Background: Tom is a 27 year old married man living across from 16 year old Jude. Boyz Attack never existed and neither did Instant Star.
Chapter One: It's a Cold and it's a Broken Hallelujah
Jude Harrison lay sprawled out on her roof wrapped up in an oversized navy winter jacket. Most would consider it too freezing to enjoy, but as her eyes gazed towards the full moon she couldn't think of a more beautiful and peaceful moment. Her nose was bright red from the chill and her golden hair slowly being consumed by the minuscule snowflakes falling from above, but she didn't mind. It was nearing midnight, marking the first day of her official Christmas break. She smiled at the thought of not having to worry about high school for three weeks, but that faded vastly as her head fell to the side where her eyes landed on HIS house; Jamie Andrews' house. She could escape him from school all she wanted for the next three weeks, but she could not escape her home that he unfortunately lived next too. She could see his outline dance through the white shades and she could see HER as well join in, Kat Williams. A tear slid down her cheeks with a sniffle as she casted her eyes back to the moon in its greatness. Her best friends had betrayed her. Kat knew Jude was hopelessly in love with Jamie, and he knew that too. Yet there they are dancing merrily inside that window.
Jude took a deep breath trying to refocus her thoughts when she heard a yelling couple from across the street. She sat up, slightly interested, wondering who was having an equally awful night. She knew not much of the neighborly couple besides the fact that they fought often. Jude watched as the brunette, who she for certain knew was Rachel, throw her husband's clothes on to the snow filled lawn. Jude's eyes widened, Tom's clothes were everywhere, that was the husband's name she thought to herself. His arms were flailing in the air as he frantically paced the front yard. All Jude could hear was the muffled screams of a clearly broken marriage followed by a door slam. She watched as Tom solemnly began to pick up his disregarded clothes and gather them into his black jeep wrangler.
Feeling watched Tom's head peered across from him and then up to see her just sitting there watching, the neighbor's daughter. For the life of him he could not remember her name, but he also could not remember when she had gotten so – beautiful – maybe it was just the moonlight getting to him.
Jude, being caught, shyly waved and Tom tried returning the favor but she made her way back through the window already.
Tom shook it off as he finished gathering his items. He finally sat in the front seat of his car blasting the heat and frustratingly running his hands through his – unsurprisingly – gelled hair. Where was he to go? He moved in with his girlfriend of ten years on a whim. All of his family was back in the states, Montana to be exact, his and his "high school sweetheart's" hometown. Suddenly pulled from his thoughts by a knock on his window, Tom eagerly begins to roll it down thinking the clouded figure could possibly be Rachel Quincy – his high school girlfriend turned wife as of recently.
Jude bit her lip as his window rolled down before her, she could tell he was disappointed at who was disturbing him.
Nervously, with sweaty palms, Jude spoke – " , you can't possibly sleep in your car."
He went to respond, but shut his mouth instantly knowing she was right; he couldn't. "Oh I'm not, the Mrs.'s just needs a break ya know the holidays stress-"
Tom stopped speaking when Jude's eyes rolled – she saw the scene; the scene that replayed once a week. "We have a guest room Mr. Quincy; I'm sure my dad won't mind. He's newly divor-" she stopped herself, she didn't want to jump to conclusions.
Tom knew what the girl had wanted to say, but tried to smile so the uncomfortableness level would vanish. "You can call me Tommy, Mr. Quincy makes me sound so old." Jude looked up from her feet with a grin knowing she hadn't crossed any boundaries he was not already aware of. "But I could probably find a hotel or something, I wouldn't want to intrude. You barely know me let alone your family."
Jude shoved her hand through the window offering it for a shake. "My name is Jude, and you wouldn't be intruding. It's just me and my dad and we get lonely." She shrugged, Jude could see the broken heart inside of Tom, the same one shared by not only herself, but her father. "Surely you won't find a hotel this late and it's snowing pretty bad-"
Listening he had known she was right, besides Rachel would take him back tomorrow – right? "Fine Jude," he nodded towards her to show he had picked up on her name, "I'll take the guest room. Is your dad awake? Will he mind?"
"He's sleeping," Jude caught the worry in his eyes, "but I promise I'll fill him in on the situation tomorrow over breakfast and I know he won't care. He will understand."
