A/N: I don't own Instant Star. I don't own Stupid Girl by Garbage. Reviews are always welcome.

Episode 6 – Hands Clean

Part 1

Jude walks into Darius' office to say thank you. "Hey, Darius thanks for everything," I say. "You're welcome now get back to work, I don't expect you to have anymore distractions. I'm just kidding Jude, not about the getting back to work part, happy to see you're happy especially since Shay and Portia had been giving me grief about you. You've got some powerful allies. Alright, see you later. And Jude thanks for the wine you got me. It's my favorite. Get tipped off by Quincy, huh. Yeah I'll see you later." "Phew," I say as I leave the office and running right into Tommy. "Tommy thanks for the wine tip," I say. "Oh yeah no problem," he says casually. "So, how is Sadie?" he says. "Well she's pissed and burned your letter and has a really hot new boyfriend," I say as I start heading over the recording booth. "Did you say she burned my letter! Was that before or after she read it?" he says. I shrug my shoulders and then reply, "Neither, she burned it without reading it and whatever else you had lying around. I really don't want to talk about it Quincy, especially with you" I say. "Jude are we ever gonna talk about it?" I immediately put on my earphones. "What Tommy I can't hear you. As if on cue the Kwest plays the background track.

You stupid girl
You stupid girl
All you had you wasted
All you had you wasted

What drives you on
Can drive you mad
A million lies to sell yourself
Is all you ever had

Don't believe in love
Don't believe in hate
Don't believe in anything
That you can't waste

You stupid girl
You stupid girl
Can't believe you fake it
Can't believe you fake it

(cue music)

Part 2

I look in my rear view mirror to see Tommy tailing me. I switch lanes and slow down so our cars are right next to each other. "Fancy meeting you here, Jude. Now pull over so we can talk," he says. "Make me," I say challengingly and speed up to put some distance between our cars. I walk through the entrance of my building and tell the door man not to let Tommy in. He leaves his car with the valet and jumps out of his viper. "Jude…" he says. "Sir, Miss Harrison told me not to let you go up," says the doorman "Hey, I've got no problem with you man I just need to talk to Jude now get out of my way!" Tommy says angrily. Just then a big burly bodyguard enters and throws out Tommy. Tommy sits in his car and dials Jude's cell. "Jude I'm not leaving until you let me talk to you. I can sit in my car forever!" he says. I finally answer, "Fine, have fun waiting. And oh yeah there's a forecast of rain," as soon as I said it started to pour. I heard Tommy cursing on the phone frantically trying to put the top on his viper. "Bye Tommy," I say teasingly. Man, I was having a good karma today.

Part 3

I watch Tommy drive away. "Man that was easy," I say congratulating myself. "What was easy?" asks Portia. "Oh nothing," I say smugly. "Ok, you keep whatever it is to yourself. Now let's start up on your school work," she says. "Oh" I groan audibly. Unfortunately I was distracted over what had happened with Tommy earlier. "Jude, we can't do any work if you're not all here…Jude?" she says. "Oh, sorry I've got a few things on my mind," I say. "Isn't that the biggest understatement of all time," Portia says. "Why can't we just talk about whatever it is that's bothering you," she says. "I can't." "Why not?" she says. I hesitate before I blurt out "because it's about your ex-husband," I say guiltily.

Part 4

"Jude, that was a whole another lifetime for me. Tommy and I were married for a month when it ended in disaster. I think I know him pretty well. We've gotten really close Jude, so trust in our friendship and tell me what happened," she says. Not having anyone else to turn to and needing a fresh set of ears I told her my complicated history with Tommy, Sadie, my birthday, and what happened at my album launch, and what happened earlier today. "You know I gain at least 10 pounds every time we have one of these heart to hearts," she says scooping out more ice cream. "It's not like I'm forcing you to eat it," I say right back. "What do you want to do Jude? You can't avoid him forever, although you've done a pretty good job so far," she says with laughter in her eyes. "You mean you're not mad at me," I say. "Jude the Tommy you just described is completely different from the Tommy I knew and married and divorced four years ago. If I were you, I'd hear him out. Isn't it worse than not knowing?" she says. "I don't think not knowing is as bad as what I think he's going to say?" I say. "Why is that?" she says. "Because getting what you want and figuring out how to react once you've got it is gonna complicate my life a hell of a lot more," I say. "Sometimes I forget you're only 16," she says. "I wish someone else would," I mutter.

