Ahhh...I love the feeling you get right after you post a chapter. There's no greater high (there probably is, but hey...bear with me). I'd just like to let you all know that I'm going to be posting another fic called "Hide and Seek" (it seems like I have a thing for Imogen Heap songs...tehe). I was going to wait until the completion of this story, but it's kind of taken over my mind. It should be interesting, I can tell you that...but keep an eye out for it! Love you guys!

I drift away to a place
Another kind of life
Take away the pain
I create my paradise

The harsh, raw sound of the acoustic guitar resonated throughout the small room, and not a single word escaped anyone's lips as Jude poured her soul into the song. Each line was filled with purpose, every word filled with a dark pain that normally wasn't associated with artists so young. The audience members were taken aback at first, but soon every eye was riveted to Jude, every ear allowing her hurt and anguish to seep in.

Everything I've held
Has hit the wall
What used to be yours
Isn't yours at all

Tommy was rooted to his spot; every thought had escaped his mind the minute that Jude had opened her mouth to sing, and each word stung him deeply. He'd been a little more hurt than he thought he would be at Jude's answer to the emcee's question, and he was having a hard time figuring out why.

Falling apart and all that I'm asking
Is it a crime? Am I overreacting?

Oh, he's under my skin
Just give me something to get rid of him
I've got a reason now to bury him alive
Another little white lie

If what he'd done on her sixteenth birthday had caused all of this angst that she was feeling, then he'd take it back in a second. He thought that she would understand that both of their careers were at stake, and that he was only doing what he thought was best...but after today's explosive argument at G-Major and hearing the venom in her voice when she spoke to him, he definitely understood that it wasn't the case.

So what you had didn't fit
Among the pretty things
Never fear, never fear
I now know where you've been

Jude's long bangs had kept her eyes hidden from the audience for most of the song, but when she looked up from her guitar they were in plain sight for all to see. Tommy couldn't help but suck in a sharp breath when he saw the pain reflected in her soft hazel orbs and the wetness that had appeared there. Jude had always been pretty good at masking her emotions when it came to the everyday things, but the minute that she picked up a guitar and began to sing, her heart was on display to everyone.

Braids have been untied
As ribbons fall away
Leave the consequence
My tears you'll taste

Falling apart and all that I question
Is this a dream, or is this my lesson?

Jude turned to look at him then, and all of that afternoon's anger seemed to have dissipated completely. In its place was an exhausted sadness, a hopelessness that struck a chord deep within his soul. She only connected eyes with him for a second, but in Tommy's mind it seemed to stretch on forever. He was wrapped in her grief, and amidst this personal hell one thing kept echoing in his mind: what have I done?

Oh, he's under my skin
Just give me something to get rid of him
I've got a reason now to bury this alive
Another little white lie

Georgia glanced over at Tom, seeing the tension in his posture and the faraway look in his blue eyes. Something told her that the damage he and Jude had caused each other was far more than she could repair with a pep talk, and it would take time and a hell of a lot of effort on both their parts to mend what had been broken.

I don't believe I'll be alright
I don't believe I'll be okay
I don't believe how you've thrown me away
I do believe you didn't try
I do blame you for every lie
When I look in your eyes, I don't see mine

Tommy's heart broke when he heard Jude's voice quiver, and he was determined to fix what he'd done to put her through this much pain, no matter what it took.

Oh, he's under my skin
Just give me something to get rid of him
I got a reason now to bury this alive
Another little white lie

Oh, my permission to sin
You might have started my reckoning
I've got a reason now to bury him alive
Another little white lie

The silence in the room was deafening, nobody knowing whether to break the tense mood that had taken over the studio and seeped into everyone's consciousness. A clumsy applause was started, and Jude whispered a quick thank you to the audience before setting down the guitar and making a hurried exit.

Tommy watched her go, his ears deaf to the sounds of clapping and the upbeat chatter of the emcee and filled with the erratic pounding of his own heart.