Imitation of Life

By: Lady DeathAngel

Disclaimer: I can claim nothing but the plot and some less than savory characters.

Warnings: language, mild violence, sexual content

A/N: Okay, to start off, thanks to anyone who is still reading this. I know my updates are sporadic (and even moreso when chapters give me fits, as this one did) and you don't know how much I appreciate you sticking with this story. My writing style has evolved dramatically since I started this story a year ago and IoL continues to take ona life of it's own and veer off the plotted out course. I do plan on finishing this fic, never fear! And I'm always thinking of it, what I can do better and what's happening next. IoL will always have a place in my mind and heart no matter what else I'm doing (currently, I've been on a Teen Titans Robin/Raven kick,and my baby (IoL's younger sibling) has occupied quite a bit of my time), and barring tragedy, I will not abandon this fic. Just so you know. Also, pay attention to the warnings. Things reach a fever pitch in this chapter and I have a feeling they'll only get hotter. I hope you enjoy it and, as always, leave a review to let me know what you think!

--(

Summer threw herself into the task of marketing School of Rock as a three-member band.

By Saturday she was pissed off and beginning to think it was hopeless.

"They wanted us for our original sound," she explained. "They're not sure they're ready to take a chance on a new one."

Zack sighed and fumbled with his tie.

"So, what now?" he asked.

"They're sending someone to check us out next month," Summer answered, pacing back and forth in his living room. "They've already got another band lined up and if they don't like us, they're in and we're out."

Zack gave up on the tie and cursed loudly.

"Are you serious? What're we supposed to do, then?"

Summer stopped and faced him, the look on her face one of determination.

"I think we should look for a lead vocalist," she said. "You're wonderful Zack, you really are, but maybe that'll help."

Zack blinked up at her and then leaned back against his father's leather couch. It made sense. It would round the band out and probably give them a better sound, but Zack had gotten used to singing his own lyrics. He wasn't a natural vocalist by any stretch of the imagination, but he'd grown to love it. Obviously whatever needed to be done needed to be done, and at the end of the day he was a guitarist and songwriter, not a singer. It would just take a lot of getting used to.

"God, Zack, when're you gonna learn to tie your own fuckin' tie?" a voice asked from the direction of Zack's kitchen.

He watched as Summer spun on her heel to see Katie and Freddy wandering in.

"We let ourselves in through your backdoor," Katie said with a grin.

Zack nodded and sucked in a breath as Freddy stalked over.

"Swear to God, dude, I've been tying your ties for how long now?"

The dark-haired boy forced a grin as Freddy swiftly tied his tie. He smelled good, Zack noted, clean and masculine and purely Freddy. The smell combined with having Freddy leaning over him, close enough to kiss, was enough to drive him crazy.

Zack didn't know what was up with this thing he had for Freddy, but it was getting out of hand.

"There," Freddy murmured, sliding his palm down Zack's chest to flatten out the tie. "All good."

He looked up and locked eyes with Zack. Freddy's eyes were always pretty, bright blue and laughing. Tonight they looked different and the only word that Zack could come up with to describe them was 'smoldering'.

"You're wearing eyeliner," Zack said softly, still staring.

Freddy's lips quirked up at one corner.

"Yeah. Sexy, huh?"

Zack snorted.

"Aren't you always?"

Freddy opened his mouth to reply and Zack's eyes dropped to his lips long enough to note how soft they looked before the doorbell rang loudly.

They sprang apart and Zack jumped up, rushing to open the door. Summer and Katie raised their eyebrows at him when he passed and he just grinned, not quite sure what the hell had just happened.

"Baby!" Alice yelled, launching herself at him as soon as the door was open.

Zack embraced her awkwardly before thrusting her away.

"Hey, Alice," he said.

She smiled and pressed a kiss to his cheek. He fought the urge to wipe it off. Chris was right behind her and he sauntered in, eyes peeled for Summer. He spotted her and smiled.

"Hey," Chris said smoothly.

Summer glanced sideways at Katie and then smiled tentatively at him.

"Hi."

"Everybody ready to go?" Alice asked, staring wearily at Freddy and Katie.

Freddy smiled winningly at her while Katie smirked in her general direction.

"Why, yes! Thanks for asking," Freddy said. He held his arm out to Katie who linked her own through his. "Shall we?"

