Even the most thick sound proof walls couldn't muffle the yelling that had come from Studio A for about a week now. Things between Tommy and Jude just escalated over time, and it didn't seem to get better in time. Darius, the owner of G-Major records, gave up hope of making them work together. He couldn't change Jude's producer because she worked the best with Tommy, not only that but they had already tried that, and she just went running back. Darius just sat back and hoped things would get better.
It always started out as innocent bickering with hostile undertones. The chord variation isn't right, very quickly heated up and became, you liar, or you're too selfish to ever let anyone else in. In other words, work turned to personal issues.
Jude was 17 and obviously was in love with Tommy, and Tommy of coarse her senior of 7 years, as much as he wanted to deny it, loved her back. The truth was that he was scared. Tommy also had quite a record with both ladies and bars.
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"Why cant you just do what I tell you?!" Tommy yelled heatedly getting up from his chair to yell into the microphone.
"Why don't you just admit how you really feel?!" Jude screamed back. Luckily the studios were soundproof, and Kwest knew just when to get out of the room.
"Fine I FEEL you should sing it again!" Tommy yelled full angry squint on his face now.
Jude scoffed, "Nice cover, come up with that all by yourself?!" she screamed biting her lip in frustration.
" What do you know? You're a stubborn 17 year old kid!" he retaliated.
"At least I'm a 17 year old kid who's not afraid of my own feelings!" Kwest walked in as Jude yelled this.
"Are you guys almost done?" he said.
"NO!" They screamed back in unison.
Jude looked at Tommy with daggers, "Just get back to the song!" he exploded.
"Not until you tell me the truth Tommy!" she screamed back.
He rolled his eyes, "I did! We cant do this!" He motioned between them, "Get back to the song!"
"I think you're scared, I think that you've never loved anyone before, at least not like this. I know you know we have something between us, why cant you just admit it!"
Tommy froze. He didn't scream back instead, very calmy he said, "Jude, can you please just sing the song."
"I can't, maybe tomorrow." were her final words. She stormed out of the studio without looking back.
"She's going to give me grey hair." Tommy said sitting down and leaning back.
Kwest sat down next to him, "I think she's right."
Tommy shot Kwest a death look, "She's 17 man, would it matter if she were right? I still cant have her."
"She's 18 next week Tom, there is nothing in your way. Everyone knows you should be together. Even D doesn't doubt it anymore." Kwest said in a mellow tone.
"I need a drink." Tommy said headed out of the studio. Kwest rolled his eyes at his best friend.
Tommy walked out into his car, this was insane, even if he wanted to tell Jude the truth how could he do it? She just stormed out on him, and he basically denied that he wanted her, that he liked her, loved her. But he did. Sad truth was Tom Quincy was in love with Jude Harrison. He had to admit she was wise beyond her years. Tommy drove until he found a bar that was remotely close to somewhere he could walk.
* * * * * * * * * * * * *
Jude fell asleep on her couch cradling her journal her guitar underneath her as she lay on the couch pen next to her head. The was a loud knocking at the door and Jude slowly woke up to the sound of the pounding. She stumbled, her eyelids drooping, going as fast as she could given her sluggish pace. The person knocked obnoxiously loud again. She squinted her eyes from the loud noise when she was right next to the door, she opened it, and saw Tommy barely keeping balance, slouched against the door frame.
"Tommy? What are you doing here?" Jude said with a scratchy voice, "Its 2 in the morning."
"I, I got lost. Sorry, I would, would've been here earlier." he said working harder than he ever had to get the words out.
She let out a disgruntled breath, "Come on." She said grabbing his arm and pulling him in and closing the door behind them, "Sit." She placed him on the couch."
She went into the kitchen grabbed some aspirin and a glass of water, when she came back in Tommy was on his side, with his eyelids slowly closing, "Oh no you don't, if you fall asleep you could go into a coma. Here drink this." She handed him the glass when he got upright.
"Jude, you're too nice." he said drinking the water, slightly missing it trickled down the sides his mouth.
Jude shook her head at him, she sat down next to him, "What am I gonna do with you Quincy?"
