Instant Star 1. Preview

Now I have just finished two of my stories. The Lion and the Lamb and So Happy I Could Cry. Well, I have had this story idea for a while, but I put it in my "Unfinished" file. I started to look through it to get some ideas, and I read this. I did some changes and loved what I was doing to it.

So, I have made the decision that I'm going to post this story for all of my beautiful readers. But I'm going to put a preview of it and then you tell me what you guys think of it okaii?? Love ya'll!!

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**_REMEBER WHEN  
by,  
MyPassionateMusician_**

_They were Tommy's kids: Jada Skylynn and Aiden Nicholas._

_It had been four years sinceJude's death from a brain tumor._

_"The same storm that hit Quebecthe other dayis coming towards Toronto."_

_"The blizzard is coming faster than we thought. The winds are up to 85, and the temperature is still dropping a deadly degree. We advise everyone to get inside..." The T.V. suddenly went off and the whole house went black._

_It wasn't fair that she reallydidn't remember Jude as much as Aiden and Tommy did._

_With nothing to do they really didn't have anything to say._

_"We're snowed in forabout three days so we better make the best of it."_

_"Dad it's an awesome idea! I don't know anything about my mom. I was going to ask all these questions eventually anyway."_

_That's when he could feel tearsat the brink of his eyelids._

_"I'll forget," he whispered. "I'll forget."_

_"You should've seen me when I first found out that your mom was pregnant. Now, that's a story I am willing to tell."_

_Aiden didn't get why Jada wouldn't sing. She had an amazing voice, but every single time he mentioned it she would change the subject._

_"I just listened to the radio. We're still snowed in and no one is going anywhere for awhile."_

_She slowly cried herself to sleep wishing on everyprayer that her mom would just come back._

_Aiden took out a box that he had kept hidden under his bed. He opened it and saw all the memories he had of Jude. They're were pictures, cards, letters,and video tapes. He looked throught the tapes and smiled when he found the rightone. _

_"It wasn't fair, and it's still hard. I nevergot over it. But what pulled me through were you two. You gave me something to live for."_

_"No! I don't want to hear anymore stories about her! It was a stupid idea, so just forget it!"_

_Tommy staggered through the blizzard hoping to find his daughter soon, and praying that she was ok._

_"No! No dad, I can't lose you too. Please, dad, wake up!"_

_"Aiden, please tell me he's going to be ok. Just tell mehe'll live, and I'll be ok." Aiden couldn't even look at her without the fear of breaking down. He had to be strong for his sister._

_Jada collapsed on Aiden and he followed her to the floor. The long beep wouldn't stop ringing in their heads. He was gone._

_"You can't stay here. They need you."_

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So that's what I got, and I'm really liking where this is going, so please tell me what you think! 


	2. Aiden and Jada

First off I wanna say, I haven't written a story in a while so forgive me if I lost some of my touch. IDK if this is any good or what not, but I thought it'd be a little different from my style. It's about Tommy and his kids reminicing(sp?) about Jude during a blizzard in Toronto.

So this is Remember When...it starts off boring at first but it'll get better I promise. Just bare w/ me. Also, the chapters are rlly short...again bare w/ me. I only have up to chapter 7, but that should be good for now. Alright so here you are...

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Chapter 1: Aiden and Jada

Tommy was in the kitchen making some blueberry pancakes, knowing it was their favorite. He had become a pro at cooking over the past four years. Now, they begged him to cook for them. Before it would be pizza and Chinese food. The cooking channels he had watched really helped and he loved to cook for them. They were his passion and his whole world.

Tommy placed two plates on the island in the middle of their kitchen and whistled upstairs. It was a signal to get their food. They finally came down with their bags in hand and smiled when they saw the plates. They sat on the stools and started eating it, making happy sound effects as they swallowed the food. I guess, by now, you are wondering who "they" are. They were Tommy's kids; Jada Skylynn and Aiden Nicholas. Aiden was sixteen and Jada was thirteen. They were Tommy's whole world.

Just as she was finishing her pancakes Jada kicked Aiden under the counter where Tommy couldn't see. Aiden kicked her back a little harder. "Ow!" Jada yelled which caused Tommy to whip his head around. "Dad, Aiden kicked me!"

"Aiden," Tommy warned.

"Hey, she kicked me first," Aiden complained.

"Yes, but you're older," he replied. "You're supposed to set an example. You know better."

Aiden looked at his father as if he had been betrayed. Jada just smiled at him and went back to eating her pancakes. It was like this every morning for him. It reminded of Tommy when he was younger and his little sister would always get him in trouble somehow. He put the pans in the dishwasher and looked around confused. He finally noticed something was missing. "Where's your mom?" Tommy asked his kids.

Jada's eyes widen and she smiled sheepishly. Aiden just looked at her with a smirk knowing why she was so nervous. Tommy noticed her uneasiness too. He put both of his hands on the counter and looked at his beautiful daughter. "Jada," Tommy started.

"Yes?" Jada answered with a little shake in his voice.

"Do you know what happened to your mom?" he asked.

"Um, yes," she said looking down at her pancakes.

"May you please tell me?"

Aiden was enjoying this all too much. "Well, see, I was looking for the bathroom last night and I kinda…knocked her over," she explained.

Tommy cocked an eyebrow at her. "But there's a bathroom upstairs, and she was down here." Jada looked down at her pancakes again and then at her shoes. "What are you not telling me?"

"Ok, ok, fine, you caught me," Jada said in defeat. "I…snuck out last night. I came back in and it was dark, and I knocked her over."

He looked at her in anger and disappointment. "Jada Skylynn Quincy!" he shouted, and Jada winced back a bit. "This is the second time this month!"

Aiden laughed and stuck out his tongue. "Told you, you would get caught," he laughed. He looked at his father and his smile dropped.

"You knew she was going to sneak out, and you didn't stop her!"

"I am _not_ her caretaker," Aiden stated.

"That's it; you're both grounded for the rest of the week."

Aiden and Jada looked at each other. "What!?" They shouted in unison.

"But Dad, there's the eighth grade dance this Friday," Jada announced.

