(see first chapter for disclaimer)

A/N: Well, I feel stupid. I was glancing through my previous chapters, and I realized that in the first one I was writing "Zack" while in the second I wrote "Zach." I have a cousin named Zach, so I'm used to writing it like that, but the official spelling is Zack. So, my bad.

My chapters just keep getting shorter, don't they? For that I apologize, but I really am trying my best. I'm just a little stretched for time, because I also have stories I commissioned for my friends to write, but that's really no excuse. Reviews are at the bottom, as they will always be.

In other news, I'm posting a new story. If any of you are a Tamora Pierce fan, I urge you to go check it out. [end self-advertising and A/N]

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Zack prodded their sleeping band creator and lead singer and guitarist, saying in a soft, sing-song voice, "Dewy…"

The forty-odd man sleeping on the bed made a sound that sounded like a cross between a whine and a moan. Hitting the offending hand, he turned over and immediately became comatose again.

"C'mon, man!" Freddy said, pushing Dewy nearly off the bed. "It's Saturday! You know, our 9 to 11 practice?!"

"I'm going to be late for a date if we don't get out at exactly 11," Zack added, grabbing Dewy's shoulder and shaking the older man frantically.

Dewy suddenly sat bolt upright, startling Zack into losing his balance and falling to the floor. "Dudes…Dudes, I'm up." Blinking sleep from his eyes and half-falling out of his bed, Dewy combed his hair out of his eyes with his fingers. "And Zack, man, it's just Elsa. You've been with her for a few months now, I'm sure she understands that the band is your first priority."

"She's my girlfriend, Dewy."

Freddy smirked, tossing Dewy one of his cleaner shirts. The mess that had once occupied a small corner of Ned's apartment had moved with Dewy into his new apartment and grown to cover nearly every area, except for the living room (where the band practiced) and the kitchen. "That's exactly why she wouldn't understand," he told Zack as Dewy quickly got ready. "Girls seem to think that they should be the center of the universe. Exhibit A: Summer Hathaway."

Summer, who had just walked into the room to check on their progress with Dewy, stopped and rolled her eyes. "Very funny, Jones. Are we all ready now?"

"Yeah," the three answered in unison.

"Great," Summer answered, her voice dangerously sweet. "One problem, though—Katie isn't here."

"She's what?!" Freddy and Zack demanded, and Dewy groaned, "So why did I get out of bed?"

All thoughts of Katie leaving his head, Zack looked at the singer/guitarist, and mockingly said, "I thought the band was your first priority."

"Yeah, but do you want me to fall asleep during practice and crush someone?"

"Well—"

Summer clapped her hands twice. "Guys, guys! That's not the issue here!"

"Do you know where she is?" Freddy asked.

"Not a clue. She's not at home, that's for sure."

"Did you call her cell phone?"

There was a pause before Summer flatly said, "What?"

"Her cell phone," Freddy answered, getting impatient. "You know—cell, cell-u-lar."

Summer stayed silent for what seemed like a very long time, but really was only for a few seconds. It was finally broken by the sound of Dewy's front door slamming open, and Lawrence calling, "Katie's here!"

The four hurried into the living room, where Lawrence was memorizing their current piece of music, and where Katie was sprawled out on the couch, arm over her eyes. She was wearing a tight pink tube top, shorts, a triple-chain belt, and spiked boots—an outfit they didn't even know she owned.

"Katie, what's with this coming late thing?" Dewy said, conveniently forgetting that he himself had overslept.

Katie moaned turning her head more into the niche of her arm. "Party last night…Late…Two hours of sleep…Mm, sleep sounds good…" She trailed off and fell silent.

"Katie? Katie!" Summer snapped her fingers near Katie's ear, and the bassist jumped, moving her arm away from her face and glaring at her best friend.

Tomika, Alicia, and Marta came in from the kitchen, where they had been making breakfast for everyone. "What's going on?" Tomika asked, setting down the plates she had been carrying.

"For one, Katie was late," Summer snapped, glaring right back at her best friend.

"And secondly," Katie said scathingly, "Summer is being a b—"

"Katie," Lawrence hastily interrupted, "is your friend okay? She's taking a while in the bathroom."

Everyone but Katie turned to stare at him. "Her what?"

"Oh, she's fine," Katie answered casually. "She's changing clothes."

At that moment, they heard the sound of the bathroom door opening, and everyone turned just as Amber walked out into the living room wearing a short, low-cut, black dress over a pair of worn jeans, her hair in a loose braid—she actually was dressed far more appropriately than Katie was! She stopped when she noticed everyone looking at her and raised an eyebrow. "Hello."

"Who are you?" Dewy demanded.

"Amber. Who are you?"

"Dewy Finn, as in, this is my apartment."

Amber's mouth twitched in a quick half smile. "Thanks for letting me use your bathroom, I had to change my clothes."

"Oh, no problem," Dewy said sardonically. "I love having strangers in my apartment. Just last week I went down on the street and was like, 'hey man, you look like you have to pee, wanna come up to my apartment and use my bathroom?'"

Amber's eyebrow went straight up again and she gave him a look Summer had come to label as her "get away, freak" look. "I'm sure." She sidled around him and sat next to Katie. "Don't you guys have band practice?"

"Don't you have to leave?" Summer said scathingly.

"Summer!" Tomika and Lawrence cried at the same time.

Amber smiled. "Tim time om?" she whispered to Katie.

"Most likely," Katie answered with a smirk. They both then looked at Summer knowingly.

Dewy was looking at Amber. "Can I ask—politely, of course—what the hell you're still doing here?"

"I'm waiting for my cousins to pick me up to got to brunch with our grandmother."

Freddy snorted as he took a seat behind his drums, and everyone else but Katie got into "rock" position. "Brunch with grandma?"