Katie giggled dramatically.

"We shall," she tittered, winking at Summer and Zack as they flounced past.

Alice glared at their backs and then latched onto Zack like a limpet.

"Let's go, hon," she said, lowering her voice into a husky tone.

Zack swallowed and shared a look with Summer. It was going to be a long night.

--(

Freddy and Katie weren't very good company. They'd spent most of the night seated at a table, nursing cans of Coca Cola while watching Zack and Summer be smothered by their dates. Katie kept growling low in her throat whenever Chris' hands wandered, and Freddy's frown deepened every time Alice tried to kiss Zack. It was obvious to anyone who knew them that they were jealous and feeling over-protective.

But dammit, Katie knew she should be the one holding Summer close and kissing her ear and Freddy knew that he should be the one with his tongue in Zack's mouth. Not that there was much they could do about it. After all, neither of them had any real claims to Summer or Zack . So Freddy and Katie resorted to sitting and glowering and being generally bad company.

"Oh, fuck this!" Freddy finally exclaimed. "Wanna dance, Katie?"

She frowned at Chris and Summer.

"Yeah, okay."

Freddy stood up and held a hand out to Katie. She took it and they made their way out onto the dance floor. It was lucky, for them, that Zack and Alice were dancing right beside Summer and Chris. Freddy and Katie rounded it out and made it a party.

"Hey!" Summer exclaimed when she saw them. "Where've you guys been?"

"Pouting," Katie answered with a smile. "These dances suck."

Alice rolled her eyes.

"Whatever. This is one of the best dances I've ever been to."

Freddy figured that if his ass was attached to Zack's crotch, he'd be having the best dance of his life. He shook his head rapidly and cursed. He needed to stop thinking like that. A tiny, meaningless crush years ago should not have blown up and into this. Sure Zack was the catalyst of Freddy's 'I'm gay' epiphany, but he was also one of his best friends. One of his straight best friends. And as much as Freddy didn't care so much whether a guy was straight or gay so long as he was hot and interested, Zack was different. The looks and the blushes were just because he was confused.

Freddy rolled his eyes to himself. That had sounded sanctimonious in his own head.

Katie and Summer were migrating toward each other, much to Chris' chagrin, and Zack was trying to look interested in whatever bumping and grinding he was doing with Alice. The dark-haired boy was failing miserably and simply managed to look slightly nauseous. Alice didn't notice and just kept right on doing what she was doing. Zack looked up, locked eyes with Freddy and mouthed 'help me'. The blonde snickered and shook his head, staying near Katie and Summer.

Zack frowned and looked so dejected that Freddy was tempted to help him out, but then the blonde had an armful of Katie who had an armful of Summer. The two girls were laughing and Freddy couldn't help but join in when Katie guided his hips into an exaggerated grinding motion. Chris was looking on, glaring at Freddy and Katie and Alice looked mildly disgusted. Freddy just shrugged them off until Chris wrapped his hand around Summer's bicep and dragged her away, looking Katie in the eye.

"Hands off my date, dyke," he spat.

Katie went dangerously still and Summer had gone pale. Two red spots bloomed high on Summer's cheek bones and she tried to wrench her arm away.

"Let go," she hissed.

Chris tightened his grip and pulled her roughly against him.

"No. You're here with me, in case you'd forgotten."

Summer tried harder to get away.

"It's kind of hard to forget," she said. "With you pawing at me all the time."

Chris leered at her.

"You love it, you little slut," he said genially.

Freddy, Katie, and Zack all took furious steps forward. Summer stared at him with wide eyes before yanking her arm away and taking a few steps back.

"Fuck you, Chris," she hissed. "You sick bastard."

Chris frowned down at her and Freddy was worried that if someone didn't run interference, things were going to get ugly.

"What? Are you saying you don't like it when I'm fondling your pussy? Huh? You never told me to stop, did you?"

Summer was visibly shaking and Freddy wanted nothing more than to launch himself at Chris and tear him limb from limb.

"But maybe I figured you wrong," Chris continued. "Maybe you're thinking about the dyke while I'm finger-fucking you. Is that it?" He looked over at Katie, his lip curled. "You're disgusting."

Summer shook her head and thrust her shoulders back.

