Hi Everyone!
This story may look familiar to some; this story was originally started by never goodbye. I have joined her in co-writing this so we have made a joint account. This one, neverswift10, from now on this is the only place that season one my way will be updated.
Also from Chapter seven on the story is going to be a little different. Instead of following S1 as closely has we were we are going to only write the Jude centric-episodes. We are going to complete season one. But we are also going to revisit this world we've created through one shots that take place in the other seasons. So we hope your enjoy this story and the ones that we have yet to post! And please don't lose faith in us, you may have to wait for updates longer then others but we will post and we're not going to abandon this story. It's just we're both full time college students so most of the time our time belongs to our teachers and the piles of homework they love to assign.
Stephanie and Samantha
Disclaimer: we do not own Instant star. All we own is the people you don't recognize and the plot.
Season one my way
Everyone has one moment that sets the rest of their life.
"Mommy!! Time to get up!" a little girl's voice yells running into her mom's bedroom and jumping on the bed.
"Five more minutes," Jude answered from under her blanket and slapping away at the air.
"No!" the little girl yelled, following by squeals and jumping up and down on the bed.
"Okay baby girl. You win. I'm up," Jude said sitting up and moving the blanket from over her head.
A moment where everything in the world stops. And it's just you and the most important thing to you.
"Morning Mommy!" the little girl giggled as she jumped one last time to plop next to her mom.
"Morning Stephanie," said Jude, giving her a hug. "Aw sweetie, you look really pretty today," she said taking in her daughter's ripped jeans and black t-shirt that had a silver guitar on it with "Punk Princess" written in bright, bold lime green letters and with her bright blond hair in a tight French braid that reached the middle of her shoulder blades with black, lime green, and silver ribbons threaded through it. "Who helped you get ready?"
"Jude Harrison! If you are not up and ready to go in half an hour you are walking to school today. I swear to God, I am not playing with you," Jude's older sister yelled from her own bedroom down the hall. Jude rolled her eyes and stood up from bed.
"Auntie Sadie," Steph managed to get out between giggles. Her aunt and her Mommy always yelled at each other and she thought it was funny.
Jude turned to look at Steph. "That was nice of her," she said as she walked over to the side of her bed. Her daughter had moved from the middle of the bed and was now sitting on the edge kicking her feet back and forth. "Hey baby., Mommy's gotta get ready for school. You wanna go see if you can help Memaw with breakfast?" Jude asked as she kneeled in front of her daughter.
"Okay. See you downstairs Mommy," Stephanie said joyfully as she hopped off of the bed and headed towards the door. As she was leaving the room, Jude turned towards the door and saw her daughter, her entire world, leave her bed room and skip down the hallway. She looked after her for a few minutes with a loving look in her eyes and a bright smile on her face.
"Jude!"
"Don't give yourself a heart attack Sadie, I'm coming!"
A moment that you stop and thank god for what you have.
"Next up on Instant Star, we have a fifteen year old that writes, plays, and sings all her own songs. Miss Jude Harrison!" the host says into his microphone as Jude walks onto the stage. Jude looks out at the audience as she sings, feeling people wishing her luck all around the room. She places her fingers over the right strings as she closes her eyes for a second and opens them again as she starts her song.
A moment that all eyes are on you.
"And the first ever Instant Star is..." the host says looking from Eden, to Jude, to the cue card in his hand.
A moment that is just you.
"Jude Harrison!!" he calls as balloons and confetti fall on her and the audience.
And this is mine.
"I can't believe we're sitting here," Jude said looking around the G-Major lobby with her best friend and right hand man Jamie Andrews the next afternoon in amazement.
"I know. But I always knew you would make it here," Jamie said looking at her.
"Where, the G-major lobby?" Jude asked rolling her eyes at him.
"No, here. About to sign your own record contract."
"Yeah, that I won off of some cheesy TV singing contest," Jude said rolling her eyes again.
"It doesn't matter where or how you got it. You're here. You're gonna get your music out there to the world like you always dreamed," Jamie said grabbing her hand. She smiled.
"What would I do without you Jamie?" she asked hugging him.
"Don't let them change you," he said pulling back to look at her.
"I'm not changing for them. I'm not changing for anyone," she answered as a door down the hallway opened.