What other option did he really have? "Okay."
Jude was sitting on top of her dryer while her feet dangled down; she insisted on drying Tom's snow soaked clothing. She bit aggressively at her nails. What caused her to want to help her neighbor - a man she had barely knew outside of offering him and his wife cookies when they had first moved in a year back? Maybe it was the holiday spirit or maybe it was the fact she knew what it was like to be left out in the cold by someone you loved. Or maybe she had finally gone off the deep end.
Tom sat anxiously at the edge of the guest room's bed feeling grateful for Jude's hospitality but devastated by his wife's harsh actions. They have fought many times before, but she had never thrown him out like this. He couldn't even remember how the fight had started; something he noted that had been happening a lot lately. Ever since Tom had been laid off Rachel had been at his throat and away from the house as often as she could be. That worried him; was she searching for security somewhere else? There was a shallow knock coming from behind him causing him to stand to attention; it was Jude.
"Sorry to startle you, but I brought you some dry clothes to sleep in; jeans aren't comfortable." She offered a weak smile, immediately taken back by how handsome he looked at that very moment, something she hadn't noticed until this very second in the dim lit room – maybe it was the lighting.
Tom noticed how her eyes had set upon him and he nervously took the warm pile of fabrics from her hands, "uh thank you Jude."
They stood there for a second, unable to really speak. This was the first time they have ever really looked at each other, sure there were the waves and hellos from across the way, but never like this. Tom had never seen Jude as such a woman with piercing blue eyes, and she had never seen Tom as an emotionally beaten soul like the one she could see in his matching orbs – maybe it was the heartache coursing through them.
"I'm going through a breakup too," Jude confessed as she let herself sit on the bed, hoping he would stay up and talk to her. She didn't have friends, and the ones she did have – well they betrayed her.
"I don't know if my wife and I are –"
"Yeah yeah I'm sorry," she felt dumb for her word choice. "I just wanted to offer my help."
Tom bobbed his head as he took a seat beside her, "it's okay Jude, but you look like you could use someone to talk to as well."
She let out a sigh, "I do."
Tom gently patted her leg offering a warm touch before yanking it away, "Go ahead then."
"My boyfriend left me for my best-friend," Jude confessed letting the tears – now willingly – fall.
"Wow-" Tom was unsure what to say, maybe she did understand his pain, but he couldn't let this girl cry like that in front of him – like her heart was going to fall from her chest. "I don't know you well at all Jude, but anyone who lets a helpless stranger crash in their guest room must have a big heart – a big heart that doesn't deserve to be given to a silly boy who doesn't know what to do with it." He heard her sniffles break up as her eyes were now at his attention, "I can just tell he made the mistake giving you up."
"Thanks Mr. Quincy – I mean Tommy. But you don't really mean that."
He chuckled lightly at her innocence and honesty, "actually I do. What're you in college? You'll find someone."
Jude was now the one laughing, "not quite, actually high school."
Tom's eyes got wide, "right high school. Even better!" – was it? – "You have so much more life to live to find some one who's gonna treat you right."
"That's what my dad says," she sighs.
"I met my wife in high school and look how that's going!" Tom admitted causing both to laugh – at his expense. "Don't rush finding love, sometimes it takes time – lots and lots of time."
"I actually think that made me feel better," Jude confessed as Tom shrugged his shoulders. "I'm sorry about you and your wife Tommy. She will come around."
Jude stood up feeling tired and Tom did too instinctively, "I'd be lying if I said I have a lot of hope for that." Finally feeling able to admit what he hadn't wanted to speak all night – at least not out aloud to a random girl - but Jude wasn't just a random girl anymore.
She let her arms fly around the man who was basically a stranger not even an hour ago, "I'm sorry. Really." He embraced the young girl, taking in the scent of cinnamon apples, feeling comfortable. She drew in the scent of what she could only assume to be some expensive cologne right before pulling away. "Sometimes you just need a hug." He nodded agreeing-ly, although there seemed to be an awkward tension in the room, "but I think I should be getting to bed."
Still flustered by Jude's hug all he could manage to say was "uh-right", before her body had fled the room.
Jude lay in her bed now thinking how oddly perfect tonight turned out, her heart not as aching as it was before.