A/N:NO! I missed my upload by three minutes! I'm sorry guys...I ran errands with my mom, but really this chapter was done yesterday. Swear.

I'm dedicating this chapter to Seniorita and Carlz02. They provided me with the biggest kick in the butt I could ever ask for so I could finish this chapter. Thank you guys! :]

Chapter is short, I know. Sorry…kind of. :D

Hope you like where we're going next…

THANKS: to you.

Disclaimer: A/N at the bottom. I own Sarah (for what it's worth – which isn't much). I don't own All Asia Bar, Pop Tarts, or Berklee.

R&R or R&L please.

THANKS MUCHO!

"Bright Futures"

With one last look at her childhood house, Jude pressed the gas and sped off.

Boston was calling her name.

Don't Stand So Close To Me

Chapter 30

"One Summer Night"

The white glow of the clock read 6:08 am. Jude groaned and sat herself upright in bed. Boxes stood high around her, constantly reminding her of all the unpacking she had yet to finish. She pulled a thin cotton sweater off the end of her bed and began the trek through her hallway to the kitchen.

As she made her way past an open window, a horn honked from the street below her apartment and Jude grimaced. She hadn't had her coffee yet and it was way too early for loud noises. She flipped on the kitchen light and the cabinets were instantly aglow in fluorescent. She pressed the start button on her coffee and popped open a box of Pop Tarts sitting on the counter. After opening the package, she jumped onto the counter opposite the coffee maker and stared at it.

The silence stilled her and realization fell over her. She had done it. She had made the move to New York.

In the mad dash to pack up her dorm room and drive the traffic-filled five hours from Boston to her newly-found apartment in New York City, she barely had any time to process the fact that she had dropped out of Berklee after just one year.

Jude bit on a strawberry pop-tart nervously.

When she told her parents, they were less than thrilled, of course. Her mother cried over the phone and her dad sighed before hanging up. But when her mother wasn't looking, her father had called back and told her just how excited he really was for her. They had always shared a love of music, so when Jude found out she had the support of her father; she was able to actually go through with it.

Kat and Jamie were hesitant at first, but when they realized she'd be closer to them, they got over their worries. And Sadie? Well, she was Sadie. Her first question had been about how many hot guys were in Jude's building.

Two, if you counted the janitor that came every week to clean the floors of the lobby, which Jude knew Sadie wouldn't.

The coffeemaker beeped and Jude jumped off the counter and pulled a mug out from the cabinet above her. After pouring a full cup, Jude took one long swig and smiled.

The whole thing was a little surreal. Actually a lot surreal. From the gig she had done at All Asia Bar three months ago to the signing of her record contract last week – it was weird.

She had never planned to quit school and go after a record contract. It just kind of happened. Just like she hadn't planned on meeting Tom and falling for him. It just happened.

Tom.

She hadn't really thought about him in the past year. He was more of a figment of her imagination than an actual memory.

That is until her gig at All Asia Bar happened. Then all she could think about was Tom.

Because the offer of a record contract didn't come from a stranger.

It came from someone who knew Tom better than anyone else – Kwest.

And that was probably the weirdest thing of all.

- M -

Jude leaned against the front desk as she looked around, taking in G-Major Records for the very first time. The label had moved from Toronto to New York a month prior and from the looks of things, Jude could tell they were still getting settled in. Sarah, the receptionist, was on the phone talking to G-Major's owner, Georgia Bevans.

When Jude had signed her contract, it had been a Boston bar not from Berklee, and with Kwest present. Apparently Georgia was too busy to oversee the whole thing herself, so today was the very first day Jude was going to meet her.

"Miss Harrison, if you'll just take a seat, Ms. Bevans will be right with you."

Jude turned her head slightly. "Actually, do you mind if I looked around?"

Sarah frowned slightly. "That's fine, but you won't be allowed in any of the studios. You'll have to watch from outside."

Jude rolled her eyes. "Oh, that's fine. Thanks."

"You're welcome," Sarah said, a fake smile painted on her face.

Jude started off, not really knowing what she was looking for. She was curious, but it was more than that. There was something she couldn't put her finger on. Maybe she was nervous. Maybe she was anxious. She didn't know.

She passed a few of the studio doors, most of them empty. Her eyes widened as she found one with people in it.

She stood behind a glass wall, watching a producer and artist work together.

Then her heart stopped.

Everything was hitting her all at once.

In a few moments, she would be one part of the pair: the artist.

It was something she had dreamt of as a little kid. Becoming an artist. She never thought it would come true, but now it was.

She started to take in the scene in front of her more closely. She watched as the producer flipped switches and pressed buttons, all the while, the artist sang.

She couldn't wait to get inside and do the same.

She moved on, walking towards another studio, one without an artist.

The lonely producer sat in his swivel chair, changing the levels as he watched a computer screen.

She backed away, in search of another studio. She turned quickly, her feet screeching against the floor. Then in an instant, she ran into someone. Someone holding something cold – something very cold.

Jude sucked in a quick breath and glanced at her t-shirt. If she had been wearing white, she might have been embarrassed, but she wasn't that foolish. Her black Nirvana tee would be just fine after a run through the washer. She pulled the fabric away from her body as the person spoke.

"I – I'm sorry. I'm really really sorry."

Jude brushed the man off and dropped her t-shirt, the fabric clinging to her body. "It's not a big deal."

"I think my friend has a spare tee in his office, if – "

"Okay," Jude started, as she finally looked up at the man. Her eyes widened. "Tommy?"

A/N: Preview

Don't Stand So Close To Me

Chapter 31

"G-Major Pain in my Ass"

Teasers will be posted very very shortly. Check my profile for them. :]