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Episode 7: As Usual

Sadie (Canada)
"Sadie? You have to wake up now. We're at your house. Sadie?"
I open my eyes and see Kwest's face. He's way too close.
When he sees that I'm awake, he pulls back and holds out the door for me.
I get out and I want to thank him, but I don't know what to say. "So..."
"So." He smiles.
"Thank you for the ride." I say and I should get inside but I keep standing there and he keeps standing there.
"No problem, Sadie. Any time." He closes the door and leans against his car.
"So, do you want to come in?" I can't believe I'm asking this.
But he shakes his head. "I think you need some sleep, Sadie." He's still smiling.
I can't believe this. I thought he wanted me back. I thought that was why he was doing all these nice things. But he doesn't want to come in? What does this mean?
"Okay. Fine. Bye." I say, and I spin on my heels and walk towards my house.
Halfway there, he manages to grab my arm and he spins me around, gently, as always.
"Maybe some other time? I kind of have things to do for Nana's Basement."
"Okay." I'm smiling again. Maybe he does want me back.
"Bye, Sadie." He says, and he kisses me on my cheek.
"Bye, Kwest."
I'm still smiling when I fall asleep on the couch five minutes later.

Jude (London)
Today is my day off, but I wish it wasn't. I keep walking around my apartment with Tommy's CD in my hand, the one he gave me last night.
To play or not to play, that's the question.
Of course I should just let it play, but somehow it's not that easy.
Okay, he basically said last night that he still loves me, but what if he just thinks he does? We didn't see each other for months, how can he know?
How can I know?
I take a deep breath and walk over to my CD-player. My hands are shaking.
After a few seconds the music starts. I decide I'm going to listen to the whole CD now and just wait for number 13.
I lie on the couch and close my eyes.

Tommy (London)
I lie in my bed with my eyes closed. I don't want to get up. I don't need to, because there are no auditions today, so that's the upside to it all.
Although, maybe auditions would've kept me from going crazy.
A million thoughts run through my head, all involving Jude hearing 'I still love you'.
Why did I do this to myself? Why didn't I just wait for Sadie's CD to arrive? At least then I wouldn't have known exactly when she could listen to it.
I wonder if she listened to it last night or if she waited till this morning. Or if she's still waiting.
Maybe she has to work today and can't listen to it until tonight.
I'm going insane.
I need to get out of this bed, I need to keep myself busy.
Maybe I'll do some sightseeing. Then I can tell Jude what I saw.
When we talk. When she calls me to tell me what she thinks of the song.
Oh god, I wish I could just turn off my mind.

Jude (London)
I'm halfway through when Frozen comes on. I grab the booklet from the table to look at the lyrics.
Well, he changed his own words and he changed mine, but there's no denying it's for the better. It's so good, I could've never written it.
Somehow I feel so proud of him. He did it. On his own.
Not that I ever doubted he could do it. It's just that he actually did it.
I can do it too. I have to prove it now.
The tracks keep coming and there isn't a single one that doesn't move me.
And then comes track 13.

When the last note dies, I breathe out. I didn't realize I was holding my breath until now.
It's nothing less than brilliant. It's better than my 'I still love you'. I can't believe I ever wondered if he still loved me. There no getting around it. He loves me. And I love him.
I reach for paper and a pen and I get my guitar. Just like before, the words come and come and I can't stop. I don't think, I just write.

Tommy (London)
It's 8 pm. She should've listened to it by now. Right?
I managed to do some sightseeing today, and I actually saw the changing of the guards, but all day long I couldn't stop thinking about Jude.
I'm pacing around my hotel room but I realize I can't keep going like this.
I grab my cellphone and I call her.
BEEP. BEEP. BEEP.
"Hello?"
"Jude? It's me."
"Tommy! Shoot, I totally forgot to call you!"
Oh, this isn't good.
"Wait, just give me... half an hour. Can you meet me somewhere?"
"Yeah. Where do you want to meet?"
"On the bridge near the Big Ben?"
"Half an hour?"
"Yeah, see you there!"
I take my jacket and leave my room. This is it.

Karma (Canada)
"Karma, come here for a second." Darius calls.
I walk over to see what he wants.
"What you did yesterday is unacceptable. I can't have my artists coming and going whenever they want. Besides, you're an Instant Star judge, you can't be absent from the auditions."
"But D -"
"No excuses, Karma. This can't happen again."
"Or what? What can you do, Darius? Dump me? Then who's going to be left? Just Milo, right? Oh, and Tommy, who'll be gone as soon as he's got Jude back."
Darius needs to stop thinking he can make me do whatever he wants. He only has three artists and one of them is in London, one of them thinks he's the greatest artist ever and then there's me.
So he better take care of us, instead of treating us like dirt.
"Don't talk to me like that, okay? I swear, Karma. I can drop you from the label. And I will. There are enough pretty girls out there that can sing. You've seen so yourself at the auditions. I can have you replaced just like that."
"Don't try that with me, Darius. You can't replace me that easily. The other girls might be pretty and they might be able to sing, but do they got what it takes? I don't think so."
I walk out of his office.
No bossing around Karma. No more.

Jude (London)
I'm running. I'm supposed to meet Tommy in five minutes but it seems like I'm not even moving. Why did I have to finish that new song? It took longer than I expected and now I'm going to be too late.
And why is this river so damn long!
When I finally get to the bridge I stop to catch my breath. I start looking around, trying to spot Tommy, but I can't find him.
I walk towards the middle of the bridge but still no sign of him.
When I trying to decide which side of the bridge to go to first, I hear my name being called. "Jude!"
I turn around and there he is.

Tommy (London)
"Jude, why did we have to come here, what couldn't you say on the phone?"
I would have preferred not seeing her face when she told me how crappy my music was.
But when I look at her, she's smiling and when she's walking towards me she starts to run.
I barely manage to open my arms before she jumps at me and I wrap my arms around her.
"I love it." She whispers.
"I love you." I say, and I put her down so I can look at her face.
"I love you too." She says.
And then we kiss.
Finally.