"And the boys and I got this gig at The Chain. It could be our big break!" Aiden notified him.

"Then maybe you should've thought about that before you broke the rules. Now, go to school. And Aiden, don't drop your sister off at the park again or that'll be two weeks."

Aiden nodded and went outside to his red viper. Jada took out a picture of Jude Quincy from her backpack. It was in a broken frame. She looked down at it. "Sorry mom," she whispered and handed it to Tommy.

The car horn beeped and Jada kissed her dad on the cheek before heading out. Tommy sighed and looked at the picture. It had been four years since Jude's death from a brain tumor. That year had been hell for all of them. Jada was only nine and didn't understand it then. Even now, she still doesn't fully understand her mother's death. Aiden knew it all _too_ well. He understood death at that time.

It had been so hard on their family and they never really passed on from it. But they had learned to live their life day by day, and be as happy as they can be. Tommy took Jude's picture out of the frame carefully. He kept her picture on the counter in the kitchen. He thought it would feel like she was there with all of them. At least, they could still pretend a bit that she was alive. He threw away the frame and looked in the junk drawer in the REC room. After a moment he finally found another frame to put his wife's picture in.

Tommy walked back to the kitchen and put it on the counter. He sighed as he started to clean their plates off.

Around three Aiden and Jada finally came back from school. Tommy was sitting on the couch watching a movie. Jada sat down next to her dad. "Did you hear about the huge snow storm coming tomorrow?" Jada asked her dad excitedly.

"A blizzard?" Tommy asked and looked at her.

Aiden sat on the couch next to his sister. "The same storm that hit Quebec the other day is coming towards Toronto," Aiden explained.

"Which means no school!" Jada squealed.

Tommy chuckled and kissed Jada's temple. "Sweetie, don't too excited yet. You know how these storms are." Tommy warned

Jada looked at him and pouted. "Way to ruin the fun dad," she whined.

Aiden laughed and kissed his sister's cheek. "Alright, well I'll be back in about two hours," Aiden said quickly running to the door.

"Um," Tommy started which caused Aiden to stop. "You know, I could've sworn I grounded you earlier this morning."

He rolled his eyes and grunted. "But dad, the guys and I need to practice. There are going to be talent scouts at The Chain."

"As I recall you're not going to that either."

Aiden crossed his arms and headed upstairs. "I bet mom would've let me go," he said and went up the stairs slowly.

Tommy sighed and looked back at the T.V. He didn't like getting into fights with his kids; especially with Aiden. He always seemed to pull the mom card somehow. "Alright fine, but only for an hour. If you're not back here by 4:30 then you're not going anywhere. You got it?"

Aiden smiled and ran to the door. "Thank you!" He shouted over his shoulder. Tommy laughed and shook his head. He looked down at Jada who had her arms crossed, and she was shaking her head disappointedly.

"What?" Tommy asked.

"Nothing, nothing," Jada said and looked to see what was on the T.V.

PLEASE REVIEW!!


	3. Blackout

Short chapter. Sorry! Ya'll should tell your friends about this. -lol-

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Chapter 2: Blackout

The next morning, Tommy woke up and threw his arm on the other side of the bed. He didn't feel anything and opened his eyes to find out it was empty. He sighed and ran a hand through his dark hair. Even after four years he wasn't used to not having Jude beside him. Reluctantly, he got out of bed slowly when he realized it was freezing. He put a blanket around him and turned on the T.V. to check the weather reports. It wasn't a clear picture but he could still here well.

"The blizzard is finally hitting Toronto," the anchorman said. "The winds are picking up and are now up to 70 miles. The temperature has dropped 20 degrees, and it looks like it's going to keep dropping. On that note, the schools will be closed today due to the snow."

"Yes!" A voice squealed. Tommy looked at the door and saw Jada running from the doorway. He laughed and picked her up. "I have no school! Can I go outside dad? Please!"

"I don't think so honey," Tommy chuckled. "It's freezing out there."

"Oh, dad, please," Jada said waving her hand. "I _like_ the cold. Anyway, it's not like I'm going to be alone. I'm going to call Liz and Brianna, to come over, if that's ok with you."

Tommy smiled and nodded. Jada squealed again and dropped herself down to the floor. She went to the phone and called her friends. "News just in," the anchorman came back on after the commercial break. "The blizzard is coming faster than we thought. The winds are up to 85, and the temperature is still dropping a deadly degree. We advise everyone to get inside…"

The T.V. suddenly shut off and the whole house went black. Tommy quickly put on pair of sweats and a sweater and looked for a flashlight in one of his drawers. "Aiden, Jada," he called out as he turned on the flashlight he found and walked out of his bedroom. He saw Aiden walk out of his bedroom and shined the light in his face.

"Wow, dad, watch wear you point that thing," Aiden said shielding his eyes with his hands.

"Sorry," Tommy apologized. "We just had a blackout. Come on; let's go find you're sister."

They walked downstairs and saw Jada walk up to them with a disappointed look on her face. "What's wrong with you?" Aiden asked.

"It's obvious I won't be going anywhere today," Jada said looking at a spot on the wall. She crossed her arms and huffed. Tommy saw her nose scrunch up and chuckled. He kissed the top of her head and went to REC room to look for candles. Suddenly, he heard Jada scream and a huge burst. "Jada!" Tommy heard Aiden yell.

He hurriedly ran through the house and saw the kitchen window was busted open. Aiden quickly went to Jada and protected her from the broken glass with his own body. Tommy ran to the window and shut it. He instructed his daughter to stay in the living room while he and Aiden went to get some tools.


	4. First Impressions

So0o0o0o...  
I guess I have some major explaining in my 3 months absence. See, I forgot to tell you that I had join the military (in honor of my brother Robbie...RIP), and I went to Basics. Right now I'm on a 30 leave, so I'll be writing...promise. Then I got to AIT...WITH A LAPTOP...so I might be busy, but I'll be able to write some more and hopefully put up chapters.

I hope all of you forgive me! Here's chapter 3!!

