As Time Goes By

by Save-Ted24

Jude Harrison knew Tommy Quincy was the one when she was 11 years old. He left, but came back years later, and though their feelings are known, it doesn't mean everything's perfect in Jommyland.

3. No Need to Argue

Part 3: No Need to Argue

Two days after Tommy witnessed Jude's performance at the house party, he was able to persuade his boss, Darius, to give Jude a shot at a record deal.

"Don't get your hopes up, T, 'cause I'm not saying yes just yet," declared Darius. "Book a date for the studio this week and bring her in so you can put together a demo for me. Then I'll decide what she's destined to be."

"Anything you say, man. You won't regret doing this for me. I promise." Tommy smiled, trying to put into words Jude's gift. "Jude is…she's smart, beautiful, and has a voice unlike any other. The perfect triple threat."

"Alright, alright. I get it. She's great. Just go do what you gotta do." Darius pretended to be interested in some paperwork on his desk so Tommy would get the hint that he wanted him out of his office. Tommy complied, and went to sign up for studio time with Jude.

As he did this, Tommy remembered that getting Jude to agree to do a demo was going to be harder than it sounded. Even if Jude did, by some miracle, agree to record a song for him, she would eventually end up asking him why he felt so confident in her band when he's never heard them perform, and then he'd have to either make up an idiotic story about his faith in her or confess that he saw her at the party. Either way, he couldn't envision it turning out too well. Tommy ultimately decided that his main goal was to get Jude into GMajor. Once there, he'd probably have to wing it, but if he had to use his magical talents of persuasion, so be it.

Tommy and the Harrison sisters had dinner together the next day, which was when Tommy brought up the topic of GMajor, and followed with asking Jude if she wanted to check out a real recording studio.

How could anyone not? Jude was still hurting, but Tommy didn't even realize it, so declining the offer might just confuse him. And it could be a great opportunity for her. She's always wanted to understand the inner workings of an album. Maybe she could even one day record her own music. Plus, going to GMajor would also mean spending more time with the one person that always seemed to make her heart beat erratically.

"Uh…yeah. Sounds cool." In a battle between her heart and her head, Jude's heart had put up a convincing fight, and won this round.

Thursday afternoon, Jude pushed through a side door of her school and walked over to the blue viper waiting for her. Tommy promised to pick her up when school let out, so she could spend as much time as she could exploring GMajor.

Walking up to the building was strange. Jude and Sadie used to always go into the city and pass by GMajor, and Jude would simply stare at it in awe, putting to memory every detail, and trying to catch a glimpse of all the busy bodies inside. Now she was actually going to see more than what was barely visible through the tinted windows, and it kind of excited her. Well, her excitement was probably enhanced at the fact that Tommy's hand rested against Jude's lower back, guiding her to the front door.

As they both walked inside, Jude couldn't help but admire the general splendor before her. To an average 17 year-old female, GMajor was no castle, that's for sure. But to Jude, it was perfect. Rooms full of people either recording songs or having meetings about those songs, plaques and posters featuring previous GMajor artists hanging all over the walls, and enormous, comfy couches that located themselves directly in the center of the building. It had an, overall, laid-back atmosphere, which was exactly the sort of ambiance Jude wanted in her life.

Tommy's hand continued to make contact with Jude's back as they walked around GMajor, but as much as she enjoyed it, it was also becoming increasingly difficult for her to hide what she was feeling. Jude quickened her pace slightly, just enough to be out of Tommy's reach.

Tommy knew he made a mistake when Jude walked ahead of him. He didn't want to make Jude uncomfortable, but the minute he elected to rest his hand on her back, he never wanted to remove it. It almost felt like it belonged there. But Tommy was not going to think too much into it because it was obviously something Jude did not want.

Jude felt it was time to break the silence between them. "When's Sadie supposed to start working here?"

"I'm not sure. But I think our current receptionist, Candice, still has another week before she leaves. So, I'm guessing, Sadie will just pick up where Candice left off." Tommy already deemed it a good sign that Jude was talking to him, not allowing the awkwardness from the prior situation overwhelm her. "Our main studio's right over here," Tommy said, as he pointed to his left.

They walked the few short strides toward the studio, and that's when Jude noticed a guy sitting in a swivel chair, holding headphones tightly to his ears. Once this man in question knew he had company, he removed the headphones and placed them on the soundboard. "Hey, Tom," the man greeted, eyeing the girl standing adjacent to Tommy. "You, uh, working today?"

