A/N: So, finally on to the next chapter…finally! I must admit that it took me so long because I was trying to find out how much a single beer costs…I've never bought my own beer. When you room with Irish kids and they give you fake ids and take you to bars, they always pay for your drinks. And I was so smashed that I have no memory of how much I drank, let alone how much it cost. So I have no clue. So if the amount people gave me is wrong, let me know, will you? I hate having incorrect information. Of course, I could always ask my mom, since she likes Smirnoff Ice…but she knows about my drinking this year and I think she'd be nothing but suspicious…so scratch that idea.

Anyway, I hope you like it…it's kinda shorter than I thought it'd be, but I couldn't resist being a bad author and leaving you with a cliffhanger. grins evilly So I hope you enjoy it!

PAIRING: Still Freddy/Zack…well…hints…no real action yet. Wait till next chapter…laughs evilly MuahahahahHAHAHAHAHAHA! chokes on a jolly rancher Ahem.

DISCLAIMER: I do not own School of Rock or any of the characters. I do not own Smirnoff, though that would be SUPER! Duuuuuuude…unlimited amounts of Smirnoff ice! I think I'd dye of joy!

CLAIMER: I do own the bells on the door of the Screaming Phoenix, any and all of the Smirnoff that these two crazy guys drink, the jukebox machine, and the place they're going to next. I also own a life size cardboard cut out of Orlando Bloom as Legolas and a pirate flag…but that has nothing to do with this fic.

DEDICATION: To Leni…who will not be reading this because 1. she doesn't read fanfic and 2. she's not all into the slash thing….but I love her, and she gave me some courage tonight when I was hurting and badly in need of some love. many hugs and kisses for Leni I love you sooooooooooo much, Leni!

Freddy plopped down in front of the bar, Zack sliding onto the stool next to him.

"Two Smirnoffs, please," Zack said, grinning at the bartender. The man stared at him, unconvinced.

"Could I see some id, please?"

Freddy and Zack both tugged their wallets out of their back pockets and pulled out id, handing it to the man, who examined it closely. He looked up at Freddy and smiled. "Happy birthday, man."

"Thanks!"

With a smile on his face now, the man pulled out two beers and slid them across the bar into the outstretched hands of Freddy and Zack. "That'll be $5.50"

Freddy reached into his wallet but Zack slapped a hand down over Freddy's. "Nope. Nu uh. I'm paying for this."

"No WAY, Zack! I'm not letting you pay for my drink!"

"Freddy, it's your fucking BIRTHDAY! Of COURSE I'm paying!"

"Well then I'M paying for YOUR drink!"

"No-"

"YES! You waited all these months-"

"Try two, Freddy," Zack said dryly.

"-and I'm going to buy you one," Freddy said, continuing as if Zack hadn't spoken. Zack opened his mouth to protest but the stubborn look on Freddy's face made him think better of it. There was just no arguing with Freddy when he set his mind on something. He sighed.

"Fine. You buy mine, I'll buy yours, okay?"

Freddy's face brightened. "Okay!" Each of them pulled money out of their wallets and slid it to the bartender, who smiled again, taking the money, and turned away to put it in the cash register. Freddy lifted his drink in the air. "Cheers," he said, smiling at Zack. Zack returned the smile, lifting his beer as well.

"Cheers."

Clink. The glass bottles clicked together and both boys drank, tilting their heads back and chugging as fast as they could, as they had always planned to do with their first drink. Within seconds, the beer was gone. Both boys banged the empty bottles to bar, Freddy laughing breathlessly and Zack panting slightly, a smile flitting across his parted lips.

"That was good," Freddy laughed, his voice breathy and his lips moist.

"Yeah," Zack managed, laughing a bit as well. "You wanna get another?"

Freddy arched an eyebrow. "…is the pope Catholic?"

Zack laughed and turned back to the bartender, holding up two fingers. "We'll take two more, please." The man slid the two bottles towards them and Zack slid the money across the counter. Freddy opened his mouth to protest, but Zack, without even turning to look at his friend, reached out one hand and clapped it over Freddy's mouth, cutting off any objection the blonde had been about to make. "Forget it, Freddy. It's your birthday and I'm paying for this one." Zack smiled at the bartender, shaking his head and rolling his eyes in mock-exasperation. The bartender laughed and walked off to see to some other customers.

Removing his hand from Freddy's mouth, Zack handed one Smirnoff to his friend, who scowled. "Unfair, Zack. I have every right to buy you another one."

"But you're not going to," Zack said. "And that's final." He clinked his bottle against Freddy's. "Cheers."

Freddy, unable to come up with any objection to another drink, grinned despite himself. "Cheers." And both boys threw back what was to be only the second in a series of many drinks that night.

A few hours and quite a few beers later, the two boys were still sitting on the same stools at the bar. Freddy spun about in circles and then toppled dizzily off the stool, barely managing to keep his feet. Zack giggled, watching him.