"There she is. Our first Instant Star," a woman in her mid thirties with dark brown hair said, stopping in front of Jude. "Hi Jude. You sure do travel light. Your parents couldn't make it?"
"Hey Georgia. And yeah, they could have made it but I kinda wanted to do this alone. Besides someone needed to be home with St-"
"You have a two year old daughter?" interrupted a short Asian woman who had ran up to them and stopped in front of Jude only to turn to Georgia. "She has a two year old daughter and you didn't tell me? This is going to ruin her before she even gets started!" the younger woman yelled loud enough for pretty much the entire lobby to hear.
"Jamie! I can't believe you told her!" Jude said smacking the back of his head.
"Oww!" he said rubbing the spot she just hit. "I didn't!" he said in his own defense.
"It's my job to find out about our artist. How could you not tell us about her?" the woman with raven black hair asked turning her attention to Jude.
"EJ, you need to calm down. I knew about Stephanie and that's all that matters. We can talk about this later with Jude, and in my office. Right now we need to get Jude set up with her producer," Georgia said turning her attention from EJ to Jude. "Now seeing that this is your first CD, we were deeply thinking about who to set you up with. Now he's been in this business himself, but he has grown from an artist to a genius writer/producer. That okay with you?"
"Uh Yeah. Sounds great. Who is he, Billie Joel from Green Day?" Jude asked with a huge smile on her face.
"Mark Hoppus from Blink 182?" Jamie asked just as happily. Being in the same room as either of them was enough to make him die of a heart attack right then and there.
"We were thinking more like Tom Qunicy," said Georgia with a nervous smile.
"Little Tommy Q from Boyz Attack?" Jude asked giggling. "You're not serious, are you?" The older woman just smiled and nodded. Jamie busted out laughing as the three faces turned to glare at him.
"Oh sorry. I thought you were kidding." Georgia just looked at him angrily. "Sorry, but he's pop. And old. And-"
"And really, really lame. You can't be serious. Little Tommy Q?" she asked again in disbelief.
"First of all, the names Tom Quincy. And don't you ever call me Little Tommy Q again. Second of all, I'm here as a favor to Georgia. I could care less about you or your wack contest," a voice said, causing the four sets of eyes land on the one and only Tom Quincy.
Jude couldn't help but smile as she came face to face with most likely the hottest man she's ever seen. He had on light stone washed jeans, a white t-shirt, and a leather jacket over it. Not to mention that he had perfect hair and one of the cutest faces she's ever seen this close. Sure, she's seen him on her sister's bedroom wall, but never in person. The posters that Sadie still had hung up on her wall did not do justice to this man. At all.
"Sorry," she whispered embarrassed.
"Why don't you just show me what you got," said Tommy as he turned to walk towards a studio.
"Okay," Jude said as she and Jamie followed the two women into studio A.
Jude sat in the recording booth while everyone, including Kwest who she just met and learned would be her music mechanic, sat listening to her sing.
"As long as I have my trusted friend," she sang.
"You wanna stop? You're hurting my ears," Tommy said through the speakers and then walking into the booth. "You won a contest, with that?"
"Yeah. So?" Jude said defensively.
"You sing it like you're at a funeral. Here, let me see," he said picking up the guitar and she just sat down to find him playing a faster version of her song. "Sing," he told her and she just looked at him. "Didn't you hear me? Sing."
"As long as I have my trusted friend. They tried to tell us we're just to young."
"Faster."
"We're on the road again."
"Okay, these lyrics. We're just too young. We're on the road again. As long as I have my trusted friend. Who's we?"
"It's about me and my best friend Jamie." Jude said smiling though the glass to Jamie, causing him to smile at her.
"Nobody cares about your friend, Jude. They care about you," Tommy said sitting down next to her.
"I like my song the way it is."
"Look, the song, it served its propose. It won you the contest. But it's not ready. Not until we write the lyrics," Tommy said looking at her.
"Uh Jude," Jamie said as he walked through the studio door. "We gotta go. To that uh thing, with your family and Steph, and Kat. Like now," he said and motioned to go with his head.
"I think that's enough for today Jude. You can go," Georgia said over the speakers.
"Okay. See you tomorrow," she said standing up and walking past Tommy to Jamie.