Amber glared at him. "We do it every Saturday—she's the one paying for us to go to school, so it's the least we can do."

"You're a sponsor baby?" Sponsor baby was what the kids in school called all the students who didn't have the money to pay for school, so they had to get it from someone other than their parents.

"Yeah." She stood angrily. "So my brothers can't pay for a prestigious private school. Got anything else to say?"

"Yeah! You're not as bad as you think you are, you know!"

"And you're not as bad as you think you are!"

The two of them launched into a loud argument, each one shouting at the same time. It was impossible to decipher what they were saying to each other.

"Hey, hey, whoa!" Dewy stepped into their line of view, blocking one from seeing the other with his bulk. Losing sight of their target, Freddy and Amber fell silent and settled for glaring at the man in their way of verbally slaughtering each other.

Fortunately, their was a knock on Dewy's door. Summer answered it, and standing outside were two girls. They looked alike, with dark hair and brown eyes, but only so much that people could tell they were sisters. "Is Amber here?" one of them asked.

"Hi Joni," Katie called. "Hi Jeri. Come on in."

Dewy turned on her. "Would you stop inviting people into my apartment?"

Katie made a face. "Sorry."

The two girls entered and Katie and Amber rose to meet them half way. The four traded hugs and kisses on the cheek, before Amber said, "See you all later." With that, Amber and her cousins left.

"What was that all about?" Alicia asked.

"Amber just needed a place to change, is all." Katie smiled sweetly, the first real "Katie" smile they had seen in a long time. "Let's practice this new song. I still have trouble on the second verse, can you help me, Dewy…"

And suddenly the old Katie was back (excepting her clothes, of course), and practice went fine from there.

~*~

Freddy walked home from band practice, staring blankly ahead as he passed through the shadows of the trees lining the sidewalk. What was going on with Katie? When she was with Amber she seemed like a totally different person…But as soon as Amber was gone, the old Katie cam back. What the hell did Amber think she was doing?!—and why doesn't Katie realize what she's doing?

Someone latched onto his arm, interrupting his thoughts. "Freddy."

Freddy rolled his eyes and peeled off Marta's hand. "What?"

"Well," the small girl answered, "I just wanted to give you another chance to say 'yes' to me."

He stopped and turned to look down at her. "I've been saying no for the past five years, Marta. What makes you think I'm going to suddenly change my mind?"

She tried to give him a seductive look, which failed pityingly. "You said yes in the fifth grade."

"I was young as stupid then, and that only lasted for three days. Come on, I'm not stupid anymore." Thinking that she would leave him alone now, he turned to continue on his way.

No such luck. "This is your only chance to get back with me," she said, in what sounded like an attempt to sound threatening.

He gave a short laugh. "Yeah right. You'll ask again next month."

"So? Freddy, we started with the band. The band hasn't ended, and we shouldn't, either."

"Look, I've said this a million times—I only went out with you for those three days because I thought the drummers were supposed to date someone in the band, and you just so happened to be the closest when I turned around and looked for someone." Why did it have to be her and not Katie, he wondered, before pushing the thought out of his mind.

Marta glared at him and stopped in front of her gate. "You'll be sorry."

"I highly doubt that."

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"Tim time om" means "time of month" in irritating-speak.

Jingle Bells: I'm sorry I didn't answer your first review in the previous chapter, but I got it after I had posted. I agree, Freddy/Katie rocks and I fully support this ship!

the fourth wheel: You reviewed twice on the second chapter, but that's okay! I don't mind. I didn't get the review from your friend, but the whole "no inter-band relationships" idea is cool! Unfortunately, as shown above, I'm not using it. It's giving me a bunch of new story ideas, though…Freddy had great insight on everything Katie because he's always watching her and such. Wouldn't that be an interesting subject? Everything Katie 101. I bet he'd excel in it.

audi katia: Yes, yes, Katie's morphing. *insert evil-Amber laugh here* Hehe, no, I'm kidding…Kind of. ~_^ I'm glad you're liking this story.

iluvnoodles: Poor Freddy indeed. The darling is just getting all worn out over this Katie-morphing business. *pats Freddy's head* *is bitten by Freddy* *is then attacked by rabid Freddy-fans*

Jewelkitten: Hopefully, my chapters won't get any shorter than this one. I also hate those super short, "hi-bye" chapters. Why is Katie morphing, you ask? That will be revealed…Sooner or later, depending on how clear I can make it as we progress through the chapters.

quitesirius: Thank you! And really, with Freddy and Zack in the mix, I honestly couldn't ask for more, either.

sk8erpunkGCpnay: I'm just glad you found it at all. Unfortunately, Zack already has a girlfriend, Elsa (no, she's not based on a Zack-obsessed friend, seeing as I don't have any of those), and don't worry--it takes a lot more to make me think you're psycho.

The CheezHead: I've never really heard of someone going from Rock to Punk either, but anything is possible, as proven by our Katie here. And if any preps had been harmed, I might have made a point of looking the other way and pretending nothing had happened…Then again, my friends and I are slightly "prep," so it would have been hazardous to us.

Princess642: Thank ye! It's relatively easy to develop the characters because I base them on actual people. Freddy and Zack are actually based on the behaviors that Kevin and Joey (the actors playing them) showed on the DVD. It's really quite fun slipping a piece of my friends and myself in different people. Surprisingly, both Summer and Amber got some of my aspects, and both Katie and Tomika got aspects of one of my best friends. They're not wholly one person, but I do pull some personalities and actions from real life as a base.

yoshi09: I, too, rather like that part (of course, I'm the one who wrote it, so…). I'm glad I could give you some amusement.

Thank you to all who reviewed. Rock on.