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Chapter 3: First Impressions

Tommy and Aiden boarded up the doors and windows. With 85 miles wind, he didn't have time to wait. Nothing was working. The T.V., phone, and radio were gone. He quickly put some logs in the fireplace and handed Jada her sweater. She quickly put it over her head and bungled up in it, on the couch next to her brother. Aiden was always wearing a sweater and also a scarf. It had to be at least 15 degrees in the house, and they could only imagine how cold it was outside. Since the heater was broken they had to make the best of it with the fireplace. While the flames came to life, Aiden smiled softly. The last time they had use this fireplace was before his mother died. He remembered how—on special days—they would all huddle together around the fireplace and tell ghost stories. He chuckled softly and shook his head. Jada looked at him questioningly. "What's so funny?" she asked Aiden.

Aiden gazed down at her. She wouldn't remember too much of it. She was just so young, and it wasn't fair that she really didn't remember Jude as much as Aiden and Tommy did. Especially, when Jude had gotten sick when Jada was only 6. So she didn't really get to know her mom. "Nothing," he sighed. "Just thinking about a joke earlier."

He didn't want to rub it in her face that he knew and remembered so much. Jada just shrugged her shoulders and returned to looking at her dad playing around with the fireplace.

Tommy got up as the fire started to roar quietly. He went on the couch to join his kids. They all sat in an uncomfortable silence. With nothing to do, they didn't really have anything to say. Aiden smiled awkwardly at his father and sighed. Jada tapped her nails on the arm of the couch and Tommy's leg was bouncing up and down.

Tommy looked at each of his kids, and saw how much Jada looked like Jude. She had that fiery red hair and those beautiful blue-gray eyes. She had long eyelashes that showed every time she blinked. She also acted a lot like Jude, too. When she felt awkward she would bit her lower lip. Or when she was mad her nose would scrunch up. She also had the voice of an angel, but didn't have the passion for it like Aiden had.

Aiden definitely looked like his father a lot more, but he inherited his mom's passion for music. Although Tommy loved music, it wasn't like a passion he had. Jude's passion was beyond anyone and Aiden had the same one. "Hey Aiden," Tommy started.

Aiden turned his head towards Tommy. "Yea?" He asked.

"Do you remember when your mom taught you how to play guitar?" Tommy asked with a smile on his face.

Aiden smiled widely. "Yea, I remember," he said excitedly. "I was so awful I was about to give up. But she made me push myself harder and harder." He looked down and smiled. "I miss her so much."

Tommy nodded. "Me too," Tommy agreed.

"Me three," Jada joined. They both looked at her and smiled sadly. "I don't remember much about her. What was she like?"

Tommy pulled Jada up on his lap. "Well, she was a lot like you," Tommy answered.

Jada's eyes brighten. "Really?"

"Yea," Tommy said. "I see a lot of her in you. The red hair, those eyes that you have. And that beautiful angel voice that you have. Also you're laugh." Tommy tickled her which made Jada giggle.

"You know, I think you're right dad," Aiden said observing. "She is a lot like mom. Of course, more annoying."

Jada scrunched her nose and crossed her arms. "I am _not_ annoying."

Aiden laughed. "That's what you think."

"You jerk, I hate you."

"Hey, stop it," Tommy interrupted. "No fighting ok. We're snowed in for about three days, so we better make the best of it ok?"

They both nodded reluctantly and apologized to each other. The three looked at each other knowing this was going to be a long three days. They needed something to past the time, but there was really nothing they could do. They had some board games but they were down in the basement. It was too cold to go down there now. That's when Aiden had an idea. "I think I know what we can do to past the time away," Aiden announced.

"And what's that?" Jada asked.

"Well since you really didn't get to know mom too well, why don't we tell you what she was like?" Tommy looked at Aiden unsure. He didn't want to bring up old memories. They were still very painful. "We have plenty of stories about her. We can just tell you some of them, so you get to know what mom was like."

Jada smiled at her big brother, got off Tommy's lap, and hugged him. "That's a great idea!" Jada squealed. "I want to know all about her."

"Jade are you sure?" Tommy asked with a sigh.

"Dad, it's an awesome idea. I don't know anything about mom. I was going to ask all these question eventually anyway." Jada smiled hopefully at her dad. Tommy looked at her, and then nodded.

"Alright, fine," he agreed. "What do you want to know first?"

"How did you two meet?" Jada asked.

Aiden laughed behind her. He knew that story and it always got better every time they would talk about it. Tommy laughed with him and started to tell the story about how he first met the love of his life. "Well…"

_Tommy took a deep breath as he looked at himself in the mirror of the bathroom. He was going to meet the first winner of a cheesy talent search and produce her. Georgia was lucky that they were such close friends or he wouldn't have even been there. He ran some water, cupped it in his hands, and splashed some on his face. He took another good look at himself and finally decided to meet this new person. All he knew was that her name was Jude Harrison, and she was a fifteen-year old punk rocker. He rolled his eyes thinking about what he was going to have to face._

_Taking slow steps, he walked down the hall waiting to see what this girl would look like. He imagined pink hair, with a lot of eyeliner and all black clothing. He was also prepared for attitude, and lots of it. He came into view and looked at the girl talking to Georgia and EJ. His breath was caught in his throat as he looked at his new artist. She had fiery red hair and this spark in her beautiful blue-gray eyes. He couldn't stop staring at her. That's when he heard his nickname that he thought he got rid of years ago. "Little Tommy Q from BoyzAttack?" The girl said obviously surprised and alarmed. The kid behind her laughed thinking that they were kidding. That made him mad. He had changed a lot since his BoyzAttack days. _

"_But he's pop," the guy said. _

"_And really, really, lame. I mean, c'mon, you can't be serious. Little Tommy Q?" She said and scrunched her nose. Tommy already hated this girl. _

_Tommy leaned against the railing, finally ready to speak. "First off," he started. "I'm only here because Georgia is a friend. I could care less about you, or your whacked contest. Second, the name's Tom Quincy. Don't you _ever_ call me Little Tommy Q, again."_

_Jude recoiled a bit, mortified. She blushed a bit. "Ok," she whispered._

"_Why don't you show me what you got?" Tommy suggested and headed his way to Studio A, with everyone following close behind him._

_Tommy was prepared for a mind-blowing performance. After all, Georgia was a great scout for new talent. So, even though this girl was annoying, at least she could sing. He found out he was wrong about that. He sat there listening to the god awful song, and her very weak voice. It wasn't that she was a bad singer, but she didn't seem to have any passion for it. It was lame and boring. He pressed the button to speak to her through the soundproof glass. "You wanna stop, 'cause you're hurting my ears," Tommy announced and went into the booth with her. _

_He tried to show her what to do by making her sing to a faster beat, and tried to convince her to change the lyrics. But, of course, Jamie—her geeky best friend—interrupted them. She obliged to go with him and looked at Tommy, clearly intimidated. "Ok, see ya," she said timidly and got out of the booth as quickly as she could. _

"_See ya," he said rolling his eyes. _

Jada looked at her dad surprised. "You were so mean," she chuckled and slapped him playfully on the chest.

