A/N: Well, we've reached the end. Thanks a million to all my readers, and especially those of you who've taken the time to give me your opinions. Keep it up, and enjoy the last chapter!
Zack reached the Sky Deck, biting back a mischievous grin and schooling his features into a neutral expression. "Hey, Bailey." he whispered, seeing her already sitting in the shadows under the staircase. A full tub of water balloons was sitting next to her. Presumably, she had something better than a few popped balloons to sabotage his scheme tonight... whatever it was, Zack would just have to make sure to get her before she could get him.
"Hey." she whispered back, waving him over. "No sign of Cody yet, or the girl."
"Uh huh..." Zack said dryly, sitting beside her. They sat for a moment, looking up at the stars, before Zack said, "You know, my brother might have the right idea..."
"What do you mean?" Bailey asked idly, not really paying attention.
"Just that, with the moonlight, the water... At night, the Sky Deck really is pretty... romantic." Zack said, looking at her slyly. When she didn't respond right away, he shifted a little closer to her.
Bailey frowned and looked over at him, and he pretended to be watching the sky. "Uh, yeah, I guess..." she said slowly.
"It's just got me thinking..." Zack said softly, just as slowly. "You, uh, you look... really beautiful tonight, Bailey."
Bailey raised one eyebrow. "What are you talking about, Zack?" she asked warily. "Are... are you hitting on me?"
It was all Zack could do to stifle a smile at her wide-eyed expression. "I can't help it." he protested. "I can't hide the way I feel about you any longer." He slid one hand up her spine, bringing it to rest on her shoulder, and she jerked away slightly, reflexively.
"Zack..." she said in a warning tone. "Are you serious?" The look she gave him was two parts shocked, one part nauseous.
"Is this about Cody?" Zack questioned, struggling to keep a straight face. "Because he's already got a girl. He's moved on, Bailey, why shouldn't you?" She tried to subtly shrug his arm off her shoulder but he didn't move it. She was intensely uncomfortable now.
"Knock it off." she said, clearly uncertain what he was playing at.
"Forget Cody." he entreated.
She scooted backward, bumping the tub full of water balloons. "Zack? What are you-?"
"Bailey..." He leaned in, wrapping his other arm around her.
She looked positively flabbergasted, matching his forward movement by jerking her head back. "Zack, no, I-"
"Kiss me." Zack said, cutting her off. She froze like a deer in the headlights, and he moved their lips closer, and closer...
Then he yanked her into his arms and squeezed a balloon over her head. It broke, drenching her with cold water, and she shrieked, wet hair streaming into her face. "Zack!"
"Ha ha!" Zack laughed. "You thought I wouldn't figure it out! But who fooled who?" he crowed. At that moment another balloon sailed across the deck and broke on his chest, drenching him as well. While his attention was diverted, Bailey reached into the tub and grabbed another balloon, smashing it against the back of his neck and sending cold water running down his spine. "Whoa!"
Cody rose up from behind the hot tub, balloon raised to strike again. "Looks like we still got you." he grinned, his teeth shining white in the darkness.
He threw the balloon and hit the stair above Zack's head, causing water to trickle down on him, and Zack scrambled out from under the stairs as both Cody and Bailey continued the assault from both directions. "Hey! No fair!"
Cody laughed. "Serves you right for spying on me." Zack skirted around Bailey and grabbed an armful of balloons to defend himself, and soon they were in an all-out water war.
Finally there were no more balloons left, and the teens collapsed on the deck, laughing and dripping. "All right, you got me." Zack admitted. Cody and Bailey's teamwork had left him soaked from head to toe. He pointed at Bailey. "But I had you going there for a minute."
"You had me freaking out." Bailey agreed. She tucked herself under Cody's arm. "He tried to kiss me!" she complained.
"That better not happen again." Cody warned. He kissed a drop of water off the tip of Bailey's nose, then met her lips with his own.
"Yeah." Zack spoke up irritably. "By the way, when did this happen?"
