feels intimidated by her so doesn't ask her out.

I kind of knew with this in mind when I started writing this episode(ye I'm still being pretentious) that I had to come up with a good excuse of why he had been acting jealous and I was just going to leave it at him being jealous because Cody was his friend first but I really wanted some more drama and tension so Kyle became gay. His crush on bailey was going to be addressed the next episode but because of what's happened I have had to adjust the plan I had for the next few chapters but I think the story will be better this way.

As always please read and review and I hope to see you back in a month for the next episode…

Later Days