Tommy stifled a laugh. "She was worst," Tommy defended. "But, boy did we hate each other. I couldn't stand her."

"So what changed?" His lovely daughter asked.

Tommy looked away and put himself in deep thought. What had changed? Was it the moment at the pier when he finally looked into her eyes? Was it that kissed that gave him a spark he clearly denied? Or maybe it was when he realized he wasn't dealing with just some kid; when he realized that he was different with her. He was happier with her. All he knew was Jude Harrison had changed him and his life. That's when he could feel tears at the brink of his eyelids. Tommy looked at Jada and shook his head. "I don't know," he sighed as his voice cracked. He got up from the couch and went upstairs.

Sad i know! Please review and tell me what you think. I know the chapters are short but I'm trying my best!


	5. More than a Memory

Alright everyone...chapter 4 of my story. It's gonna get a lot more interesting I promise. I'm still writing and getting chapters ready just for ya'll. Now I would ask that when you review...the whole "that's good. pms!" doesn't really tell me anything. I love that you like it and take the time to review. But I'm one of those offers that love the reviews that say "oh i love when jude did this and then tommy's reaction" or something. Just because if there's something you didn't like, you can tell me and I'll change it the next time I write a story. Or when you tell me something you really loved, I can use that material for my next project.

Anyways, thanks so much and I'm glad your enjoying the story. This is one of my favorite chapters, but it's sad too. For people who have read my stuff before...it's not surprising because you know I love writing/reading tragedies. Haha! ENJOYYYY!!

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Chapter 4: More than a Memory

Aiden sighed and ran a hand through is shaggy brown hair. Jade looked down at her hands and had a guilty look on her face. Maybe she was wrong. Maybe it wasn't such a good idea to talk about her mom. Aiden looked down at her, and put a hand on her shoulder. "Hey, Jade, you ok?" he asked.

Jada looked up briefly. "I didn't mean to make him cry," she said and sniffled a little.

"It wasn't your fault," Aiden reassured. "It's just hard on dad sometimes. He just needs some time alone. But, if you want, I could tell you some stories about mom."

"Will you cry too?" Jada asked.

Aiden smiled softly and shook his head. Jada smiled back and nodded. "Ok, then let me tell you about the first time I tried to play guitar."

_7 year old Aiden was trying to move his fingers swiftly on the new acoustic guitar. He tried over and over again, but he just wasn't getting it. He got frustrated and threw the guitar on the bed. He crossed his arms and huffed loudly. Jude was walking in with some oatmeal cookies, knowing they were his favorites. She smiled at her son as she sat on the bed with him. She offered him a cookie and he gladly took it off the plate. "How's the guitar playing going?" Jude asked as she eyes it on the other side of his full-size bed. _

"_Not good," Aiden mumbled taking a bite of his cookie. _

_Jude smiled and put the plate on his nightstand. She grabbed the guitar and showed him a note. She handed it to Aiden, and he still wasn't getting it. _

"_Ugh," Aiden grunted frustrated. "That's it, I'm quitting. I can't do this."_

"_No, sweetie, don't do that," Jude said. "It's takes a lot of practice to get this right. It took me almost seven months to get it half right."_

_Aiden looked up at his mom still pouting. "Really?" he said not sure if she was telling the truth. _

_She put her arm around him. "Really," she confirmed. "There's only one question you have to ask yourself, Aiden. Do you like playing the guitar?"_

_He nodded his head and smiled. "So what does that mean?" His mom asked._

"_It means I shouldn't give up, yet."_

"_It means you shouldn't give up ever."_

_Jude reached behind her and grabbed the acoustic and placed it in her son's hands. She smiled at him and he smiled back. She left the plate of cookies on the nightstand and was about to walk out. "Hey mommy," Aiden said. _

_She turned around. "Yes, Aiden?" Jude asked._

"_Thanks," he said gratefully. She smiled widely, nodded her head, and walked out the door. _

"How long did it take you?" Jada asked her brother once he finished his story.

"About 3 months to at least, realize I was half decent," Aiden said, and then smiled. "And a year, to realize I was awesome."

Jada shook her head and laughed. She liked these stories so far.

Tommy was in his room sitting on the bed and covering himself with his comforter. Jude's face wouldn't get out of his head. As much as he loved the memories, he hated them all the same. They were just too much and too painful to handle. He didn't mean to react the way that he did. He thought he was over crying about it. But it looked like he was wrong. He was very wrong. He felt like a baby hiding under covers, like he had done something wrong. He just couldn't help it.

All Tommy wanted to do was drift off into a deep sleep and never remember a thing that had happened. He wished he never met Jude so he wouldn't have to fall in love with her, and deal with the pain later. It was more than he could take at the moment. He turned on the radio, hoping to drown out the memories. He put the volume on maximum and heard the announcer. "And welcome back to 99.9 K Country," he greeted. "Here's the newest single from Garth Brooks. It's called More than a Memory."

