A/N: I am an awful person. Not updating in over a year? Not saying anything about a hiatus? Just leaving you guys hanging? I feel so incredibly guilty. Please believe me when I say that I'm truly sorry. I told myself that I wouldn't let the show's cancellation affect my dedication to these stories. I just… I stopped feeling it. I stopped feeling a connection. I found myself scrolling through this archive, though, and I saw that there are still many Rockers who are reading and supporting.

I can't promise quick updates like in the past, but to my original readers… If you're still out there, please know that I really miss you. And I miss How to Rock. And I miss the insanely sweet reviews I'd get after posting a chapter. So… this is a test run. If you guys are still reading, I'd love to continue. If not… well, we'll see.

Even though Friends is only three chapters so far, if you don't feel like rereading it all [totally understandable], here's a recap – After Stevie Baskara gets into yet another fight at school, her parents send her off to live with her brother Chris in New York. From the moment she arrives at Brewster High, she receives a hard time for being new and different. She meets Kacey Simon, a fellow outsider. Stevie learns of the cliques of the school, including: The Band Geeks, with a percussionist named Kevin Reed who just wants to play drums rather than live by sheet music, The Nerds, with Nelson Baxter who is just a gamer with good grades, and the Perfs, with Queen Bee Molly Garfunkel who targets Stevie immediately, the sweet Grace King who is best friends with Molly, and Zander Robbins, a charming yet kind soccer player that works at Stevie's brother's auto repair shop. Stevie sees that he is not the typical jock, proven when he defends Nelson against fellow male members of the Perfs. So far, Stevie has befriended Kacey, Nelson, and Zander, who has stated that he already really likes her.

That's basically it so far. I apologize if my writing skills are rusty, but I hope you enjoy!

I do not own How to Rock.

[Stevie]

Third period: Chemistry. On the bright side, I have that class with Kacey. On the down side, Molly and Grace are in it, too. On another good note, Mrs. Cline just sent us out on a scavenger hunt around the school for our first class.

As soon as we step out of the Chem. Lab, Kacey asks, "Where do we go first?"

I think for a second before replying, "How 'bout you look for the first five items by the cafeteria, and I'll look for the last five items around here?"

Kacey, obviously excited about this, exclaims, "Sure! Meet up by the band hall in 20 minutes?"

I nod and take a picture of the scavenger hunt paper in her hands before strolling down the hallway. Band hall? Hmm.. Might as well check out what Chris calls, "New York's best marching band." I follow the signs hanging from the ceiling. With a few turns, I eventually find myself down the hall from two large doors covered in music notes. In front of the entrance, though, are some of the band students that I saw this morning.

Two girls, who I recognize as flute players, are standing to the side, showcasing furious expressions. A boy holding a trombone case is beside them, an expression on his face practically shouting that he doesn't care about whatever's happening. A guy holding a saxophone case and a girl with her arms crossed are standing against the opposite wall of the others. In the center is a guy, a trumpet player, if I'm right, and Kevin, the percussionist Kacey talked to me about. He stays frozen, carrying a maroon tray with several styrofoam cups on top. I move to the side and hide behind a set of lockers to watch the scene.

The trumpet player, with his eyes practically exploding out of his head, yells, "Kevin, you're an idiot! We told you to put the water in our special bottles! These cups will spill, and they're too small!" (A/N: Don't hate me. This is such a stupid reason. I'm in band, and believe me, I know how dumb this "problem" sounds.)

He holds his trumpet case up and continuously jerks it in Kevin's direction, causing the taller boy to take a few steps back. After four steps, Kevin trips on a clarinet case behind him. He falls backwards, causing all the cups of water to spill on him. The girl standing with the saxophone player runs to the center, screaming, "Idiot! You got my case all wet!"

She angrily picks up her case and storms through the two large doors leading to the band hall. The trombone player follows a few seconds later, then the two flute players.

The saxophone player takes a step forward and says, "Hey, Eddie. He already said sorry. Come on, let's go. Mr. Maury is going to stuff both of us in a tuba if we're not on the field soon."

The trumpet player, who I assume is Eddie, glares at Kevin and hisses, "You're so going to move down a band, drummer boy."

The two then walk through the wooden doors, leaving Kevin sitting on the ground, soaked in water with cups all around him. Kevin throws the tray across the hall, then puts his head in his hands. I wait three seconds before stepping out from the lockers and walking over to him. When I reach where he's sitting, he notices my boots and looks up.

"Stevie, right? Listen, you seem like a really cool person. Talking to a geek like me would ruin your chance here, so run while you can."

I shrug and respond, "It's my first day, and people already me. I'd say that my reputation is pretty far down the drain, so come on. I'll help you clean up."

Kevin, obviously taken aback by what I said, raises his eyebrows. "You want to help me?"

My lips form a small smile before I reply, "Yeah, of course. Do you have any clothes you can change into?"

He nods and answers, "In my locker. Most of the kids in this school learn to have an extra pair just in case of the Perfs."

I chuckle as I grab a hold of his wet hand and help him up. Kevin leads me down the hallway and around a corner. He scans the set of lockers to our left, finally stopping at C67. He twists around the lock, lifts up the latch, and opens up the locker, then pulls out sweatpants and a green Furious Pigeons shirt before closing it.

