Disclaimer: I don't own School of Rock or it's characters. I just love them and enjoy writing them. I gain nothing from this other than my own enjoyment. Also, I do not own the song used in this chapter.

Rockin' Rivals

Chapter Two

The park was clotted with little kids running rampant and parents trying to keep control of them, and even, in some cases, not. Those parents just sat on one of the many benches in the area and watched with a glazed look or read a magazine. Katie Brown stepped to the side quickly, holding up her hands in half-hearted protest as a child with wavy red hair streamed past her without even looking where he was going. Stupid kids, she thought angrily.

She was beginning to think that taking this 'short cut' was a bad idea. It didn't matter. Freddy would wait for her anyway, he always did. She was supposed to meet him at the local cinema at around half-four, five-ish. It was now around quarter to five, so…

Time to get rude, she thought with a smile, pushing past one of the kids in her way. The boy gave her a scandalised look and she bit back a smirk. He probably belonged to one of those neglectful mothers - Bench moms. Katie laughed to herself as she finally reached the other side of the part and emerged onto a busy street. It wasn't far to the cinema now. She set off at a quick pace.

Katie had grown into her natural beauty and had become a very attractive young lady. Her hair was still the same length, and she didn't plan on ever changing it. Her eyes were a sparkling mixture of black and brown that would make any guy swoon, not that she was interested in that sort of thing. She was quite reserved when it came to interacting with others. In fact, she hardly talked to anyone outside of her close friends - the band.

She always wore clothes that held a multitude of colours, ranging from red to black to blue. At the moment she had on simple blue jeans and a black tank top with see-through blue sleeves. A red jewelled stud was resting perfectly on the left side of her nose and her right wrist was cluttered with different coloured bands and bracelets.

She finally reached the cinema's street and spotted Freddy waiting for her outside, hands in his pockets, idly kicking at a crunched up coke can. He looked good. Katie mentally sighed. Yeah, somehow, along the way, annoyingly, she had seemed to develop a sort of crush on the drummer. She wouldn't ever act on it though. She didn't know what to think of it, to be honest.

Sure, he was cute, but she had known him for as long as she could remember. Their parents where friends, so they'd spent a lot of time together as kids growing up, even before they started school and ended up in the same class. Somewhere down the line they had drifted apart but when Dewey showed up that long passed friendship returned. She had to say, Freddy was her best friend. So how could she suddenly start wanting to kiss him all of a sudden?

Okay, so maybe it wasn't that bad, but still, she shouldn't be thinking of him like that.

At that point Freddy seemed to notice her and began walking towards her. She spied the crossed drumsticks hanging around his neck. She had given it to him for his fourteenth birthday and since then she had never seen him without it. She wondered if he ever took it off.

"Hey babe," Freddy greeted her with his usual smirk. "Get lost?"

"Yeah," Katie replied back, just as sarcastically as him. "Those street corners are tricky, and don't get me started on the whole crossing roads thing."

Freddy laughed, his eyes shining.

Katie blanched.

Eyes shinning? Since when did she notice things like that?

"What's up?" Freddy asked, leading her towards the cinemas entrance.

"Huh?" Katie turned to face him. He repeated the question. "Oh, nothing. Just…thinking."

"About what numbskull?"

"Never mind ass wipe."

"Fair enough," Freddy said, turning to look over the cinema listings. "Hey, check it out, a film about rock. Let's see that."

"How'd you know it's about rock?" Katie asked, raising her eyes to the title of the film.

"It's called 'The Movie of Rock' idiot." Freddy said.

"Oh." Katie blushed.

"Man, what is with you?" Freddy asked. "You're usually not this stupid. I'm the one that's normally being outsmarted - not you. Come on Katie, what's up?"

"I don't know." Kate stared down at her feet. "Just, thinking about something, I don't want to talk about it. Maybe…later, okay?"

"Okay." Freddy nodded. "Don't forget, you know I'm always here for you. After all, what else are friends for?"

"Yeah…"

Certainly not kissing, she chastised herself again.

"So, 'Movie of Rock'?" Freddy asked.

"Yeah, sure."

(----)

"Well that movie sucked ass." Freddy announced as the two teens left the cinema and began their walk down the street, heading towards Dewey's place.

"Yeah," Katie agreed. "The writer obviously knew nothing about rock. So lame."

"So you want to tell me what's been bugging ya?" Freddy asked as they crossed the road. They walked casually, as it was around seven o'clock so the roads were practically empty.

"I've just been thinking some…stupid…things." Katie admitted, stuffing her hands into the pockets of her jeans and unknowingly speeding up. Freddy jogged to catch up to her.

"What things?" he asked.

"Just…things."

"Katie," Freddy put a hand on her shoulder and she turned to face him. "Come on. You said you'd tell me. Maybe I can help."

"I said I might tell you." Katie corrected him, turning and walking away again. He jogged to catch up to her again, the crossed drumsticks bouncing against his chest as he moved.

"Come on Katie." Freddy urged.

"It's private Freddy!" she snapped back at him, turning her eyes on him, narrowed.

"Woah," Freddy held his hands up. "Chill. What wrong with you? Time of the month?"

"Shut up!" She snapped again, turning and this time striding away from him. He ran to catch up to her.

Why did he have to pressure her like this? It's not like she couldn't tell him she kept thinking of lip locking with him could she? Stupid Freddy, she thought. Just leave me alone.

He's just trying to help you, a voice in the back of her head said.