_**People say she's only in my head  
**__**It's gonna take time but I'll forget  
**__**They say I need to get on with my life  
**__**But they don't realize**_

'_**Cause when you're dialing six numbers just to hang up the phone  
**__**Driving 'cross town just to see if she's home  
**__**Waking a friend in the dead of night  
**__**Just to hear him say it's gonna be alright  
**__**When you're finding things to do not to fall asleep  
**_'_**Cause you know she'll be there in your dreams  
**__**That's when she's…  
**__**More than a memory**_

He groaned and pulled the covers over his head. Of all the songs to come on, it had to be this one. He hated this song already and has never even listened to it before. This just brought back more painful memories. The first trip to the hospital, when they first found out about the tumor, the three painful years of chemo and the news that it came back. The last two months until she died, and the funeral where he couldn't hold himself together; not even for his own kids.

Then the months afterwards when he was a ghost to everyone. He was still pretending that his wife didn't die, and that Jude as still there. Jada and Aiden had to take care of him for a while to remind him that he was living in a fantasy.

_**I took a match to everything she ever wrote  
**__**Watched her words go up in smoke  
**__**Tore all the pictures off the wall  
**__**That ain't helping me at all**_

'_**Cause when you're talking out loud and nobody's there  
**__**You like hell and you just don't care  
**__**Drinking more than you ever drank  
**__**Sinking down lower than you ever sank  
**__**When you find yourself falling down upon your knees  
**__**Praying to God, begging him please  
**__**That's when she's, more than a memory**_

_Tommy picked up the phone once again, ready to call Jude's cell phone. He needed to talk to her. He missed her so much. He dialed slowly. 2, 1, 3, 8, 3, 0…he hung up the phone. He knew she wasn't going to pick up. There was no possible way. So why did he keep torturing himself? He knew why. It was the only thing that kept him going at this point. _

_He picked up the phone again and called a different number than before. "Hello," a man answered yawning._

"_What's up Kwest?" Tommy whispered softly. _

_There was silence on the other end for a moment. "Tommy?" Kwest asked. "What in the world? Do you have any idea what time it is?"_

_Tommy looked at the clock and found it was 2:36am. "No," he lied as his voice cracked. "I can't do it Kwest. Kwest I can't get through this."_

_He heard his friend crying on the other end and his voice softened. He sighed quietly and decided to help. "It's going to be ok," he said encouragingly. "You're strong, T. You can get through this. Aiden and Jada need you anyway. It's gonna be alright, I promise. Now, get some sleep, ok?"_

"_How can I?" Tommy asked. "She's going to be there waiting for me, in my dreams."_

"_I don't know," Kwest sighed. "Just try ok? I'll talk to you tomorrow."_

_He heard a click and hung up the phone as well. He couldn't go asleep. He was not going to have another dream about her. He was going to crack sooner or later if he did. Finally, he decided to tip-toe through the house, and go to the bar down the road. _

_Tommy couldn't remember a time where he actually drank so much. He didn't think there ever was a time. All he could think about was Jude's casket going lower and lower into the hole in the ground; everyone moaning and crying around him. He drank more and more until the bar finally kicked him out. He drove drunk back to the house and almost got into an accident. He was actually praying that a car would hit him. At least, that way he could be with Jude._

_He walked in the house and found it dark and empty. Suddenly, he saw Jude walking towards the stairs in her nightgown. "Jude!" Tommy shouted. Jude stopped mid-step and turned on her heel. She smiled when she faced Tommy. "Oh, god! Jude you're alive! I'm so happy! It was all just a nightmare, thank the lord!" He ran to hug her but she disappeared right before his eyes. _

_He looked around the room again looking at where she might've gone to. Aiden heard his dad yelling and ran down the steps so quickly he almost tripped. He saw his dad looking around the living room frantically. When Tommy found out, that she was really gone, he dropped down to his knees in uncontrollable sobs. Aiden rushed to his dad as fast as his feet would carry him. _

"_God, please bring her back," Tommy pleaded as he looked up at the ceiling. "I'm so sorry for everything I've ever done but please bring her back!"_

"_Dad?" Aiden said worried and he knelt in front of Tommy. "Dad."_

"_I need you Jude, I need you," Tommy whispered sadly. _

"_Dad, please," Aiden said as tears came to his eyes. _

"_Please come back, please!"_

"_Dad, stop it, you're scaring me," he pleaded to him._

_Tommy finally looked up and realized Aiden was there. His eye went wide and he hugged his son closely. "I'm sorry," he whispered. "I just miss her." _

_Aiden nodded as tears ran down his own face. "Me too, dad." _

'_**Cause when you're dialing her number just to hang up the phone  
**__**Driving 'cross town just to see if she's home  
**__**Waking a friend in the dead of night  
**__**Just to hear him say it's gonna be alright  
**__**When you're finding things to do not to fall asleep  
**_'_**Cause you know she's waiting in your dreams  
**__**That's when she's…  
**__**More than a memory**_

_**People say she's only in my head  
**__**It's going to take time but I'll forget**_

Tommy wiped the tears from his face. "I'll forget," he whispered. "I'll forget."

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PLEASE REVIEW!!


	6. Can't Stop the Beat

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Guess who's finally back to stay? That's right me! And that means that Remember When is finally continuing! Now mind you, I am in college and I have a job. But I'll be doing a lot better now that I'm home for good and not going anywhere until my hubby comes back from Iraq. I've been working on this piece pretty hard too so I hope you're enjoying it so far! Tell your friends! haha! So here's the newest chapter!

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Chapter 5: Can't Stop the Beat

Jada curled up next to her big brother as the fire was dying out. Their dad was still in his bedroom and hadn't come down in almost two hours. Even though Aiden tried to convince her otherwise, Jada felt like it was her fault. Aiden tried to think of something to get her mind off things. That's when an idea popped up in his head. He gently got up and went to his acoustic. He came back to the couch and smile at Jada. She looked at him curiously. "Should I be scared?" Jada asked as she backed away from him a little bit.

Aiden laughed and opened a notebook that was under the coffee table. Jada looked at the various songs on the pages. "Pick one" Aiden said.

She looked at him in a strange way. "What?" She asked.

"Pick one," he repeated. "These were mom's old songs. I know all of them. Pick one, and I'll show you the tune. Then you can sing along."

"Aiden, you know I'm not into music like you," Jada announced. She wasn't too sure about this. Truth was, there was a whole other reason why she didn't sing, or get into music they way her brother did.

