It's funny how little attention people pay to their hearts these days. They're dragged away from their heart's desires by promises of money, success and stability. Laws pay little attention to this small muscle, and other rules, society's unwritten rules, can seriously infringe upon matters of it.
But that's not the only thing; people's heads tell them something different from their hearts, and their head, being the thing that controls the decision-making process, overrides the heart.
Here's the thing to remember: the heart is an advisor, probably the most good-intention one there is. So, what I ask, is this: What's the point of having a good advisor if you don't listen to them?
Jaime, Kwest and Tommy all held champagne flutes, poised for a toast. "To Quincy's solo album, Never Holding a Grudge, and to its success," Jaime proclaimed. The album was set for its digital release this Friday, a month after Jude had gone to London.
"To Quincy!" Tommy and Kwest said. They all clinked their glasses. As Jaime put his down, he held up some slips of paper and said, "And to celebrate, a two day trip to London." Jaime looked at Tommy, silently asking if he was okay with it. Tommy nodded, smiling. "Sounds good; I haven't seen Big Ben in ages." Jaime smiled, relieved.
Tommy knew that Jamie and Kwest and everybody missed Jude, and besides, an international trip really was a nice sentiment, even if it had ulterior motives.
I'll just keep away from her, he thought. How hard can it be to not bump into someone in a big city?
--
"Sadie, I have to tell you something," Jude said the morning after Sadie arrived. "My label fired me. I refused to release the basement song." Sadie just stared at her. "Sadie, talk," she pleaded. "I'm going to find work, and probably a smaller apartment, but I'm not going home! I'm going to make it work here."
"Jude, I know," Sadie finally said. "I wouldn't expect you to leave." Jude exhaled in relief. "But Jude, why'd your label fire you for not releasing a specific song?"
Jude sighed. "My producer was a Darius re-incarnate or something like that; he didn't like anything I wrote, on principle, and the label manager took his word over mine." Suddenly tears welled up in Jude's eyes. She swiped at them furiously, angry that she could break down. "It's not fair! Music is my life, Sadie, and now some bitch in Burberry and an ass in Armani took it away, just like that! They didn't even respect my rights as an artist to not release what I'd written!"
"You could sue them for wrongful termination of contract," Sadie suggested quietly.
Jude sniffled, still trying to hold back tears, and then snorted. "Yeah, right, the money I'd get from that wouldn't even reimburse the lawyer, I'm sure. It's not fair!" she repeated.
Sadie pulled her into a hug, playing mother for the moment. "Shh…" she said as Jude sobbed. "It'll be okay."
But Jude knew it wouldn't be.
--
Speid sat, Karma at his side, in Thurman's office. He handed over the check; they'd lost. The compensation they'd been force to pay was so much they'd had to take out a ten-year bank loan. The only reason their lawyer was angry was because he hadn't been paid. In their agreement with him he'd decided he'd be paid only if he won the case, being cocky enough to say: "You won't have to worry about not paying me. I will win." Dipstick.
--
Jude hung up her apron, her shift at the coffee shop finished. She'd managed to get a job at the coffee she and Lacy Prat had found a month ago.
She heard a slightly familiar voice singing an extremely familiar tune: her namesake.
"Hey Jude, don't make it bad,
Take a sad song, and make it better,…"
Jude followed the voice out of the coffee shop, and to the sidewalk in front of it. There stood Haley, singing, Ben, playing an acoustic, and Rob, standing by them and looking imposing to anyone who might want to ask if they had a street performing permit.
Jude patiently waited for them to finish, noting Haley's voice, idly thinking, "Thou shalt not let the drummer sing" my ass.
Haley said, "Jude, you haven't answered our phone calls. I know for a fact you saw me across the street yesterday, and I called to you, but you kept on walking. We need to talk, Jude."
Jude nodded, slowly. "Let's all go back to my place."
--
"Zeppelin will help you record some takes while we're gone. We'll do production when we get back," Jaime said to Speid. "Nana knows you and Karma are welcome to eat here at any time, and she'd very excited for it, so take full advantage or fear her wrath."
"Don't worry dude, I've taken a liking to Nana's famous pancakes. Karma, though she'll never admit it, loves the biscuits."