"Senior ditch day." Cody answered. "While you and London and Woody were at that resort, we were in Bailey's room, writing a physics paper..."
"And then we weren't..." Bailey finished coyly, kissing Cody again.
"Yeesh." Zack made a face. "Fine. So you didn't tell anyone because...?"
Bailey shrugged, blushing. "It was just fun keeping it a secret like this. Dangerous, romantic, exciting... Like Romeo and Juliet. After being an established couple for so long, we wanted to shake things up a bit." She grinned at Zack. "Messing with you was just a bonus, Nosy."
Zack raised his eyebrows and looked to his brother, unimpressed. "Seriously, Codes?"
Cody just shrugged, brushing his nose against Bailey's in an Eskimo kiss. "Anything for my Juliet..."
Bailey gave a high-pitched giggle and Zack snorted. "Okay, Lameo and Loserette. So the jig's up, I found out. Now what?"
Bailey turned to Cody and pursed her lips sympathetically. "I know you didn't want it to come to this, sweetie, but we're going to have to kill him."
"All right." Cody sighed. "You get the rope, I'll get the cement blocks."
"Ha-ha." Zack said. "You guys are a regular Laurel and Hardy. Seriously."
"We figured we'd just let everyone find out when we showed up together at prom." Cody said, as Bailey rested her head on his shoulder. "But I guess it wouldn't kill us to tell everyone now."
"Yeah..." Bailey agreed. She nuzzled her lips into his neck. "I'm going to miss all the late-night rendezvous though."
"You're also going to miss all your after-school activities for the next week."
Gasping, the three teens whirled around at the sound of the stern voice. Mr. Moseby stood behind them, wearing his uniform jacket over his striped pajamas in an effort to look presentable. "Several passengers complained of hearing noises on the Sky Deck." he explained with annoyance. "Detention, all of you, for the next week. And if I catch any of you out of your rooms after curfew again, I'll... I'll..."
"Throw us in the brig?" Cody guessed hesitantly, wincing.
"Or were you thinking something more along the lines of the sewage flap?" Zack guessed, popping the 'p' in 'flap' as Mr. Moseby so often did.
"Guys!" Bailey hissed. "Shut up!"
Moseby just stared them down, looking livid.
"Did you know Cody and Bailey are back together?" Zack said brightly, and they both glared at him.
Mr. Moseby raised his eyebrows, his serious expression lifting. "Oh, is that so? Congratulations, you two. I'm very happy for you." His face darkened again, and he folded his arms. "I'll see you in detention."
"Hey Zack. I was thinking... wanna hang out after school?"
Zack looked up from his lunch tray, surprised, finding himself staring into Maya's warm, dark eyes. "I'd love to, but I can't." he said regretfully. It literally pained him to turn her down after all the time he'd invested in impressing her. "I have detention."
"Ah." Maya set down her tray and sat next to him, shoulder to shoulder in sympathetic solidarity. "I can only assume your brilliant prank went horribly awry?"
"Like you wouldn't believe." Zack nodded.
"Did you at least find out the identity of Cody's mystery date?" she asked.
Zack snorted. "Yes. Get this-"
Maya cut him off. "It was Bailey, wasn't it?" she asked excitedly.
Slack-jawed, he faced her. "How did you know?"
"I don't know." Maya answered thoughtfully. "Something in their eyes, I guess. They just didn't seem like they were really over each other."
"Did everyone see this coming but me? First London, now you..." Zack complained.
She only shrugged, a sparkle in her eye. "I guess we women just know these things."
"I see..." Zack leaned in, and she didn't move away. "And... do you know anything about me?" he said softly.
Her breath hitched audibly and the corners of her perfect mouth twitched upward. "Maybe..." she breathed, leaning in to him as well.
There was a clatter as a tray dropped onto the table in front of them and they sprang apart. Woody sat across from them, rubbing his hands together gleefully. "So I've been thinking about it, and I think I figured out who Cody's secret girlfriend is." he said, not seeming to notice Zack's frustrated expression, nor the blush staining Maya's cheeks. "You guys... I think it's Bailey."