Back to Where We Started From (Miracle)

Chapter Seventy-Seven

Jack and Robbie stopped outside of Julia's door, and Jack knocked on her door, waiting anxiously for her to answer. After too many seconds of silence, Robbie knocked again.

"What could she be doing?" Jack asked with an impatient sigh.

"Someone has to know where she is," Robbie assured him. Down the hallway, Herb came out of his room. He looked up at Robbie and Jack as they looked at him.

"You haven't seen Julie, have you?" Robbie asked quickly. Herb sighed, looking at the boys with an almost bored expression.

"If you two don't know where she is, what on Earth would make you think I know?" Herb pointed out. Jack and Robbie both nodded in agreement, realizing Herb had a very valid point. Before anyone spoke again, the ding of the elevator alerted them that they were being joined. Once the doors opened, Julia walked off the elevator, her face stoic and the magazine still in her hand. Rizzo and Magic walked behind her, both visibly relieved to see Jack, Robbie, and Herb.

"We were just coming to find you," Robbie told her, glancing down at the magazine in her hand. "You've seen it already."

"Yes," she nodded with a glare that was directed at no one in particular. "The first time I just brushed it off but now it's pissing me off."

Herb looked confused for a moment, before looking at the copies of magazines that both Julia and Jack held. He gave a slow nod, his face unreadable.

"It happened again. What did it say now?" He asked his niece.

"Not even anything interesting. It's mostly about the team," Julia pointed out. The boys all slowly turned to look at her, their faces showing that they were clearly offended.

"Not even anything interesting?" Rizzo repeated. Julia realized how her words had come out, and she slowly broke into a smile, trying not to laugh at their unhappy expressions.

"I didn't mean it like that. You guys are very interesting. I just mean who would care that I'm with you?"

"Maybe a lot of Stonehead fans like hockey," Magic shrugged. "Didn't it talk about your family, too?"

"Yeah, it mentions that you're my uncle," Julia told Herb. "It mentions that we're in Lake Placid right now, but also that I'm spending Christmas in D.C. Not to mention, my relationship with my formerly estranged siblings and mother."

Herb's face turned into a scowl, much like the one his niece wore. He looked thoughtful for a moment.

"And we have no idea who would've done this?" He asked Julia.

"I mean, whoever it is is someone that I trust and tell things to," Julia reminded them. There was an instant change in the air as everyone shifted uncomfortably. As much as Julia didn't want to believe it could be her friends or her bandmates, it was pointing more to that than ever before.

"Just try to keep a low profile. You'll be back in California soon, and hopefully this will be over," Herb instructed her. Without another word, Herb was walking past them to the elevator. The five remaining all turned to look at each other, an uncomfortable silence hanging above them. No one knew what to say, until Julia turned towards her boyfriend.

"So...did you buy me a present?" Julia asked, looking at Jack hopefully. Jack laughed, shaking his head at her.

"Your priorities are a mess, Jules. But, yes, I did. And Robbie has already been sworn to secrecy so don't even try," Jack warned her. She just pouted at him. "Where were you three?"

"We went to get some coffee, and then we noticed the magazine," Magic explained. Jack and Robbie nodded, taking notice of the paper cups in their hands.