Another chapter…I'm spoiling yall…I'm on spring break now…when school starts back I will probably be able to update like once a week. But until then…enjoy the long and frequent updates. :)
BTW: The lyrics in chapter three were by Phil Collins—the song was called "come with me". I'd never heard the song in my life until I found the lyrics of the song randomly…
Special thanks to: jadedxL0VE, Erin McKinley, Duddley111, Funkyicecube, KayKay2007, Tommy4eva, jasmineice, musical-cynders, and melodie568 for being amazing and R&Ring.
2 years, 3 months, 5 days later…
She sat in her huge, cushioned swivel chair in her quiet little office. A lot of things had changed around G-Major since—since it happened. She had since assumed his position as Vice President of G-Major Records.
There were now three more Instant Stars, making a total of five. Kwest was now one of the hottest producers in the business, with Jude as his right hand man on most of his projects. But the biggest change was Jude not performing—not singing at all.
She was strictly songwriter these days. She hadn't recorded one single musical note since she finished up her junior album, the album that she had started with him and finished with just her and Kwest.
Sadie burst into the room shattering Jude's thoughts. Jude looked up at her briefly before continuing her game of solitaire on her laptop. "Hey Sadie, you look gorgeous."
"Not too bad for a woman who just gave birth few months ago uh?" Sadie chuckled, twirling around in her long gown, and striking a pose.
Jude looked up at her to further examine her outfit. She was wearing a floor length, backless, black evening gown. "Not bad at all." Jude whistled.
"Why thank you," Sadie beamed. She looked at Jude, lounging in a pair of blue jeans and a wife beater. "Jude why aren't you at your final fitting," Sadie sighed, "Jude your big night is tomorrow! Three of your songs were nominated for Grammy's…hello get more excited. Jump around!"
"I'm happy," Jude argued, plastering a fake smile to her face.
"Jude—you can't mope around for the rest of your life."
Jude put her hand up to silence her. "Sadie. I don't want to hear this," she sighed; she knew her sister had her best interest at heart. But she was getting that deja vu feeling, probably because she'd heard the same speech from her the night of every "must see event" for the past year or so. She could already predict the words from her sister's lips.
"Jude," she said, placing her hand on her hip and tapping her foot on the floor.
"You never want to do anything anymore, but this is the friggin Grammy's! You are not going to stay here writing another sad love song," Sadie said hotly. "We, and I speaking for everyone who loves you, are getting tired of having to drag your ass out of your house or out of studio or out of this damn office…"
Jude began to tune her out, trying to send telepathic messages to Jude. Go away Sadie. Go away Sadie. Go away Sadie. Please just go away.
"…I know you're hurting sis, you cannot let life pass you by because of one tragedy. We all miss Tommy," Sadie said. "Think about how Diane feels! The love of her life is in a friggin coma."
Diane? Fuck Diane. Jude thought harshly. She crossed her arms of her chest, looking at Sadie, threateningly.
"What would Tommy want Jude? He'd want you to continue to do what you do…make music. Jude you need to let him go…he may never wake from this stage. If he does, he may never be like he was," Sadie said, sorrowfully, placing her hand on Jude's shoulder.
Jude looked at Sadie's hand on her shoulder. She didn't look like the additional part of Sadie's lecture.
"Sadie! Just stop it okay," Jude said, her voice shaking with anger. "You know nothing."
"I know most things…I know about your silly little schoolgirl crush on him," Sadie interrupted. "I know that you're hurting. I know that you can't go on living like a hermit."
Jude vehemently shook Sadie's hand off her shoulder, rolling her chair back to put a couple feet between them. "Get out." She breathed, her eyes burning holes into Sadie's.
Sadie shook her head slowly, walking towards the door. She paused, stopping at the doorframe to look at her sister one more time. Jude began to send her telepathic messages again. Just go now. Please just go now. Sadie sadly exited the room, entering her husband's office across the hall.
Jude left her chair, and stood at the large window behind her desk that overlooked the busy city streets. She leaned her head against the cool glass, willing her heart to stop racing.
Her memories quickly took of over her thoughts, taking her back to that day.
"Mr. Quincy has suffered massive head and brain trauma to the head. We operated on him immediately at his arrival but--"
"Is he okay," Diane had asked, her bottom lip trembling slightly. She was in her Ralph Lauren business suit with white Keds that had replace her Jimmy Choos.
Jude stared at the young Dr. Reynolds, taking the seat that the doctor had suggested she take at the beginning of this discussion. At first she was sure she could handle it standing up, but now she wasn't so sure. Her heart felt like it had permanently contracted. She couldn't breath; her stomach was in knots. She glanced nervously at the trashcan on the other side of the small waiting room that she, Francesca, Diane, Kwest, Liam, Sadie, and Diane's mother were sitting in.
"I'm not sure ma'am… the surgery to release some of the pressure of his brain against his skull. The surgery went well, but Mr. Quincy still isn't responding to relativity or perceptivity--"
"What the hell does that mean?" Jude snapped, echoing the thoughts of everyone in the room.
"Mr. Quincy seems to be in a coma--"
"What?" Jude and Diane exclaimed, disbelievingly. Everyone in the room seemed to be holding their breath, exchanging nervous, anxious looks with one another.
