A/N: Wow, you guys are awesome. Seriously, I love seeing your reviews. :D I was going to post last night, but I ran out of time to do so, so I'm updating now. :D Glad you guys are still liking this and I hope you enjoy chapter 5!
I also want to note, I do not own the lyrics to My Happy Ending. Don't sue me, please
Chapter 5
The Next Day
Jude snuck into the studio earlier than usual. She knew Tommy would be in a meeting with Georgia the majority of the morning. She was hoping she could record her last song for her album with Kwest and avoid seeing Tommy along the way. As she lugged her guitar through the studio, no one would have guessed Jude Harrison's heart was broken. She walked with a purpose and her face determined.
Jude opened the door to Studio A and Kwest looked up from the mixing table and blinked at her.
"Jude, you're not suppose"
"I know. I'm early…" She said and hesitated a moment. Jude knew Kwest was Tommy's best friend, but she knew he didn't know about the relationship. She sighed and decided to go with a version of the truth. "Tommy and I had a fight yesterday and I don't really want to see him…I was hoping you could help me record the last track for my album." She smiled hopefully at Kwest and the engineer sighed.
"Look, Jude, I'd like to help you out, I really would, but I'm just"
"Kwest, come on. I know you know how to push record and tell me if my notes are flat." Jude stated, rolling her eyes in annoyance.
"It's no that Jude…it's just…I've never actually produced a song on my own before…"
"Well, I've never recorded without Tommy, so it'll be a new experience for us both." Jude said, her voice slightly bitter. Kwest studied her a moment, long and hard. There was something…off about Jude. He noticed it in Tommy earlier that morning as well. It was that look of 'I'm fine on the outside, but inside I'm a whole other story'. Kwest sighed.
"I'll record you only if you tell me what's going on with you and Tom." Jude looked confused.
"I told you, we had a fight"
"You two always fight…that's never stopped you from recording a song before."
"Kwest, can we not do this? I just want to get my song recorded and pack my things to go to New York with my dad, ok?" She said, her voice betraying her cool exterior and breaking slightly as she spoke. Kwest sighed and shook his head.
"I know I'm going to regret this…" Jude beamed at Kwest and threw her arms around him in a tight hug. She kissed his cheek and pulled back.
"Thanks," She said, smiling brightly. Kwest sighed.
"Just don't make me regret this Jude." Kwest stated, moving from his seat and turning on various switches for the sound board. Jude walked into the recording booth, took out her guitar, strummed a couple notes to make sure she didn't need to tune and slipped the head phones on her head, giving Kwest a thumbs up.
"Going Acoustic?" Kwest's voice asked. Jude thought about it a moment before answering
"Use the beats you and Tommy already cooked up. That'll fit fine." She said into the mic. Jude waited while Kwest dug around for the cd and popped it in. He signaled he was going to push play/record and her melodies filled her ears and she sang out her opening lines, her voice bitter as she sang.
"So much for my happy ending
Oh oh, oh oh, oh oh..." Kwest continued to make adjustments as Jude sang. He listened closely to the lyrics, hoping to find a clue as to what went on between Tommy and Jude yesterday in the studio. Jude's voice got softer as she sang the next verses.
"Let's talk this over
It's not like we're dead
Was it something I did?
Was it something You said?
Don't leave me hanging
In a city so dead
Held up so high
On such a breakable thread
You were all the things I thought I knew
And I thought we could be…
You were everything, everything that I wanted
We were meant to be, supposed to be, but we lost it
And all of the memories, so close to me, just fade away
All this time you were pretending
So much for my happy ending
Oh oh, oh oh, oh oh..." Realization hit Kwest hard as he realized what Jude's song was about. They didn't…He thought, but he shook his head. Of course they were together. He should have seen it. Everyone should have seen it.
"You've got your dumb friends
I know what they say
They tell you I'm difficult
But so are they
But they don't know me
Do they even know you?
All the things you hide from me
All the shit that you do
You were all the things I thought I knew
And I thought we could be"
meanwhile
Tommy walked hastily to his office. He had left a band demo on his desk that Georgia had wanted. As he made his way down the hall, a familiar tune greeted him in the hallway. He paused as he listened, frowning as he recognized Jude's voice. He glanced into the studio door through the glass window and saw Kwest sitting at the mixing table, probably recording what Jude was singing. Tommy closed his eyes and listened a moment to the song Jude was now recording. He knew it was wrong to eavesdrop. Jude obviously didn't want him to a. hear the song or b. have him around when she recorded it, but curiosity got the best of him and he listened against his better judgment.
"You were everything, everything that I wanted
We were meant to be, supposed to be, but we lost it
And all of the memories, so close to me, just fade away
All this time you were pretending
So much for my happy ending
Oh oh, oh oh, oh oh...
It's nice to know that you were there
Thanks for acting like you cared
And making me feel like I was the only one
It's nice to know we had it all
Thanks for watching as I fall
And letting me know we were done…"
Tommy felt tears sting his eyes as he heard Jude's new song. He couldn't keep himself listening. It was killing him not to run into the studio and tell her everything, but he couldn't. Stuart would know. Jude couldn't fake that kind of depression, especially to someone who knew her so well. Tommy took a deep, shuttering breathe, and with everything inside of him screaming not to do so, he walked away from the studio and down the hall to his office, trying to forget what he just heard.
Jude was in the zone. She only heard the music surround her senses. She sang with her eyes closed and all her emotion. She couldn't bring herself to watch Kwest's reaction as she sang. She continued to sing, fighting the tears that were building up behind her closed eyes.
"You were everything, everything that I wanted
We were meant to be, supposed to be, but we lost it
And all of the memories, so close to me, just fade away
All this time you were pretending
So much for my happy ending
Oh oh, oh oh, oh oh...
You were everything, everything that I wanted
We were meant to be, supposed to be, but we lost it
And all of the memories, so close to me, just fade away
All this time you were pretending
So much for my happy ending
Oh oh, oh oh, oh oh...
x2
Oh oh, oh oh, oh oh...
So much for my happy ending
Oh oh, oh oh, oh oh..."
She belted out the last few notes and pushed the microphone away from her before the melody ended and collapsed to her knees, sobbing, no longer able to hold back her emotions. Moments later, strong arms circled around her and Jude shoved the person away, fearing it may be her…ex. She opened her tear filled eyes and saw Kwest kneeling beside her, looking sad, concerned, and confusion all at once. Jude shook her head, sniffed and wiped at the tears still falling down her face.
"That rocked Jude." Kwest said, his voice filled with awe. Jude nodded and took a deep breathe.
"Do I need to do another take?"
"No, I think you nailed it the first time."
"Good." Kwest looked confused.
"Because I'm done." She said, her voice filled with finality. She shook Kwest's hand. "It's been great working with you Kwest, but I'm done with this. I'm moving to New York with my dad in 3 days."
"Not signing with another label?" Kwest asked. Jude shook her head.
"I need a break from this." Kwest nodded sadly.
"Keep in touch Jude. Don't be a stranger." Jude nodded and she and Kwest hugged and She smiled sadly at him and packed up her guitar and stepped over to the door, surveyed the studio one moment and walked away from the one place that used to be her salvation.