Between the massive hangovers Julia, Kathy, and several of the boys were nursing, and the four straight losses the boys had, the rest of their trip to Canada wasn't nearly as exciting as the beginning. Julia and Jack endured more interrogating than they had ever wanted.
The rumors had been flying more than ever the moment the couple had left the bar, and they certainly weren't stopping anytime soon. Julia had taken the opportunity to corner Magic as soon as she could.
"Magic, we need to talk," Julia begged, showing up at the room he shared with Robbie before their game that night. He didn't say anything, he just opened the door to let her in. Robbie sat on his bed reading, giving Julia a nod when she walked in. Magic walked over and sat on his bed, and Julia took a spot on Robbie's bed to face him.
"So, apparently I spilled the beans last night," Julia exhaled sharply, rubbing her forehead. Her hangover wasn't subsiding.
"Yeah, well, you were making it pretty obvious. Then you started whining about how you wanted Jack, so I just sorta figured," Magic shrugged. Julia didn't see the smirk on Robbie's face.
"Was it that obvious?" Julia groaned.
"You're joking, right? Everyone knows," Magic laughed. "We've been waiting for this since, like, August."
Robbie couldn't help the chuckle that escaped his lips, happy that someone else was pointing the obvious out.
"August? Are we really that transparent?" Julia asked, looking between Robbie and Magic.
"Yes," they both answered together. Julia begged Magic not to tell anyone, which he reluctantly agreed to. Julia didn't even bother to tell him how many other people knew already.
"Tell me what happened," Rizzo bugged Jack yet again after their game. He had been pestering Jack pretty much every opportunity he saw.
"I've told you a million times, Rizzo, we came back to the hotel, and she fell asleep until Mac got back with her key," Jack rolled his eyes. Rizzo gave an unsatisfied "hmph" and exchanged a side glance with Silky.
When it was finally time for them to return to Minnesota, Silky and Rizzo were nearly bursting. They were sure that one more day of waiting to have their suspicions confirmed would kill them.
"Hi, Jules," Rizzo grinned as they took either side of her as the group walked through the airport.
"Hi, boys," Julia said casually, pulling her suitcase behind her.
"You look really pretty," Silky said loudly, causing Julia to give him a strange side eye. She glanced down at her sneakers, jeans, and U hockey sweatshirt.
"Thanks, Silky," she said with a quick laugh. She figured this must've been their way of flirting with her. She knew Jack wasn't far behind them, and he could very easily hear Silky's comment.
"No, really, your hair looks really nice," Silky insisted with an awkward grin. Julia just tried not to laugh at his feeble attempt.
"Will you tell us about this guy you're interested in?" Rizzo probed with a fake look of innocence. Julia sighed, shaking her head.
"I can't believe you even think that I was being honest when I was drunk. I'm not into anyone, boys," Julia lied, doing her best to keep a straight face.
"I think you're just trying to take it back now, but it's too late. We all heard it, Julie," Silky told her with a tsk.
"Well, considering how well you took the news about the last guy I liked, I'm not sure why you think I would want to tell you," Julia reminded them with an eye roll. Silky and Rizzo shared a look of pure exasperation, realizing that they weren't getting their answer today. Jack tried not to laugh as he watched the scene play out in front of him.
Once they were back in Minnesota, Herb wasted no time rushing the boys back to practice. He wasn't too thrilled with the results of their week in Canada. Julia sat in the stands at their practice, writing in her notebook and vaguely listening to the boys joking through warmups.
"Timmy!" Craig's voice carries across the ice, grabbing everyone's attention. Even Julia looked up from what she was writing.
A young man with a blue practice jersey and a University of Minnesota helmet skated onto the ice. He passed the circle the boys had made and skated to Craig and Herb. Julia couldn't hear what her uncle was saying, but she watched as the boys turned to each other, obviously confused and asking questions. Julia quickly remembered him as Tim Harrer, the star of Gophers hockey this season. She sighed quietly, wondering what her uncle could be up to before she went back to writing in her notebook, only periodically looking up from it throughout practice. When she did watch the boys on the ice, she could tell there was tension from the new body invading their team. She could hardly wait for practice to be over so she could talk to the boys.
Much to her surprise, as she waited in the lobby for the boys, Tim Harrer was the first one out. She had never seen him up close before, but she could only assume it was him. He was tall, with fair hair, rosy cheeks, and bright blue eyes. He had a scar on his cheek that reminded her of the biggest one of Jack's scars that went down his cheek. Julia couldn't help but think that he looked sort of young and innocent. He looked up at Julia, nodding slightly.
"So the rumors are true," he chuckled.
"Rumors?" Julia questioned with a raise of her eyebrow.
"Before we--as in, the U--played the team, I had heard you were around. Of course I always heard mentions of you from Mac and the boys," Tim explained. Julia nodded, a hint of a smile on her face.