"That means he is unable to be aroused to consciousness--" the doctor began.
"I'm pretty sure we all know what that means dumb ass," Jude exclaimed, jumping to her feet and running into the hall. She ran into the stairwell, running up four straight flights of stairs. She collapsed on a landing of stairs, finally breaking down and crying.
"Jude. Jude…earth to Jude." Her memory dissolved as someone shook her.
"What?" She snapped, her voice sharper than she had intended.
"Whoa killer," Francesca said, taking a couple feet away from her with her hands up in the air as if she were surrendering.
Jude placed her head in her hands, rubbing her temples. "I'm sorry Francesca, I didn't mean to bite."
"Yeah, yeah," Francesca said, waving her outburst off. "I just came in here to tell you Kat said quote if you're ass isn't at that final fitting within the next hour, she's kicking your ass all the way to her studio unquote."
Jude laughed, bemused. "She did, did she?"
"Go ahead and spill girl...you know I was eavesdropping on you and Sadie," Francesca said, flat out. She walked around back to the front of her desk pulling up a chair. "Sit and tell." She ordered.
Jude shook her head. Sometimes she didn't know what she'd do without Francesca; she'd been there for her every since that day. She was a genuinely good person, and after Tommy's accident she needed a job so Jude hired her as her secretary/personal assistant. "Sadie is such a bitch sometimes."
"Could be postpartum blues…" Francesca cut in, shrugging at her.
"No that's the way she was pre-baby," Jude smiled, rolling her eyes. "She just—ooh I don't even know. She thinks she knows everything since went through the whole child-birthing thing. Whoopty doo."
"You know you're tripping right," Francesca smirked, crossing her arms over chest. She was blunt and in your face, which was precisely why Jude liked her around. She didn't suck up to her and she was always truthful. Jude liked that she didn't kiss her ass just because she was famous. Which was probably why Tommy hired her. "What's really the matter honey? I'm sure Sadie being a bitch isn't exactly what's bothering you…"
"It's just…everyone's always 'Jude--time of mourning should be up by now, get over it,' and I'm not ready to let him go. I shouldn't have to, people have been in a comatose stage up to 31 years and still recover fully."
"Really," Francesca asked, raising an eyebrow.
"I googled it," Jude shrugged, sniffling. "And then Sadie had to bring up Diane…"
"Oh," Francesca nodded, knowingly. "That's why you're upset."
"What is up with her? She's acting like they never broke up. Starting a Tommy Quincy Foundation? She's acting like the brokenhearted girlfriend…did you see her on Entertainment television tonight?" Jude asked, blowing her nose.
"Yes," Francesca nodded, "She was fat." Francesca added, trying to make Jude feel better.
"I thought so too, but I wasn't going to say anything," Jude hiccupped, wiping her tears with the back of her hands.
"You know, Sadie doesn't know about what you and Tom had that last night," Francesca reminded her. "You never got the chance to tell her about it."
"I know, but she shouldn't assume it was just a "silly schoolgirl crush"…you know?" Jude sighed, leaning back in her chair.
"I understand, honey," Francesca said, handing her more Kleenex. "Should I go tell Kat she doesn't have to send in SWAT team to get you into your dress this time?"
Jude laughed, "Yeah."
"—and she has to start living again one day Liam. She's only twenty-one; she cannot go the rest of her friggin life just mourning something she never even had right? How can you miss something you never had?" Sadie raged, in a sound booth.
"Wait a minute, Sades…what do you mean something she never had?" Liam asked, confused. He stood near the soundproof glass, staring at his new baby girl who was fast asleep in her bassinet, unaware of her raging mother.
"You know... it's not like her and Tommy ever had a thing…" Sadie exhaled, sitting on a stool in the corner.
Liam looked her anxiously.
"What? What are you looking at me like that for?" Sadie asked crossly.
"Um…" Liam began, crossing his arms over his chest. "Don't you remember Diane and Tom breaking up?"
"Well yeah, but they were on and off again all the time," Sadie replied, waving his comment off.
"But that last time, it was really over," Liam nodded, putting emphasis on 'really'. "He and um Jude had a little budding something going on."
"How do you know?" Sadie asked, generally interested.
"Well Tommy had called in that day sick to spend the day with her," Liam explained.
"So they always spent their little special days with each other working on music," Sadie shrugged.
"Well…he called to spend the day with her after he had spent the night with her…" Liam explained, looking at her nodding his head.
Sadie brought her hand to her mouth. "Ooooh…shut-up," Sadie gasped. "Are you serious?"
Liam nodded.
Sadie got up and started pacing from wall to wall. "I just told her that she just had a schoolgirl crush on him…I am an asshole," she realized, beginning to bite her thumbnail.
Liam didn't object. She punched his arm.
"Ouch." He growled in pain. "What was that for?" he asked, stupidly.
"Why am I always the last one to know everything?" Sadie grumbled. "I should go apologize to Jude…"
"Yeah that would probably be a good idea," Liam nodded.
"Yes, I suppose it would," Sadie rolled, mocking his accent. She hated it to be wrong, and she hated it even more when he was right.
"You still suck at that darling," Liam chuckled, following her out of the sound booth.
"Kiss off," she laughed, in her fake accent.
"Been there, done that," he said in a singsong tone.