Instant Star- Rise Of The Next Generation

Chapter 11- Ruthless & Reckless

The next day, Ruby left school alone. Her parents and Quest would be tied up that afternoon, working on some project. Consequently, her father requested that she head straight home and not come to the studio that day. Ruby was not happy about that, and tried to convince him to change his mind. But Tommy remained firm in his decision.

"Absolutely not! Quest can't work with you today! There's no reason for you to be here! You're supposed to be grounded! Not here socializing! You can practice at home for one day! That's it! Finished!" he informed her.

Depressed, and already bored, Ruby shuffled towards the parking lot. Irritated, she was in no mood to take a bus full of inane kids home. However, walking five miles when it seemed about to rain, did not appeal either.

Suddenly, a black convertible pulled up next to her, its radio blaring. Startled by the loud noise, Ruby lifted her head. She glared at the driver of the car; her anger escalated when she realized who it was. She turned away and kept walking.

"Hey, Ruby" Justin Blackburn called.

Ruby did not look back.

"Come on baby! At least say hi!"

Ruby continued ignoring him.

"Come on! Don't I get something? At least one word!"

"Ok! Here's one! Loser!"

"Nice!" Justin smirked.

"Get in!" he demanded.

"Yeah, right! I don't think so!"

"Well, I do. Just get in!"

"What part of "I hate you right now" aren't you getting?"

"Look, I'm sorry!"

"Good. Now try meaning it."

"I do. At least, let me explain."

"Yeah. Like you can! That would be a good one!"

"Actually, it is. You could try listening and find out for yourself!"

"No, thanks! I've already heard enough lame stories today!"

"Look!" Justin yelled, his patience finally snapping.

Just then, a white van sped past them.

"Damm!" Ruby swore.

"What?"

"There goes my ride. Your fault. Happy?"

"Well, then you have no choice. Get in."

"You freak!"

"Ok... I understand. You'd rather walk."

"Whatever!" Ruby replied, slamming the car door as she got in.

Satisfied, Justin steered the convertible away from the school.

"Ok. Since I'm stuck here with you, you may as well start explaining. If you possibly can!"

Justin took his eyes off the road for one second to glance at her.

"All right. I will. But it's starting to rain. Let me get you to the studio first. Then we can talk this out."

"Actually, I'm supposed to go home today and practice."

"Even better..." Justin gloated.

"Not! I'm grounded. I'm not supposed to have people over."

"So? Your parents are at the studio, right?"

"Well, yes." she reluctantly admitted.

"Then, this will work. We'll just keep it our dirty little secret..." he leered. "No one needs to know."

"Yeah, you're good at that Blackburn! Just like no one knows you were with us Friday night!"

"Will you just chill!"

"You ditched us. Just took off and left us there, stranded. How the hell were we supposed to get home?"

"You're smart. You managed. I knew you would."

"That's a load of crap! The point is, who does that! It's just wrong!"

"You're right." Justin admitted, surprisingly.

Ruby stared at him, completely thrown by his sudden turnaround.

"Ok. My house. I'll give you five minutes!"

They remained silent, until the car pulled up at the Quincy residence. The rain began to fall faster. Eager to escape it, Justin quickly followed Ruby inside.

She checked her watch.

"It's now 3:35. You get five minutes! Start explaining!"

"Geez, are you tough..."

"Four minutes, fifty-five seconds..." she threatened, perching on the arm of the sofa.

"Ok. I was a jerk"

"Good start"

"I shouldn't have left you. But honestly, I really did think you guys were right behind me."

"Yeah, right!" Ruby scoffed.

"I did. I waited. Thought you'd be out any minute. But I didn't see you."

"So, you just take off? Nice!"

"I guess I just freaked. Panicked. I saw the cops coming. Then the reporters. I didn't know what was going on. I didn't know where you were. I thought the police had you! And..." he paused.

"Weak, so far. Keep going! Does it get better?" Ruby snorted.

"You are ruthless..."

"How much time do we have left. Ah, three minutes and..."

Justin quickly cut her off.

"I was afraid of being caught. If that happened, if I'd been arrested, my dad would freak."

"Tell me about it." she replied, sarcastically.

"Seriously. Chaz doesn't really care what I do. He isn't even interested. He prefers not to know about it. All that matters is that it doesn't interrupt his own life. Disturb his agenda. And me getting arrested, yeah, that would."

"Yeah. I get it. Stacie told me the same thing. Don't screw with the career!"