"No she's not," she shot back. "You're disgusting. What you do to me is disgusting."

Before anyone knew what was happening Chris had drawn his arm back and smacked Summer across the face with a closed fist. She stumbled back and doubled over and Alice shrieked.

"Oh my God!" Alice yelled, turning to latch onto Zack who evaded her grip, taking several steps toward Chris, prepared to eviscerate him in the most creative and painful way possible. Katie beat him to it.

"You son of a bitch!" she growled, rearing back and kneeing him so hard in the balls that Zack was surprised he didn't pass out.

Chris fell backward with a small whine and Summer straightened, staring down at his prone body. Freddy and Zack watched with frowns as she strode purposefully forward, kneeling beside him.

"Your music sucks, your cock is small, and if you ever lay another finger on me, you'll regret the day you ever saw me, I swear."

She rose and, in one fluid motion, kicked him as hard as she could in his ribs. Alice let out another shriek and Freddy and Zack were able to breathe again.

"We need to get the fuck out of here," Freddy announced.

Zack looked over at him and nodded. Summer glanced over her shoulder and then took off for the exit. Katie, Zack, and Freddy followed, making sure to step on Chris on their way out. Alice's yells were still ringing in their eyes by the time the burst out of the building and into the cool night air.

Summer was leaning against a tree on the lawn. Freddy frowned and looked over at Katie who took a tentative step forward.

"Summer? Are you okay?"

She looked over at them and smiled.

"I'm better than okay," she said. "But now we're all dressed up with nowhere to go."

Freddy smirked and crossed his arms.

"Well, I know one place we could go . . ."

--(

The harsh thumpa-thumpa of Doomsday invaded Zack's senses as they walked through the doors, the bouncer at the front waving them past the line. Summer grabbed Zack's arm with the hand that wasn't linked with Katie's and dragged him straight to the dance floor. Freddy followed at a more sedate pace, a grin on his face.

In the back of their minds they knew that what had just happened was serious, but they couldn't think about that. All they could do was pretend that they were okay, that something huge hadn't just happened. Zack, for his part, wasn't sure he'd ever be ready to analyze the situation. He wanted to forget, he wanted to relish in Summer's smile and the fierce glint in Katie's eyes.

Zack watched as Summer twined her arms around Katie's neck and settled her body firmly against the other girl's. Katie smiled and looped her own arms around Summer's waist, moving their bodies to the throbbing beat that was making Zack's body pulse and vibrate. They looked so right together it hurt and Zack found his thoughts shifting, inevitably, to Freddy.

The blonde was dancing a few inches away, his eyes closed and his head thrown back. Zack stared at the column of his throat and wondered what it would taste like; he watched the hypnotic sway of Freddy's hips and wondered what it would be like to dance with him. As if sensing Zack's eyes on him, Freddy looked up and grinned. He shifted and reached out to pull Zack close, the dark-haired boy's back lined up with his front.

Zack's eyes slid shut at the feel of Freddy's hips pressed into his and at the heavy weight of Freddy's hands on his hips, guiding him in a slow and sensual rhythm.

"You're not as shitty a dancer as I expected," Freddy whispered into his ear.

Zack almost smiled. "Thanks," he whispered back, dryly.

Freddy's sigh was warm and the sound of it slid across Zack's body like a caress.

"This feels too damn good," he murmured. "I'm not fucked up enough for this to be happening right now."

Zack shrugged and pressed his hips back purposefully, eliciting a tiny groan.

"It's more fun when you're sober, anyway," he said, grinding against Freddy's growing erection.

Freddy's hands slid up Zack's chest, his fingers trailing over his throat, angling his head back. Zack found his head resting on Freddy's shoulder. His eyes fluttered open and he saw Freddy staring down at him, his face a picture of lust and any number of emotions that Zack could only find the words for when there was a guitar cradled in his arms.

"You're just confused," Freddy said against his temple, rolling his hips against Zack's ass, obviously not as concerned about it as he was trying to be.

Zack shook his head slowly. "I'm not."

Freddy laughed harshly and pulled away just enough to turn Zack in his arms.

"Yeah, you are. But I don't give a fuck."

