Chapter 3

"Can you see her?" Tommy asked from the front row. Most of G Major associates were back stage but he and Kwest had decided to sit in the crowd to get the whole effect. If the screams coming from all around him were taken into consideration, the tour was a huge success. People were screaming Jude and Shay's name. It seemed the punk rock princess had won over Shay's fans.

"No man, she's still got three minutes," Kwest said putting a hand on his shoulder. "Relax Tom, she's gonna be fine."

"We should be backstage, I shouldn't surprise her by sitting right in front of her," Tommy said getting ready to walk away.

"No Tommy, if she saw you backstage, she'd just glare at you and storm away. If you're in the audience, she can't do that. This is what you both need after being separated for such a long time. The first time you see each other you shouldn't be able to talk, you'd just screw it up anyway," Kwest said rolling his eyes.

When the fans screams all around him got even louder he knew that she'd taken the stage. Tommy looked up and watched as Spied, Wally and Kyle took the stage. They were all set up and ready when Jude walked out from stage left. She was wearing jeans that had holes in the knees and a black tank top. Tommy was surprised she looked the same. She hadn't changed her appearance at all. It seemed Darius couldn't even get her to dress differently.

"Hey Toronto!" Jude yelled into the microphone and waited 'til all the screams died down. "You don't know how glad I am to be back home. It's been a long tour and now, I'm ready to end it with a bang." And she looked back at Kyle and nodded. The music for 24 started and Jude launched into it.

Tommy and Kwest looked at each other in surprise. Jude was like a different person on stage now. Before she rocked the stage but she always seemed a little tame but tonight she was all over the stage, singing to the fans, dancing with Spied and Wally. She was kicking ass.

"She looks so happy," Tommy whispered. He couldn't believe how happy she looked.

"Now that's the right way to start off the night," Jude said smiling into the crowd. "But I have a special treat for you tonight. I haven't sang this song anywhere else, it's special for you guys." When the opening music for Waste My Time started playing Tommy looked at Kwest and smiled.

"Darius is going to be so pissed," Kwest said laughing.

"No changes to the tour," Tommy mimicked Darius. He turned back to the stage and started singing the words with Jude. It was one of his favorite songs of hers.

When Shay walked out onstage the crowd started screaming even louder. He walked towards her staring at her the whole time. Soon the were dancing together and grinding making Tommy clench his teeth so he wouldn't run up there and pull them away.

"They're just playing it up for the crowd," Kwest said hoping to calm Tommy down. He looked like he was poised for a fight and they definitely didn't want that kind of publicity for the tour. He was glad when the song ended and Shay kissed Jude's cheek and walked offstage.

"Now is when I usually sing Skin to relax and calm down but I have a new song. And I think I'm going to premiere it right here, if you think that's alright?" Jude asked the crowd smiling when they all screamed their approval. "Okay, it's taken me all tour to get this right." She turned to the Speed who nodded to let her know he was ready. "This is dedicated to a certain somebody, you know who you are."

You said I was your everything,
You said I was the one,
You played me like a radio,
You use to love that I had no shame.
Pour my pain into words,
Hold my hand to the flame.

Jude was looking out into the crowd and was smiling at all the fans in the first couple rows who were swaying and screaming their approval. But the smile froze when she looked into a pair of familiar brown eyes. She'd known he would come, all of G Major was here she just assumed he was backstage with everybody else. She wanted to stop, walk offstage and get as far away from him and the tears that were swimming in her eyes. But then she realized how therapeutic this could be, and started singing just to him.

Tell me you love me like a star
Tell me you want me where ever you are,
Tell me you breathe me til your last breath.
Liar, Liar,

Oh, Liar, Liar.

Tommy stared into Jude's eyes, knowing that every word she was singing was for him. His heart was breaking for her, he never realized how deep she felt for him. She was sixteen, wasn't it impossible for a sixteen year old to feel that much. He'd thought it was a crush, maybe a little infatuation, but listening to all the pain pouring out from her, he realized she felt a lot more than she ever let on. And now he had an even bigger challenge of getting her friendship back.

Bit by bit I feel the draft,
Just sit back and watch it burn,
Hold your eyes up to my veins,
Call out, call out my name

Speed finally saw what had Jude so hypnotized in the crowd and smirked. So she was singing it to him, at least it wasn't love song. Maybe Quincy would realize just what he'd given up when he'd chose Sadie. And c'mon, who could compare Sadie to Jude, Jude was in a total different league. Sadie was Barbie, fun to look at but Jude, she was so much more. Speed walked over to Jude and smiled when she looked at him. He wanted her to know he was there for her.

Tell me you love me like a star,
Tell me you want me where ever you are,
Tell me you breathe me til your last breath.
Liar, Liar,
Oh, Liar, Liar,

Liar, Liar,
Oh, Liar, Liar

Jude took a deep breath and put her whole heart into the next part. She wanted him to hear how much pain, how much anger he caused. She knew that it would kill him, only because he was her producer and it would be hard to work together after this song. Or any of the other one's she wrote on the tour.

Tell me you love me like a star,
Tell me you want me where ever you are,
Tell me you breathe me til your last breath.
Liar, Liar,

Oh, Tell me you'll love me like a star
Tell me you want me where ever you are
Tell me you'll breath me til your last breath

Liar Liar,
Liar Liar

Tommy closed his eyes and walked away from Kwest and the concert. He had to get away. Before, he knew he had hurt her. It didn't take a genius to figure that out. But now, knowing how much pain, he wanted to kick his own ass. The old Tommy, wouldn't have cared. He would have shrugged his shoulders and said tough luck little girl. But now, he wanted to hold her and never let go. Jude was everything Tommy wanted. Why did he always realize these things when it was too late?