"Yeah. So, I want you to meet an old friend of mine, Jude Harrison. Jude this is Kwest. He's also a producer here." The two strangers shook hands. "I just thought I'd show Jude the ropes around here. She's the biggest music fan I know, so I figured she'd appreciate getting a tour of GMajor."

Kwest nodded. "That's cool. I'm actually done working on this song today, so the studio's all yours if you want." Kwest got out of his chair, said his goodbyes, then left the room looking for something to do.

Jude stared in confusion at the exit Kwest just walked out of. "Is it just me, or did it look like that guy's life depended on getting the hell away from us? He seemed a little too anxious to leave, don't you think?"

"I didn't notice anything. That's just how Kwest is, I guess." Tommy did spy Kwest acting a bit awkward, and he could probably guess the reason why. Kwest already knew who Jude was and all about how Tommy was trying to get her to cut a demo. Apparently, lying to people was not Kwest's forte.

Jude forgot about Kwest's weird behavior when she easily distracted herself with the shiny board in front of her. "Wow. Is every single button on here absolutely necessary?" Jude's sarcasm was mixed with amusement. She pointed to a switch in the upper right corner. "Let me guess. This switch activates the hydrogen bomb you keep hidden in the basement."

"Cute. No, all of them aren't necessary for every song, but you never know what you're going to need to change in a song. Most of it's precautionary, really." Tommy then continued with explaining how a song got recorded. He caught on pretty quickly to the fact that Jude was just not getting it, which gave Tommy the perfect opportunity to enact his plan.

"Look, it's easier to explain if I just show you. I'll push the button to record, and you can go into the booth and play me a little something."

Jude froze on the spot. "Gee, that's okay. It's not that big of a deal for me to understand, anyway."

Tommy just sighed. "Jude, come on. I'm gonna hear you sing eventually. Considering the one thing we always shared was the music, I think it's time you share a little of your music with me."

Jude was still hesitant, but Tommy did make a convincing argument. Their whole relationship was based around music, and if Jude were to share her songs with anyone, it should be Tommy. The only problem was that most of her songs tended to be about him. He can't find that out, though.

"Look, Tommy, I…well, what I'm trying to say is, all this music stuff that I do…it's primarily for me. I only play small shows because it's what I like to do. I don't plan on turning into a corporate music star easily corrupted by fame, money, and men in fancy suits who don't even know the meaning of music."

"Well, I'm not wearing a fancy suit, am I? All I'm asking is for one little song. I'll even promise that I won't critique it like the music producer in me normally would." Tommy gazed at Jude with intensity. She wasn't even looking back at him, but she could somehow feel the intensity of his stare surrounding her. Jude finally lifted her eyes toward Tommy's and the first thing she noticed in them was compassion and sincerity.

"Okay, fine. I'll do it. But only one song." Tommy grinned like a 7 year-old boy at Christmas. Jude had noticed a guitar lying in the corner of the studio when she first walked in, so she went over to grab it and took it into the booth with her. Tommy started setting up a reel to record her song. Jude sat on the stool in front of the MIC waiting for him to give her the go ahead.

Even though Jude had told Tommy she would do it, she could already feel herself wanting to back out. Her hands were clammy, and the twisting of her stomach acted as a constant reminder to the fact that she was currently nervous as hell. She then noticed the thumbs up from Tommy, and knew there was no turning back. Her fingers begin their usual strum on the finely-tuned guitar, and then she was able to find her voice.

I've been sitting in the dirt

I've forgotten my own worth

Said that you'd be here last night

I'm trying to shake you from my skin

Clean up this mess I've been put in

I'm guessing you can't always win

I'm guessing you can't always win

I can't have anything I want

They say I'm just too young

But it's not my fault

I'll find my own way home if I gotta

I'll make it all alone if I gotta

I'm not so trustful with my friends

I'm on the road alone again

I guess I'm tired of giving in

I'm sick of wishing you were near

You've gone your way, you've made it clear

Why do I feel you everywhere?

Why do I feel this everywhere?