She mentally glared at the voice. She didn't want help. She didn't…did she? It didn't matter anyway. She couldn't tell him. Well…she could…

She'd just have to tell him she was developing a crush on one of her friends, and she didn't know what to do. That could work, right?

"Katie?" Freddy's voice reached her ears. She blinked, and found him staring intently into her eyes, his face mere inches from her own. Somehow he had gotten in front of her. Wait, they'd stopped moving. She blinked again. Then jumped back, coherently realising how close he was.

"Don't do that!" she yelled.

"…What?" Freddy asked, raising an eyebrow quizzically.

"Nothing." She said. "Sorry. I didn't mean to snap."

"Okay Katie, spill, what's wrong with you?"

"I…" Katie sighed and motioned over to a nearby bench. They were currently making their way through the park she had come through on her way to the cinema, so she took a seat on one of the benches the bench moms had been sitting on and stared at her hands crossed in her lap. Freddy sat next to her, staring at her.

Finally, she said: "I've sort of got a crush on one of my friends."

Silence.

"Oh."

Katie looked up at him, nervously. She fought furiously to keep the blush that wanted to rise on her face down. She won, slightly.

"Oh? Is that it? I thought you said you'd help!"

"Woah, I will, calm down." Freddy said, rushed. "Okay, so who is it?"

"If I wanted to tell you I would have told you the name dumbass." Katie said.

"Don't bite my head off Katie." Freddy warned. "I'm trying to help you remember." Katie gave him an apologetic look. "Okay, it's fine, so you won't tell me. Well, how much do you like him…or her?"

"I'm not gay!" Katie shouted at him, and then blushed, looking around embarrassed. Luckily, no one was around to hear her outburst. Freddy laughed.

"Nice Katie, very nice." Freddy said with a smirk. She smacked him in the arm. Rubbing at it, and glaring at her in mock anger, he continued. "So go on, how much do you like him?"

"I dunno." Katie said. "That's the problem."

"Well…erm…what do you think when you see him?" Freddy asked.

"Uh…I think…he's sexy." Katie said, blushing. "Oh this is stupid, I so don't want to do this, forget it!" She stood up, intent on walking away, but Freddy grabbed her arm and pulled her back down.

"Not yet." Freddy said. "Go on."

"I…Fine." Katie closed her eyes, turned her head away, and mumbled. "I just think he looks good, and I want to…kiss him. All the time."

"Do you like him?" Freddy asked. "Like, his personality."

"Of course." Katie said, turning to face him again, her eyes now open. "He's one of my best friends. Of course I like him."

"Then what's the problem?" Freddy asked. "Just ask him out."

"No." Katie shook her head. "That's the problem. He is one of my best friends, so how can I be thinking about that…about…kissing him."

"Because you like him." Freddy said. "Duh. Even I know that. Look, sometimes it happens, just ask him out."

"I don't know…" Katie sighed.

"Well, that's what I think, if you want another, more girly opinion, ask Summer." Freddy said, standing. "Come on. Let's get to Dewey's and practise a bit."

"Yeah…right." Katie said, standing and following.

She had a lot to ponder.

(----)

…And so did Freddy. He lay on his bed, later that night, thinking all about the day and what Katie had said to him. After the talk in the park they had gone to Dewey's and jammed with Zack and Dewey. Summer was there also, but all she really did was watch and occasionally add some input. Freddy wasn't paying much attention. He was watching Katie.

She didn't seem to be staring at Zack, or even worse, Dewey, so maybe it wasn't them. But then, who else could it be?

Lawrence? Maybe, but he just seemed too nice for Katie.

Frankie? Defiantly not.

Marco? He didn't think Katie would go for gingers.

Leonard? That's a possibility, the guy had grown quite a bit since the band had got together and he always showed an interest in Katie and her bass.

Billy? Another defiantly not, the guy was a confessed homosexual. Although…

Freddy shook his head. Nope, not going there.

Gordon? Hmm. Possibly.

All in all, he really didn't think Katie would like any of them, and she didn't appear to show a special interest in any of them.

Freddy sighed. He didn't have one single clue who the "mystery guy" Katie liked was. Not one.

"Maybe I don't even know him." Freddy muttered. He rolled over.

The thing was just too annoying. He wasn't the type for gossip and secret telling, but when one of his best friends confesses to having a crush on one of their other friends…well…it just wouldn't leave him alone. Like an annoying fly that kept buzzing around his head no matter how many times he swiped at it, always coming back.

He sighed again and rolled over onto his other side.

He probably wasn't going to get much sleep tonight.

(----)

Well, there ya have it, hope you liked. Thanks a bunch for all the reviews, believe it or not, I've never had so many reviews for a single chapter before. So thanks everyone, I truly love you all.

Climbingivy: Thanks for the complement, I'm always worried about my descriptions, I'm glad you like them.

Nikster09: Thanks for the review; it really does make my day. I'm glad you like it, and here's your update, sorry for the wait.

Kt: Couldn't agree more. Freddy/Katie rock. Thanks for the review.

Remussweetie: Thanks for the review. Sorry to keep you waiting. Hope you enjoyed.

MagicV: Thanks!

Rubybabe99: It's my first School of Rock fic, yeah, but I've done four Final Fantasy 7 stories, and I'm in the middle of my second Teen Titans Story, amongst other things. Thanks for the review.

Holly: Wow, I'm flattered. Best chapter you have ever read? Thanks! Hope this one was up to standard, and thanks for the review. Much love.

Piccolo999