I felt sick as my fingers crashed around the paper, crushing until, in my mind's eye, I could see it disintegrating into a million little pieces. Somewhere in between cursing fate and life altogether, I felt Sadie pry the note gingerly out of my grasp before leading me back over to the car with her hand pressing gently on the small of my back. Something told me just from her calm exterior that she was more aware of the situation transpiring around us than I was because, somewhere between my birthday and damage control, I had somehow missed out on the whole parental upheaval.
"Maybe we should go back to the studio for a little while." She said quietly as Jamie nodded while I just stared at Sadie silently, assessing her wrinkled brow as she climbed into the car. I still didn't say anything; I just nodded. Jamie tapped the palm of his hand on the hood of the car a few times to get Sadie's attention before motioning toward his house.
"Give me a sec, will ya? And I'll catch a lift." Jamie said before throwing a worried look in my direction. I think he was just waiting for me to explode. Couldn't fault him there. I was beginning to feel eerily like Mt. St. Helen's.
"That's not a bad idea." Sadie mouthed silently to Jamie as we both watched him run across the street to disappear into his front door before resurfacing five minutes later with a bag slung over his shoulder and a pair of keys in his hand. It was kind of unrealistic really—almost as if everything were moving in slow motion as Jamie trotted back to us and entered the vehicle. I heard but didn't really interpret the car moving as Sadie weaved through traffic toward the studio. We pulled up to my home away from home in record time, and Sadie switched off the ignition before settling back in her seat, resting her head against the headrest and staring numbly out the front window. I peered at her curiously.
"You know something else, don't you?" I asked warily as Jamie suddenly pushed on the back of the seat making us aware of his presence. I didn't even glance at him, although when he cleared his throat for the third time, I knew he felt mildly uncomfortable.
"I think I'm just going to go in now, you guys. Thanks for the ride. I drove with Patsy yesterday and left my wheels here at the studio so I shouldn't need the favor repeated later today." He said softly before opening the door and glancing once more at me before beating a quick retreat. Sadie and I never even blinked as we continued to stare at each other until finally the tension must have been too much for her because she sighed heavily before laying her forehead on the steering wheel. Right now, I had no sympathy.
"I knew mom was having financial problems, Jude…." Sadie began as I threw my hands up into the air in exasperation before interrupting her rudely.
"Financial problems? Okay….uhhhh, Let's just try this for a reality check. She cleared out my entire banking account, Sadie. After I trusted her with it!" I yelled loudly before pushing open the car door, stumbling out onto the pavement, and slamming it forcefully behind me prior to leaning against the side of the car with my arms crossed against my chest huffily. Vaguely, I could hear Sadie exiting the car behind me as I fumed about the whole situation. 'Just breath, Jude,' I kept telling myself incessantly as the side door to the studio opened to reveal the rather delectable visages of Tom Quincy, Vincent Spiederman, and my all time favorite engineer, Kwest. Too bad I didn't have it in me to feel happy about it.
"Jude, mom didn't clear out your banking account." Sadie said quietly as I stared at Tommy a moment (almost as if seeing him would calm me down) until what Sadie said suddenly invaded my brain enough that I turned to stare at her in shocked suspicion.
"Then who did, Sadie?" I asked slowly, almost afraid of what the answer was going to be. Sadie's cheeks flushed as she kicked at a rock with the heel of her high heel pumps.
"I did, Jude." Sadie said shortly as Tommy and Kwest stopped in surprise only a few feet away from me while I felt my jaw drop literally to my feet before hearing the faint sound of my purse hitting the pavement with a crash. 'whoosh' I literally felt as if I had been sucker punched directly in the gut. What was this—shock the hell out of Jude Harrison week?
A couple of minutes earlier….
Jamie walked resolutely into the studio with a sour look etched across his face as he made his way slowly to a couch positioned against the wall. Taking a seat, he waited for Patsy while easing back in an 'I've got something on my mind' position while mumbling something senseless to himself.
"Going off the deep end, Andrews?" A voice asked suddenly from beside him as Jamie lurched in surprise before glancing over to see Spiederman reclined casually along the arm of the sofa. Jamie shrugged.
"Maybe you should go talk to your girlfriend, Spied." Jamie said quietly as he looked pointedly at the side door he had just entered from. Walking by them at that exact moment, Tommy and Kwest stopped in sudden curiosity at Jamie's tone.
What's wrong with Jude, Andrews?" Tommy asked in instant concern while Spied threw him an 'It's none of your damn business' look before straightening up on the defensive. Jamie looked around uncertainly before sighing in defeat.
"It's really not my place to tell, but I will say this for sure—fireworks are just about to explode in the parking lot of G Majors. And if you're planning on going out there, make sure you take a hard hat." Jamie said cryptically as the guys looked only briefly at Jamie before turning on their heels and heading for the door. Pushing the door open, the group managed to make it half way over to Sadie and Jude when a bomb the size of the one that destroyed Hiroshima suddenly fell.
Author's footnote: Hey guys! I hope you are checking in. Looking for a lot of reviews on this one. Okay, I was going to give you guys some hints about what's going to happen but I am afraid it will ruin the suspense. Ican prmisethat you will be tickled pink one minute and pulling your hair out the next.Please stick with me, I promise you will be shocked again and again. Please R&R guys. Counting on you. Smiles.