-Sorry that I haven't done any updating or anything on my other story, but I went on vacation. And I sort of forgot how I was going to end Every Breath You Take. So I'm not going to write that one anymore. Dreadfully sorry (apple scrumping!). Instead, I'm writing this new fic. It's called Quadrophenia and it's going to be four songfics using songs from the album Quadrophenia by The Who. So here it goes! This chapter's song: The Real Me!-

Zack sat on his bed in his room, doing his homework. He didn't have that much, even though he was a junior in high school. But though he didn't have too much to do for math, what he did have to do was extremely hard, and he didn't get it at all. Zack wished that he could reach over to the phone and call Laurence.

But then again, Laurence would never help him. No one would help him. Everything had changed since high school had started. There were three private high schools in the district, Horace Green, Manning, and Roosevelt. Most of the band went to Horace Green High, while Alicia, Marta, Laurence, Billy, Eleni, and Michelle went to Roosevelt. And Zack went to Manning. He was the only member of the band there, and he kept to himself, hardly ever speaking.

To make matters worse, the three schools were highly competitive with each other. So all of Zack's best friends turned on him. He was no longer Zack, their friend, but a student from Manning. And really, that was all that mattered anymore. Band practices had become difficult and it was probable that the band would break up within the year.

So Zack couldn't call Laurence, or anyone else. He would just have to struggle to get his math work done before 6:30, because he had a doctor's appointment. At least, that's what his parents called it. He knew that it was just another shrink. And yeah, he'd been having some problems lately because of the situation with the band, but he could deal with it himself! And besides, that doctor didn't care about him, he just cared about money. So what was the point? The doctor would listen to Zack ranting all night and would probably never even catch what his name was.

Can you see the real me?
Can ya?
Can ya?

Eventually Zack understood his homework, and he finished it right about the time that his mother called him down to go to the doctor. He hopped in the car with her and awaited what was surely to be his doom. And another shrink too. He had to keep getting new ones because no one wanted to see him twice.

I went back to the doctor
To get another shrink
I sit and tell him bout my weekend
But he never betrays what he thinks

The shrink hadn't said anything the whole time, not even, "And how do you feel about that?". Zack knew that the doctor probably hadn't been listening for half the time. That doctor didn't know him, didn't know anything about him. Even though Zack had spent the last two hours with him. Now Zack sat on the curb outside the office, waiting for his dad to pick him up.

Can you see the real me, Doctor?
Doctor?
Can you see the real me, Doctor?
Woah, Doctor!

When his dad got there, he hopped in the car, but didn't say anything. He didn't enjoy discussing his trips to the doctor. Unfortunately, his father wouldn't tolerate silence.

"So, how was it?"

"Okay."

"Do we need to schedule another appointment?"

"It's never going to get any better."

Mr. Mooneyham appeared a bit baffled by his son's words and the rest of the trip home was silent. When they reached the Mooneyham residence, Zack tried to run straight up to his room, but his mother wasn't going to let him get away so easily. She was obviously smashed and was speaking with a British accent, which she often did when she was drunk.

"Hey Zack!" she yelled, "How'd it go?" "I'm officially crazy," Zack replied. "Me too," said Mrs. Mooneyham, "It must run in the family." Zack shook his head and ran upstairs. The farther away from her when she was drunk, the better. Ever since her alcohol problem had started, she'd had no time for Zack. She really didn't care. She probably wouldn't have been able to tell him what school he went to, even if she was sober.

I went back to my mother
I said "I'm crazy ma, help me"
She said "I know how it feels son
Cause it runs in the family"
Can you see the real me, Mama?
Mama?
Can you see the real me, Mama?
Woah, Mama!

Zack went to bed early because he had nothing else to do. He couldn't wait for tomorrow, because tomorrow he had band practice. It was his only extracurricular activity. And although his parents didn't really approve of it, they wanted him to do something. But band practice didn't just mean something to do, it also meant Katie. Katie. Zack remembered how he had liked her since seventh grade, and he was pretty sure by eighth grade that she liked him too. So he had gotten up the nerve to ask her out. Only one thing had gone wrong: high school. She had said no because she would be going to a different school. He hadn't understood it then, but he understood it now.

He still loved her, but he didn't. It was a strange feeling that he simply couldn't explain. So he hardly spoke to her ever. Not that she wanted to speak to him now.

The next day, Zack got up and started walking to school. He didn't have a car, but the walk wasn't that long. He could feel eyes on him. He saw his old best friend Freddy's car whiz by, and knew that Katie was probably in there with Freddy. And that they were also probably laughing at him. Zack walked past Katie's yellow house and stared at it longingly for about a second, then continued walking. He remembered the incident yesterday when he had been walking home from school and she had been getting the mail.

She turned her nose up and acted like he didn't exist; she didn't want to know him anymore.

The cracks between the paving stones
Look like rivers of flowing veins
Strange people who know me
Peeping from behind every window pane
The girl I used to love
Lives in this yellow house
Yesterday she passed me by
She doesn't wanna know me now

In fact, no one really wanted to know him. Not his parents, not his band mates. Except for Dewey. Dewey was always there for him. But probably not for much longer. The tensions in the band were high, and Zack knew that School of Rock could only survive for a few more months. And then he would have no one. Nobody would even care if he died.

Can you see the real me?
Can ya?
Can ya?
Can you see the real me?
Can ya?
Whoa, yeah!

The day passed by normally, with Zack not saying a single word and eating by himself. When school ended, he checked his watch. He had thirty minutes till band practice started. The only thing he could really do was go to church and confess his sins. So he did.

The preacher appeared a bit appalled when Zack walked into the sanctuary wearing faded jeans, Converse sneakers, and a shirt that said: If Led Zeppelin ruled the world, only then would I be happy. But Zack was not thrown off in the least. He confessed his sins and felt cleansed. Then he headed to Dewey's apartment for practice.

I ended up with a preacher
Full of lies and hate

I seemed to scare him a little
So he showed me to the golden gate
Can you see the real me, preacher?
Preacher?
Can you see the real me, preacher?
Preacher?

Zack went to practice and played his guitar as best he could without saying a word. Then he walked home, and realized that no one really knew him. None knew the real Zack.

Can you see
Can you see
Can you see
Woah
Can you see the real me, Doctor?
Can you see the real me, Ma?
Can you see the real me?

-So was it really good? Or excruciatingly bad? I wanna know, so please review!!!-