Wanna Be Yours

chapter one: jude

Part One

August 12th

Yeah, my boyfriend's in a band...

"Are you even listening to me?!" Vivi's frantic words escaped her lips alongside the acrid smoke of her cigarette. Jude had always wondered how her sister was able to do that; Smoke and speak at the very same time. It was an action that reminded Jude painfully too much of their father. A special skill, a tiny detail, capable of bringing Jude back to the days when she was thirteen when the sun was setting orange and pink, and Madoc strummed his guitar singing a couple of lines from his old songs. A cigarette in his mouth. Smoking and singing.

Smoking and telling stories.

Stories of bands, music, and youth.

"When our band still played, Jude, we had dreams of eating the world alive." He had said. "I don't recall ever being so happy."

"Earth to Jude!" Chipped black nails snapped three times, way too suddenly, and way too close to Jude's face, making her flinch and growl in frustration.

"Yes, Vivi?" Jude groaned, "What do you want?"

"The band I was telling you about! Were you not listening to everything I just said? Do I have to repeat myself... again?"

"No. Please don't."

"Well, answer my stupid question, sister," Vivi said, rolling her eyes, and crossing her arms over her chest. Her yellowish gaze dug deep into Jude's, testing if she had been listening.

Which she hadn't.

With a sigh, Jude mumbled, "Can you please repeat your question?"

"So you were ignoring me!" Vivi gasped, undignified.

"I wasn't- I was just-"

"Whatever," Vivi spat as she sat on the chair to Jude's right, furiously scrolling through Instagram, finally pulling the cigarette out of her mouth, "I'll tell you again. Court of Shadows."

"Court of Shadows?" Jude repeated.

Vivi nodded, pulling her eyes from her phone to look at Jude, "Our greatest competition."

"Our greatest competition?"

"What are you, a parrot? Stop repeating what I say!"

"Sorry. Right." Jude shook her head, turning back to the vanity, and looking at herself in the hazy reflection. This dressing room was in serious need of some deep cleaning. "So... are they even good?"

"Are you joking? I just listened to one of their songs on the way here and it was pretty amazing. Have you heard any of their stuff, Jude?"

"I don't think I have. Actually, I don't think I've even heard of them." 

Jude tried to recall if she had, but she wasn't sure she even knew what the members of the band looked like. Even at her job at the restaurant, where everyone raved about the local bands, she didn't think she'd heard anything about Court of Shadows. "Are they new?" Jude continued, unzipping her make-up bag to look for her favorite wine red lipstick.

"Dude. I think they started their band last year?" Vivi set her her phone down on the counter as she said, "What do you mean you haven't heard of them? They're the city's literal favorites. They're the favorites to win this whole damn competition."

"Are they now?"

"Yes. Jude- seriously?" Vivi snapped as she stood, "You know, for someone so competitive I was sure you'd know even the backstories of all the members of this band." She moved her body dramatically to the beat of her words, tossing her cigarette into a random cup with water.