.:Chapter 05:.

Stolen Position

"Hey Zack!"

Zack looked away from his locker and smiled over at Bailey, who practically skipped up to him. Giving a small smile, he backed up and closed the door before turning to her. All of a sudden, there was a brilliant flash and he stumbled back against the locker bay, blinking rapidly. Bailey giggled, lowering the camera that was dangling around her neck. "Hey Bailey," Zack said. He waved a hand in front of his face. Dots swirled around and he wasn't entirely sure which way was 'up' anymore. "Sports journalist this season?"

"Yep!" Bailey's smile of pride widened, accompanied with another light giggle.

Zack smiled as he watched her. When he first met her, he wondered how she was going to be able to survive in Boston. She was the stereotypical country girl from the way she dressed, to the way she acted, to the way she talked. Her gung-ho attitude and extremely friendly demeanor had managed to put off a few of their classmates, however, that was the norm when you were fourteen years old. You wanted to stay with what was popular rather than get to know someone that was different. Zack could admit that he was very judgmental of her at first, making fun of the way she talked and her home of Kettlecorn. But after prodding from Cody and Tapeworm, he found that she was a nice person that was just a bit homesick. The Pickett family's farm had gone downhill, so much so that they were on the brink of bankruptcy. If it wasn't for Mr. Pickett finding a job in Boston that paid in advance, who knew where the Picketts would have ended up?

After having met Zack, Cody, and all of their friends, she quickly got used to living in the city and how things worked in Boston. Though her accent faded a little and her clothes became trendier-all due to the put downs from London Tipton whenever she would go with the boys to the Tipton hotel-the rest of their friends helped her out with different aspects of life in Boston. She managed to become relatively normal and got around school unscathed-having no bad run-ins with the Drew Crew-but still had her bubbly and 'go team' personality. If it wasn't for the fact that she could be as smart as Cody and ramble about things that Zack could care less about, he would have considered dating her at some point. Sure, she had a tendency to be too on the 'straight and narrow' and had her homework done months in advance, she was a good friend to him. Sometimes, he wondered how she was able to put up with his antics.

Then again, I'm surprised anyone at the Tipton can and they still live there, Zack thought with a smile.

"I get to take pictures out of all of the games and events and stuff for the winter season. Even the winter carnival and the dance!" She turned the camera around so Zack could see everything that she had taken so far. "So far I've got the middle school teams…" she pointed at the screen. "Sydney and Aaron made sure to get in the middle of the picture."

"Wait." Zack held up a hand. "If Sydney is taking some high school classes and they're both being home schooled by Christian, how are they able to be on the middle school swim team?"

Bailey shrugged. "Long story apparently," she said. "I tried asking about it, but never got a complete answer." She shook her head. "It's good to let them act like kids in some ways, you know?" She brushed her hair over her shoulder. "I heard somewhere that the direct correlation between letting kids act like kids and-"

"Please, Bailey," Zack said. He shoved his hands into the front pocket of his sweatshirt. "I have to pretend to listen to Cody go on and on about his crap every morning, I don't need to pretend to listen to you too."

"You hush up!" Bailey shoved Zack's shoulder, though she was laughing as well. The two looked up as the bell rang, signaling time for lunch. The hallways suddenly came alive with students going to their lockers to grab their books, to put stuff away. Talking, shouting, and laughter filled the hallway along with the mixing scents of perfume and cologne. "Someday you're going to wish that you listened to what we had to say."

"Yeah, but someday isn't today," Zack teased. He motioned towards her camera. "What else did you want to show me?"

"Right." Bailey moved the camera back over to him. "I got the middle school teams." She scrolled over to the next picture. "And I have the dance team-"

"Nice!" Zack grinned, leaning closer to the camera to get a good look at the photo. His blue eyes roamed over the faces that grinned back at him. A twinge of guilt rocked his guts for a moment, recognizing the ones that he had been turned down by, those that he had gone out with once, ones he had flirted with, and a few that he had slept with. You don't need to feel guilty about it anymore; you and Max weren't together then. You could do what you wanted.

Bailey, not knowing Zack's inner struggle, continued. "And I have the swim teams, and the girls' basketball team, and now all I need is the boys' basketball team." She lowered the camera. "And I'm going to take that picture after your guys' scrimmage today." She reached out and poked him on the cheek. "So you better smile pretty after the game is over today."

"Definitely!" Zack agreed. He gave a confident smile as they entered the cafeteria. "Once we win, I'll be sure to give you a good picture." He and Bailey laughed as they went over to stand in line. They went through the food line, paid at the register, then walked across the cafeteria towards the table that they routinely sat at with their friends.

It was centered in the middle of the cafeteria, closest to the ice cream freezer, but far enough away from the bathroom so that they didn't have to hear what went on behind those doors. In the winter it was a good place to get the best heat as well as cold air during the warmer months. It was far enough away from the table that the Drew Crew commandeered that they didn't have to worry too much about any possible run-ins with them. It was of the only tables in the cafeteria that was long enough to fit everyone there. Zack slid into the empty seat next to Rhuben at the end of the table, across from his brother, Max, and Riley. The others were dispersed around the table, though Tapeworm, at the other end, opted to sit on the table top with his feet in the chair. It was too cold for them to sit outside anymore, the quickly coming winter having chased them inside.