"Bye," he said as she walked out with Jamie. Jamie glared at him and Tommy just rolled his eyes.
"Punk," he whispered under his breath.
That evening, Jude sat in her backyard at the table her dad and Jamie set up. Jamie was on her left, her other best friend Kat was on her right, Stephanie was in her lap telling her all about her day she had at Miss Jessica's, her sitter, Sadie was at the other end of the table with her friend Miriam, and her parents sat on opposite sides of the table. Her mom was in between Kat and Miriam and her dad was across from her mom sitting in between Jamie and Sadie.
"So Jude, are you like famous now?" Miriam asked looking down the table.
"Please Mir. She only got some pathetic signing bonus. I mean, if it was me I would have gotten a lot more cheddar before I signed some, what, three year contract," Sadie said as she was filing her nails.
"Well you didn't win, now did you Sadie?" Jude asked with a smirk on her face.
"Whatever. Come on Mir, we have practice. Bye Mom, I'll be back by 11," said Sadie as she stood up and walked away.
"We'll hang out later Jude," Miriam said before she got up to run after Sadie.
"Whatever. Oh Dad, you'll never guess who my producer is," Jude said, letting down a squirming Stephanie who happily ran around the back yard.
"Who?" he asked pouring himself another glass.
"Little Tommy Q," laughed Jude.
"He wants her to rewrite her lyrics," Jamie grumbled, picking at his hot dog.
"Jamie, he's her producer. I'm sure he knows what he's doing," Kat said from her spot a few feet away where she was "frozen" because of the spell Steph put on her.
"Whatever," he said, only to be cut off by Jude's cell phone ringing from the table.
"Hello?" she asked, answering it and walking away with it to come back a few minutes later.
"Honey, who was that?" asked her mom.
"Oh, just EJ. She needs me to come in to the studio tomorrow after school."
"Mommy! Come push me!!" Stephanie's voice filled the autumn air to have Jude turn around to find her daughter sitting on the tire swing.
"Okay baby. I'm coming," Jude said running over to her with a huge smile on her face.
The next afternoon, Jude was walking out of the school with Kat to be greeted with the entire school and the cheerleaders yelling for her. The marching band started to play the chorus of 24 Hours.
"Is that your song?" Kat asked with a smile in her voice.
"Oh my God. Kat, they're playing my song on tubas," Jude said hiding her face from the people in front of her.
"Okay everybody give us a big Instant Star smile," her principle said as he walked up and put his arm around her as they posed for a picture. "Congratulations Jude. We are really proud of you," he said handing her a dozen yellow roses.
"I haven't seen anything this dorky since the chess club's strawberry social," said Jamie from behind her. "Hey, let's ditch this. There's something I wanted to talk to you about," he said looking at her, but she was to busy looking down behind the band.
"Uh hold on. I'll be right back," she says running down the stairs and behind the band. "What are you doing here?"
"G got you a gig at the Vinyl Place for Friday night. So that gives us just two days to get a new song. Get in," he said nodding to his Viper.
"Where are we going?" she asked tossing her bag in the little space behind the seat.
"Somewhere where you can't run out on me this time," he said walking around to her side of the car to open the door for her. "Come on."
"Uh hold on one second. I gotta take care of something," she said before running over to Sadie who was taking a drink from her water bottle. "Sade, do you think you can get Steph for me. Tommy and I have to work on my song."
"No can do. I have a date," Sadie said turning to walk away.
"Sade, please. I really need you to do this for me," she called after her.
"Look, just because you won this stupid contest, doesn't mean you can push your daughter off on other people. I am not your live in babysitter," she said glaring at her before storming away.
"Ugh!" Jude said running a hand though her hair. She ran back up the steps to catch Kat just as she was about to walk though the front doors. "Kat, wait a sec. I know this is totally last second and if you can't it's totally cool," Jude started rambling.
"Jude, what's going on?" Kat asked confused.
"Do you think you can pick Steph up and keep her until my parents get home or until I get done? I have a show on Friday and have to get my song done with Tommy. I asked Sadie but she's being her selfish self and won't do it for me," Jude said looking at her best friend.
"Hey, time with my little girl and I don't have to work on the chem paper. Hell Yeah," she said smiling at Jude.