"Not even that. He likes being involved with my career. But it's the only thing about me he cares about. He was never around for me or for my mother. Always with his bands or his other women. Finally, my mother got fed up and threw him out! I didn't see him again for years. Until I was 14 and he needed me. He put me in "Downtown Guyz" and I earned money for him. Not to mention, fed his ego. With Chaz, it was always about him! Never me! It's still like that! Justin spat out, bitterly.

Ruby's blue eyes widened in shock as he continued.

"Heaven forbid I do anything that he doesn't want me to. Anything that causes him any real effort at all! He just- gets to me! He always gets to me! And- I can't deal! I don't know what I'm supposed to do..."

Justin's hands suddenly shot out, grasping Ruby's wrists and pulling her to her feet.

"Like you even know about that. Why am I even telling you all this?"

"Because... You can." she stammered, suddenly feeling dizzy.

Justin crashed his mouth down on hers. Taken completely by surprise, Ruby responded naturally, putting her arms around him, and kissing him back with equal potency. Their heated embrace lingered for a few minutes, until she suddenly stepped back.

"We need to stop... We can't... It's too fast..."

"Let me guess. You've never been kissed before."

"Well, no." she admitted.

"I was your first kiss" he smirked, arrogantly.

"Get over yourself, Blackburn. Like you gave me a choice..."

"Like you didn't want it! You could have stopped me sooner, you know."

"Damm you."

"You really are something, you know that, girl. Seriously. No one ever gets me this worked up. No one ever makes me talk this way. To be real."

"Yeah. You, honest? Kinda shocking!" Ruby agreed, secretly liking the genuine person who emerged from teen idolhood just a few moments ago.

"So? Ready to admit we've got something here?"

"You really are a pompous ass." she softly responded.

"I'll take that as a yes."

"Ok. I admit it. Happy?"

"Extremely. Now, this means you go out with me."

"Yeah, right. Like my parents are gonna let me do that!'

"Who says they gotta know?"

"I'm done with sneaking out. I'm already grounded for three weeks."

"Ok. So, we gotta think of something."

"We'll see..." Ruby answered, skeptical.

"Yeah, we will. Be warned. You can't get rid of me that easily, Quincy."

He leaned in towards her again. But the sound of a car parking outside made them jump apart.

"Damm!" Ruby swore, then looked outside.

"Just Pat", she informed Justin, with relief.

"Your brainiac brother? Just great." he snickered.

"Would you prefer it to be one of my parents? Move it!" Ruby ordered, grabbing his jacket and tossing it at him.

"Busted!" Patrick called out cheerily, as he entered the room.

"He was just..." Ruby began.

"Leaving" Patrick finished, as Justin bolted for the front door.

Ruby turned to her brother.

"So? You gonna be a narc?" she asked.

"No. You know we don't do that to each other. But just what exactly was he doing here?"

"I missed the bus. He gave me a ride home."

"Mr. Poptart is stalking you?'

"No"

"He came to our school to find you?"

"Yes. He wanted to apologize. To explain."

"I see. And exactly what brilliant explanation did he give you/"

"I really- shouldn't say... it's personal."

"Yeah! I'll just bet it is!" Patrick remarked derisively.

"So, little sister. I'll keep your secret. This time. But don't push it." he warned.

"Don't worry. I'm already grounded. How can I possibly get in any more trouble?"

"Oh, knowing you, you could find a way.."

Ruby took a pillow from the sofa and smacked it hard in her brother's face.

"Ouch!" he cried out, mockingly.

"Shut up!"

"Ok"

"So, anything exciting happen to you today" she asked him, desperately wanting to change the subject.

"Nothing you'd be interested in."

"Too bad" Ruby grinned. Her brother hadn't been his usual unflappable, upbeat self, in days. She decided to try to cheer him up a little.

"So, I hear our school has a new heartthrob. That girls have been all over him this week.

"Yeah, well..." Patrick blushed. Ruby's words were true, but they didn't make him happy.

"Silly!" he began. "Those girls have all known me for years. I change the way I look and suddenly, I'm worth talking to. Shallow. Superficial. Not for me."

"And you want more than that?"

"Damm right!" he replied, sounding just like Tommy.

"You do deserve it." Ruby agreed.

"So do you. Which is why I worry about you and Justin?"

"Spare me the speech again."

"Don't worry. I'm clearly in no position to give romantic advice right now."

