Friend covers it up after I copy someone (7)
I believe the answer is:
imitate
'copy someone' is the definition.
(to imitate someone is to copy them)
I cannot understand how the remainder of the clue works.
(Other definitions for imitate that I've seen before include "Copy, simulate" , "Copy someone" , "Parrot" , "Take as a model" , "Copy or mimic" .)