I gaze down the hallway while asking, "Is there a bathroom around here where you can change or...?"

Kevin rubs his neck with his left hand as he responds, "There's one on that corner right there."

I look to where his finger's pointing and walk that direction. Once we reach the door, I gesture for him to go inside. As he enters the bathroom, I say, "Just knock whenever you're done. I'll come in and help you dry up."

He nods and gives me a soft grin before closing the door. After about three minutes or so, I hear a tap on the other side. I take that as my cue and enter the room, not caring about the "BOYS ONLY" sign. On my way over to Kevin, I get some napkins out of the dispenser. When I reach him, he leans back on one of the sinks, looking down at his shoes. I start wiping away the water on his forehead."

"Forgive me if I'm wrong, but I think the band dislikes you for reasons other than.. well, band."

He chuckles and responds, "You saw that girl in the hall, right? Not the crazy clarinet player, but one of the flute players off to the side. The shorter one, Lisa, was my girlfriend in freshman year for about 5 months. She broke up with me because she thought being in a relationship was a distraction. Ha, bad excuse considering she started dating someone else a week later. That trumpet player who was screaming at me? Yeah, that's him. They've been together ever since. He's had this huge grudge against me 'cause of it. The fact that I'm not into band just adds onto the hatred."

I nod at the story, taking in every detail, before I ask, "So why are you in it?"

He shrugs and answers, "Everyone thinks playing drums is just loud bangs and crashes, but it's not. All I want to do is play. It's my dream. My parents said they'd only get me my own drum set, though, if I joined band. They don't really think I'll make it far as a drummer, so might as well learn the other percussion instruments, right?"

After rubbing the napkin over the sides of his face, I throw it in the trash. "Well, for all it's worth, I'm sorry."

He smiles and responds, "Hey, thank you. Seriously, you're kind of the first friendly person I've met in a while. I don't really get noticed by anyone, much less have them help me, so this means a lot."

I grin back and chuckle, "It's no problem."

After about a minute of comfortable silence, Kevin awkwardly questions, "You're friends with Kacey, right?"

I nod and answer, "Yeah, she's the first friend I've made since I moved, and basically the only one so far. Why do you ask?"

He widens his eyes slightly, and I can see the nerves soaring through them. "No reason. Just wondering. I saw you talking to her in Mr. March's class. She's, um… cool."

I raise my eyebrows with a sly smirk. He sighs before explaining, "She was the new girl in freshmen year, and just like everyone else, she wanted to be a Perf. That ship sailed when her acne broke out, her mom made her wear glasses, and her dad got fired, so she couldn't get the nicest things anymore. A few months later, her skin cleared up, her mom let her wear contacts, and her dad got a new job. She changed, though. Instead of wanting to be popular, she'd jump around the library to eat with different outsiders, and she'd pair up with the kids in class that no one would even look at. Heck, Dean Hollis asked her out, and she turned him down because he was too cocky. The Perfs hated her even more, but that's when I started liking her."

By the end of Kevin describing Kacey's story, I stood there in hidden shock. Before I can reply, the bathroom door opens, and someone enters. I see their reflection in the mirror Kevin's sitting in front of. Zander.

Kevin stiffens, making me curious. I turn to Zander with an emotionless look. He smirks at me, but seeing the boy beside me, he turns his lips into a soft smile.

"Hey, Kev."

"Robbins."

I raise my eyebrows at the scene. Zander obviously sees my face, because he says, "Kevin and I go way back. Best buddies."

As a reply, Kevin scoffs, "Yeah, before you ditched me to be popular."

He hops off of the sink, picks up his wet clothes, and starts walking towards the door. On his way out, he looks over his shoulder and calls, "Thanks, Stevie. I owe you." Once he's gone, Zander gazes at me amusingly.

"What happened in here?"

I roll my eyes. "Not what you're thinking; that's for sure."

He chuckles and opens his mouth to say something, but I interrupt, "Why are you even talking to me? Isn't it forbidden for someone as popular as you are to even look at a loser like me?"

Taking steps closer, Zander replies, "If you're a loser, then I'd like to be one, too."

We stand there, staring at each other. After about 10 seconds, I mumble about having to go before making my way to the closed bathroom door.

"Hey, Stevie?"

I turn around, cross my arms, and question, "Yes, Zander?"

With a genuine smile, he states, "If it's alright in your book... I'd like the chance to pursue you."

Interested in his request, I drop my arms and raise my eyebrows. "You're asking for permission to hit on me?"

He chuckles and responds, "I just want to make my intentions clear."

With a small smile, I say, "Permission granted, Robbins."

That was such a bad ending, wow. Again, I'm incredibly sorry that this wasn't the greatest comeback in the world. I know it didn't have a lot of Zevie, but I hope Stevie meeting Kevin somewhat interested you. If you don't mind, drop a review? Describe what you want to see, what you liked, what you disliked.. anything! I'm really taking into consideration the feedback and views for this chapter before I decide on continuing Not Just a Shadow and How to Rock a Love Story. So please, please, please, let me know your opinions!

Thank you so much for reading. New readers, welcome! Old readers… Guys, I miss you. I know I ignored you for over a year, but please don't give up on this story. (':