Chapter 4 –The song that holds us still

Three hours passed with Jude locked inside the soundproof booth and Tommy watching her from the other side of the glass. He didn't move, didn't speak. He just sat and watched.

At some point, Kwest opened the door of the studio timidly and poked his head in long enough to ask if he was alright. Tommy didn't answer; he just continued to stare longingly through the glass. Kwest sighed and closed the door again, returning with a sandwich and a cup of coffee. He left them on the soundboard for Tommy, hoping he would at least take a moment to eat. The sandwich remained untouched and the coffee grew ice cold over time.

Sadie entered the studio as well, carefully gathering up the fallen roses before sweeping the glass off the floor. She watched Tommy watching Jude for a moment and felt her heart break for them. They were both so lost. She finally left the room, leaving Tommy alone to sit and watch.

Jude sat against the back wall of the sound booth staring through the glass window. She knew he was sitting on the other side of the glass, and it was killing her. She wanted to beat the hell out of him and then kiss him senseless. She wanted to scream and cry, but she also wanted to laugh and smile. She wanted her old life back; the one that had existed just a short time ago, where Tommy kissed her and asked her on out. That life had ceased to exist. Instead she had a life where she destroyed perfection and locked herself in glass boxes.

After some time Jude found herself running her fingers along the smooth strings of the guitar sitting next to her. She touched them softly at first, not even enough to entice the slightest movement. Gradually she put more pressure onto the strings as she ran her fingers over them. The strings vibrated slightly, creating the softest of sounds. Feeling the power of the vibration, Jude began to run her fingers across them, feeling the vibration carry through her body. She picked up the guitar and strummed absently, a soft melody filling the room.

Jude tried to lose herself in the music but every time she closed her eyes, she was assaulted by a barrage of images. The roses haunted her with their fiery passionate color. The shattered glass sparkled in her mind. The drop of blood from her finger seemed to glow in her memory. The images danced behind her eyes as if performing some sort of ritual dance and right in the center, the image of Tommy's face.

Just as powerful as the onslaught of images was the rush of words that flowed out. Jude let herself go, rearranging the words until she felt like she had created something. Ragged and exhausted from the toll her emotions had taken on her, she set the guitar down, pulling herself off the floor. She felt numb as she walked toward the door, leaving her feelings in the guitar, in the lyrics.

Pulling the stool out from under the handle, Jude opened the door of the sound booth and stepped out. Tommy jumped up, looking as if he had seen a ghost. She walked past him and straight out the other door into the G-Major lobby. She searched out Kwest, finding him in hospitality with Sadie. Walking straight up to them, Sadie nearly dropped the bottle of water she was holding.

"Darius wants a song by the end of the day." She said, her voice empty and quiet.

"Are you sure Jude? I'm sure he would understand-" Jude cut him off, not leaving any room for arguing.

"Just come press record." She turned around and walked away, leaving Kwest and Sadie with baffled expressions on their face.

Ten minutes later Kwest was standing in front of the soundboard, Tommy sitting next to him. They watched through the glass as Jude got situated in front of the microphone. She nodded to Kwest, who silently pressed record. He sat down next to Tommy and listened to the beginning of Jude's song. It was soft and slow, yet even the simple guitar chords held a passion that was rare. Neither Kwest nor Tommy was prepared for the words that flowed out of Jude's mouth.

A battleground
Of casualties
They're delicate
Left out to freeze
Can roses fly?
There's too much wind
An open window
Is my best friend

Talk about an orange crush
What you waitin' for
An orange crush
From here to my front door
Shattered glass
And shattered dreams
Unshed tears
And silent screams
Orange crush
Nothing more

A perfect rose
Still has a thorn
It pricks my skin
The world is torn
A drop of blood
Stains my soul
The petals fall
No longer whole

Talk about an orange crush
What you waitin' for
An orange crush
From here to my front door
Shattered glass
And shattered dreams
Unshed tears
And silent screams
Orange crush
Nothing more

A secret love
A fiery rose
A sacrifice
That no one knows
A broken bond
A frozen rush
It drowns us all
Orange crush

When the song was finished neither Tommy nor Kwest could move. They stared through the glass and watched the tears flow down Jude's face. Feeling suffocated suddenly, Jude bolted from the studio, running through the lobby and out the front doors. She needed to get away. Away from the song she had just sung and the emotions she had let out. She needed to get away from her sudden reality, so she ran.