A/N: Hey guys: Please review with your comments and reactions. I really appreciate them.
Chapter 8: More Questions
Kwest led me back to his car and motioned for me to get inside. He sat down in the drivers seat next to me and turned to face me "Look, Jude. I love you, really I do. I think of you as like a little sister. Now, do you trust me?"
I eyed him skeptically, "I suppose so..."
"Then believe me when I say going up there to see Tommy, which is what I think you're planning, is not a good idea."
I turned away from him and stared out the window, "What's going on Kwest?" I finally asked, "Why do I feel like I'm the only one who's in the dark. Has Tommy been in touch with you all this time? Did you just decide not to tell me or anyone at G-Major?"
Kwest sighed, "I hadn't heard from him in three months, the same as you. He got in touch with me when he came back to town. The night before he saw you at the bar"
I turned to face him again, "He told you about that?"
Kwest nodded, "Look, Jude. There's a lot going on that you don't know about. Just trust my judgement that it's best you let Tommy alone to deal with this at the moment"
I put my hand on the door handle; fully intending to get out of the car but for some reason I stopped.
"I can give you a ride home if you'd like" Kwest said gently.
I nodded, turning back to look out the window and doing my best to hide the tears that were quickly pooling in my eyes and spilling down my cheeks.
As we pulled away from the Home Away Inn I noticed a young girl at a window looking down at me; I did my best to smile at her. She must have been about 3 years old... She looked so much like...
Stop it Jude!
---
Kwest walked me to the door, Dad was away on his business (as he was most of the time these days) so only Sadie would be home. I felt as though Kwest was holding my arm as he led me to the door because he suspected me to run away or do something crazy. I had to smile at the thought.
"Shouldn't you be heading back?" I asked sarcastically as I opened the door and stepped inside, "I mean you were going to go see Tommy before I became an annoying roadblock"
Sadie had walked to the door and stood there looking from me to Kwest questioningly "Tommy again?" She asked him.
I turned to glare at her, "You knew too?" I asked, my voice dripping with anger. I turned and stormed up the stairs toward my room.
"What? Jude, no wait. I didn't..." I slammed the door to my room, blocking her out.
At a desperate speed, I opened my closet door and rifled around in the back for a bottle of Vodka I'd hidden there a few weeks earlier. I took off the lid and took a swig. I sank down onto the floor with a silent sob; closing my eyes I pushed out the tears that had been pooling and wished I could push out the pain as well.
---
Sadie put a hand to her head as Jude stormed up the stairs, "What's going on Kwest?" She asked the obviously distraught man at the door.
"Ugh," He sighed, "Jude knows Tommy's in town, she knows where he's staying and she wanted to go see him today but I stopped her."
"Great!" Sadie threw her hands up in the air, "Now she thinks I had something to do with it?"
"Look, I'm sorry Sade, maybe I shouldn't have interfered but I really don't think it's a good idea for her to go see Tommy at the moment. He doesn't want to see her. He's been in town for a week and not contacted her."
Sadie looked up at him in surprise, "What, like he's mad at her or something? If anyone has a right to be mad here it's Jude!" She put her hands on her hips and glared at him.
"I have to go Sadie" Kwest moved toward the door quickly "I'll call you tomorrow."
Sadie groaned in frustration as the door closed behind him. 'Just great' she thought to herself as she slowly made her way up the stairs. She paused at Jude's door wondering if she should go inside or if she could get away with just leaving her for the night. As she stood in the hallway she heard muffled sobs coming from Jude's room, frowning she gently pushed the door open and stepped inside.
"Go away" Jude was sitting on the floor by her closet, her knees pulled up to her chest and a bottle of Vodka in her hand.
"Jude, I wish you'd stop doing this," Sadie said as she closed the door behind her and went to sit on Jude's bed.
"I said, go away" Jude repeated, glaring at her.
"I swear I didn't know about Tommy" Sadie said quietly, "I did see him at Kwest's the day before you ran into him at the bar, I wanted to tell you but I wasn't sure what to say and then you ran into him the next day and it seemed kind of pointless. Kwest's been keeping me out of the loop regarding everything he knows about Tommy so please don't be mad at me."
Jude ignored her, instead taking another sip of her Vodka.
Deciding to take another approach Sadie sat down next to her on the floor, and took a swig from the bottle herself, "So what are we drinking away today?" She asked.
"Everything" Jude mumbled as she took the bottle back from Sadie and drank some more.
"Just Tommy again?" Sadie continued, ignoring Jude's remark "Because seriously, this is getting kind of sad" Sadie looked at her condemningly.
Jude glared at her in response but Sadie merely shrugged, "Do you think Tommy's was impressed when he saw you at the bar the other night? Too drunk to even stand?"
"It wasn't that bad" Jude muttered quietly. Her eyes began to pool with tears again, "Sadie, I'm such a screw up. With Tommy, with G-Major, with school, with Cassie..."
Sadie moved so she was kneeling in front of Jude and putting a hand on each of her shoulders she forced her to look at her, "Stop doing this to yourself Jude. You've made mistakes, you're human, it happens. I mean look at all the mistakes I've made over the years. No, that wasn't supposed to be funny, don't smile... The point is you can't keep doing this to yourself. Can't you..." She paused, "Can't you just get over Tommy? I mean, Guy is a great person and he really likes you. You could be happy if you let yourself."
"Could I?" Jude laughed sardonically then took another swig from the bottle, "Could I really Sadie?"
Sadie sat back and folded her arms across her chest, "Then maybe I should go back on my advice" she ignored the little voice in her head repeating Kwest's warning regarding Tommy not wanting to see Jude, "Maybe you should go and find Tommy and find out what on earth is going on once and for all. I can come with if you want."
Jude shook her head, "It's something I need to do alone."