"C'mon, it'll be fun," Aiden laughed and pushed Jada's shoulder gently.

Jada smiled softly and looked through the pages. She saw one that was called All-American Girl. She pointed to the page. After Aiden played a few chords, she got the melody down and started to sing.

_**Since the day, they got married  
**__**He'd been praying for a little baby…boy  
**__**Someone he could take fishing  
**__**Throw the football and be his pride and…joy**_

Not noticing that he had fallen asleep Tommy woke up to a powerful voice singing. He knew the song too. It was Jude's song. And that was Jude's voice. He shot up from the bed to listen more closely.

_**Sixteen short years later  
**__**She was falling for the senior football…star  
**__**Before you knew it, he was dropping passes  
**__**Skipping practice just to spend more time with…her  
**__**The coach said "Hey son, what's your problem? Tell me have you lost your mind?"  
**__**Daddy said— **_

Jada shook her head and stopped singing. Aiden looked at her with a questioning gaze, but she avoided it.

Clapping was heard in the background and both teens turned to see who it was. Tommy was entering the living room with a smile on his face. He hadn't heard anyone sing like that since his beloved wife. Come to think of it, he hadn't heard Jada sing hardly at all. The only time he had ever heard her sing like that was when she sang one of Jude's songs at her funeral. It was a surprise that she was singing now, but her dad was not complaining.

Aiden and Jada smiled at him as he finally came into their view clearly. He sat on the couch and kissed Jada on the cheek. Jada blushed knowing that her dad had heard her sing. She was also terrified she made another mistake by singing. She already felt guilty enough as it was.

"Sorry about my reaction earlier," Tommy apologized.

"Are you ok, dad?" Jada asked with genuine concern.

He nodded and smiled again. "You have to understand that I still miss you mom very much," Tommy explained to his daughter. "I didn't take it lightly when she…passed away. It's just a little hard on me, but I'll be fine. Maybe this is what I need."

"I agree," Aiden whispered. "We went so long without talking about mom that we just never brought it up. I almost forgot how she was. But bringing back these memories and telling the stories; it's making me remember again."

Jada smiled slightly at both of them. At least it was doing some good.

A little later Tommy put some batteries in the radio and put on a CD of crazy songs that him and the kids would dance to. They hadn't done those kind of things in a while. They had about three CD's of fast beat, crazy songs that all of them would just dance to when they were either stressed or sad.

Jada was doing the famous swim dance, while Aiden and Tommy were doing the Charlie from the '40's. The song that was on was Can't Stop the Beat from Hairspray. They were all laughing and having a good old time.

When her favorite part came on, Jada grabbed Aiden by the hand. "Aiden this is our part!" She squealed excitedly.

Aiden smiled and laughed. "You can't stop a river as it rushes to the sea," Jada sang while laughing.

Aiden grabbed her hands and started to spin her around. "You can try to stop the hands of time but you know it just can't be," Aiden sang back to her.

Tommy looked at his kids with love in his eyes. He smiled as they sang to each other. They hadn't acted like this towards each other in a while. He remembered the first time they made up a dance for this part. For some reason Jada always loved this part and Aiden decided to put it on the CD. Then, they came up with a dance and it was forever _their _part.

"And if they try to stop us seaweed, I'll call the NAACP," Jada sang as both of them face their dad and smiled.

The criss-crossed their feet twice and started to do the twist.

Both sang, "'Cause the world keeps spinning 'round and 'round. And my heart's keeping time to the speed of sound."

The moved back two steps and hopped three times forward. Tommy laughed watching them. It seemed like they were best friends again.

"I was lost 'till I heard the drums and I found my way. 'Cause you can't stop the beat."

They both spun around twice and started to shake their butts. Aiden laughed knowing how ridiculous both of them must seem, but he was having fun. He couldn't believe he was having fun with his annoying little sister.

Jada couldn't believe it either. Aiden was so stubborn sometimes, that she didn't think he would actually want to do their old dance. But he was doing it with her, and she couldn't help but smile. They started to do the mash potato like in the movie and then slid to the right and left.

"Ever since we first saw the light a man and woman like to shake on a Saturday night. So I'm gonna shake and shimmy it with all of my might today. 'Cause you can't stop the motion of the ocean or the rain from above."

Aiden grabbed Jada's hand and quickly spun her around and she did the same to Aiden. Then they both spun around at the same time. Afterwards the started to kick their feet at either side of each other.

"You can try to stop the paradise we're…dreaming of. But you can not stop the rhythm of two hearts in love to stay. 'Cause you can't stop the beat!"

They both fell to the floor in uncontrollable fits of laughter as the song continued. Tommy laughed with them and helped both of them up. It was good to see them acting like brother and sister again instead of enemies. The song changed and Just the Girl by The Click Five came on.

This took Tommy back to one of the happiest days of his life. "Hey dad," Aiden said getting Tommy back to reality. "Didn't you say that this is the song that was playing when you found out mom was pregnant?"

Tommy smiled and laughed remembering that day. "You should've seen me when I first found out that your mom was pregnant. Now that's a story I am willing to tell."

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Yeah so this one is kinda boring. Sorry bout tht. But I promise it gets better. Just patience My beautiful readers! Please leave awesome reviews!! Love ya'll!


