Hit The Wall Chapter 4: Right Thing To Do, an instant star fanfic

Jude stared at the suitcases and boxes lined up against the wall. She knew it had been coming but knowing and seeing were two entirely different things. She could hear him moving around in the living room but she stood in the foyer staring at his stuff.

"Wish you hadn't forced him to tell mom, don't you?" Sadie asked quietly from behind her.

Jude didn't even look at her when she responded. "It was the right thing to do," she muttered. Even though it hurt watching him leave, it would have hurt worse, lying for him.

"Jude's right Sadie," Stuart admitted sheepishly. He was embarrassed standing there, knowing his two little girls were judging him and finding him lacking.

"Jude's always right though, isn't she Stuart?" Sadie asked sarcastically.

"Sadie," Stuart said painfully. "I never should have asked either of you to lie for me. It was selfish and I'm not proud of myself."

Jude closed her eyes and waited for the tears to subside. She wasn't going to cry in front of him. "Where are you going to stay?" she asked dreading the answer.

"With Yvette I bet," Sadie said really angry now. She had always been the calm one and Jude the emotional one but now Jude was acting calm, but almost too calm.

"Is that true?" she asked biting her lip when her dad looked away without answering. She just shook her head and walked by him toward the steps. "I don't understand this family anymore. First Mom with Dan and now you're moving in with your mistress. I seriously can't wait to get out of here."

Sadie wouldn't admit it but she was proud of Jude for telling it like it is. This family really had become ridiculous. But another thing Jude said made Sadie smile. Jude couldn't wait to get out but she was too young. Sadie could leave though, and what better way to get even with Jude for wrecking their family. She had made the mess, let her deal with it.

Hours Later

Jude sat at the conference table ignoring everybody's looks and whispers. She'd blown off cleaning the house; she wasn't going to help her Mom impress this Dan guy. So that made her free to go to the meeting and it was turning out exactly like she thought it would.

"Are you telling me we have nothing? No lyrics, no melody, not even a damn idea," Georgia said pacing across the room.

"Nothings flowing," Tommy said sounding frustrated.

"You mean Jude's not cooperating," E.J. said reading between the lines.

"E.J.," Tommy warned standing up.

"No, somebody needs to say something. Jude, I know you were embarrassed and then hurt all in a couple days but this has got to stop. You are a star now, you can't let every little thing life throws at you cripple you. Take these experiences and write about them."

Jude stared at E.J., a part of her wanted to rip her hair out for even bringing it up but the larger part of her knew she was right. Even though she was hurt and definitely out of it, she should still be able to write about it, she always had before. But she couldn't, Shay, her dad it was all still to raw. Surprisingly the only person she could write about was Tommy.

But the one she had just wrote, before she entered the fog and couldn't thing or feel was all about Tommy. It laid her whole heart out on the line and she didn't think she was ready to share that with him. He'd really hurt her.

"Maybe it's time we go to another songwriter," Georgia said knowing Jude and Tommy would hate that.

"No," they both said at the same time.

"Give us some time, we can do this," Tommy said hopefully.

"Tommy we needed a new song yesterday and like you already admitted, you have nothing."

"I have a song," Jude said making a decision that was going to change everything. Tommy would know how deeply she really cared. It wasn't just a crush for her and she was sure that's what he thought it was. She loved him so much and she knew he didn't feel the same way. That's what hurt the most.

"What?" Everyone asked really confused.

"I have a song. But it's rough and I never planned on recording it. It's really personal to me," Jude said standing up and walking out of the room. She could hear everybody get up and follow her. She headed straight to her favorite recording room and grabbed a guitar and headed into the studio.

Tommy shrugged his shoulders when Georgia looked at him. He had no idea what song she was talking about. They hadn't written anything together and the last song she even mentioned was Skin and they already recorded that one. He sat down in his chair and glanced at Kwest who sat down beside him. He looked just as confused as everybody else.

Jude sat down and took a deep breath. This was so hard to do. She wanted to run out of the room but she'd quit singing before she sang someone else's words. She sang her own stuff and maybe she could start getting over him if she sang this one.

Its not your fault that I cant trust
Its in my past, its in my path and I can't go there
Making a mess out of this game
To see it all go up in flames
So tired of being ruthless and reckless.

Time to be your only one
To almost be you're way too young
Time to crash into the sun
Time to be your 21
Time to dream that love with last
Time to drive my car too fast
Time to walk before I run
Time to be
Ohh time to be your 21

Kwest looked at Tommy in shock. She had overheard them at her birthday party. He hadn't seen her and by the look on Tommy's face, he hadn't either. That conversation wasn't meant to be overheard.

Jude looked at Tommy and saw his mouth hanging wide open. This hurt so bad, knowing that her heart was bare for the world to see and Tommy couldn't care less. At least nobody else knew what she was singing about.

I don't believe in love and I
I pull it to the wall
I tasted sweetness there to laugh so hard as it falls
And I could push you there if you don't stop me
Push you there if you don't stop me
Please stop me

"Another love song," T.J. whispered to Georgia. "Who knew she had it in her, I was expecting another angry one."

"Shhh," Georgia said trying to pay attention. This song was obviously about Tommy, she just didn't understand the whole 21 thing.

Its gut wrenching sometimes
Its life threatening sometimes
Seems like nothing can wash it all away

The song was over but Jude continued to play the melody because as soon as she stopped, she'd have to face Tommy and well, she wasn't ready. She needed a couple moments to herself. But they couldn't even grant her that.

"That song is genius, I totally take back everything I said," T.J. said hurrying into the studio. "Okay, we'll give you two days to record it and then we want to drop it within a week. We need to get another single out there and this could be it. Georgia what do you think?"

Jude stared in awe at E.J. and Georgia who were discussing making something so personal a single. She rolled her eyes and then out of the corner of her eye she saw Tommy, still sitting there but his mouth wasn't open anymore. He was still staring at her but she couldn't read what was in his eyes. She knew what she wanted to be there but she was only 16 and as long as numbers mattered, she wouldn't see anything.

"Jude!" Georgia called finally breaking into her thoughts. Seeing she had her attention she continued. "Your mom's on the phone, wants you home now. She sounds real mad, said we might as well tear up your contract."