Summary: This is Instant Star meets Mansfield Park. The story is not set in the 1800's and the characters do not have British accents, unfortunately (although there is a French dude…yay!). I've pretty much taken the basic outline of the popular novel by Jane Austen and twisted it so that it fits in the world of our favorite characters. New characters are introduced as well.
So, basically, Jude meets Tommy when she is 10 years old when she is forced to live with her aunt and uncle after her parents are incriminated for operating a meth lab (a bit extreme, I know, but it's better that way). Their friendship endures through thick and thin. Tommy gets a job as a music producer and ropes Jude into working with him later on. Life seems peachy until the arrival of two important persons who are bent on changing everything and everyone.
Disclaimer: I am not the rightful owner of Instant Star nor, sadly, Mansfield Park, the second best novel by Jane Austen (Pride and Prejudice the obvious predecessor).
Chapter 1: Fragments
(Note: These are not all of the journal entries Jude would have hypothetically written…b/c that would take up too much unnecessary time. Instead, I included the most important ones that encompass her and her situation.)
April 2, 1997
I'm scared and lonely. My mom told me that writing down how I feel would make me less sad. I don't think it's working though. I miss my mom and dad. But I can't see them because policemen took them away from me and said I had to live with my aunt and uncle in Canada. I don't know them well. I don't think they like me much. What did I do wrong? They always say my mom and dad are bad people. Why? I don't like being alone.
April 5, 1997
Canada isn't so bad anymore. I made a friend today. His name is Tommy. He's a little older than me but really nice. It's like having a big brother. His house is near my aunt and uncle's house. He said I can come over and play whenever I want. I hope we're friends forever.
May 25, 1997
Tommy knows why my mom and dad are in jail. He told me they made drugs for other people to buy. That is probably why dad told me to never go in his garage. He didn't want me to know. I'm sad my mom and dad did this. Tommy makes me happy though.
September 9, 1997
Mom and dad are leaving jail soon. This lady came by and said I can either stay here in Canada or go back to live with mom and dad. I kind of miss them and my cousin Sadie is mean to me. But if I go I can't see Tommy anymore. Aunt Susan is being nicer to me. I think she is afraid I might make drugs if I go back to live with mom and dad. She wants me to stay. I don't know though.
September 29, 1997
I was at a court yesterday. A judge asked me if I wanted to live with mom and dad or stay with Aunt Susan and Uncle Henry. I told them Aunt Susan and Uncle Henry. Mommy cried and it made me really sad. The judge said they can still visit me if I wanted them to. That will make her happy again. Next week Tommy's mom and dad are taking me to a baseball game for my birthday. I can't wait.
April 23, 2003
Wow. Where do I begin? I was doing my 'spring cleaning' because, well, I don't ever clean and my aunt said my room looked like a lost and found museum. It was for this reason that I am reunited with my journal once again. I haven't written in it in years. My 10 year-old self kind of sounds illiterate. Maybe I was. Anyway, I've decided that it would be a good idea to start this up again, not really to vent my feelings, but keep tabs on my life so I can look back on it in the future.
I noticed that the day I met Tommy I wrote down that I hoped we would be friends forever. It hasn't necessarily been forever, but it has been a little over six years and I still can't picture my life without Tommy. He is, without a doubt, the Ace of Spades.
Sadly, I have to leave you now because Tommy's picking me up so we can throw water balloons at Sadie and her crew of fake blondes while they lay out in the park. I don't know why they're so obsessed with tanning. Impressing brainless musclemen is not worth the risk of skin cancer in my opinion.
Shit, he's here. I'm out. Peace.
May 12, 2003
I feel like I should name you. I'm writing to someone that technically doesn't exist, so giving you a name would make you cooler, and, possibly, more realistic. Well, if I could be friends with any TV character, it would be Wembley from Fraggle Rock because he's zany and knows how to make life's usual problems seem miniscule. Therefore, I hereby dub you Wembley. Don't laugh. I know it's dorky but you'll get used to it. Pretty soon, you'll love being called Wembley.
So, I realized that I haven't told you much about myself. You know all about my 'past complications' but nothing about my personality other than the fact that I like to torture Sadie, considering she is undoubtedly the spawn of Satan. For starters, I love music. It knows how to lift my spirits and inspire things in me that nothing else can. I also like watching old movies. Film isn't nearly as good nowadays as it used to be, even though we now have amazing technological capabilities. I think that's the problem. We rely too much on special effects, ignoring what movies are really supposed to represent, the versatility of humanity.
This entry is getting too long. I'll tell you more about me later. Toodles, Wembley!
July 1, 2005
Tommy got a job at this record company called G-Major. He's going to be a hotshot music producer. I'm so proud of him. He hates it when I tell him that, though. He says it reminds him of this music recital Laurie, his mother, made him perform in when he was 11. All she kept saying was how proud she was that he was her son. Now that he's told me that story, I continually proclaim my pride for him and pinch his cheeks. Sometimes I can't help myself. The guy's an easy target for embarrassment, and I swing at every pitch I get.
On a serious note, I am happy for him because this is his dream job. He is absolutely perfect for this sort of thing too. Maybe that's why we both get along so well. We both have an attuned ear for finding that extra special ingredient that makes a song great. Now he'll be able to create his own syncopated recipe for quality sound. He will do great things. I just know it.
October 4, 2005
Fun fact time! On this day, 35 years ago, Janis Joplin died of a drug overdose. Hm, that's not a downer. However, 13 years before that, Russia first launched Sputnik 1 into orbit, and the U.S. gave us a new TV comedy to cherish, Leave it to Beaver. Overall, October 4th has some rich history. Today also happens to be my 19th birthday, and I don't at all mind sharing it with Charlton Heston and Buster Keaton.
I know you didn't get me anything Wem, but I forgive you considering the fact that you're a figment of my imagination. Tommy, on the other hand, has made big plans for me on this momentous day. As long as it doesn't involve getting me stupendously drunk and marrying me off to a foreigner so he can keep his green card, it should be a fun time.
May 19, 2008
Goodbye Yellow Brick Road! Goodbye studying for tests on material that have little potential in being useful in my future career! Goodbye snobby professors and, sadly, the good ones as well.
Don't get me wrong, Wembley, college had its moments of amusement and tomfoolery, but I have never been happier to say goodbye to anyone (unless we're counting the half-hearted goodbye I said to Sadie when she went on a 3 month trip to Mexico last year).
Tommy told me he has a special graduation present for me. I swear to God, if he gives me porn again I will consider pawning him off for a new best friend.
May 20, 2008
Wembs, fantabulous news: Tommy got me a job!! I am still speechless about it, hence why I thought writing it to you might be an easier feat. And it's not just any job. I get to work at G-Major with him! Granted, it is only an assistant position, but at least it's something, and, if I remain confident and determined, I can work my way up on the occupation ladder. I'm gonna pee in my pants I'm so excited! (Don't worry, Wembley, I won't. That's just gross)
Honestly, though, things are really starting to look up for me and I couldn't be happier.
