---Cherry Red---Chapter Three---

Jude looked around at everyone hanging out in the rehearsal space. It still looked that same but now everyone was sitting around and holding big red cups with various drinks in them. Jude was happily holding her coke. Sabrina walked up to her, holding a drink of her own and stood awkwardly next to Jude. They used to be best friends; I mean like best friends, they were like sisters until something got in the way.

Sabrina awkwardly cleared her throat causing Jude to come back from memory lane and look over at her. "Thanks for calling me to tell he he's out." Jude said. Sabrina just nodded. "No problem, I know he would want to see you, you two were…close."

Jude turned to Sabrina, "Bina, nothing happened between us. I swear!"

By now basically everyone was looking at them. Matt stood up and walked behind Jude, there in case a fight broke out.

Sabrina crossed her arms over her chest, "So you're telling me that even after your brother died you didn't turn to your best friend for support?! That you didn't sleep with him even though he was my boyfriend? Then how come I found your stuff all over his place?!"

John stood up and walked over to Sabrina, stepping between them. "Hey, hey, hey now. We're all a family. The past is in the past and we need to just let it all go." Sabrina and Jude huffed, crossing their arms over their chests.

John turned to Jude, "Cherry Red…" he turned over to Sabrina, "Baby Brina…" He wrapped an arm around both their shoulders bringing them closer to him, "You are both the babies of this family and we all love you. Now if you two insist on continuing to fight over me, then let me get some pillows…" Jude and Sabrina both smiled and hit him in the chest. He laughed and led them back over to the couch where they all sat down. Jude threw her legs over his lap and she caught Sabrina's eyes. She smiled and nodded, Jude smiled knowing things were okay with them again.

A few hours later Jude was dancing around with Matt and Reid to the music that was blasting through the radio. Usually Jude didn't like rap but this was something John had recorded himself. John came up behind her and grabbed her hips, pulling her toward him. Jude just smiled wider and continued to dance. Still holding onto her hips, John backed up taking Jude with him. He sat down on the big recliner chair and Jude lowered herself onto his lap and continued to subtly sway her hips to the music while sitting on his knees.

The doors opened and Jude looked up, but didn't stop dancing. Tommy walked in and looked around, everyone looked over at him and Sabrina walked over to the sound system and turned it off. Everyone was really staring at him now. He waved to everyone awkwardly. Jude just continued smiling; she didn't notice that he was feeling awkward. "Tommy!" She smiled happily at him but made no effort to get off of John's lap. Feeling like he needed to mark his territory, John wrapped his arms from where they rested on her hips and snaked them around to the front of her lower stomach and pulled her from his knees to his lap. He held a tight grip on her and kissed her cheek, "Introduce us cherry."

Jude just laughed and wiggled herself out of his grip. She walked over to Tommy and hugged him, he awkwardly hugged back, still not knowing what was going on. "Jude, what's going on?"

Jude turned to everyone, their eyes still on them. "These are my friends, Sabrina…" she pointed to the small, dark haired girl who was wearing a jean skirt and a tee shirt, her chain wrapped around her wrist like a bracelet. "Amber, and Kylee, their sisters…" Amber had red/brown hair that was long and pin straight, she was a rocker type of girl and Kylee was just wearing black slacks and a black v-neck shirt. Her hair was medium length, dark brown, and wavy; Amber's chain was dangling from a breast pocket on her shirt and Kylee had hers dangling from one of her belt loops on her pants. "Sasha and Kris are sitting next to Nathan and Caleb…" Sasha had dark, curly hair and was wearing a dark green beater and camo sweat pants, her chain wrapped around her wrist. Kris was wearing washed out jeans and a white cami under her black one with her chain hanging around her neck. "Tyler and Reid are over there playing pool…" Jude pointed to two guys in the back corner. Reid had long, blonde hair and was wearing a gray sweat shirt and gray beanie hat, his chain hanging from his pocket. Tyler had long (ish) dark hair, spiked above his head, he was wearing a white beater with a baggy dark green jacket, and his chain was hanging around his neck. Reid looked warily at Tommy and bent over, shooting his pool stick and making a combo shot…without ever losing eye contact with Tommy. "This is Brooke, my savior, and her boyfriend Lucas…" Jude pointed to Brooke who was sitting on a blonde guy's lap. Lucas had a sort of mustache-goatee thing going on. Brooke's chain was dangling from her pockets while Lucas' was hanging around his neck, over his black beater. "This is Matt; he's like my brother…" Matt was the only one who got up from where he was. He walked over to Tommy, sizing him up. Matt was a little on the short side but definitely not small or scrawny. He was thick and muscular with curly brown hair. His chain was held tightly in his hand, not letting it go. He stuck out his hand for Tommy to take, it was the one with the chain in it, Tommy looked at him for a minute before taking the outstretched hand awkwardly. Matt just wandered over to the side after dropping hands with Tommy. Jude sighed and turned to the guy sitting in the recliner. "And finally, this is John…" John stood up and let his head loll back a little bit, he didn't move from where he stood. Jude grabbed Tommy's hand and led him over to John. "John Cena, Tom Quincy." John's chain was hanging around his neck and he didn't move from his spot, even when Tommy stuck out his hand for a handshake.

Tommy awkwardly let his hand drop and looked at Jude. "Who are these people?" He asked in a hush whisper. Jude waved her arms around, "These are my best friends, they are all like my family…"

"Jude, you think we can go talk somewhere?"

John wrapped his arms around Jude's waist from behind, "I don't think my girl wants to talk to you."

Jude looked up at him with a funny expression, but Tommy grabbed her hands and tugged her toward him, "She's my girl and I think she can decide if she wants to talk to me or not!"

John didn't let go and neither did Tommy. Seeing that they both started to tug Jude to their side Matt and Reid both swiftly walked over to them. Matt shoved John's shoulders so he stumbled backwards. Reid grabbed Tommy's upper arm, dragging him a few feet away from Jude. "I think it's time you leave man." He told Tommy.

John pushed Matt away from him, "Back off me man!"

Matt didn't let go though, "When you were locked up someone needed to step up as leader! That person was me! And now just because your out doesn't mean you can go telling us what to do like you were here the whole time and screw with my little sister! Back off!"

John was speechless. No one had ever stood up to him like that before. Jude was speechless too; she knew Matt was always the quiet behind the scenes guy so this was very new. Jude turned to Tommy. "C'mon Tommy, we can talk upstairs."

"oooooooooo" Brooke said like they were in high school, she expected everyone else to join in but when they didn't she looked around awkwardly, "No?"

Lucas just laughed and shook his head. Jude rolled her eyes and grabbed Tommy's hand and led him up the stairs. The brought him to one of the bedroom and closed the door. "So what's up?"

Tommy looked at her like she was crazy, "You leave this morning without a word. You say you won't be back for a few days but yet here you are. You are hanging out with people that I have never seen before. A guy that I don't know is ready to kick my ass for talking to you. He called you his girl. You are all wearing these chain things! What is going on Jude?!"

Jude just looked down, bit her lip, and wrapped her arms around herself. "How did you find me?"

Tommy looked at her like she was crazy, he just threw ten things as her and she wanted to know how he found her. He threw his arms over his head and then back down to his sides. Seeing that Jude still wasn't moving he sighed, running a hand through his hair. "I was heading over to the studio to see if you were there, on the way I saw your car here so I came in."

Jude nodded, still looking down. "I can't really tell you anything…"

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"Everything you asked me, I can't really give you an explanation except that those people are like my family but then again so are you, so I want you guys to get along…"

Tommy just sighed and stormed out. He hoped Sadie could explain things to him…