"Hey!" Jude exclaimed excitedly as everyone stood there, staring. Her mother was the first to step forward and open her arms for Jude.
She disentangled herself from Spiederman and plopped her bags on the floor with a resounding thud. Jude went towards Victoria and hugged her tightly. "Mom, I missed you so much," Jude murmured into her mother's blonde hair.
"Me too," she responded as she felt her throat tingle with sentiment.
Victoria pulled away before her emotions rose out and held Jude at arm's lengths. "Let me get a good look at you," she said with a watery smile. "Seem to be in one piece," she kidded as she smoothed Jude's hair.
Before she could reply, she was bombarded by Kat and Sadie on either side. They warmly greeted Jude with a hug and a squeal as Kwest and Georgia came to join.
Tommy stepped back in the midst of things and surveyed the changed of events. He watched everyone but Jamie and himself go to her. His eyes took turns between Jude and Spiederman who stood off to the side slightly. What was Jude doing with him? The way he had his hands on Jude when they walked in wasn't lost on Tommy. He looked over at Jamie's shocked face and figured it wasn't lost on him either.
"Hey Shay." Jude tried to keep the surprise out of her voice. She hadn't expected that he'd be here.
"'Sup, Shorty." His smooth voice filled the room. "How was the tour?" His one question held more than that as he stole a glance at Spiederman. "Wish you still took me up on my offer?" He smiled slyly.
Jude couldn't help but laugh at Shay's arrogance. "Nice to know some things don't change." She walked over to Shay and gave him a platonic hug. "It's good to see you, Shay," she told him truthfully.
Darius grinned like a Cheshire cat as he looped his arms around Shay and Jude. "Look at this. The future of the music industry getting along so well."
Jude flashed a smile and rolled her eyes as she squeezed her way out of Darius' grasp. Her eyes quickly scanned the room for the two people she had yet to say hi to. And if she was completely honest with herself the two people she was most nervous to say hi to.
Her eyes fell on him first. She looked up him and down, noting that he hadn't transformed to anything she was afraid of.
"Jamie." She said his name with some trepidation as she stuck her hands in her pockets, not knowing what to do with them.
His hands nervously rearranged his glasses before he set them back in place. "Jude." He let her name hang in the silence as he pondered his next move. "Jude!" he repeated as his face broke out in a huge grin.
She met his grin with one of her own as she visibly sighed. She launched herself into his arms as she squeezed her best friend as tight as she could. "Oh, Jamie. I missed you so much," she revealed as she held onto him.
"Yeah, me too Jude," he murmured. "Me too." Maybe he should have been tougher, maybe he should have acted differently, but he couldn't. Once he saw Jude all the preconceived notions, all the uncertainty seemed to fade.
She gave him another smile as she pulled away from him. She looked beyond Jamie for the only person she had yet to see.
Her eyes twinkled as she beamed at him. She quickly closed the distance between the two of them, throwing her arms around his neck.
"I've missed you, Quincy," she stood up on her toes and whispered in his ear.
He closed his eyes as he reveled in the moment. He missed her too. More than she probably knew.
Tommy cleared his throat and created a little space between the two of them. "It's good to have you back, girl." He smiled at her.
"It's good to be home," she admitted as she scanned the room and was truly happy to be there. Her eyes met Spiederman and she mentally slapped herself. "Oh!" she exclaimed as she rushed over to him. She hooked her arm through his and shuffled him forward. "You all know Spiederman…" she said with a grin as she tightened her grasp on him.
People scattered among the house while Kat, Tommy, Sadie, Jamie, and Kwest were in the living room where Jude sat on the couch with Spiederman next to her. His arm was causally draped around her shoulders as she animatedly told tour stories. Spiederman interjected when Jude looked to him for it.
"So tell us, Jude: What was it like to be on stage night after night?" Sadie asked, wanting to know.
"It was amazing," she breathed out the words. "We played in some of the greatest little venues." She unconsciously placed a hand on Spiederman's thigh as she continued. "It was like being on this perpetual," she paused and looked at him as if she would find the answer in his eyes, "high," she finished. Spiederman nodded his head in affirmation and gave Jude a lopsided grin.
Jamie stood with crossed arms as he silently fumed. This was the thanks he got from Spiederman after he landed his band a gig with Jude? He went and hooked up with her? How dare he? The more Jude talked, the more Jamie became angry. He bore holes into him, thinking of a 101 ways to kill Spiederman with his own damn guitar.
Tommy was having his own inner turmoil as he watched and dissected every move Jude made. To say he was thrown for a loop when he saw Jude walk in on the arm of one of her band members was a gross understatement.
Yet Jude seemed utterly oblivious to Jamie and Tommy.
