Probably the longest A/N in the history of this fan fic: Hey Guys! You are either thinking FINALLY! or WHERE THE HELL HAVE YOU BEEN?Either way, I'm here now. So, here's the thing, I started this chapter off with some crappy idea, remembering as how I had no idea where the heck I was going with this fic. Because I thought the idea was lame, I wrote a second version of this chapter, one I liked more, but one that was extremely shorter than I wanted, so I took a break. Actually, I kinda had to. My step-sister and her kids came over and because my niece was driving me insane, I tried to be the 'cool aunt' and I told her we were going to Chuck E. Cheese's. Chuck E. Cheese's, for those of you that have never been, is a pizza place with loads of games and a mouse that has a band and performs and will come and hang out with the kids. It's kid heaven, I guess, but this idea of mine ranks on my 'worst idea ever' list. I'm so glad I don't have kids of my own. :D
So because of my bright idea, we gothome at around 11 and I wasn't really in the writing mood, so I edited both of the versions I had previously written. Then I figured it was time for me to go to bed, so I took my laptop to my room and was suddenly hit with inspiration. It was kinda cool. So anyway, I wrote a third version of this chapter, one that was significantly different from the first two versions, but still kinda said what I wanted. However, because of the way I wrote the third version, it will be in two parts, the latter of which I haven't written yet, but have an idea about. Today, I hope, I will write the second part, edit it, and then post. Writing the third version sucked because I didn't know exactly how to write it without Jude falling for Tommy again or them going back to G-Major with unresolved issues; both are things I didn't want, at least not for this chapter. And then I realized I kinda dug myself in hole in regards to Tommy because I didn't know if I was going with the same reason for why he left on the show or if I was going with something else. And if I went with the show, then I had to bring Darius into the mix and have Jude and him work things out and I didn't know if I really wanted to stretch things that far. See my problem? Probably why I haven't posted anything until now.
I wanted this chapter to be as realistic as possible so I did some research, another reason why this chapter took my forever. It was kinda cool looking this stuff up and kinda frustrating, but that's okay. It's done now, at least the first part of this chapter.
Can I also say, my bright idea might have been a good thing? Depending on how you look at it, but I don't want to give anything away, so I'll stop.
If you read all this, Thanks! You know how my weekend went and if you didn't, that's cool too, I'd probably just skip to the good part anyway. :D
So finally, here it is: You Against Me and Message 37!!!! ENJOY!!!
A/N the bottom too:D
The normal half an hour drive took at least an hour, but Jude stopped counting after they merged onto Provincial Route 427 N; Provincial Route 400 N had so much traffic. The roads looked so familiar since she had taken the same route to get to Barrie after Tommy left. How things had changed; one minute he was there, then the next telling her he was leaving and didn't know when he was coming back, IF he was coming back and now he was driving her somewhere in Vaughan. Tension in the car had hit an all-time high and would have had to be cut with a cleaver, but luckily, they hit the parking lot easy. Jude was the first one out of the car, not waiting for Tommy to be a gentleman and open her door for her. She took in her surroundings, not knowing what to make of the situation at hand. It was the plaza north of Vaughan Mills, one of the biggest malls in Ontario; it housed Chuck E. Cheese's. When she turned to ask Tommy what the hell they were doing there, he wasn't around. For a few seconds, she turned in multiple circles, like a dog, trying to catch its tail.
"Jude, over here."
Tommy was standing next to the entrance of Chuck E. Cheese's holding the door open, which meant only one thing. Jude stood still for a second trying to catch her ground and stared at Tommy. 'He's kidding, right?' she thought.
"Come on, Jude. We don't have all day."
Jude reluctantly walked up to the entrance and stood in front of Tommy. "I'm not in the mood for kid games or any kind of games for that matter."
"Too bad, so sad for you because I have the car keys." And with that Tommy walked through the door way and let it slam in Jude's face.
"Sadie, where's Jude."
Sadie shrugged her shoulders. "I don't know, somewhere around here. I yelled at her this morning to turn off her alarm clock because it woke me up and then I took a shower and when I came out, she was gone. "
"You didn't call her to ask her where she went."
"No, I thought she came here."
"Well, she didn't and I have a fitting with her for tomorrow's performance."
"Portia, she's a big girl. She'll be here."
Portia just shook her head and started to walk away. At the last second, she turned her head and said, "You know Tommy's gone missing too, right?"
Sadie's eyes bulged as if they were about to pop out of her head. "I'll call right now."
It was dead silent in Chuck E. Cheese's being that it was midday and all. Just some disgruntled teenage employees cleaning the bathrooms and making sure Chuck E.'s costume wasn't harboring any cheese from the amount of sweat thrown into it daily. Being that they were busy, no one even recognized their two infamous guests.
"Tell me this isn't a measly attempt at winning me a Chuck E. basketball because I was eying that princess tea set, you know." Jude found Tommy at one of the games on the east side of the kid's playroom.
Tommy turned his head slightly, just enough to talk to Jude before getting back to his game. "I'd get you the basketball easy; if you wanted the tea set, I'd just buy you the real thing."