I can't have anything I want

They say I'm just too young

But it's not my fault

I'll find my own way home if I gotta

I'll make it all alone if I gotta

Don't wanna spend my time

Watching the world go by

I think I'd rather die

And I don't got a plan

Not gonna justify

To stay where I stand

Something I won't deny

I can't have anything I want

They say I'm just too young

But it's not my fault

I'll find my own way home if I gotta

I'll make it all alone if I gotta

I can't have anything I want

They say I'm just too young

But it's not my fault

I'll find my own way home if I gotta

I'll make it all alone

24 hours

Tommy stopped recording when he could tell the song was over. He watched her sit there in silence, staring at the ground. He broke her from her trance by talking to her through the intercom. "Those were some strong vocals, Jude. Who knew you had pipes like those?"

Jude looked up at Tommy and smiled weakly. "Only a few of my closest fair-weather friends. I try and keep it on the D-L, if you know what I mean."

"In all seriousness though, you're a fantastic singer. And the song was pretty cool too. Don't be ashamed of your talent, Big Eyes."

Jude's eyes got even bigger due to her surprise at his choice of nickname for her. "Wow. That's a new one. And what, pray tell, made you call me that?"

Tommy did his famous, and heart-melting, smirk. "Oh, I don't know. Maybe it's because you happen to have big eyes."

"What? You mean, big like a bug? Are you saying I have bug eyes, Quincy?" Jude acted like she was offended, even though she wasn't. All she wanted to do was get a rise out of him, and it obviously worked, because Tommy took the defensive angle.

"No, that's not what I meant at all. It was just supposed to be a nickname, you know, like the ones I used to give you when you were younger…wait a minute. You're messing with me, aren't you?"

Jude hopped off the stool and pranced into the part of the studio Tommy was at. She feigned innocence. "Now what ever gave you that idea?"

Tommy laughed at her pathetic, childlike act. They spent the next hour together putting their own spin on Jude's song. Jude liked these moments. When it was just her hanging out with Tommy, no stupid feelings getting in the way.

The next few days were fairly average for a girl Jude's age, until drama decided to knock on Jude's door, or rather wait outside her school's main entrance. She knew the man in the tailored red suit was waiting for her because no one else was around. She received a note in class that her 'uncle' was picking her up early for a dental 'appointment'. Jude walked up to the man standing by his limo and looked at him curiously. To find out who the man in front of her was, Jude knew she had to speak first. "The last time I checked, I didn't have an uncle who was a limo driver."

"A) I happen to have my own driver, thank you, and B) I'm obviously not your uncle; I just thought you'd appreciate getting out of school before everyone else. Was I wrong?"

"No. I'm just like every other high school student who jumps at the chance to ditch the last 20 minutes of learning about logarithms. But with that being said, I think its time to ask a more important question…who the hell are you?"

The man smiled a flashy smile. "The name's Darius Mills, and I'm your manager."

"I'm sorry; did you just say 'manager'?" Jude felt like she was suddenly in an alternate universe, because nothing this guy was saying made any sense to her.

"Well it's not official yet. There are the usual formalities to be completed before hand, but I'd say the deal's as good as set."

"Okay, slow down and say it again in English please."

"I own GMajor. Your friend, Tommy, showed me a sample of your work, and I thought I'd come down here to tell you personally that we'd like to welcome you to our team." Darius oozed with pride, believing he was doing a good deed by giving this girl a chance at a career.

Jude felt everything inside of her swell up. She asked, through gritted teeth, "Tommy did what?"

"That song you recorded in the studio. I listened to it and, I gotta say, it's definitely got 'hit' potential." Darius turned around to open the door to the passenger seat closest to him. "I'd like to take you to the studio so we can sign some paperwork, and then you can begin work on your first album with my main man, Tom." He then motioned for Jude to hop into the limo.

Jude finally snapped. "What? You can't expect me to…because I didn't even know that he…and now you're…" Jude took a few deep breaths and tried to collect her thoughts because her rage was starting to make her dizzy. "Is Tommy at the studio right now?"

"You bet. You can start working with him right away if you'd like. Of course, that paperwork is a requirement that must be dealt with first."

Jude didn't want to listen to him blabbering anymore; she just wanted to find Tommy and kill him. "Enough chit-chat, shiny suit man. Just take me to GMajor now." She dove into the limo, because she always imagined herself leaping head first into one of those things, and waited impatiently for the driver to get going.