	7. Scary Dreams

Hey guys what's up?? So I'm dealing with some stupid friend drama. Yeah, if you think high school drama ends after high school...you're wrong. Anyway, since writing is my stress reliever I've been writing bunches. And I'm working on a new Instant Star story called Lola. There's a preview of it at the end. So look out for it. Please leave splendid reviews and tell your friends =]

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Chapter 6: Scary Dreams

_Tommy walked into the house after a tiring day of work. He looked around for Jude and heard music playing in the guest bedroom. Jude was sitting in the middle of the bedroom looking around happily and aimlessly. He knocked on the side of the wall to catch her attention. _

_She looked over in surprise and smiled. She quickly got off the bed and dragged Tommy inside. She kissed her husband with so much passion that it almost caught Tommy off guard. He kissed back tenderly until she pulled away with a smile so wide, he thought her face was going to stay that way forever. _

_Jude looked held onto to Tommy's hands and looked around curiously and then looked at him again. "What do you think?" she asked. "Pink, blue, or maybe a neutral color like yellow or green."_

"_I didn't know we were painting the guest room," Tommy said staring at his lovely wife questioningly. _

"_I didn't either until this morning," Jude said turning around to face him again. Her smile got even wider. She couldn't contain her happiness at all. She felt like she was about to explode. _

_In the background, Tommy could hear the song Just the Girl playing. That was one of Jude's favorite songs because she said it reminded her of herself so much. Jude stood on her tip-toes to reach Tommy's ear. "I'm pregnant," she whispered so low that Tommy thought he heard wrong._

"_Wait, you're what?" Tommy asked._

"_Pregnant. Tommy I'm pregnant with your baby!" She squealed excitedly._

"_J-Jude, oh, my god!" Tommy shouted and picked her up and spun her around. "Jude, I can't believe it! This is so…so…"_

"_Wonderful?" She finished for him. "Awesome? Exciting? Amazing?"_

"_Yes, yes, yes, and yes," he said kissing her. "All of that. Jude, you're having a baby!"_

_She smiled and kissed him again and when she pulled away, she looked straight into his eyes. He looked back in those beautiful eyes he could get lost in. "_We're _having a baby, Tommy," she whispered. "We're_ _having it."_

_He smiled and hugged her with a smile on his face. _

Aiden was sitting on the couch with Jada asleep on his chest. He subconsciously played with her hair as he listened to another CD. A song he recognized came on. It was a song his mom used to sing when his hopes for down. It would be anything and that song would help. If he had a bad grade on a test, or if he got a rejection letter from a recording company, this song that Jude would sing would always help him overcome it.

He started to whisper the lyrics as he looked down at Jada. When they were little he used to sing that to her when she was down. But as they got older they started to grow apart more and more, especially after Jude died. He didn't let it show, but Aiden was still having a hard time with it.

His mom was always there for him and without her he wouldn't have gotten into music at all. He kissed the top of his sister's head and started to whisper the lyrics again.

_**You wanna show the world but no one knows your name yet  
**__**You wonder when and where and how you're gonna make it  
**__**You know you can…if you get the chance  
**__**And you're faith but the door keeps slamming  
**__**Now you're feeling more and more frustrated  
**__**And you're getting all kind of impatient  
**__**Waiting  
**__**We live and we learn**_

_**To take one step at a time  
**__**There's no need to rush  
**__**It's like learning to fly  
**__**Or falling in love  
**__**It's gonna happen when it's…  
**__**Supposed to happen  
**__**And we find the reasons why  
**__**One step at a time**_

Jada stirred a bit and she put on a sour face. Her big brother looked at her with concern. It looked like she was having a bad dream. "Mom," Jada whispered. Aiden continued to play with her hair trying to calm her down. She buried her face in his chest holding onto his shirt tightly.

She started to breathe heavily and Aiden got really scared. "Jada," he whispered shaking her. "Jade, wake up."

Tears started to go down her cheeks and her face was flushed. He tried to wake her up but it wasn't working. "Mom, please don't go away," Jada pleaded.

Aiden looked around for his dad but couldn't find him. He shook her again and little more rough than he intended to. "Jade, calm down," Aiden tried. "Wake up Jada, it's just a dream."

But Jada still wouldn't wake up. He moved her by getting up and her head hit the pillow. "Dad!"

Tommy walked down the stairs with a magazine in his hands and looked over at Aiden when he heard him call him. He saw Aiden frantically trying to wake up Jada. He dropped the magazine on the floor and hurriedly went to his side. He shook Jada and she started thrashing. He did the only thing he could think of. He sat her up and started to shake her and calling her name. Her eyes snapped open and she looked at the worried eyes of her father. "Dad," she said and hugged him. She started to cry harder.

Tommy hugged her tightly. "Shh," he soothed. "Shh, it's ok. It was just a dream."

Aiden rubbed her back gently trying to help calm her down. "More like a nightmare," he muttered. Tommy sent him a glare and he mouthed an 'I'm sorry'.

Tommy pulled away and wiped the remaining tears off his daughter's face. She shook her head and looked down. "Are you ok?" Aiden asked.

"I'm fine," Jada said not sounding so convincing. "It was just a bad dream."

"I'll say," Tommy intervened. "Are you sure you're ok? Do you want to talk about it?"

Jada opened her mouth to say something but Aiden interrupted her. "It was about mom," he said. "She said 'mom don't go away'."

She glared at her brother but he ignored it. Tommy looked between the two and sighed. "You don't have to talk about it if you don't want to. Why don't we hold off on the stories for a while ok?"

They both agreed and nodded. He sent both of them up to their rooms so they could get some sleep. He sighed heavily and flopped down on the couch running a hand through his dark hair. He didn't realize how hard this must be on Jada. She didn't remember much and now she was getting fed a whole lifetime of Jude. Maybe it was too much. He laid his head back on the couch and closed his eyes.

The coldness from the outside was making the house feel like a freezer. He got a quilt from the recliner and covered himself with it. The fireplace had stopped but Tommy didn't have the energy to get up and start it up again. He hoped that this wasn't going to last very long and soon the snow would clear up. Soon, he drifted off to sleep on the couch.

Aiden stared at his ceiling intently. He wondered what the dream his sister had was about. He had never seen her act like that when she has a nightmare before. He sighed and grabbed his guitar from under the bed. He sat upright on his bed with his back against the wall. He started to play some chords softly and hum a few bars. Music always helped when he needed to relax or get things off his mind. He grabbed his notebook that used to be his mom's and started to jot down various chords and music notes.

After about an hour he finally got down a melody. Now all he needed were words to go with it. It was too much work for him at that moment. His head was filled up with way too many thoughts, and his heart was filled up with too many emotions. Maybe he just needed sleep. He would feel better in the morning after he had a good night's rest. He put his acoustic back in its rightful place and placed three blankets over him, hoping that would keep him warm for the night. He yawned and laid his head softly on the pillow and gradually closed his eyes.