"Hmm." he hummed in a low tone, leaning slightly against Jude due to his disorientation. He slurped more water. Jude laughed at him, drunk people had always been comical to her, "Don't laugh at me." he said slightly sleepily.
He finally finished the water a half an hour later he slammed it on the table, not making enough noise to wake Sadie, the only other person in the house, "You are so smart Jude."
"If I were smart, I would get more than 6% in math." He laughed loudly at her comment.
"No Jude, you know how to read people. You see right though me." he said laying down and shutting his eyes, this time Jude didn't stop him.
"Tommy you're drunk, you don't know what you're saying." Jude said finally pulling him up.
"I do know, I know Jude, I'm not smart but I know, and what I know is that, that I love you." he admitted looking her straight in the eye.
"If only you meant it." Jude said under her breath.
"I wanna sleep here."
Jude laughed, "Like I would let you drive anywhere else."
He laid down, "Jude I mean it, I love you." he said finally drifting off.
Jude kissed Tommy on the forehead, "Goodnight."
Jude didn't make her way upstairs she just watched Tommy sleep. He didn't move at all. Soon she fell asleep leaning into him on the outside of the couch, his heavy arm craped over her waist, and his heavy scotch stained breathe blowing into her hair.
Jude woke up on the couch the next morning at around 11. She woke up on the couch alone. Jude wiped her eyes and saw a note on the table, Jude, meet me in the studio whenever you wake up. P.S. I took your asprin, I hope you don't mind.
Jude laughed slightly, ran upstairs to get dressed and ran out to her mustang. She didn't know why, but she was eager to see Tommy, maybe now she thought she had something over his head. She walked into the studio with a huge smile plastered on her face.
"Jude, studio C." Sadie said from the receptionist desk.
Jude nodded in her direction, Studio C? The cramped studio with walls that weren't even sound proofed? Why? Jude walked into the studio and saw a bouquet of flowers. They were exquisite, she looked for a card and finally found one.
A drunken mind, speaks a sober heart.
-T
Jude smiled at the card, "Thought you would like them." Tommy said from the doorway. He walked in all the way closing the door behind him. Jude just smiled at him, "I woke up with the worst head ache this morning." he said is almost above a whisper.
"I figured as much, are you sure you're still not a little delusional?" He laughed at her.
He grabbed her hands lovingly, "All sober, I promise."
Jude smiled and looked down, "So what does that mean?" she asked.
"Well I thought it meant, I love you girl." he said.
Jude looked at him staring into his eyes trying to find the fear, the regret, or even a lie, "You mean it." it was meant to be a question, but it came out as a truth.
He smiled and nodded.
"I love you too." she whispered.
He smiled sweetly at her, and brought his hand from hers to the back of her head, he rustled her hair as he gripped it. Then he crashed his lips into her. Jude immediately snaked her hands around his neck kissing him back with fire. All the refrained emotion from the fights in the past year spilled into one kiss that was angry, hungry and passionate.
She finally pulled away, "You're not going to make me take that back are you?"
"I don't think I could." Tommy replied with a smile. This time she pulled him to her, when they pulled apart Tommy said, "I think I could get used to the taste of your lips though."
She smiled, Tommy took her hands again, "I love you girl."
"I love you too." She rested her forehead on his, "Always and always."
He smiled, "Hmm. Wanna work on that song?"
"You never give up do you Quincy?" I asked.
"Not a chance Harrison." he smiled, and lead her out of the studio. When they walked out they saw a crowd around the door.
Everyone started clapping and howling, Darius was even there, right in the front, "Finally, one more day and I would have lost big money." he said walking back to his office.
Kwest went up to Tommy, "Congrats man, sure did take you long enough though."
"Kwest is right you know." Jude said from behind.
Tommy rolled his eyes, " I think you two just pick each other's sides to make me angry." Jude kissed his cheek from behind.
"How could I conspire against you?"
"You cant, I'm just too damn adorable." Tommy said turning around and lightly grasping her waist as he kissed her slowly. Kwest rolled his eyes, gave a heavy sigh that said he didn't want to be there and walked away.