"Thanks so much Kat. My parents should be home by 6:30 if I'm not back by then," Jude said hugging the shorter girl. "I owe you huge," she said before she jogged back down the steps and got into the car with Tommy.
"That's your tenth chord change, but you haven't touched the lyrics," Tommy said two hours later. Jude was sitting on top of a panic table with Tommy across from her leaning on his Viper.
"I just want it to be perfect. I'm on a time line. Kurt Cobain wrote his masterpiece at 24. I'm 15." She told him as he got off of the car.
"I guess that only gives me a year then, he said walking up to her. "Do you always do things in such a hurry?" he asked sarcastically.
"I just want it to be right."
"Do you want it to be right? Or right now?"
"Haha. You're hilarious," she said rolling her eyes at him.
"Look. The chords you want, they're in there, but you keep scaring them away. You gotta coax them out," he said, placing his arms around her so they both could play.
Neither of them noticed the car that was parked across the street. Or the person inside the car taking pictures and jotting down notes in his pen pad.
"Sadie!! Can you please stop taking my boots?" Jude yelled as she walked down her stairs a day later. "What is this, an intervention?" she asked as she comes face to face with both her parents and her sister.
"Tom Quincy gets up close and personal with Instant Star winner, Jude Harrison," Sadie read in a smug voice as she turned the tabloid to show Jude pictures from the afternoon before.
"I'm in Talk National? No way!" Jude said as she took the article from Sadie to look over it. "That's awesome!" she said, only to have her parents looking at her disapprovingly. "Wait, you guys don't think-"
"Honey, if Tommy did anything, you need to tell us," her mom said, pulling Jude's thoughts away from the magazine.
"Oh my god. You guys know nothing happened," Jude said closing the tabloid.
"So he didn't touch you?"
"Ew. No mom. Gross."
"I tried to tell them that. I mean, why would Tommy be into some fifteen year old, that already has her hands full." Sadie said smirking at her. She took off Jude's boots and stood up only to walk over and shove them in Jude's arms. "I mean, soon enough he's gonna find out about Steph. And what a big slut you are," she whispered into her little sister's ear. "I have an early practice so you're stuck walking. Bye you guys," she said as she walked out the front door.
Jude looked down and closed her eyes to keep from crying. Sadie treats her like dirt all the time, but it still hurts.
"You know I don't like this situation at all. I'm calling Georgia right now," her mom said pulling Jude back to reality.
"No you're not. This is Jude's shot and I'm not going to let you ruin it. It's too important," her dad fired back.
"To who Stuart? To you or to Jude? You know I'm not really sure who this is more important to."
"To Jude!"
"Ugh!" Jude screamed as she turned on her heels and stormed out of the house.
Jude walked down her school hallway with people whispering all around her. Every now and then some would look up from their copy of Talk National and point at her. She rolled her eyes at the site of her locker that was covered in pictures. She just ripped them off and opened her locker. Once she threw the copies in the bottom, she started to get her books for her classes.
"So no truth to this, right?" Kat asked, leaning against the locker next to Jude's.
"No," Jude said, closing her locker then leaning against it.
"Too bad. You and Tommy would sooo cute together."
"You really think so?"
"Oh my God! You like him."
"Kat!! Shhhhhh. I can't like this guy. He's from a nineties boy band," she said hitting her head on her locker.
"Jude, stop that." She didn't stop. "Jude? Hey!" She grabbed her head and turned her around to face her. "The man is an Orlando Bloom sundae smothered in Johnny Depp sauce. So no one can blame you!"
"So what's he like?" Kat asked later that day as they sat down for lunch.
"I dunno. I mean, he's so not what I thought he would be," Jude said opening the bag of Ruffle chips. It was a tradition they started last year. One week Jude would bring the chips and Kat would bring two twenty ounces of Coke for the two of them every day for a week and then they would switch off the next.
"What do you mean?" Kat asked after she swallowed her drink.
"Well, he knows music. And I'm not talking the pop crap he used to do. I think he knows more about Green Day then I do," Jude said, grabbing a chip.
"Wow, that's saying something."
"I know, right? And he's really cool. I mean when we were on the dock we just talked for what seemed like hours. And he really helped my song."
"So any chemistry?"
