Disclaimer: School of Rock and its characters do not belong to me. Neither do any pop culture references I may choose to include.

Author's Notes: First of all, I lied. I couldn't stay away from writing this week, even if I am going to be very busy do to my play, so I'm going to start posting the third in the Watch Me Bleed Series. Obviously, this one will take place after the second, which was Strange and Beautiful. Keep in mind that updates may not be as frequent this week but after the play, which stops Saturday, I'll be able to revert to my old schedule.

Ch1

Summer picked up the phone sitting at the computer, not looking away from her many chats. "Hello?" She hoped it was Zack. Between her more recent, bigger friendship with the band, trips to a psychiatrist, which she took to after the incident with Garrett, and the band preparing for their Today Show performance that summer, she rarely was getting a chance to see Zack, and if she did the talk was rarely outside of academics or a band discussion.

"Hey Mermer."

"Nice to hear your voice Z." Summer leaned back, ignoring flashing messages.

"How are you?" Zack wanted to know.

"I'm good. Been kind of busy lately."

"That's the word on the street. Anything new happen that I don't know about?"

"Dad's left Beijing to go to Berlin."

"Exciting."

"What about you?"

"Nothing much. Been pretty bored."

"Yeah." The two sat in silence. "We're pretty boring aren't we?"

"It sure seems like it at this point. But that's not what I called for."

"And what did you call for? If it's more check ups on the band, I'm talking to Freddy on AIM, you could've just gone through him."

"It has nothing to do with band."

"It doesn't? Because I am so sick of questions about the Today Show. Do they really think I know if the viewing audience is going to find purple streaks in their hair socially acceptable?"

Zack laughed. "They assume you've received a list of everything they should or should not wear."

"I'm not that informed. Anyway, back to the reason you called."

"Yeah, well, Katie's little sister Danielle desperately needs some new sneakers. Hers have holes in the toes due to all the activity she does. But her mom and dad have a conference thing to go to, and Katie and Freddy are going on a date. Mrs. Brown asked me if I would take her and she would drop me off with Dani on Saturday and pick us up about three hours later, hoping that Dani would have found a sufficient pair of sneakers in that time, her being so picky. She also suggested that you come with me, for, you know, girl things."

"Girl things?"

"You know what I mean."

"Your point?"

"Do you want to come?"

"I, uh, I don't know."

"I really want to see you."

"I really want to see you too. It's just..."

"It's just what?"

"I'm not sure that I can handle it."

"Summer, shopping for sneakers isn't exactly brain surgery, and last time I checked, you were pretty prepared to handle that."

"I didn't mean that Zack."

"Well, what did you mean? I can't read minds. That capability has still escaped me."

"Zack, I just don't feel like I should do it OK? I'm sorry. I have to go, Thorngood's lab report is due tomorrow."

Zack sighed. "OK, I'll talk to you tomorrow. Love you."

"Love you too." Summer hung up the phone and turned back to the computer, putting an away message up, ignoring anything people might have been telling her.

§ § §

Freddy approached Summer as she came onto the schools grounds early the next morning. "What was up with you last night?"

"What do you mean?" She never stopped walking towards the classroom.

"I mean ignoring the conversation and suddenly going away without warning. And Zack said you were acting weird."

"Oh, that."

"Yeah, that. What was that all about?"

"It's nothing. Really. I just got distracted with the lab report. I had over a page left." Summer yawned and sat down at her seat, closing her eyes and leaning forward, head in hands.

"Hey are you OK?"

"Just tired. I couldn't get to sleep last night."

"Maybe if you tried sleeping in your bed instead of on the couch."

"You know I'm not ready for that Freddy."

"Well, what about the bed in your dad's room? Because I seriously think it would be better for you if you slept in a bed Summer. No offense but you haven't been doing your best lately."

"I can't go in there."

"Why not? It's not like he's using it."

"Look, I just can't go into that room. I know I've been a bit off lately. It would help if people would stop trying to figure out what's wrong and let me worry about my problems."

"That's not what friends do."

"Well it's what I want them to do. Look, tell Dewey I'll be late. I have an appointment with Dr. Phillips after school."

"I thought you only saw him on Mondays and Wednesdays."

"Just tell Dewey why I'm late, OK?"

"I will."

§ § §

Summer's eyes darted back and forth between Dr. Phillips, who sat in his normal chair across from her, to the picture on the wall, of a young girl being held by her mother. She sat on her chair indian style, fingers fidgeting around with each other. "Summer, why did you schedule this appointment?" Dr. Phillips asked.

Summer looked up. "I'm worried."

"About what?"

"I'm not making any progress."

"Progress takes time."

"I still can't fall asleep without the lights on."

"Everyone has a different rate that they get over things. Summer, it will just take some time. Have you thought about having a friend over?"

"I have friends over all the time."

"I mean to sleep over. Maybe with a friend, you could try with the lights off, or with the lights on, but in your room."

"I don't know if I want to try that." Summer looked back to the picture. "I don't know if I want them to find out the extent of why I see you."

"That's understandable, but I'd like you to think about it." Dr. Phillips paused. "You keep looking to my new picture. Do you like it, or is there something else bothering you?"

"Zack wants me to go shopping with him on Saturday. He's taking Katie's little sister to get sneakers because their family is really busy."

"And you don't want to go?"

"No, I'd love to go, I'm just, afraid to."

"What are you afraid of?"

"That if she misbehaves, I'll get angry, and do what my mother did to me. If I were to do that, I couldn't live with myself."

"Well, you could just not go."

"Aren't you supposed to try and convince me to go?"

"You didn't let me finish. Like I said, you could just not go. But do you think you'll be able to avoid children your whole life?"

"So you're saying I should try it."

"Yes I am. I want you to try it, and if you start feeling upset, I want you to run the exercises I gave you. If they don't work, Zack is going to be with you, he'll help you."

"And I'm guessing, this is one of those things, I don't have a choice in."

Dr. Phillips began jotting something on a pad of paper, then tore the paper off. "It's your prescription."

There is chapter one. I hope it's not too dull or anything, but I had to set the ball rolling. Let me know what you think.