Chapter One
"Don't sit there and tell me I'm not doing my job! You are the one who comes prancing in here any time he likes and expects everything to run smoothly! Other people rely on you!" Jude yelled furiously at Tommy who stood on the other side of the sound booth.
Tommy slowly stood up, pressed the button so he would be heard on the other side and said, "Can you just start from the top?"
"Are you serious? You spend all your time with Karma and now in the 5 minutes you try and give me, all you tell me is to start from the top?" Jude threw off her headphones. "I can't believe I thought that we would be a great team. I do this every time. YOU do this every time."
Tommy sat in his chair, seemingly unfazed by Jude's ranting.
"You know what Tommy. I would much rather do this on my own." Jude left the sound booth and raced towards the bathroom.
How could I have been so dumb, so blind? I should have known that Karma was just here to ruin me. She took everything! My studio, producer, friends, boyfriends...Is this it?
Jude sat on a toilet and began to cry.
"Hello? Are you ok?" Someone on the other side asked and knocked on the door.
"I'm fine," Jude said through broken tears, "just leave me alone."
"Sorry, I thought I could help."
Jude threw the door open, "You want to help me? Can you go back in time? Or how about knock someone off for me? Oh...or maybe get the police to take someone away, for a REALLY LONG TIME. Can you do any of that? No? I didn't think so."
"Hi. I'm Andrea." She smiled and held out her small hand for Jude to shake. Andrea was no taller than 5 feet with shoulder length brown hair and green eyes. She was petite in frame and had a perfect smile and gorgeous light brown skin.
"Are you serious?" Jude was stunned. "Who are you?"
"Andrea. But I'm Darius' new assistant. I make things happen."
Jude shook her head and then went ahead and shook Andrea's hand. "So what does that mean?"
"I just make things happen." Andrea winked and left the bathroom.
Did she come in here to use the restroom or just talk to me? Jude pondered.
Outside, Jude was trying to get her thoughts together about what to do next. She still needed to finish her third album and if she couldn't get the help she wanted she was going to do it herself.
"Harrison..."
Jude smiled at the sing-song voice she had grown to love. Spiederman always knew how to make her feel better. He made her forget about the tough side of life. Work, deadlines, and obligations were all pushed aside when they were together. "Hey."
Spiederman pulled her into a warm hug and she didn't let him go. "Getting a little friendly again now are we?" He gave her a devilish grin and Jude pushed him away playfully.
"I'm having a rough day." Jude grumbled.
"The day has just begun! It's 10am!! What possibly could have gone wrong this early?"
"Tommy."
"Well he's always been wrong." Spiederman looked up at Jude longingly. Her attention was on the ground. "Jude..." he wanted to tell her so many things, but he couldn't muster up the courage to do it just yet.
"Yea?"
"Jude, you need some inspiration?"
"What do you have for me?" Jude began to smile. She was thinking something illegal was about to take place.
"Let's go somewhere. You can write away from work for one day." Spied grabbed her hand and they raced out into the street and into the subway station.
Holding hands on the train, Jude finally asked, "Where are we going?"
"It's a surprise. Just chill." Spied squeezed her hand and lead her to a window seat in the front of the cab.
Jude stared out the window at the scenery. It was beautiful. Outside the city, there were trees and flowers and life. Fresh, new, life. She was already breathing a little easier. She turned to Spied to already find him looking at her.
Jude couldn't help but grin. She still had a tiny crush on him. She didn't think it would ever go away. "Can you tell me now?"
"My parents used to bring my brother and me out here so we wouldn't wreck the house on weekends. It's all open fields and hills. You'll like it."
"I'm sure." She placed her head on his shoulder. It felt nice and she closed her eyes.
"Keep you eyes closed," Spied told her as he led the way.
Jude did so and walked blindly behind him. "Something smells..." Jude scrunched her nose.
"Excuse me I farted." They both laughed playfully when he finally said, "Ok, open them."
Jude opened her eyes to an immense barn house. It had to be three stories and they stood in the middle with hay and mangers. She raced towards Spied and jumped on his back, "It's beautiful!! I can't believe you were hiding this from Me."
"Hey! Hey! Hey!" He took her around the barn on his back and dropped her on a pile of hay, "I don't take EVERYONE here."
"Really? Just your lov-ahs?" Jude posed atop the hay.
"Are you one of my lov-ahs?"
"You wish!" As she did another pose, Spied began to tickle her. "Ok! OK! Stop! You brought me here to work right?"
"Yeah," he helped her up and walked outside the barn. "Follow me."
Spied led her to a grassy knoll shaded by a willow tree. "I really like it here."
"I'm glad you do. You deserve a day off. You have been working really hard."
"Thanks." Jude smiled genuinely and looked out at the beautiful scenery surrounding her. "Spied, I don't think I've ever told you but I consider you one of my best friends. You really just understand me and mostly, I think you are the only one who hasn't hurt me."
Spiederman picked at a flower next to him. "I love you, Jude. I just...I want to be there whenever you need me."
"You seem to always show up." Jude giggled and playfully tapped him but Spied didn't crack. "What's wrong?"
"I need to tell you something."
Thinking that he was going to ask her out, which she wasn't ready for, she said, "No. Don't say anything okay?" He continued to pick at the flower nervously.
Spiederman wanted to be the knight in shining armor that Jude was making him out to be but truthfully, he had made a mistake that he wasn't so sure she would forgive.
After strumming her guitar and humming a tune not yet finished, she spoke up again, "My life is completely in shambles right now. I don't even know where it started. I mean, it seems if I haven't let someone down then they have let me down or betrayed me somehow."
"Jude--"
"Spied, I'm so stupid when it comes to some things, you know? Sadie, she is forever out to get me. Jamie barely has time for me anymore now that he is with Patsy. Darius is always on my back about something dumb I've done and Tommy...Tommy is just a mess of things." Jude's eyes filed tears and she looked up at Spied. "You know...I thought I was in love. When sometimes, real love is staring you in the face."
They both stared at each other. Spied wiped the tears that had fallen from her eyes and drew her in. He saw this time, Jude wasn't about to turn away. With the long pause, Jude grew uncomfortable and rejected.
"I'm sorry," she said and began fiddling with her guitar again. Just then her phone rang. "Hey, D."
Jude had gotten up from her spot during her conversation and now stood back in front of Spied. "I think I got something, listen."
So many people, so many wants
So many choices, too many thoughts
I think I'd run away, but I'd rather not
How can you tell me you don't care?
We've been through the hard part
We've conquered the storm
Now I'm ready for action
And you're sayin that you're gone?
I wear my heart on my sleeve
See who takes advantage of me
Come take a look and see
I'm just askin for it
I'm so easily caught
But I'm not easily bought
Everyone knows already
I'm askin for it
"Jude, please can I talk to you?" Spiederman begged.
"Vincent, I really need to get back." She only called him by his first name when she was upset.
"Jude, please."
Jude began walking and didn't turn back. She thought about how dumb she must have looked just then. Spied was smart not to have kissed her, if that was her, she wouldn't have kissed herself either. After she outright told him what a wreck she was. Jude heard him calling for her but she kept walking, mostly because she didn't want him to see her crying...again.