"Chemistry what?" Jamie asked as he walked up behind them and stole a chip. Jude turned to Kat and sent her a "shut up, don't say anything" look.
"Nothing. Forget it. What do want Andrews? This is the one period we don't have to put up with you," Kat said smirking at him.
"I was wondering if I could talk to Jude," he said looking at her. "Alone."
"Sure. I gotta talk to Miss H anyway. See you next period, Kat," she said as her and Jamie walked out into the hall. "Oh, before I forget," Jude said digging in her bag and pulling out her hand a few seconds later. "Here. It's a ticket for tonight. I'm playing at the Vinyl Palace. Pretty cool, eh?"
"Yeah, that's great. But I wanted to talk to you about something," he said slowly.
"Well what is it? Spit it out."
"About us and a transaction. To something more." he said to see a not so happy look on her face. Once he sees her reaction he back tracks. "But you don't, so never mind. Just please tell me you didn't rewrite the lyrics?" he says and she looks at the ground with guilt covering her face. "Jude, you didn't rewrite the lyrics? Not with Little Tommy Q."
"Jamie, he's grown as an artist."
"But it's our song."
"It's not our song. It's my song. And the old lyrics had to go."
"Yeah. Just like me."
"So are you ready to do this Jude?" Kat asked later that night from her spot on the floor where she was playing with Steph. Jude sat in her dressing room with Stephanie, Georgia, EJ, and Kat.
"Is it to late to cancel?" Jude asked turning to EJ.
"Yeah. Look, what calms you down the most before you perform?" Georgia asked from her spot on the couch. Both Jude and Kat turn to look at Stephanie.
"Okay so," EJ said walking over to the little girl as she picked her up. "Hold her, spend a few minutes with just her," she said walking back over to Jude to hand her her daughter "and then go out the and knock em dead."
"I'll be back to get her in a few Jude." Kat says walking out with the two older women.
"What has Mommy gotten herself into baby girl?" Jude asked her daughter quietly.
"Talking to a little girl, never saw a musician handle stress that way," a voice heard from the door. Jude turned to see Tommy leaning against the doorframe.
"Yeah well, this little girl has been though it all with me, and she's still my biggest fan and my biggest inspiration," Jude said smiling at her daughter.
"You brought a girl you baby-sit to your gig?" Tommy asked sitting in front of Jude on the table that was placed in the room.
"God I really didn't want to tell you this so soon," Jude whispered, looking down.
"What, that you baby-sit on the side? It's no big deal, but I hope you know EJ won't let this slide all the time," he says playing with Steph's hands, causing her to giggle.
"She's gonna have to," Jude said looking at him.
"Yeah, good luck getting her to say okay. Although this little girl sure is pretty," Tommy said looking from Steph to Jude. "She almost could pass as your sister or daughter if you had blonde hair."
"I would hope so."
"What do you mean?" Tommy asked letting go of Steph's hands. The little girl yawned and buried her face in Jude's neck.
"Stephanie, baby, you can't go to sleep yet. Come on baby girl wake up," Jude said bouncing her up and down.
"Wow. You're really good with her. I hope her parents pay you good," Tommy said smiling at the pair.
"I can't pay myself Tommy," Jude said quietly.
"What?" He heard, but he wasn't sure he heard correctly..
"Tommy, she's... This is my daughter, Stephanie. She's two," she said looking up and into his eyes.
"Oh my God. Wow, um..." he stuttered.
"Look, I know you didn't sign up to look after a fifteen year old and a two year old. But you won't have to worry about her. I already set things up with my parents for when I have to record. She won't get in your way, I promise."
"Hey, I'm not worried about that. I mean, I've never really been around kids so it's gonna take some getting use to, but it can't be that bad. You've seem to have done a great job with her the past two years."
"Yeah, well she's a great kid," Jude said kissing Steph's forehead.
"Uh Jude," Kat said from the doorway. "Your parents are here. And here's the new lyrics you had your dad print off for you. You want me to take Steph?" she said walking into the room and handing Jude the paper.
"Thanks Kat, and yeah. Okay baby girl, I'll see you afterwards. Have fun with Kat and be good okay?"
"Okay Mommy. Good luck!" Steph said as she leaned over to leave Jude a sloppy kiss on her cheek. "Love you."
