Author's Note:

Thanks for reviewing my story.  Every single one counts.  : )

I have big plans for this fic, so if you are down, you are down for the long haul.  Just as long as I stay inspired to do it.  : p you know how writers block goes, and you loose interest.

****

"That was a great game guys a perfect end to the season!" Coach Orion said, as we got ready to hit the locker room.

"You guys have fun at the dance tonight, don't get in trouble and we will see you next season!"

"That's it no big speech?" asked Russ.

"There is one more thing I want to tell you guys before you take off, one thing I want you to remember until next season" he was cut off

"Does it start with a W?!"  Averman yelled from the back of the crowd, and they all started busting up laughing.

"Ha, Ha, very funny Averman, No it doesn't.  I want you guys to have fun and for heaven's sake, PRACTICE during the off-season, so we don't have to go through all this next year.  If you guys are good…you can BE….Va-r-s-ity."  He sang.

We all started cheering and Quacking.  "See ya guys!" He said as he exited the locker room.

"Did he just say what I thought he did?"  Asked Duane?

"Yeah" said Charlie.

"How can WE be varsity next year?  We wont be seniors." He asked truly confused.

"Yeah, but all of Varsity are Seniors this year, so they wont be here next year.  Of course you will still have to 'try out'.  But Hey!  Who can beat us?"  Said Portman.

"That's tight, those stuffy, yuppie, momma's boys will be gone next year, that in itself is a reason for celebration!"  Said Russ.

They finished cleaning up and headed back to the dorms to change for the dance, or whatever they were going to do for the evening.

"Heya guys."  Said Julie.

"Hey Jules.  What's up?" Said Fulton.

"So what are you guys doing tonight?"

"Nothin, sittin' around sounds good.  How bout you Portman."

"Sittin' around sounds good to me."

"Do you guys want to go to a movie?"

"Sure –"

"Only one condition" started Jules "NO chick flicks!"

Fulton laughed.  "Awww man I really wanted to see one too."  He teased.

"How bout a scary movie?"  Jules asked.

Portman raised his eyebrow, "you are volunteering to go see a scary movie?"

"Yeah sure, I am in the mood for it, besides I cant really be scared I will be going with two, big, strong men."  She stressed the last 4 words, and chuckled.

"We should be looking to you Duchess, you are the one who can bench 120 pounds."  Dean Teased.

"Ha, Ha," she fake squinted "very funny."

"Shall we boyz?"  She put her arms out for each to take one.

It was a pretty dumb movie but she had more fun acting scared ducking her head into Fulton's arm, then Dean's arm then Fulton's arm then Dean's arm, and that is where she kept her head for pretty much the remainder of the movie.  Seeing as how she fell asleep.

"Should we wake her up?"  Dean whispered.

Julie hid her smile.

They looked at her closely to see if she was really asleep.

They could tell she wasn't deep asleep.  And a smile came over Fulton's face.

"You could carry her."  Fulton suggested.

"Carry her?"  Catching on to Fulton he followed along.  "Well I guess she isn't THAT heavy."  He caught a glimpse of her making a face, but she still pretended to be asleep.

Seeing as she wasn't going to move, Dean said, "Okay."

He arranged his shoulder so as to move her head as little as possible and slipped his arms underneath her.  She hadn't intended to let do that, but it felt rather nice to feel his strong arms about her.  So she pretended to stir so as to let him arrange her in his arms.  He lifted her as if she weighed nothing.  Seeing as that hadn't worked to wake her up, he looked at Fulton for help.  Fulton looked at the picture before him it was too cute to have to break up.  Dean moved out of the isle of the seats to the walkway.  He looked down at the sleeping beauty in his arms and perhaps for the first time noticed how beautiful she was.  His trance was broken when Fulton began to tickle her and she shrieked and laughed and squirmed violently so that Dean put her down. 

"I am so gonna get you for this you guys!"  She yelled after Fulton and Dean who were running for life.  She chased them out of the theater and around the parking lot across the street to the park.  The fell into a pile of laughter and tickling as they turned on her and attacked her so that she fell on the lawn, and they on top of her. 

After she admitted defeat (for the moment) they let her go and they all three lay looking up at the stars. 

"Do you suppose it will always be like this?"  Julie asked, hoping that if someone else said it could be, nothing would have to change.

"Wouldn't that be nice?"  Fulton said not really asking a question.

Julie closed her eyes and a single tear escaped. 

~~~Flash Forward~~~

"I don't care anymore!"  Julie screamed.

"Yes you do honey, don't say that." Her mother soothed.

"No I don't, I just want to go back to my friends!  I used to be happy!"

"I know honey, but you promised your father that you would do this, and that was the only way he would let you play hockey.  In the first place."

"I know I promised, but I don't care about the stupid promise anymore, those are my friends, and … I really need them…"  Julie said in a softer tone close to tears again.

"What is all this commotion in here?"  Julies father asked as he entered the room.

"Julie" her mother said simply.

"Julie honey, what is the matter?"  Her father asked. 

"You know what my problem is.  Don't even come over here pretending to be my friend!  You tore me away from my friends and the people I love.  This is my life, you can't plan my whole life!"

"Honey this is the best thing for you.  You may not see it right now, but try to look ahead to your future.  Hockey can't be your future, what if you get hurt, what if something happens to me, and you need to run the company, you can't do that with a hockey career.  This is more practical.  Baby, I love you, this is for your own good."

"No it's not, being with my friends is for my own good!  You are just keeping me here to make me miserable.  I swear if you do this, I will change, I won't be the Julie you know and love!  YOU will turn me into a monster!"  Julie said slowly with hatred and enunciation. "And you will have to live with the fact that it was Your fault!  Both of you."