Back to Where We Started From (Miracle)

Chapter Six

The next morning, the team was on their way to the ice rink for practice, seeing as they had another game the following night. Julie almost couldn't believe what she was hearing as Herb began to lecture her, his face stern.

"Now, Julia, I swear, if you're not back here in three hours, I'll have more cops after you than you can count," Herb warned his niece, the bus getting closer to the ice rink.

"I swear, I swear I'll be back on time. Thank you, Uncle Herb!" Julie was nearly bouncing with anticipation. She could've screamed she was so elated.

Her uncle had agreed to let her go explore Amsterdam by herself while the boys practiced. It would be the first time she would be alone--besides sleeping--since the car accident. The minute the bus arrived at the rink, Julie barely took a second to say goodbye to her friends and uncle before she hailed a cab, off to explore the city.

"Don't you think it's a little backwards that Herb's letting her go off her own in a foreign city?" Jack asked Rob as they walked towards the locker room to get ready for practice.

"Maybe not. Maybe he's just testing her. She probably won't be able to find any ways to get into trouble," Rob reasoned. As soon as he said it, he paused. "Okay, well Jules can find trouble anywhere, but if she gets in trouble, she'll get kicked out of the band, and she knows that," Rob shrugged, as the boys began to get changed.

"Really? They're gonna kick her out?" Jack questioned, stripping off his clothes to put on his practice uniform.

"Oh yeah, that's the only reason she agreed to leave. She never would've agreed on her own. Believe me, OC, she's been on incredibly good behavior since she's been here, and that's only because her future with them is on the line."

Jack was thoughtful for a moment, wondering if Julie really would hop a flight back to LA given the chance. He shook the thought from his head, getting ready for practice.

Julie listened to the sounds of the city, basking in her glorious freedom, even if it was only for a short while. She had done some shopping and gone through an art gallery. She was enjoying the last half hour before she had to be back at the ice rink, sipping on a coffee at an outdoor cafe. She allowed the September sun to warm her face, pulling her sunglasses down to cover her blue eyes. To her credit, she had remained fairly inconspicuous throughout her morning adventure. Her fame in Amsterdam wasn't nearly what it was in Los Angeles, but she could never be too careful. She happily took in the sights of the colorful city, before a news kiosk across the street caught her eye. Julie stared at it curiously, thinking that one of the pictures looked familiar. She carefully made her way across the street, becoming more and more drawn to the magazine. She groaned internally as she recognized the picture. Of course, it was of her, and she looked awful. She was outside The Troubadour, being led out of the club by Matt, the guy she had met the night of the car wreck. She rushed over to the kiosk, picking up the magazine.

"Can I help you, ma'am?" The kind older man at the kiosk asked her, speaking English with a strong accent.

"Could you tell me what this says please?" Julie asked, handing the man the magazine. If he recognized that it was Julie on the cover, he didn't say anything. The man skimmed the cover, before flipping it open to the page where the story was, his eyebrows raising as he read.

"The writer of this article seems to think a rock singer has died. Julie Brooks, says she was in a car accident at the end of July and hasn't been seen since," the man explained. Julie's jaw dropped, her mind racing. She dug into her purse, handing the man some money for the magazine before hailing a cab, magazine in tow. Looking down at the magazine in her hands, she realized she did look like absolute hell on wheels. In the photo that graced the cover, she was wearing a tight leather skirt, an Aerosmith t-shirt that she had turned into a crop top, tall heels, and plenty of makeup. You could see in her eyes that she was incredibly high, and her body was skin and bones. She had filled out some since the picture, and she almost couldn't believe she used to be so skinny. She looked incredibly unhealthy. Once the cab arrived in front of the ice rink, she paid and thanked the driver, hopping out quickly when she saw the boys walking towards the bus that would take them back to the hotel. She stopped in front of Rob.