"Love you too baby girl," Jude said waving as Kat left the room with Steph in her arms. "Oh here are the new lyrics." He looked them over for a minute.
"These are really good. So you think you're ready?" he asked, leaning next to her on the vanity.
"Jude, you gotta get out there," EJ said knocking on the door.
"Be right there." Jude called out to her as she turned to Tommy. "Guess I have to be."
"You'll be great. Don't worry about it," he said looking into her eyes and pulling her into a hug.
"Jude! NOW!"
"I'm coming!" she yelled back. She went to pull away from Tommy but he leaned down to kiss her temple before she could.
"Knock em' dead superstar," he whispered in her ear.
"Everyone give it up for the first ever Instant Star, Jude Harrison!!" the MC yelled into his microphone as Jude and the band walked out on the stage. The music started and soon Jude was singing with it.
"I've been sitting in the dirt (for 24 hours)
I've forgotten what I'm worth (for 24 hours)
Said that you'd be here last night
I'm trying to shake you from my skin (for 48 hours)
Clean up this mess i've been put in (for 48 hours)
I'm guessing you can't always win
I'm guessing you can't always win"
"So you still think she's not our girl?" Georgia asked EJ from the front of the audience. EJ looked around at the audience enjoying Jude's song and then turned to Georgia with a "Shut up. You're always right" smile. Georgia just laughed and put her arm around the shorter girl.
"I can't have anything I want
They say I'm just too young
But it's not my fault
I'll find my own way home if I gotta
I'll make it all alone if I gotta
I'm not so trustful with my friends
I'm on the road alone again
I guess im tired of giving in"
"Just couldn't stay away could you?" Tommy asked Jamie after he saw him walk in. "Look at her, man. She was born to do this."
"While you were shaking your butt in your little boy band, Jude and I were locked in her bedroom writing songs that could change the world. So.. shove it!" Jamie yelled at him over the music.
"Does that look like her bedroom to you?"
"I'm sick of wishing you were near
You've gone your way, you've made it clear
Why do I feel you everywhere?
Why do I feel this everywhere?
I can't have anything I want
They say I'm just too young
But it's not my fault
I'll find my own way home if I gotta
I'll make it all alone if I gotta
Don't wanna spend my time
Watching the world go by
I think I'd rather die And I don't got a plan
Don't wanna justify
To stay where I stand
Something I won't deny
I can't have anything I want
They say I'm just too young
But it's not my fault
I'll find my own way home if I gotta
I'll make it all alone if I gotta
I can't have anything I want
They say I'm just too young
But it's not my fault
I'll find my own way home if I gotta
I'll make it all alone
24 hours."
"Jude, you were great. You tore the roof off!" Tommy told her once she was done and walking through the audience.
"Thanks. But I quit," she said as she shoved the guitar into his hands and walks over to Kat. He turned just in time to see her take a giddy Stephanie into her arms, kiss her forehead and walk backstage.
A few hours later that night, Jude and Stephanie were sitting on the front steps together It was their nightly tradition. She would give Steph a bath, get her ready for bed, braid her hair, go sit out side and look at the stars, tell her a bed time story and then lights out.
"Look at that one Mommy, it's so big," Steph said, pointing up to one of the million stars above them.
"Yeah it is baby," she said when she heard a car coming up the street. A blue viper stops in front of her house.
"Don't quit," Tommy says walking up to them.
"Are you gonna make me change all of my songs?"
"Look, I hated when I had to change my first song too. But working on a song, it's like falling in love. At first it's a rush, but sometimes it gets painful and you gotta walk away. But sometimes you come out of it with something beautiful, like that song." He held out his hand with a CD in it to her. "Just listen to it. Don't quit. Cause you're it girl. You're the real thing. You're even better," he said sincerely before turning back to his car. "Studio, Monday morning. Be there at 9."
"Bye Tommy," Jude said with a smile.
"Bye Jude. Bye Stephanie."
"Bye Tommy," Steph said smiling. She yawned. "I'm tired Mommy."
"I'll see you on Monday, Tommy. I gotta get her to bed," she said standing up and placing Stephanie on her hip.
"Okay. Night girls," he said. And he drove off as the two girls walked into their house.
