Face Down, an instant star fanfic

Disclaimer: I do not own Instant Star, or the song "Face Down," by Red Jumpsuit Apparatus. I did change the ending a bit, just adding the bridge again, so if you do listen to the song, that won't be there, just needed it for story purposes.

On With the Story! Don't forget to review!

Hey, girl, you know you drive me crazy
one look puts the rhythm in my hand.
Still I'll never understand why you hang around
I see what's going down.

"Jude? Are you ok?"

"Yea, I'm fine why wouldn't I be?"

"You look like you're in pain."

"Why would I be?"

"I don't know, that's why I asked. Jude, I'm here for you." He puts his hand on the small of her back. She flinches.

"Jude?"

"Tommy, I'm fine."

"Alright, I'll be back in a minute."

"Ok." He leaves, and she gets out her make-up. She pulls out a cloth, and wipes the make-up off her face. Her whole left cheek is purple and blue. She looks in the mirror, and re-applies her make-up. Unbeknownst to her, Tommy is watching through the glass window in the door.

Cover up with makeup in the mirror
tell yourself, it's never gonna happen again
you cry alone and then he swears he loves you.

Still alone in the studio, Jude starts to cry. Her cell rings.

She picks it up. "Hello?"

"Hey Jude." His voice alone makes the terror run into her eyes.

"H-h-h-hey James. W-W-Whatcha calling for?"

"We still on for tonight?" I shiver, I shudder, I take a deep breath. I can't say no... He'll get mad...

"Of course. Why wouldn't we?"

"Just checking. We'll have fun tonight. I promise." I close my eyes, and tears escape.

"O-o-of Course. We always have fun."

"Ok, I have to get back to work. I love you."

"I love you too James."

"Bye Babe."

"Bye." I answer softly. He hangs up, and I collapse crying.

"He's not going to do it again. He loves me. It was an accident. He didn't mean it."

Later That Day

"Tommy, I already told you I was fine. Why don't you believe me?"

"Because I saw the bruise that's on your cheek." She gasps.

"Jude, where did you get that bruise? Did James hit you?"

"James loves me Tommy. He wouldn't hit me. I fell off my bike when I went out riding yesterday. It was bad, but I'm ok. Really."

"Ok…" Tommy said not really believing her.

Tommy was writing a song in the studio when Jude came in late the next day.

"Jude, you're late again. Darius is riding my case about you." He said as he set down his guitar.

"I'm sorry, Tommy. I was… busy. I overslept." But in all reality she was dressing her wounds from the night before.

"Ok, but tomorrow, on time." He looks at her, and she looks down. What's wrong with her? Tommy thought. He looks at her face. Her make-up wasn't perfect, and her face looked purple under it. He went to wipe away the make-up, but she flinched back.

"Jude? I'm not going to hurt you." She backs away, as he move slowly towards her.

"St-t-stay back." She stutters. He stops with a hurt look on her face. Jude was afraid of him.

"Jude? I'm Tommy. Remember. I'm not gonna hurt you, girl. Come here." He opened my arms. She slowly walks over, and hugs him. He wrap his arms around her, and he feels his shirt begin to get wet. She was crying. He petted her hair.

I never should've introduced her to my little brother, James.

"Jude? Are you ok? Why didn't you tell me he was hurting you?"

"He's not hitting me Tommy. I told you that. He loves me. He loves me. He loves me." By the end of her rant she was punching her little fists into Tommy's chest. She steps back and runs out. She runs home. She finds it empty. She sees many pictures of her and James around her house. She goes into the bathroom, and takes her t-shirt, checking the bruise that was on her lower back.

Healing, but it's bad.

A pebble in the water makes a ripple effect
every action in this world will bear a consequence
If you wade around forever, you will surely drown
I see what's going down.

She's sitting on the couch with all of the pictures of him and her. The unopened letter he left her this morning. She felt like she was underwater, and was being pulled farther and farther from the air above. She was drowning.

I see the way you go and say you're right again,
say you're right again
heed my lecture

"Jude, are you ok?" It was the next day at the studio. Jude had walking in with black bags under her eyes from lack of sleep, her clothes hanging off of her making her look like she hadn't eaten in days, and she was in loose jeans, and a hoodie. She was so sleepy looking, but she had this…alertness in her eyes that scared him a lot.

"I'm fine."

"You sure?"

"Do we have to do this today?"

"Fine. You got something for me?"

"No, I need to write."

"Well then rockstar, go write."

"Okay." And with that she curled up on the couch with a pen and her notebook. He looked at the calendar, and saw it was October 28th.

Wow. Jude and James have been going out for 6 months. Ever since I came back from Montana with my little brother. She went to visit my family in July. She came back a completely different person. And it scared me. I instantly blamed James. He had been known to do this, and I tried to warn her, but she wouldn't hear it. So, I sat back and watched the girl I loved go out with my little brother. I also lectured my brother about Jude, and I hope he'll heed my lecture.

I remember what I said, how I said, when I said it, and the look in his eyes when it clicked in his head that I loved her.

Flashback

"You better take care of her James. If I get one word of what you do, and if you do it to Jude… So help you God. Why do you do that shit, James? You're not a bad kid. Do you feel like a man when you push her around? Do you feel better when she falls to the ground? If you do that, she'll leave you man. Don't do it."

End Flashback

I can't believe it. He's doing what I told him not to do.

Face down in the dirt, she says,
"This doesn't hurt", she says,
"I finally had enough."
Face down in the dirt, she says,
"This doesn't hurt", she says,
"I finally had enough."

He comes out of his thoughts to see Jude gone. She was running up her street, two houses away, and she was finally going to tell James she had had enough, but then someone grabbed her from behind and she fell face first in the dirt. She was being beaten and by the sound of the voice, it was James.

This doesn't hurt. Is what she told herself to forget the pain, she thought about Tommy. And she tried to be brave. She eventually blacked out on the sidewalk, and fell into the darkness.

One day she will tell you that she has had enough
it's coming round again.

Do you feel like a man when you push her around?
Do you feel better now as she falls to the ground?
Well I'll tell you my friend, one day this world's going to end
as your lies crumble down, a new life she has found.
Do you feel like a man when you push her around?
Do you feel better now as she falls to the ground?
Well I'll tell you my friend, one day this world's going to end
as your lies crumble down, a new life she has found.

Tommy had a feeling something was wrong. He couldn't explain it, but he called Jude's cell. He got her voice mail. Something was wrong. He ran out to his Viper, and he drove towards her house. He sees someone on the sidewalk, and recognizes it as Jude, so he pulls over to see Jude beaten half to death. On her stomach there was a note that said, "I'll always find you." And Tommy called 9-1-1. They sent an ambulance while he kneeled next to her. Her eyes fluttered open, and she whispered, "Tommy? I should've listened to you. He didn't love me." Then she blacked out again. By now Tommy had tears in his eyes.

Don't leave me Jude.

Face down in the dirt, she says,
"This doesn't hurt", she says,
"I finally had enough."

All she could remember was the taste of the dirt in her mouth, she remembered thinking that it didn't hurt, and that when she woke up again and saw Tommy, kneeling there, with tears in his eyes, she had finally had enough.

She woke up again to the sound of Tommy's voice singing a song, but she only heard the last lines…

Face down in the dirt, she says,
"This doesn't hurt", she says,
"I finally had enough."