Not even thirty minutes later someone was knocking on his door. He told them to come in and a little head popped in. He gave a questioning gaze when he saw Jada smile at him. She quietly walked in and closed the door behind her. Dressed up in her Happy Bunny pajama pants, long sleeved winter sweater, a scarf and her playboy bunny slippers, she walked slowly to her big brother. "A little old to be having monsters in the closet aren't we?" Aiden teased.

Jada smiled and pushed her red hair to one side of her shoulder. She looked down at the wooden floor of his bedroom then back up at him. She sat down on the bed and Aiden looked at her concerned. "What's wrong?" Aiden asked.

She sighed and looked at him. "Did you ever dream about mom?" She asked. He nodded slowly. "Were they ever nightmares?"

"Guessing it's the dream you had earlier," he sighed and sat up.

She nodded and sighed again. She turned so her whole body was facing him and she crossed her legs on the bed. She figured she had to tell someone about her dream, and it couldn't be her dad. She didn't know how he would take it. Telling the stories alone was hard for him. There was no reason to bring him into this matter also. "I've always dreamed about her," she admitted. "But they were never so…scary."

"Describe it," he told her.

She cringed in thought trying to remember it. "Well," she started. "I was in this beautiful garden and mom was calling me. So I was trying to find her and I was getting lost, and afraid." Aiden listened carefully as she described her dream. "I finally found her and she smiled at me. Then suddenly she starts running away from me. And I run after her trying to keep up but I never do. That's when I woke up."

"Well, I'm no dream expert so I can't really tell you what it means."

Jada smiled and pushed his shoulder playfully. "Then what good are you?" she asked quietly.

He put on a shocked face and quickly smiled. He tickled her sides a bit and she giggled. "Listen, I'm sure it's nothing," Aiden tried to reassure her. "Why don't you just get some sleep? It's almost midnight."

Jada looked around the dark room. The only thing that was lighting the room was the moon outside the window. "Can I sleep in here tonight?"

His eyes widen. He wasn't expecting that. She hadn't done that since their mom died. She had stopped going to Aiden for comfort from monsters and bad dreams. She said that she was a big girl and she didn't need anyone to help her. "Um, sure," he said still shocked. He moved to the wall and she wiggled her way into the covers.

She kicked off her slippers and closed her eyes hoping to have a dreamless sleep.

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The story I'm writing is called Lola. It's about a young girl who grew up with not knowing her mom as a role model, but as a betrayer. For ten years, she has lived with her dad in Gainesville, FL. She has great friends. She's popular at school, and has a great boyfriend. But, at fifteen, she gets a rude awakening. Her long-lost mother comes through. Her boyfriend has secrets, and they have to keep their relationship secret. Lola gets sucked into a whirlpool of drama, tears, and fear. It's all about Lola, Tommy, Jude, Sadie, and a bunch of new characters. Look out for it!! Here's a little preview.........

_Tommy stormed out of the bedroom with tear in his eyes. He was angry, sad, depressed, betrayed; everything. All he wanted to do was punch the next guy he saw.. His heard was left on the floor and stomped on. The only thing he could think of was how he could be so stupid. All the signs were there and now he had solid proof. He turned the corner in the hallway and hit the wall so hard he left a hole. He screamed and finally broke down. He slid down against the wall and let the tears fall freely down his face. He broke into uncontrollable sobs. His body shook as the picture played over and over again in his head. He couldn't stop it. _

_His world was no longer there. All he could see was darkness around him; until a light came into view. It was his five year old daughter, Lola. She looked at him with her head cocked, holding her teddy bear closely to her side. She walked up to Tommy and held her arms open. Then she hugged him and patted hi back trying to do what he did when she was upset. He made her pull away and he tucked her brown hair behind her ear. "Lola, sweetie, what are you doing up so late?" Tommy asked trying to do everything he could to stop his tears. _

_"I heard you scream," Lola answered and looked behind him. "Daddy, who's that big man with mommy?"_

_Tommy stood up and saw Jude coming out of the bedroom and start walking towards them. He pushed Lola behind him and wiped his remaining tears. Jude looked devastated and so did the man behind her. He couldn't see why they were so upset. It wasn't like he was the one caught cheating for the third time in a year. "Tommy—" Jude, his wife of six years started but he interrupted her. _

_"Don't even think about it," Tommy said coldly. "What could you possibly say Jude? You didn't mean it? It's not what it looks like?"_

_She put her head pathetically. "I can't say anything," she confessed. "I'm so sorry, Tommy."_

_"I'm sure you are," he laughed bitterly. "But don't worry. I'm gone. I'll leave tonight."_

_He walked passed them heading towards their room. That's when Jude realized Lola was there. She picked her up in her arms as Jude cried. Lola looked at the man standing in the living room. Then she understood what was wrong. "Mommy, you kissed another boy?" She asked shocked. _

_All Jude could do was cry harder. Tommy came back with a small suitcase and a "Dora the Explorer backpack. Jude looked at him like he was crazy. "What do you think you're doing?" She asked, holding on to Lola tighter. _

_"I'm taking her," Tommy said. "Give me Lola."_

_She stepped back from him in complete shock. "No," she said in a shaky voice. "No you're not taking my daughter. You must be out of your mind."_

_Lola unwrapped her arms around her mom. "I wanna go with Daddy," she said. _

_Jude looked at her with all the sorrow in the world. "Lola, you don't have to go," Jude said._

_"Let go," she demanded squirming. Her teddy bear hit the floor. She finally let go of her and Tommy put her in his arms. She laid her head on his shoulder. "I'm going with Daddy." _

_Tommy picked up the bags and was about to head out the door but Jude stopped him. Her tears were still coming. He was trying to stay strong. "Tommy, please," Jude pleaded. "I'm sorry. Don't leave me, please, don't leave me. I love you."_

_He chuckled. "You know, I used to believe that," he said. He walked towards the door and looked back at Jude's hurt face. She seemed so broken. He took his hand off the doorknob and almost turned back. But he couldn't. This was just too much. It was the third time and he was through with it. He then took a deep breath and walked out the door._


End file.

Instant Star, Drama, Tragedy