"Yeah. I'm really sorry about you and Stacie."

"Thanks. But there's nothing to feel bad about. Nothing really happened."

"Precisely why I'm sorry. I know you wanted something to."

"Yeah. Well... life goes on." he mused, philosophically.

"True"

"And we've a killer party to throw Saturday. Everything on?

"Completely copacetic. We've already told mom and dad we're taking them to dinner that night- they think it's just us. Everyone else knows to be there by 7:30. We'll get them there at 8:00- and boom! Instant surprise!"

"Cool!" Patrick grinned.

"Any idea when they're coming home tonight?"

"Probably in a few hours. Dad and Quest supposedly have some big project to finish."

As his children conversed, Tommy sat in Studio A with Quest. His friend had asked him to sit in on the final mixing session for the new album for the punk rock group "Explosion!". He smiled, as his hands easily worked the boards; the familiar task comforted and relaxed him. A few hours later, they played back the final track.

"Sonic perfection, man." Quest nodded, as he spoke their long-time, favorite catchphrase.

"You're right, man! Boom!" Tommy replied, exchanging the familiar hand-slaps.

He then let his head fall back, as he reclined in his chair.

"Here, man." Quest said, tossing him a beer from the studio fridge. "You look like you could use it."

"Thanks" Tommy replied, gratefully sipping the cool beverage.

"Seriously, dude, you look hassled."

"Yeah. There's just a lot going on right now, you know."

Quest nodded, understandingly.

"Yeah. I know you're really slammed. I hardly get to talk to you except for work stuff anymore."

"I know. But I'm glad you asked me to do this with you today." Tommy smiled.

"You really miss producing, don't you?"

"No. I'm still involved with it."

"But not as much as you used to be."

"Yeah. There's just so much else to do." Tommy sighed.

"Don't get me wrong. I like what I'm doing. It's just hard- I'm not used to it, yet."

Quest nodded again, as his friend and boss continued.

"Although... sometimes I wonder why I ever wanted it..."

"Sounds normal to me. And I know why you wanted it." his long time wing-man replied. "For the prestige. For the challenge. Hey man, ever since I've known you, you've always wanted more. To be on top. To be the best. To have the best."

"You're right, man." Tommy replied, looking Quest straight in the eye.

"And you've always gotten it." Quest added, with a hidden twinge of envy.

"You're right there, too. And I know it. I'm lucky..." the owner of Q-Records mused, then elaborated.

"Sometimes... I just can't believe how much things have changed. Seems like yesterday I was just a kid with a guitar who wanted to be a star. Then- Boyz Attack. What a ride that was! But it blew up in my face. So, my singing days over, I start writing more and producing. I enjoyed doing that- still making great music- just for other people to sing.

Tommy took a big drink from his beer before continuing.

"Now, it feels like all I do is sit around, worrying about money. Trying to make the bucks add up. And, they don't always!" he grimaced. He had not yet figured out the discrepancy in Q-Records finances and it drove him crazy.

"Problem?" Quest asked, noting the tension in Tommy's face.

"Yeah. I've been over it dozens of times. There's definitely money missing from our account. And I don't know how the hell it could have happened. Except for Georgia, Jude and me, the only other person who can access that account is you."

"What? Are you saying I..." Quest began, his pupils dilating, as he ground his teeth.

"No. Relax. I'm not accusing you of anything." Tommy reassured him. "But- you don't know anything about it, do you?"

"Not a clue. No" Quest replied, suddenly very defensive.

"Well, if you do find out something..." Tommy said, weakly.

"Yeah. Right."

The two men eyed each other suspiciously.

"I gotta go." Quest abruptly said. "Rachel's waiting. You know."

"Yeah. Jude too. I promised her I wouldn't work so late anymore..." Tommy trailed off.

They exchanged very awkward goodbyes and left the studio.

Later, up in that house on the hill, a stereo played. The man from the wedding smiled, more than satisfied with his day's work.

"Sonic perfection!" he laughed evilly.

Removing the CD from the machine, he carefully returned it to its plastic case. Next, he inserted this case into the already-addressed manilla envelope.

"Finally. It's go time. Saturday night. A special dedication..."

"To Tommy and Jude- Happy Anniversary! Here's what you really deserve..."

(Author's Note: Ok. Everyone enjoying this? Everyone dying now? Be warned- I am a twisted little creature... It's all about to happen... Please review and share your thoughts about what "it" is...)

dorothy