Back to Where We Started From (Miracle)

Chapter Twenty-Two

This chapter contains drug use. It's a flashback chapter, so feel free to skip it if you're uncomfortable!

May 13, 1979

Paramount Recording Studios

Hollywood, CA

"Fuck, Jules! You wrote the goddamn lyrics, can you try to get them right? One time?" Cyndi snapped from the other side of the glass that separated Julie from everyone else, her voice booming through the recording booth over the intercom. She was tired; everyone was tired. Julie had tried to record the same song several times, but she kept messing up the lyrics.

"I'm sorry, okay? We've been at this for hours," Julie groaned, glancing at the clock on the wall. It was 1:03 a.m. They typically didn't start recording until 8 p.m. and stayed up working until the sun rose, but tonight wasn't easy for Julie.

"And we're not gonna finish anytime soon if you don't figure your shit out," Cyndi quipped. Julie stared through the glass. Steven and Tommy sat on a leather couch, passing a bottle of whiskey between them. Cyndi sat with a glass of wine in front of the mixer beside Jim, who gripped a water bottle in his large hands. Beside Jim was Michael, their manager, and Brian Bolin. Brian was the sound engineer working on their third album. He had worked with everyone. Led Zeppelin, Jimi Hendrix, Aerosmith, Bob Dylan, George Harrison. It terrified Julie to think of the legends he had worked with, and now she was here holding up production in the middle of the night. Julie took a deep breath just trying to calm her nerves.

"Why don't you take five?" Jim suggested from his spot beside Cyndi. He was always the one to keep the peace, and he could obviously see that Julie was getting in her head. Everyone agreed with Jim, and she took the headphones off her head, hanging them on her microphone. Immediately everyone scattered to refill drinks, check tapes, or smoke cigarettes. She sighed, exiting her booth and plopping down on the couch between Stevie and Tommy, biting her lip.

"Relax, you'll get it. We all have bad days," Tommy assured her.

"Where's the blow?" Julie asked quietly, ignoring Tommy's words of encouragement.

"In our bloodstreams," Steven laughed, Tommy laughing along with him.

"Shit," Julie hissed, immediately angry. "We're totally out?"

"You helped us clean that mess up," Tommy reminded her. The three of them rarely worked without cocaine.

"Well, we need more," she insisted, getting antsy.

"We'll get it tomorrow," Tommy told her with a shrug.

"No, tonight," Julie argued, running a hand through her messy hair.

"I'm not going to get more," Steven informed her, leaning back onto the couch.

"Fine," Julie snapped, grabbing her purse and her jacket and walking towards the door. She turned down the long hallway leading to the lobby of the building, becoming more restless with every step.

"Where are you going?" Cyndi asked her as she exited the bathroom, clearly confused and still irritated.

"I'm getting my shit together," Julie said mockingly, walking faster towards the lobby. Cyndi chose to ignore her snide comment, following her friend.

"Julie, where are you going?" Cyndi repeated.

"Be back in twenty!" Julie called behind her, pushing her way out the doors and onto the bustling streets of Hollywood. Despite being after 1 a.m., the sidewalks were buzzing with people in and out of bars and clubs. Scantily clad women hung on the arms of well dressed men, groups of rowdy teenagers laughed too loudly, car horns honked. It didn't take long for Julie to join into the bustle of the streets, quickly making her way down Santa Monica Boulevard. Luckily for Julie, the club she knew she needed to get to was just across the street and down Vine. Her body moved quickly, but her mind felt foggy. She was exhausted, and for the first time in a long time, all she wanted was to be asleep in her bed. But that wasn't an option.