And then Freddy was kissing him. Kissing him. It was like in his dreams only so much better. Freddy's lips were soft and slightly chapped, his kiss rough and wet. Zack didn't care how rough Freddy was just as long as he didn't stop. Freddy didn't seem to want to. He teased the seam of Zack's lips with his tongue and groaned when Zack opened his mouth wider and allowed Freddy entrance.

Freddy licked the roof of Zack's mouth, tracing the hard ridges of his palate, and Zack shivered at the feel. He'd never realized his mouth was so sensitive; he hadn't known that if his tongue was licked just so his cock twitched and he definitely hadn't known that the inside of his upper lip was shot through with nerve endings. Freddy kissed him like he would never kiss another boy ever again and Zack kissed him back because he knew that tomorrow would come and they would logic this out and pretend it had never happened.

They were still moving to the rhythm of the music, Zack's hands gripping the fabric of Freddy's shirt, Freddy's right hand anchored to the back of Zack's neck, the other settled over the curve of the guitarist's rear. They were kissing wetly to a desperate beat, their tongues twining outside of their mouths for a brief second before Zack took over the kiss. He pushed his tongue into Freddy's mouth and practically whimpered when Freddy sucked lightly.

"Tell me to stop," Freddy groaned, tearing his lips away from Zack's, inhaling in sharp gasps.

Zack was just as breathless and shook his head.

"Don't," he said softly. "Don't ever stop."

Freddy blinked and then grinned crookedly.

"I have to," he breathed. "It's not like we can do anything here, and there's no way I'm fucking you in some shitty-ass backroom."

Zack's laugh was breathy.

"You've got a dirty mouth, you know that?"

"You love it."

Zack leaned up and licked languidly at Freddy's bottom lip.

"Yeah. I do."

Freddy sucked in a sharp breath and then took a step back, dropping his arms. Zack felt cold and shivered at the sudden lack of contact.

"We should go," Freddy said. "I don't even see Summer and Katie around, do you?"

Zack sighed and shook his head, wondering what the fuck was going on. All he wanted to do was kiss Freddy again, hold him tightly, grind against him, fuck him. Apparently, though, that wasn't going to happen. Instead he found himself following Freddy out of Doomsday and into the night. They looked around for Summer and Katie and finally found them by their cars. They were sitting on the curb, Katie's arm around Summer's shaking shoulders.

"I let him touch me and I hated it," she was sobbing. "I hate him. I hate me."

Katie's arm tightened.

"You told him no," she said sternly. "You told him no. He'll never lay a hand on you again if he knows what's good for him."

Summer just sobbed louder, and clutched at Katie. Zack, distinctly uncomfortable, glanced sideways at Freddy. The blonde studiously avoided looking at him and walked forward, murmuring quietly to Katie and Summer. They both looked up and nodded.

"I'm going to take them home," Freddy said over their heads. "You'll be okay?"

Zack frowned and then shrugged. He rummaged through his pockets for his keys as he walked to his car. He watched as Freddy and Katie ushered Summer into the backseat, Katie following her inside. Freddy glanced up and locked eyes with Zack for a split second, and in that split second Zack saw longing in his friend's gaze. Not that it mattered, he thought angrily. Freddy got into his car and drove away without another word, leaving Zack to climb into his own car and stare at the steering wheel.

He didn't know what had just happened. He just knew he had an erection that wouldn't quit and an ache somewhere near his heart. He felt sick to his stomach, distraught and lost. Zack wasn't confused. He wanted Freddy and he knew it. But for whatever reason, Freddy didn't want him. Or rather, he did, but he wasn't going to do anything about it. Zack sighed and started his car, pulling out of the parking lot carefully.

Fuck him, then. If he was going to be such a little shit about it, fuck him.

--(

Katie watched the gentle rise and fall of Summer's chest and then studied her face. Her head was angled toward Katie, the moonlight that streamed through her windows illuminating her features and making the tear tracks on her cheeks glow. Katie gazed at her softly parted lips and the way that her eyelashes fanned across her cheekbones, blending in with the bruise that was blooming on her left cheek. Her brow was furrowed, even in sleep, and she looked like an angel. A fallen, bruised angel.

Katie bit her lip and then turned to the blank sheet of paper in front of her. With a shaking hand she lifted her pencil and, steeling her trembling nerves, drew the first, tremulous line of the only work of art that would ever really matter.