Jaime smiled. "Good." He turned to Zeppelin and pulled her into a kiss. "See you in a few days," he whispered. Their trip would be four days with travel time.
"Bye," she whispered back, giving him a peck on the cheek. After holding their foreheads together for a moment, he leaned back, slinging his laptop case's strap over his shoulder. He, Tommy and Kwest started up the stairs.
--
"Okay, talk," Jude said, sitting in her new, smaller, apartment.
"Listen," Haley said. "You don't have to give up music. There's a way to produce a low budget album."
"We've got a decent-ish mike for you to use, and Garage Band is on my Macbook," Ben piped up. "The production and quality won't be excellent, but it'll pass."
"And you can record in one of the old cathedrals," Rob said. "Admission's free, and there's plenty of lesser known ones that have great acoustics and officials who don't mind an extra attraction." Jude said nothing.
"We can do this, Jude," Haley said quietly. "You can get your music out there."
Jude sat, thinking. She bit her lip; it would be amazing to still get her album out, and to have it just the way she wanted it. "I don't have a backup band," she said.
"Yeah your do, you silly idiot, you've got us!" Haley said. "Sir Gary didn't like us enough to bind us to Burmenzie. Instead he just bound us to you, for your first album at Burmenzie only." Haley sat back, waiting, while Ben and Rob looked on eagerly.
And then Jude's face broke into a huge, genuine grin. "
Okay," she said quietly, and then louder, "Let's do it!" The three of them launched themselves at her, and Jude laughed.
--
Haley was just hanging out with Ben, enjoying their time together. Rehearsal had ended earlier, and Jude and Rob had left. "Hey, Haley," he said. "I'm kind of cool, right?"
"'Course, Benny Boy. You're our awesome, freshly-turned fifteen lead guitarist. What more could you want in a friend?" she said, smiling playfully.
"What about in a boyfriend?" he asked quietly. Haley went stiff.
"Ben," she said. "I'm turning twenty three in a month. You turned fifteen five days ago."
"Age is just a number, Haley. You can't tell me you don't want to; we hang out like this all the time; we spend hours just talking; we've been a band together from when I was in the fourth grade! Rob didn't come until two years later. We've always just clicked, Haley."
"But you're fifteen," she said. "It's not right."
"How can what your heart tells you be wrong?"
"You're a freshman in high school and I've been graduated for five years! It's unnatural-"
She was cut off as Ben pressed his lips to hers. She reached for his head as tangled his hands in her short, blue hair. "Tell me that didn't feel natural," he whispered. "Tell me that didn't feel right."
"You're right," she whispered. "Age is just a number," and she pulled him in for another kiss.
--
Jude was in her car, driving past downtown and into the suburbs. At the first pub she found, she immediately pulled into the parking lot. She'd offered to take Sadie along, but she'd said she had a job interview.
As Jude stepped into the bar, she drank in the atmosphere. She drank in the lights and sound, the people… oh.
--
Tommy had driven into the suburbs, figuring that rock star Jude Harrison would never venture out of the glamorous downtown London. How wrong he'd been.
He was sipping a beer, listening to the folk singer on the stage, when he spotted a familiar face. A familiar face who was staring at him.
She walked towards him, realizing she'd been spotted.
"Hey," she said. "Fancy seeing you here," she said. He noticed she was wearing no make-up, and he smiled; she looked better that way.
"Hey, Jude," he said. She chuckled at the familiar phrase. "What brings the Rock Star out to the Burbs?"
Her face fell slightly. "I'm sorry about that Tommy, I really am."
He waved it off. "I get it. Sit down, have a beer. Let's catch up," he said, patting the seat next to him. She smiled, and sat down.
--
At midnight, the pub was empty and they were both slightly buzzed. Tommy walked Jude to her car. They chatted for a few more minutes, then said their goodbyes, and Jude turned to unlock her car.
He surprised her by spinning her around and kissing her.
She surprised them both by responding in full force.
Okay, don't be expecting updates so soon anymore. I have to hit a wall sometime or later. I think.
So, anyone see why I couldn't wait for this chapter? Anybody? Oh, and no worries, it's not gonna get all peachy after this chapter, there's plenty of drama to come.
By the way, I don't know if the whole recording in an old church thing would actually work, but it seemed plausible, and, well, damn it, this is MY story!
toodles,
breezy