Once they had reached their destination, Jude stormed through the doors, ignoring Darius' comments. She spotted Tommy in a nearby studio working with an artist, but she disregarded this fact and charged into the room. The loud bang, coming from the door Jude violently swung open, made Tommy jump, so he turned to see the culprit, finding Jude stalking toward him.

Tommy immediately stood from his spot on his chair when Jude's presence was known to him. "Hey, Big Eyes. I'm kind of busy at the moment. But I think it's great you stopped by though."

Every time Tommy called Jude by a nickname, her stomach would do cartwheels, but not this time. Anger had pushed away all of her girlish feelings. Jude walked right up to Tommy and shoved him back into his black leather chair, watching the bewilderment overcome his facial features. "This is not a courtesy call, Quincy!"

"Jude, what's wrong?"

An irritated laugh escaped from Jude's lips. "What's wrong? What's wrong?!?! I'll tell you exactly what's wrong, buddy!" Jude emphasized the last word by poking Tommy hard in the chest. "You tricked me to record one of my songs so you can try and turn me into another yuppie sellout!" All of Jude's emotions starting pouring out now, and it was going to prove difficult to stop her.

"What are you…"

"Don't play dumb with me, Tommy! Your manager picked me from school today." It suddenly became difficult for Tommy to swallow because he knew he was caught. He didn't want her to find out like this. "That's right. He told me all about your conniving little scheme!" Tommy saw, with his peripheral vision, the artist he was working with quietly exit the room. She probably felt uncomfortable with all of Jude's yelling. "Of all people, Tommy, I thought at least you would understand and respect my wishes. I guess that opinion of you is shot to hell now!"

Tommy was tired of being belittled by Jude. He had his reasons for doing this, and it was time Jude knew that. "Hold on a second! Before you continue judging me, at least hear me out." Tommy paused to see if Jude was going to listen to him, and after detecting her silence, he continued. "Yes, I betrayed your trust. Yes, I heard you perform at that party when you thought I wasn't there."

Jude opened her mouth in shock. "I knew I saw you! I even convinced myself that my eyes were playing tricks on me. You lying, son of a…"

"Jude! Just listen, okay?" Tommy held onto Jude's shoulders, which seemed to shut her up again. "Now, I did the things that I did because I have faith in you and your music. Jesus, Harrison. Do you even realize how talented you are? You've got this fire inside of you that infects anyone in your presence. And you love music more than anyone I know." Jude smiled slightly, because Tommy was telling the truth. She did live and breathe music. She'd probably be lost without it.

Tommy forced Jude to look into his eyes. "This…this right here…it's what you were born to do. I wish you'd just accept that already."

"It's not as easy as all that, Tommy." She tried to find the words to best explain her situation, without giving too much away. "My life has been…complicated."

"Then uncomplicate it. Life's too short to worry about past mistakes." He looked at Jude deeply and smiled sheepishly.

Jude felt herself beginning to smile in response, but then she recalled the reason she was there in the first place. "Hold on. This conversation isn't about me. It's about you…being an ass!" She folded her arms against her chest and averted Tommy's gaze. "You haven't given me any reason to forgive you yet."

"I know what I did to you was wrong. And I am truly sorry for destroying your trust in me. But I did it because I knew you wouldn't." Tommy pulled a few strands of Jude's hair behind her ear. She jumped at his touch. "Jude, you are so comfortable in this little bubble that you've created for yourself that…"

"Hey!" Jude interrupted. "I am not bubble girl."

"Well you do put up an invisible shield every time something new and different comes your way. You're too cautious for a 17 year-old. Don't be afraid to experience life every once in a while."

Jude rolled her eyes at his observations of her. "Great. So now you think I'm a pussy?"

"I didn't…look." Tommy didn't want Jude to get the wrong idea. He just wanted to help her out a little. "All I'm saying is think more closely about the decisions you make throughout your day. You'll be surprised at what you find."

Jude opened her mouth to retort, but couldn't find any words that would suffice. She still refused to give him the benefit of the doubt. "That's real nice and stuff…but I'm leaving now. I'm also still very mad, in case you were wondering. In fact, I think its best that I don't talk to you for a couple of days in order to cool off and put all your evilness behind me."

Tommy loved how innocent Jude acted, and the quirky remarks that accidentally came out of her mouth. Jude left GMajor without talking to anyone else. Tommy sat back down in his chair and briefly thought about what just happened, before remembering he needed to find his artist so they could finish recording.