"So you and Spiederman, huh?" Kat cut to the chase as she slanted forward and propped her elbows on her knees.
"Kat!" Sadie yelled, shocked at the bluntness question.
Tommy quickly leaned up from his post on the doorway, intrigued by Kat's question.
Kat looked around and shrugged her shoulders. "What? Like you weren't all thinking about it either." She ignored everyone else and focused her attention to the topic at hand. "So, come on. Details," she smirked.
Jude laughed softly as Spiederman shook his head causing his blonde hair to sway. Jude shifted a bit, slightly uncomfortable. "Well, I guess somewhere between Montreal and Quebec, we realized we had more in common than just music." She looked at him and beamed.
"What can I say? She couldn't resist me." Spiederman flashed a grin as his eyes intently stared at Jude.
"Babe, I could never resist you." Jude's hand traveled up Spiederman's chest before she proceeded to pounce on him.
"Oh yeah," Spiederman said as his hands ran up and down Jude's body. "You're so hot, baby."
"No you are," she breathed out before she smashed her lips on Spiederman and wrapped her arms around him letting them roam everywhere. "Oh, Spiederman ! Spiedy ! Spiedy ! Jamie! Jamie?"
"Jamie?" Jude puzzled voice finally broke through the haze. She gave him a funny look when he ignored the question she asked him a few seconds ago.
Jamie shook his head seeing that Jude was still sitting on the couch with Spiederman's arm around her from before. He rubbed his eyes gingerly, realizing it was a hallucination.
"Jamie?" Jude repeated slowly. "Is everything okay?" All eyes in the room turned to him, waiting to see his move.
Jamie scoffed loudly. "Is everything okay?" he reiterated. "Is everything okay?" Jamie let out a nervous laugh. "No, Jude. Everything is not okay!" He turned on his heels and stormed out of the room, not able to handle a confrontation right now.
Jude sat there, stunned. She realized that Jamie really was hurting over what happened between the two of them. She numbly wondered if it was a bad idea bringing Spiederman here.
Tommy shook his head and almost felt embarrassed for the kid. Almost. He threw a glance at Jude before he quietly snuck out of the living room without anyone noticing.
Kat shot Jude a sympathetic look. She felt bad for bringing up the topic, not knowing how bad Jamie was going to react to it.
Jude bit her lip. "Maybe I should go talk to him" she murmured as she placed her palms on the couch to lift herself up.
"Just give him some time by himself," Sadie interjected, noticing that Tommy had left the room after Jamie. "He'll be fine."
Jude slowly nodded her head in agreement, though she wasn't convinced.
Tommy strolled out of the back door, letting it slam against its frame. He leaned against the wall, taking out his pack of cigarettes and lighter. He precisely opened the carton and shook one loose. He placed it between his lips as he clicked the lighter on causing the end to smolder. He breathed deeply from it, and then exhaled slowly causing a translucent swirl of smoke to surround him.
"Rough night?" Tommy questioned out loud as he tapped his cigarette lightly, causing ashes to fall to the ground.
Jamie stepped out from the darkness and began to pace the length of the concrete floor. "What is she doing with him?" Jamie's outrage radiated off him as he spoke. "I mean, is it just me, or is this totally outta nowhere?" Jamie stopped his rapid movement and snapped his head to the side to look to Tommy for an answer. As Tommy was about to reply, Jamie whipped his face around again and continued his hurried pacing. Jamie's palms fisted and relaxed and fisted again. "Ugh and they're never gonna work, you know that right? He's gonna break her heart and than I'll be good old reliable Jamie once again!" he exclaimed as he threw his hands up in exasperation. "And did you see the way their hands were all over each other? I really could have done without that!" he said with a sardonic laugh.
Tommy watched Jamie's heated diatribe and began to shake his head in judgment. 'Boy was this kid jealous,' Tommy silently concluded with a smirk. 'But he definitely has a point,' another voice spoke in his head. This really was unexpected. 'And this kid will probably end up being another Shay,' Tommy thought bitterly.
As he continued to watch Jamie muttering incoherent thoughts about Jude and what he wanted to do to Spiederman, Tommy came to a horrifying, disturbing understanding.
He was Jamie.
Minus the whole geek factor, the pathetic car Jamie drove, the zero style and cool he possessed, and the nervous energy he always seem to have, Tommy and Jamie both seem to be in the same boat.
Tommy almost could have laughed out loud at this realization if it wasn't so unsettling. If it wasn't so true. If he could be completely honest with himself, Tommy was as jealous as Jamie. He was just better equipped at handling and hiding it. Tommy groaned loudly as he buried his head in his hands, not ever enjoying being on the same page as Jamie.
Jamie turned to face Tommy when he had heard him mumble. "What?"
