Chapter 23

The day was uneventful from there. Tommy and Jude went to the park where they wrote another song for Jude's album and relaxed. It felt like old times and it was something they both needed; to get away from the studio and Darius. Around 5ish, they packed up their stuff and Tommy drove Jude home.

Jude entered her house and her phone rang. She answered it and it was Patsy asking for another night out on the town. Jude promptly declined, not wanting to repeat last night and went upstairs to work on some homework. Around 6, her father showed up, with home wrecker Yvette. Her parents promptly began fighting, and Sadie sauntered in just before dinner was served. Dinner itself was hell. Her parents were silent, Yvette was trying to be perky, Sadie was between glowing (wonder why) and annoyed, Jude was stressed over everything. She ignored her father and didn't even listen to Yvette.

After Dinner was cleared away, her father asked her about her new album and her mom went through the roof, talking about the changes in G Major and how Jude needed to get out of the contract and be a normal teenager. Her father argued differently, that Jude needed this and it made her happy. Her mother argued his points and they full out began screaming at each other. Jude felt hot tears sting her eyes and she ran out of her house, slamming the door behind her. She pulled her cell out of her pocket.

"Patsy? I change my mind." Jude said, and Patsy agreed to pick her up.

The next couple of months went the same way for Jude Harrison. In the day, she went to school, after school she went to the studio (studio only on weekends), after the studio, she went partying with Patsy. Jude was able to hold her liquor and knew when to stop without getting a hang over. It was fun, but it didn't kill the pain inside.

Jude and Patsy sat in a club, they had both finished their second drinks and Patsy glanced at Jude.

"Wanna have more fun?"

"Like what?" Jude asked, looking interested. Patsy smirked and grabbed Jude's hand.

"Come on!" She said and pulled Jude out of the club and into her car. They drove for awhile and ended up in G Major's parking lot.

"What are we doing here?" Jude asked and Patsy grinned wickedly and stepped out of the car. Jude followed suit.

"I'm so sick of Darius." She said, walking to the back of her car and opening the truck. Jude glanced nervously inside and saw cans of spray paint in it. Patsy withdrew two cans and handed one to Jude after she shook it up. Patsy did the same to hers and walked up to the building, and sprayed a mass of blue paint onto the building.

"Come on Jude!" Patsy yelled, letting out a whoop and covering the building in swirls of blue paint. Jude glanced at the can in her hand and shrugged. She mixed her red in with Patsy's blue and the two joked and ranted about Darius. The girls took a break and Patsy took a box of cigarettes out and a lighter. She lit one and took a long drag.

"Want one?" She asked, holding the box out to Jude. Jude stared at them and before she could answer, a pair of headlights shone on them. Jude raised her hand to cover her eyes and then froze in panic. Headlights meant people and people meant they were caught. Jude felt her blood run cold and her heart beat rapidly.

"What the hell are you doing!" A voice demanded, the beams were shut off and the car was stopped. Jude felt a wave of relief flood over her.

"The question is, what are you doing here, Quincy?" Patsy asked, taking another drag on her cigarette. Tommy approached them and Patsy blew out the smoke in his face. Tommy waved it away and studied the girls and the artwork behind them. He let out a curse. "What, little Tommy Q gonna tattle?" Patsy asked, laughing. Tommy glared at her.

"No, I'm not. Yet anyway. Get out of here." He said, and Patsy left and Jude went to follow her when a tight grip clamped onto her arm. "Not, you." Tommy said, his voice deadly. Jude froze where she was and he was silent until Patsy left. Tommy pulled Jude into the building and Jude grabbed his hand to remove it, but he just held on tighter.

"Tommy, you're hurting me." Jude said, her voice strained and he promptly let go. Jude held her arm to her chest and rubbed it, wincing slightly.

"What the hell are you doing!" Tommy demanded.

"You're not my keeper."

"No, but I'm your friend, and you damn well better explain that or I will rat you guys out." Tommy threatened.

"Tommy, just let it go."

"No, I'm not letting this slide. The drinking? I can't lecture you over. I did the same thing when I was your age, but vandalism? Jude, that's where my silence ends." Tommy said, and Jude could tell her was pissed.

"It was mostly Patsy…"

"I don't think you should be hanging around her, Jude. Patsy's bad news."

"You're not my father! Dad!" Jude said, her voice cynical. Tommy glared at her.

"I'm trying to help you!" Tommy barked.

"I don't need your help!" Jude yelled back, getting in his face. Tommy pushed her back in disgust.

"You know what, I won't tell. You know why? Hu? Because I care about you. I'll let this slide this time, but if I ever catch you doing anything like this again or so much as being found near a drink, I'm not keeping quiet about it."

"Why?"

"Because Jude, this…it isn't you."

"You don't know the real me."

"Yes, I do. The real Jude? She wouldn't drink, she wouldn't vandalize and she wouldn't hang out with Patsy." Tommy went to leave and turned around. "You know what? You've turned into everything you hate about music." He scoffed and laughed bitterly. "How ironic?" He said, and shook his head and left the studio. Jude scoffed at his words, and huffed. She hadn't changed. She wasn't the one who had changed; everyone else had. She told herself and left the studio and hailed a cab to take her home.