Haley Dailey [Suite Life]

Chapter 2 - Chatting on the Sky Deck

Haley made it up to the Sky Deck after calling her parents. After she told them about how she settled in and started her first day of classes, she told them about Bailey and the group, but she didn't mention her new crush on Zack. She never liked a guy instantly like that before. Usually after a day or two at a new school, she started liking a guy... but this happened instantly on her first day and when she first looked at him. Was it love at first sight? Or maybe it would be called "crush" at first sight. Yeah, that was more accurate.

She walked onto the Sky Deck and saw a bustle of people near the pool and at what looked like a smoothie counter since the guy in a lime-green shirt there was using a blender, and there were fruits everywhere. He turned and her heart jumped. It was Zack! He worked at the smoothie counter? She stared at him as he served some people there, giving them a really attractive smile. She felt heat enter her cheeks at the sight.

"Hey, Haley."

She jumped a little and turned to see Cody standing behind the counter, wearing a white polo shirt with a blue and green stripe across the chest. "Oh, hi." He was folding a red towel and handed it to a passing man. There were other towels stacked on the counter, freshly folded. "You work the towel counter?"

"Yeah... it's something to do for some extra pay. Zack and I actually have to work to pay for our meals since Zack maxed out both of our school cards last year."

"Oh my gosh."

"Yeah, but that's my brother for ya."

She sensed that Zack may be on the reckless side. "So, you guys are twins, right?"

"Yeah, we are. We used to look more alike when we were younger, now we just look similar like normal siblings."

"Which of you is older? Just curious."

"Zack is, by ten minutes, and he never lets me forget it." Haley smiled, liking the fact that Zack was the older twin for some reason. "So, how was your first day?"

She nodded. "It was good."

"That's good. The first day can be rough."

She knew that all too well, considering how many first days she's had at new schools, but she wouldn't say that just yet.

"Bailey told me about how you traveled everywhere with your parents, but you grew up in Boston," Cody said as he folded another towel.

"Yeah, that's right."

"Have you been by the Tipton Hotel while living there?"

"I passed it a few times on the bus but have never been in it. Why?"

"Zack and I lived there while our mom worked there."

Her mouth opened in surprise. "You lived at the Tipton? But it's a hotel."

"Yeah. The thing is, our mom was a singer there. We moved there when we were twelve and lived there until we were fifteen, then Mom put us in Seven Seas High so we could see the world."

She found herself extremely jealous of Cody and Zack. She would have given her right foot to stay a night at The Tipton. "That's really neat."

"Yeah, it is."

"Cody, could I have a word with you for a moment?"

They both turned and found Mr. Moseby standing there. Haley heard about him from her classmates. Well, she listened to conversations, not actually talked to said classmates since she kept to herself. The small man sounded pretty intimidating. She took a step away from him.

"Coming," Cody said, then to her, "Excuse me."

He left, and she thought for a second. She was shy, but she was not shy around Cody. He was comfortable to be around, like a brother. Haley didn't have a brother, or any siblings, so this was nice. She looked off at Zack at the smoothie counter. Her heart pounding, and mustering her courage, she boldly went over there and sat down at the counter when he had his head turned. She touched her hair and felt the frizz. Nothing she could do there. She felt her face and felt all the bumps of her acne. Nothing she could do there, either.

This was a bad idea. Maybe she should just head back to her room. She about left when Zack turned around and handed a young man a yellow smoothie, then looked at her. "Hi, what can I get ya?" He paused and pointed at her. "Hey, you're the new girl."

Of course he wouldn't remember her name. Why would he have? "Hi, again, Zack. It's pretty cool that you work at the smoothie counter."

"Not as cool as you think."

Someone got his attention and asked for a Berry Whirl smoothie. He got to work and had his back turned as three really pretty girls approached the counter. A couple of them commented on how cute the guy was—the guy, meaning Zack. They weren't wrong. They looked over at Haley.

"Hey, could you move over so me and my friends can sit next to each other?" one of them, a blonde, asked Haley.

"You're sitting there, then, Ashley, because I'm not going to sit in the same seat as her," said another, a brunette, her nose twerked. "I don't want to catch whatever did that horrible thing to her face and hair."

The girls laughed, and the first one said to Haley, "Nevermind. I'm not in the mood for a smoothie anymore."

Haley's chest pricked, and she felt tears sting her eyes. She noticed Zack turn and look at her, his brows creased. She kept her head down, ashamed of her appearance around a guy who she just started to like. Her face heating up in embarrassment, and she could feel it in every acne pore, she hopped off the stool and left the counter.

~ ~ ~

Man, those chicks were harsh.

Zack watched as Haley ran off the Sky Deck and out of sight, her eyes bloodshot. He heard what those girls said to her, and honestly, he felt badly for her. He could see why they said those things—her face was full of acne, some of it just bumps, some of it white-heads, and some of it red—but those girls didn't need to say it all out loud to her face.

"Hey, what's wrong with Haley?" Cody asked as he came up to the counter. "I saw her run away. You didn't say anything mean to her, did you?"

Zack handed a customer the smoothie he just made and gave his brother a look. Cody knew his twin all too well. "No, some girls insulted her, like this girl said she didn't want to sit in the same seat as her because she didn't want to catch what horrible thing that made Haley's face and hair the way they are."

Cody's brows pushed together. "What? They said that when she was right there?"

"Yeah, but I can see where they're coming from. I mean that hair and her face..." Cody frowned at him. "Well, everyone can see it,'' he defended. "The only part of her face that isn't covered in zits is her eyes and mouth."

"I know, but it still doesn't make it okay to say, Zack."

"Yeah, I know. But still."

Cody leaned against the counter, one arm resting on it. "I think Haley's pretty nice, and Bailey likes her, too. She told me that she wants to be friends with her."

Zack started getting oranges and bananas together to make a smoothie for a guy maybe ten years older than Zack. He liked this job and was good at it. It was probably the only thing he was good at besides failing school, playing video games and eating. "Why, because she's been through corn country?"

"That's one reason. She's pretty smart. She got an A on that in-class assignment in chemistry."

Of course Cody would like Haley because she was smart. They could relate to each other. "We had an in-class assignment in chemistry?"

Cody shook his head at his brother's dim-wittedness. "Anyway, I like her, too. She's nice."

"Don't let Bailey hear that."

Cody knew what Zack was meaning. "That's not what I meant. I meant that I want to be her friend, too. Her, Bailey and I can form a study group."

"You guys go ahead and form a nerd-group. Leave me out of it."

Cody smiled. "I'll go tell Bailey as soon as my shift's over."

He left, and Zack shook his head at his education-excited brother. If Cody wasn't dating Bailey, him and Haley would be a good match. Cody dated ugly girls before, like that Urma. Zack shivered at her memory.

"Yeah, forget that," he said to himself and got back to work. He couldn't help but think about Haley running away in tears. Just how often did she get made fun of? With her appearance, probably a lot. Why did that bug him?