"Freddy….you're drunk."

"I am NOT drunk," Freddy slurred. "I am…I am…" he tripped over the leg of the stool and fell into Zack, who caught him. "I am tipsy," he said, holding up an admonishing finger in Zack's face. "There's a difference!"

Zack shook his head, laughing. "Whatever, Spazzy McGee."

Freddy straightened up and began walking off in the direction of the jukebox, walking this way and then, seeming to change his mind, turning and heading in the other direction. He repeated this maneuver several times, all the while muttering "no…nope…yess-no!" Zack arched an eyebrow.

"Freddy…what're you doing?"

Freddy spun about to face Zack, holding one finger determinedly up in the air. "The time has come," he announcd pompously. He looked momentarily puzzled, brow furrowing. "…the walrus said…" Now seemingly content that he had figured out the words to finish the line, he caught his second wind and continued with gusto. "To talk of many things!"

Sighing, Zack slid off the stool and walked over.

"Of shoes, and ships, and sealing wax!" Freddy continued loudly, now attracting the attention of half the bar, even with the loud music playing.

"Yeah yeah, of cabbages and kings," Zack cut in, catching Freddy in a choke hold and dragging him backwards towards the exit.

"LEGGO!"

Zack released Freddy, moving in front of the blonde, pushing open the bar door and stepping outside. Freddy grinned evilly. "PIGGYBACK!"

Before Zack had time to even ponder what Freddy had just yelled, he felt all of Freddy's weight hit him square in the back as the blonde leapt onto him. Immediately losing his balance, Zack's knees collapsed out from under him and he fell face first to the ground, Freddy landing on top of him in a giggling pile and the bar door swinging shut behind them with a jangling of bells.

Freddy's forehead rested between Zack's shoulder blades; the blonde giggled into the small of Zack's back. Zack sighed, attempting to prop himself up on one elbow.

"You wanna get off of me, Jones?" he asked dryly. Freddy's response was to stretch out a bit more (though his butt was still sticking up in the air) and to trace his fingers up Zack's neck, to run them through the long brown hair.

"No, I don't think so," Freddy responded, a smile etched in every corner of his voice. "I kinda like this position…I should spend more time on top of you, Zack."

Zack burst out laughing even as his cheeks flushed at the very thought. "With your heavy arse? Not likely!"

"Oh, you know you love it!" And Freddy whispered the words into Zack's ear, his lips just barely brushing against the brunette's earlobe in a way that sent shivers down Zack's spine. He immediately threw all his weight backwards, sending Freddy tumbling off his back. Laughing, Freddy rolled over, flopping on his back, arms spread to either side as his laughter echoed into the night sky. Zack bent over him.

"Need a hand?"

Freddy smiled coyly. "Oh, always, Zackary Mooneyham!" Zack rolled his eyes, but he still took Freddy's hand and tugged the blonde to his feet. They began walking back to the car.

"So…where to, next?" Zack asked, unlocking the car door. Freddy slid in on his side, once again completely refusing to buckle his seatbelt, as always.

"A bar," Freddy said mysteriously.

"ANOTHER bar?!" Zack exclaimed.

"Of course! Don't worry, I'll direct you there. Just drive."

Letting out the most theatrical sigh yet, Zack turned the car on, then, scowling, reached over and buckled Freddy's seatbelt. Freddy let out a squeal.

"OOOH! Zackary Mooneyham is trying to grope me! Zack, don't you know I'm not that kind of boy? NEVER on the first date! But…I'll make an exception for you, sweet cheeks!" And Freddy patted Zack's cheek in a very drunken way, giggling madly. Zack swatted Freddy's hand away. Freddy giggled. "Drive on, Smithers, we've got about fifteen minutes of driving to do."

Zack pulled back out into the road. Freddy gave him directions here and there, occasionally getting the directions wrong, causing Zack to curse and turn the car about with a loud screeching of tires. Finally, after about half an hour (due to Freddy's bad directions), Freddy gave the order to stop….though Zack would have preferred he had done it in another way.

"STOP!" Freddy had screeched, diving so far forward so fast that Zack feared the spastic blonde would go straight through the windshield. Then he hit the brakes and almost joined Freddy in that trip through the window. Freddy laughed and Zack rolled his eyes. Then, he leaned forward, peering at the sign above the bar in search of a name. He squinted. That looked like….but no…it couldn't be. His eyes widened in shock. It was! Slowly, he turned a horrified gaze to Freddy, who was grinning broadly.

"Freddy," he managed.

"Yeah?" The blonde was grinning like the proverbial cat that had swallowed the canary.

Zack fish mouthed for a moment, at a complete loss for words. He took a deep breath and let it out slowly, finally gaining use of his vocal chords again. "Freddy," he repeated. "This…is a karaoke bar."

tbc