"I hope you didn't go with the chicken pot pie," Rhuben said as Zack picked up his fork and started to prod at the mush on his plate. "It's severely overcooked." Her nose wrinkled as Zack started to inspect it. "Not even Patrick would eat it."

"And that's saying something," Patrick said. He was eye level with his plate, staring hard at the food. "I'm pretty sure I saw it move too." Beside him, Noah laughed quietly, already through with half of his lunch. If the bad cooking bothered him, he wasn't making a big deal about it.

"Why aren't you sitting with all of the other freshmen?" Bailey divided her food amongst her plate into neat piles before starting to gather vegetables on her fork.

"Something about there being an influx of cologne and perfume," Crystal said. She rested her chin in her hand and smirked at her younger cousins. "I said that they should have stayed sitting over there, it would probably give them some ideas." Patrick snorted and Noah looked offended. "Sorry, No, I know that you're the one that's very conscious of his hygiene."

"You got that right," Riley said. She stuck her tongue out at Patrick as he made a face, though didn't look offended at the jab. She turned her attention back to Zack and Bailey. "So why were you guys so late? You almost missed the moderately good food here, yeah?"

Zack smiled at the instance of her Australian accent. Having been born and raised in Australia before moving to Boston, the Jacksons constantly sprinkled their speech with slang as well as different inflections on their words. Having spent the last five years in the US, their accent started to fade a little bit so it seemed like it was a mixture of American and Australian at the same time. He noticed that they typically stuck to a heavy Australian accent when they were about to go back to visit their brother, they just got back from visiting their brother, if they became very excited, or if they were angry.

Riley continued, "And God knows Zack would never miss a meal."

"Bailey was just showing me the pictures that she's taken of the sports teams so far," Zack explained. He took a mouthful of green peas. They were slimy, cold, and almost as hard as rocks. He grimaced, trying not to open his mouth and dribble it all back onto his plate. Not only for the disapproving look that he knew that Cody would probably send his way, but because of the fact he didn't want to have to see it twice. It would only ruin his appetite even more.

How to get in shape: simply stop eating.

As soon as the thought entered his mind, he shook his head, clearing it away again. He looked up as Max started speaking. He had never seen her look so excited before, not even when she had been named co-captain of the girls' basketball team when she was only a freshman. At Cheevers high, being named captain of a sports team was just as important as being named Prom King and Queen. (Zack was proud to know that he had been named Prom Prince for the past two years and now that he was in the running for King, being a junior, he was sure that he was going to win that title as well).

"I know it's only a scrimmage but wait until you see these guys play," Max said. She smiled at Cody before beaming at Tapeworm, her best friend even before Zack and Cody had moved to Boston. "I swear they're going to blow your socks off."

"I might not be able to see it," Rhuben apologized. She motioned between herself and Riley. "Got swim practice." She leaned over and handed Bailey a smaller digital camera. "Make sure to take lots of pictures for me." She sat back in her seat and grinned at Cody. "I especially want to see how his constant reassurance from when we were twelve that he would reach his potential."

"Hey, I made a promise and I plan to keep it." Cody shrugged modestly. He held out his hand.

Rhuben rolled her eyes, chuckled, and then slapped her palm against his. The two closed their hands in a tight grasp, listed their arms up as if they were going to partake in arm wrestling, and then bumped fists. "I know you can do it, Codes."

"Thanks." Cody smiled, a faint blush appearing on his cheeks.

"I know you can do it too," Zack agreed. "Enough so that we can be sure that you won't screw it up for the rest of us."

"I don't know, Zack," Tapeworm said mysteriously. He held a hot dog in his hands, how he was able to constantly get them when it was usually only available on Fridays his friends didn't know. "We might surprise you more than you think. Don't count your chickens before they hatch."

"Yeah!" Max shot her boyfriend a look. Raising her eyebrow, she seemed to silently be challenging him. "You haven't seen them play yet, don't put your money where your mouth is."

"First…" Zack held up a finger. "I wouldn't put my money where my mouth is because as everyone knows, it's better to invest it. And if I'm going to become the CEO of a major company and make millions of dollars, I'm not going to waste it."

Cody perked up. "So you actually listened to me when I was giving that lecture on-"

"Yeah, yeah, yeah." Zack waved off his brother. Cody's shoulders slumped and he glared at his brother through narrowed eyes though used to his antics at this point. "And two, no matter how much they practice, they're not going to be better than me. It's physically impossible."

"Actually, considering your guys genes, it's quite possible," Crystal said.

"Especially considering that you both have the capacity to be as smart as Cody is," Noah added. He looked over at Patrick, who was now using the round end of his fork to poke at his food. "Though, unfortunately, that doesn't seem to work with every set of siblings out there."

Patrick shrugged as everyone laughed.

"I'm just saying that you could be surprised," Max said.