Part 5

"So Tommy, I heard that you bummed a ride with Kwest this morning?" I say mercilessly all the while Kwest is frantically pantomiming and mouthing "Don't even go there Jude." He takes two steps towards me with a look on his face that actually made me physically flinch and said, "I'm done chasing you, Jude. You don't wanna know the story, fine. I wash my hands of you. And if you wanna know what happened to my car, what do you think happens to leather when it gets cozy with water! I had to have the whole interior replaced because it was ruined? Are you happy?" I gave him the, "Well, no one forced you to wait it out in the parking lot" look, which I know wasn't going to improve the situation at all, and handed him a cup of coffee, and say "Talk to me when you're not so PMSing." Kwest is on the ground clutching his side laughing, "Oh (chuckling) man Quincy, (chuckling) you've been told!" (chuckling), as he gives me a high five. Tommy looks at us with disgust, quickly covers the ground to his office, and slams the door to his office so hard, that a few things on the wall fall off.

Part 6

"So how mad was he about the car Kwest," I say. "Girl, you ever seen a grown man cry?" he asks. My eyes widen in horror and to my shame amusement. "I'm just kidding," he says. "Took it like a man, although I've got to admit there was some whimpering, then grumbling, then scowling," he says. "How long is his car in the shop for?" I ask feeling a little remorse. "About a week," he says. "It doesn't matter though because he's going to be away for a week," he says. My eyebrows shoot up, "Where?" "He wouldn't tell me, just said he'd be gone for a week and to have his car delivered to his place," he says.

Part 7

Sadie and Paolo were easing their way onto her bed when they hear knocking on the door. "God, the last time we got interrupted was my parents telling me to go home, then it was Jude, this better be good," she says as she whips open the door. "Hi, Sadie," says Tommy.

Part 8

Sadie can barely contain her anger as she punches Tommy in the face. "That was for your stupid letter," she says with rage. Then she kneed him in the groin. "And that is for being such a coward and not breaking up with me to my face," she says vehemently. Paolo hears the commotion outside and grabs Sadie before she was able to land another punch or kick. At this point Tommy's got one hand protectively across his head and the other one just a wee a bit lower.

Part 9

Paolo leads Sadie into the room and shuts the door. The two of them can hear her destroying everything in her room and screaming. In fact everyone in the entire building and on the street could hear Sadie and poked their heads out of their rooms. Paolo says something in Italian, and they all head back to what they were doing none the wiser. Sadie is still throwing things in her room when Paolo returns ready to confront the guy on the ground that had caused his girlfriend to go catatonic.

Part 10

Paolo picks him up and is about to continue where Sadie left off when a little light of recognition goes off in his head.

Part 11

When Sadie opened her door (an hour later), after destroying pretty much everything in her room, she was surprised when she saw that the two of them had disappeared.

Part 12

When she went downstairs she saw the two of them sitting in the lounge, drinking beer, and laughing about something. When they finally stand up and see her standing there, Sadie is poised to yell at them when she says, "Oh my god, why didn't I see it before."

Part 13

"Tommy and I are second cousins. He would visit with my family every summer until he joined Boyz Attack," Paolo said to Sadie. "Sorry to interrupt your little family get together, but are you forgetting what happened upstairs?" she says with a hint of annoyance in her voice. "Tommy and I had a long talk. Now it's time you two should," Paolo says. And with that he got up, kissed Sadie on her forehead and headed back up the stairs to salvage what he could in her room.

Part 14

"So about the letter…" Tommy says. "I lied to Jude, Tommy. I read your letter. And it wasn't that hard to figure out. Pulling away when we got too close and making excuses, hiding those music magazines with her in it. You're in love with her aren't you," she stated evenly. "Sadie I just wanted to see how her tour was going, that's all" Tommy says. "It must have killed you knowing she was doing just fine without you," she says. "I mean better even, going double platinum, getting those endorsement deals, now with a place of her own and her own car, she's like the male version of you, when you were her age," she said emphasizing age for good measure. "So really you're in love with yourself. Typical, selfish, arrogant, in a word, Tom Quincy," she says barely containing the venom in her voice.

Part 15

"It must kill you always being around her, day in and day out…all those late nights," she lets her voice trail. "Sadie, that's enough," Tommy says coolly although I can see the anger in his body, almost like a predator ready to spring. "Don't worry, Tommy. I'm used to coming in second. Your secrets safe with me and it's pretty obvious to anyone who have eyes in their heads. I just can't wait until the shit hits the fan" she says with little sympathy.

Part 16

"So I was just another competition between the two of you! What we had didn't mean anything to you, that it wasn't real," Tommy says with a hint of the anger and hurt in his voice. "That's the sad thing Quincy, I really did love you," Sadie says before walking away.