Jude watched Tommy walk away and closed her eyes. She wasn't going to cry anymore. Speed and Shay were right. He wasn't worth it. He didn't seem to care that she was hurt, that her heart was broken. But watching him walk away, with his shoulder's hunched and he looked so dejected. She wanted to hold him and tell him that it would be okay. Because seeing him again, watching him, Tommy was what Jude wanted. And she could sing a hundred songs about getting over him and it wouldn't matter. Her heart was his, and she didn't know how to get that back.

The rest of her set was over with quickly. And with a heavy heart Jude walked offstage with the picture of Tommy still in her head. She couldn't believe after everything that she still couldn't wait to stand in front of him, just the two of them. To hear him talk to write a song with him. To make another album together. And to repair everything that had gone wrong three months earlier.

"Jude," Georgia said pulling her into a hug.

"Georgia!" Jude cried wrapping her arms around her. It felt so good to see her. She couldn't wait to show her all the songs she'd written, even though none of them would end up on the album. She was not going to make an angry girl album.

"That song Jude," Georgia said softly pulling away. "I'm sorry he hurt you."

Jude looked at Georgia in confusion. "What are you…how'd you know?" she asked quietly. She was sick of denying that Tommy had hurt her. As far as she was concerned, all the people close to her should know.

"Are you kidding me, the airport scene? The song where you stared at Tom for the whole time? And the look in your eye, just now when I said his name," Georgia said pulling Jude away from everybody so they could talk in some privacy.

"I'm dealing," Jude said when the silence got to be too much.

"Badly," Georgia said bluntly. Jude stared at her in surprise. "Jude, I don't mean to add more bad news onto your already full plate. But I wanted you to find out from me."

"Georgia, just tell me," Jude said wondering what could be so bad.

"Darius bought G Major," Georgia said slowly.

"He what," Jude said shocked. Of all the things she could have said, Jude never imagined that. "Doesn't he have his own label? Why does he want yours?"

"I'm not at liberty to say but G Major is now under Darius's control. And along with that, all of G Major's artists are now under his control. You, Jude, are under his control," Georgia said hating to be the one to tell her but knowing it couldn't come from anybody else.

"I control me," Jude said seriously.

"Not when I'm around," a voice said coldly from behind her.

"Jude meet Liam, Darius's right hand man," Georgia said as Jude turned to look at the man who would be 'controlling' her now.

"Hi," Jude said before she turned her back and started talking to Georgia again. "How come nobody told me what was going on 'til now?"

"It was none of your business Ms. Harrison," Liam said walking so he stood beside Georgia.

"Excuse me, did it look like I was talking to you?" Jude asked sarcastically.

"Somebody's got a little attitude, we'll get rid of that real quick," Liam said before smirking and walking away. Jude waited until he was a couple feet away before she said, "tell me that you are just kidding. That this is one of Shay's practical jokes because it's not funny."

"Jude, I'm being serious." Georgia smiled sadly, Jude was her favorite artist, probably the best G Major ever had. She couldn't believe she wouldn't be there to watch her climb to the top, because she would get there. Darius would make sure of that. She just wanted to be there to watch it, be there to offer support and a shoulder when it got tough. The music business wasn't for weak people and Jude was going to get firsthand knowledge of that. "Tommy is still your producer, I made sure of that; and Kwest will still be there. It's only EJ and I that are gone."

"Why am I just finding our about this now?" Jude asked coldly, ignoring the comment about Tommy. She was surprised to find herself relieved that he wasn't going to.

"It wasn't finalized until a couple days ago and we didn't want to wreck your tour by worrying you about G Major," Georgia explained knowing that that was just an excuse.

"You heard that song, talk to my band, the tour was already a bust. I've spent the whole tour crying and sick. This would have given me something else to think about, and maybe I wouldn't have spent the whole thing brooding over Tommy." Jude backed away when Georgia made a move to hug her. "You know, I'm sick of this. People keeping things from me to protect me or because they are afraid of how I'll react. I'm not a little girl anymore."

Georgia watched Jude storm away and smiled sadly when she felt somebody walk up beside her. She didn't need to look, she already knew it was Tommy. "She's angry but I'm not sure it's at me or at you."

"It's not my fault Darius bought G Major," Tommy said confused.

"No, but I'm sure she realizes you knew and didn't tell her," Georgia said walking towards the parking lot. There was no reason to stick around anymore. Jude belonged to Darius now, she was interfering by staying.

"It's not like she called or wrote me," Tommy said.

"No, but when you're sixteen, your feelings don't always make sense. Besides, she probably wishes you would have made the first move." Georgia was by her car now and she pulled Tommy in for one last hug. "She's going to be angry but don't let her push you away. She's coming home to her life being turned upside down. Her mom, she uh...it's not my place to say."

"What?" Tommy asked.

"Just be there, let her scream, yell and cry on your shoulder. She's going to need Tommy her friend more than Tommy her producer," Georgia said opening the driver's side door. She climbed in and shut the door.

Tommy waved goodbye and watched as one of his mentors drove off and left him alone to pick up the pieces. Jude wasn't going to want to talk but he'd try at least. He hoped she wasn't going to cry, he couldn't handle it when she cried. He'd probably end up kissing her and they didn't need that happening again.