Jude nodded and sat in one of the booths that lined the wall behind Tommy. "Good to know."
Jude watched Tommy intently as he played his game, so much so that Tommy could feel Jude's watchful eyes burning holes in his back. He turned and faced her. "What?"
"You bring here to watch you suck badly at skee ball, Quincy?"
"I suck?"
"Yeah, you do."
"Care to show me how it's done?"
Remembering the last time something like that was said, Jude just laughed. She scooted out of the booth she was sitting in and walked over to Quincy. She took the ball from his hand and in one fluid movement, rolled the ball along the lane. It landed in the tube labeled '100.' Tommy just shook his head, while Jude smiled gigantically. Quincy pulled a token from his jacket pocket and tapped Jude on the shoulder.
"You against me."
Jude stared at him before answering. "One game and then we do what we came here for."
"Deal."
"Damnit, Jude. Answer your phone," Sadie said to herself.
"You know talking to yourself is the first sign."
Sadie looked up and smiled, "Of what?"
"Being certifiable."
"If you worked here then you'd be close too."
"What am I? Chopped liver?"
Realizing what she had just said, Sadie tried a compliment instead. "No, you're too special to be chopped liver."
"Thanks, Sadie."
"Anytime, Kwest."
11 games later and Jude was still kicking Tommy's ass; it was 9 to 2, Jude. The two games Tommy won were only because at one point Jude mysteriously lost 2 balls and couldn't finish her game, thereby disqualifying her and then, Tommy tried to be funny and play in Jude's lane, adding two zeros to her score.
Jude finished Game 12 in record time. 450 to Tommy's 120. The skee ball lane Jude was on started to blare and its lights lit up and spun. Jude didn't know what she had done to make the machine spazz like that.
"Nice job, Harrison. You break it, you buy it."
"Funny Quincy. You brought me here, so I think you should be courteous and buy it for me. You know, in place of the tea set."
"And what would you do with a broken skee ball machine?"
"No clue."
"Relax, guys. No one broke it. She just won the bonus on skee ball, but seeing as there aren't any tickets coming out of her lane; it'd be safe to say that the machine ran out." One of the teenage employees came around the corner and kneeled next to Jude's lane. He took a key and opened the lane, reveling the machine that spit out the tickets for its winners.
"How many tickets did she win?"
"Um, whatever the bonus board says," the employee replied, lifting his head to look at the board on top of the wall where the skee ball lanes resided.
"Looks like 1200. No one has been able to win the bonus in awhile, can you tell?" the kid said, sarcastically.
Jude stood next to Tommy and rested her hands on his shoulders, before pointing to her lane that had been fixed and was now in the process of spitting out 1200 tickets. "And that's how it's done, Q."
"Jude, this is message 37. This is the last one I'm going to send you since you obviously don't care that we are all worried sick here at G-Major. If you're with Tommy, bring him back alive so I can take great pleasure in kicking his ass. Jude, call me back as soon as possible. I just want to make sure you're okay and that Tommy hasn't done anything stupid. Please Jude, just answer your phone. Tommy, I swear if you have done something to my sister and you're listening to this, I WILL kick your ass, and then I'll let Kwest have at you and then Darius. CALL ME BACK, DAMNIT!"
"I need to tell you why I left." Jude sat across the table from Tommy, while she folded her tickets by 5's.
Focused on her tickets, Jude never looked up. "Honestly, I don't care anymore. I wanted to know before, but now I feel like it wouldn't matter anyway."
"Well, even if it doesn't matter, I still want to tell you." Jude looked away, never giving Tommy the answer he wanted.
"Thanks, Jude."
"Don't thank me; thank the Sponge Bob Squarepants game over there, that's what's keeping my attention at the moment."
Tommy laughed, "I guess I deserve that."
Jude finally faced Tommy. "You think?"
"Are you gonna hear me out?' Tommy pressed.
"I don't think it really matters. Remember, you have the car keys."
"Jude-" Tommy started abrasively.
"Quincy," Jude rebutted.
"'What are you, 5?" Tommy asked angrily.
Jude looked like she was in deep thought and then shook her head. "Last time I checked it was 17. Remember, the reason why you and I aren't suppose to be together? But I'll be 18 soon enough."
"This is just proof-" Tommy started, more to himself than to Jude.
"Proof of what? That you ran away because you were too scared. That you offered me something you couldn't take back, so you did the next best thing: RUN?" Jude's voice rose as she spit out accusations that Tommy didn't want to hear.
"Jude, it wasn't like that." Tommy tried to subside the conversation.
Jude looked at Tommy sadly. "Tell it to someone who cares."
Jude got up and walked away, leaving Tommy confused and drained with her 1200 tickets and purse, just as it started to vibrate.
.
A/N: So was my bright idea a good thing? I have a new idea I just thought of, so that'd will be added to Part 2. You will also see more Karma and SME. :D
There was something else I was gonna say, but my mind gets sidetracked very easily, so if I remember, I'll tell you later.
THANKS FOR READING!!!