"And I'm just saying, I doubt it," Zack replied. He took another bite of his peas and gagged, spitting it back onto his place. He was definitely not surprised about how bad that was.

"Martin! On the bench!"

Zack grabbed the bottom of his jersey to mop the sweat off his face. He looked over his shoulder at Cody, expecting to see him trotting off to sit on the bench. However, Coach Carpenter was motioning for him to leave the court. Zack lightly shook his head, glancing at the scoreboard, before doing as he was told.

"Good job, Martin!" Coach Carpenter slapped Zack on the shoulder. "Nice, aggressive playing out there!"

"Thanks, Coach!" Zack replied.

Nothing could rival the smile on his face as he sat down on the bench. He glanced at the scoreboard once more. It wasn't even a particularly close game; the other team wasn't that great. But it was a scrimmage so it didn't count against their overall ranking for the season. He and Cody had gotten most of the baskets and even Tapeworm had a few assists from time to time. Zack would never admit it, but he actually was surprised and proud that his brother was playing so well. He had gone from a kid that was so uncoordinated that he had to wear pads almost every time he walked out the front door.

Now he and Tapeworm, whom had dubbed themselves the Science Dudes when they were at that math camp, were actually doing a good job. Zack dropped down onto the bench and looked over the bleachers. As it was a scrimmage, there weren't many people in the stands, but he found Christian Manning, Crystal, Aaron, Sydney, and Max all sitting at the top of the bleachers, watching intently and cheering whenever the time was right. Bailey was kneeling at the corner of the court, holding a camera up to her eye. Zack looked away from her when he noticed that she was training the camera to focus on him.

"Ball! Ball! Ball!"

Cody held his hands above his head as he made the call, showing that he was open for a pass. Tapeworm, who had the ball, nodded and dribbled around an opponent before bounce passing the ball over to Cody. Cody grabbed it, pivoted on his right foot and took a shot, easily sinking the ball into the basket. Cody grinned and pumped the air with his fist as those that were in the stands clapped and cheered. He and Tapeworm high-fived before going back to their positions, waiting for the ball to be put in place once more.

Zack clapped along with the rest of the team that sat on the bench, watching intently. The Cheevers High players raced back and forth across the court as the game went on, but it was clear that they were going to be the victors of the game.

The game ended with the Cheevers team to an overwhelming landslide. The team came together to hear the coach's final opinions on what the positions were going to be. Zack, Cody, and Tapeworm stood with the rest of the juniors and seniors, waiting to hear what positions they had. Patrick, Noah, and the rest of the freshmen and sophomores weren't as worried, knowing that they were going to be used as substitutes and replacements when the time came.

Coach Carpenter poured over his clipboard for a few moments, flipping sheets of paper over and over again, back and forth, looking over his notes. Zack ran a hand through his hair and glanced up at the stands once more. This time, Riley and Rhuben had joined their friends, their hair still wet from their swim practice. When they saw Zack looking at them, they all waved enthusiastically. He smiled and waved back, only turning his attention back when he heard the coach clear his throat.

"Congratulations Martin," Coach Carpenter said. Lowering his clipboard, he eyed Cody as a grin worked its way on his face. Zack licked his lips, looking down at his feet, already knowing the words that were going to come out of his mouth. "You're our new point guard." He started to point around to the other players. "Small forward," he said to Tapeworm. "Power forward," he said to Zack and listed off the rest of the team members' positions.

"Congrats, dude!" Tapeworm reached over and gave Cody a high-five.

"Thanks!" Cody returned the high-five, grinning as he held onto the basketball against his stomach. His hands were shaking and Zack could see him constantly removing a hand to wipe it on the side of his shorts. "I knew all of the extra practice would pay off. And my vast knowledge of geometry, angles, and anticipating where the opposing team was going to be at the right time would all pay off."

"Yeah, who knew that being a dork would actually help you in the real world," Zack shot back sarcastically. Shaking his head, he turned away from his brother, wiping sweat off of his forehead. Frustrated was not the word that would even begin to describe how he was feeling. It was only a scrimmage game and he already knew that the rest of the season was only going to go downhill.

Zack walked over to his place on the bench and grabbed his gym bag. Shoving his hand inside, he searched for his cell phone. Finding his towel first, he draped it over his head. He found his phone and pulled it out, bringing up the search browser. Zack briefly glanced over his shoulder at Cody, Tapeworm and the rest of the team as they continued to talk and laugh with each other. Frowning, he turned back to his phone, looking at the most recent searches that he had gone through.

He risked one more glance at his brother.

If Cody can do some extra work to get better at this game…then so can I…

A/N: Not sure if I had Bailey in character, so let me really scares me sometimes how owlhero knows what I'm going to do before I even do it. The story plot officially starts here. Chapters get longer with the next one, and beginning there you'll see more of the Tipton employees as well as the other characters of the story as it goes on.

You didn't see the entirety of the basketball game because I'm not great at writing them, but you'll see others as the story goes on.

I hope you guys liked the chapter.

Cheers,

-Riles