"Right. Yeah, well, all true. Mac is really my best friend, Herb is really my uncle, and I'm really in Minnesota. I'm with the team most of the time. They're kinda my only friends," Julia rambled, before realizing how sad the last sentence she said sounded. "I mean, like, in Minnesota. I have other friends, I promise."
"I believe you," Tim assured her, trying not to laugh. "I'll see you around, Julia."
Julia waved him off just as Bah and Buzz came out of the locker room, looking more than a little nervous.
"I'm guessing Harrer went over like a lead balloon?" Julia assumed with a frown.
"That's putting it lightly," Bah confirmed. "I don't know what Herb's playing at, Jules, but the boys are not happy about it."
Julia nodded and waited while the rest of the boys came out. Everyone seemed more than a little on edge. Julia tried to cheer them up, but none of them were very talkative. Jack was the only one who didn't seem particularly stressed about Tim Harrer joining the team. Maybe he was just the best at hiding it,
"What's this?" Jack asked, reaching for the notebook in Julia's hand. Julia quickly snatched it away, shaking her head.
"Hands off, O'Callahan. Those are confidential lyrics," Julia chastised. Jack gave Julia a displeased look, which Julia just rolled her eyes at before she caught sight of a disgruntled Robbie approaching.
"Hi," Julia greeted gently as Robbie joined them.
"Hey," Robbie grumbled, looking more than a little displeased.
"You alright?" Julia questioned, but Robbie just nodded.
"Yeah," he huffed. Julia frowned, realizing just how upset the boys really were.
"Are you coming over for dinner?" Rizzo asked half-heartedly.
"I'll come over later. I've just gotta go home and call LA first, alright?"
The boys nodded and Julia told them goodbye, promising to see them all later. She was glad to have time to brainstorm ways to cheer them up.
Julia grabbed the phone beside her bed, punching in the number to her home in Los Angeles. She waited patiently through the first couple rings, hoping someone was around to answer.
"Hello?" Cyndi finally answered on the fourth ring.
"Hi, it's me," Julia greeted, almost nervously. She hadn't talked to them much since the day everything went down with Tommy. She knew they were probably feeling overwhelmed.
"Hey, Jules," Cyndi said happily, but Julia could hear the tiredness in her voice.
"Are you alright? You sound exhausted," Julia pointed out.
"Yeah, there's been a lot going on here," Cyndi admitted sadly. "How was Canada?"
"It was good," Julia said, almost too quickly. She had fully intended on coming clean to Cyndi about the night she got too drunk, but after hearing the defeat in Cyndi's voice, she couldn't bear the thought of adding more stress.
"The boys all doing good?" Cyndi questioned.
"Um, they were. Uncle Herb brought a new guy to the team today and they're all pretty stressed. I feel bad. Robbie is always there for me, and I don't even know how to cheer him up. And then everything Jack has done for me-"
"You talk about Jack a lot," Cyndi interrupted with a hint of suspicion in her voice.
"Oh...I mean, we've gotten pretty close," Julia said casually. Cyndi laughed a little bit.
"I think you have a crush on him," Cyndi teased in a sing-song voice. Julia laughed a little bit, before sighing.
"Well, we're kind of...like. I don't know?" Julia sighed.
"Oh, my God, Julia! I knew it. Ever since you first mentioned him, I knew it," Cyndi exclaimed.
"You and everyone else, apparently. It just took us a while to find out. But most of the boys don't know yet. Neither does my uncle," Julia told her.
"I'm guessing you don't want Jim and Stevie to know either?" Cyndi asked. Julia sighed in relief.
"Yeah, that would be ideal."
"My lips are sealed. I'm really glad to hear some good news. I needed it. But I think Jim wants to talk to you," Cyndi told her.
"Thanks, Cyndi. I'll call soon, okay?"
The two girls said their goodbyes before Julia was greeted by a much deeper voice.
"Hey, Julie. How's it going?" Jim said, sounding much better off than Cyndi did.
"I'm doing fine. How are you?"
"I'm okay. We really miss you, you know," he told her honestly. Julia smiled sadly.
"I miss you guys, too. Really bad."
"I bet Robbie is happy to have you around," Jim pointed out.
"Yeah, I think he gets a little tired of my antics," Julia laughed. "But he's dating this girl so he'll be a little preoccupied I think. How's Tommy?" She asked nervously.
"He's doing alright. He's gonna stay in rehab for thirty days. So he'll be home right after Christmas," Jim explained.
"Oh, good," she sighed in relief. "Tell him I miss him if you get to talk to him."
"I will. I know he misses you too. But, actually, I wanted to share some exciting news," Jim told her calmly.
"Oh? Tell me," Julia begged, curious to hear what news Jim had.
"Michael and I have been talking a lot. We were thinking...ya know, you've been doing pretty well it sounds. And everything with that ex-boyfriend, turning down coke. I mean it sounds like you've really matured," Jim started. Julia's breath hitched in her chest as she waited for Jim to go on.
"We were thinking that with it almost being the new year, the new decade at that, that we should all start it together. We thought maybe you'd wanna come home after Christmas."