My muse is buzzing and I have to write. Now, all I have to do is get to actually show that my story has been updated... bastards. LOL
2 chapters in less than 12 hours? OMFG
Chapter 9 / Under
They got into town around nine, Tommy dropping Jude off at 9:30. She made sure he parked at the corner farthest from her house as to not raise suspicions. He complied, kissing her quickly before she jumped out with her things and made her way home. She walked unsteadily along the cracked sidewalk, Tommy watching her intently as she turned and disappeared across her lawn. Seeing their time draw to a close was murder. He threw his head back against the seat, banging it on the head rest a few times. He beat his fist against the steering wheel, yelling obscenities left and right.
Wake up, drive, home alone.
He regretted his decision to come back. Just one more night... The cool night air felt like pin pricks against his skin. He relished in the discomfort, wishing for a cigarette and a bottle of the strongest stuff he could find. He groaned, turning the key in the ignition and peeling away 90-to-nothing. He made his way through the narrow residential streets, and soon found himself home quicker than he really wanted. He sat in front of his building, staring the worn brick façade up and down. You'll have to go home at some point, Quincy.
He braced himself for the cold place he called home and willed himself to get out of the car and actually go inside. He made his way to the elevator and rode to the 12th floor. He shoved the heavy wrought-iron barrier open and strode dreadfully to his apartment. He slammed his door open and looked around his place. It was dark, but it still looked like hell draped over high-priced, overly trendy furniture. Take-out boxes and liquor bottles were everywhere. Ashtrays filled with old ashes and balls of crumpled paper littered the floor and end tables.
He walked directly to the only modest piece of furniture in his entire apartment – the fully stocked liquor cabinet tucked into a never bypassed corner of the room. He retrieved a coveted bottle of imported vodka from the back of his treasure chest, unscrewed the cap, and drank until it felt like his chest was melting. He finished his "shot" with a loud groan and fell back into a blue swivel chair. Anger danced on every nerve of his body. She should be here, dammit! His jaw clenched at the thought. He brought the bottle to his lips again, swallowing hard.
His head spun after his fourth pass at the alcohol, the contents half gone. He brought the bottle to his face and stared at the clear liquid still burning in his stomach. As much as he wanted to believe that this would calm him down, at least give him a good sleep, every tormenting thought had been magnified. He took a smaller sip, his chin quivering. Before he could talk himself out of it, he was sobbing; crying in ways he hadn't in what seemed like an eternity. He buried his hand deep within his hair, tugging until he winced.
Get it together, Quincy! You're letting the liquor get the best of you! He took another gulp, throwing the half empty bottle against the wall, the broken glass and vodka cascading down onto the concrete floor. Why does this hurt like this? He wondered about the hell she had been getting at the moment. Would it be a shouting match with her mother? With Sadie? Would she want to punk a hole in the wall as he did? Would she cry?
Oh god... Don't cry Jude. Another pain pierced thru his chest, his crying intensified by his inebriated state. He leaned back into the chair imagining the scenes unfolding like a cheap movie trailer. There would be her mom, screaming, while Sadie stood in the corner, smug and making accusations, while Jude stood defenseless, pleading her case. She'd start crying and no one would be there to help her. Jude... Jude... JUDE! He name echoed in his ears, haunting him.
Tommy closed his eyes, hoping he was wrong. His drunkenness was getting the best of him, the world spinning far too wildly. His breath came shallowly as he drifted off to sleep. Jude...
Jude made her way to the front door, pausing to reconsider her options. She didn't have to go home. She could go to the studio. Maybe she'd catch Georgia and could tell her what's been going down and where she went. Maybe she'd find Kwest instead and she'd tell him everything from the beginning – from her sixteenth birth all the way down to when Tommy had dropped her off. Maybe she wouldn't go to the studio and would hunt down Jaime and, she prayed, she could talk to him like the best friend he once was. Or maybe, just maybe, she could do neither. She could just walk away completely and wander aimlessly for hours until she could return home when everyone was asleep. She knew none of these were at all feasible. She had to face the music at some point and why not get it over and done with?
Jude dug thru her jean pocket for her keychain, bringing it out and sliding the key silently into the lock. She tried to open the lock in the same fashion, but the loud click announced her arrival. She stepped inside the familiar house, a warm amber light enveloping her. The air felt static the way it did when her amp had just been turned on. She walked into the living room, standing uneasily in the middle of the room.
"Mom?" Her mother jumped at her voice, standing to full attention, staring at her wild eyed.
"Jude!" She ran to where Jude was and wrapped her up in tight hug. "Are you alright!"
"I'm fine, Mom." Her mother stood back from her daughter, surveying her up and down.
"Where the HELL have you been!" The bare acoustics amplified her voice, filling the room with a roar. Jude took a step back.
"I can explain..."
"Yeah, I know. 'Had to get your head right.' Do you know what you've put me through these past couple of days? Do you!"
"I'm sorry. I am. I had to get away." Jude's voice came out in a strained whisper.
"That doesn't excuse the terror I felt when I came home and you were gone." Victoria loomed over her daughter, arms dramatically flailing with every syllable. "You didn't even bother to leave a note!"
"I'm sorry!"
"I don't care if you're sorry or not!" The stairs creaked behind them, both parties turning to see what made the sound. Sadie ambled down the stairs, leaning against the railing. A slight smirk played at the corner of her lips.
"Look who finally decided to come home." Anger rose deep within Jude. Fear crept in somewhere in the middle.
"Let's not start this right now, ok?" Sadie finished her path down the stairs, and stood directly in front of her. She crossed her arms over her chest and tilted her head, staring directly into Jude's eyes.
"So how's Tommy?" Jude ground her teeth together, jaw aching from the pressure. Her heart rate sped up at the mere mention implication.
"He's fine... I guess. I don't really know." Sadie snorted to herself.
"You guess? You sure? I mean, you were with him, right?" Jude's eyes grew big. Her bottom lip trembled.
"Sadie..."
"What is she talking about, Jude?" Jude turned to look at her mother. Her features were a mismatch of bewilderment and fury.
"Tell her, Jude. Tell her how you ran off with Tommy. It's the truth isn't it?"Jude turned to look at her sister, and back at her mother.
"Jude...?" The Flood came crashing down fast and hard. She felt her knees get weak and everything wanting to go black. Her breathing was labored, the room moving out from underneath her. She backed up into the entryway's door frame before she could collapse completely. Her sister looked so pleased with herself. She hadn't been back an hour and things were already more messed up then they were before.
Jude grabbed the bag she'd thrown down, and looked through the glass panes on the door. I should have never come home. She backed up slowly towards the front door, fumbling to the find the handle.
"I-I've gotta g-go."
"Jude!" Her mother rushed to her daughter, Jude bursting out of the door and running down her steps and into the street. "Come back here!" She didn't stop to turn around, her mother's voice growing fainter and fainter as she ran. Tears of betrayal stung her eyes, streetlights turning to ghostly starbursts. She didn't know where she was going. She hastened her pace, trying to get as far away as possible. I told him... He said this was best. How is this best!
Jude finally made her way to the local park, sitting down to catch her breath on the first bench she came to. She reached for her cell phone, and flipped it open, ready to call Tommy. She closed it and threw it in her bag. No! I will NOT call him!
Sleep was overtaking her senses as she lay down on the park bench. This shouldn't be happening. Not like this. Slowly, she drifted off into a place of nothingness.