A/n – thanks for the reviews! I'm sorry this took so long to update. Yes I'm aware Julie's mother is an evil biatch but I promise she's gonna come unstuck! This is the second to last chapter for this part and then the third part will start!

With those three words my world came crashing down.

I knew the initial answer would be no but after Bombay's visit I was so sure that the answer could be yes.

That's what I get for getting my hopes up.

I felt the tears prickling behind my eyes. It was so unfair!

"Aw did the poor baby not get her own way" my brother's cold sneering voice came from somewhere behind me.

"Fuck off" I hissed through clenched teeth. I didn't even bother to turn around and look at him before I stormed outside.

"You'll pay for that Julie" I heard him call after me.

How can I be related to that idiot? How can I be related to the cold hearted bitch I call 'mother'?

Hopefully I'm not really her daughter and that I'm adopted.

That would explain a lot!

Once safely outside in the fresh air I undid the top button of my shirt allowing myself to be able to breathe again. The damn thing felt like it was suffocating me.

Is this what it feels like for claustrophobics?

I decided to do the one thing I knew would make me feel better. I went back inside, headed up the stairs, grabbed the phone from the hallway and took it into my room, slamming the door shut behind me to let everyone know I was still pissed off.

I searched my room until I found the photo album Fulton and Portman had given me at the airport. Opening the cover I found the phone number I was looking for and dialled.

"Hello?" an older woman answered the phone.

"Hi is Fulton there?" I asked. I absolutely hated speaking with complete strangers when they answer the phone.

"Oh yes he's just about to walk through the door, FULTON PHONE!" she forgot to take the handpiece away from her mouth before she yelled sending a high number of decibels down the line.

"Thanks mom!" I heard his voice in the background.

"Hello?" Fulton answered in his tough guy voice.

"Hey Fult, its me Julie" I bit my lip and waited for his reaction.

"JULIE! how are you?" he sounded genuinely excited.

"I'm great" I fibbed. Well he didn't need to know the goings on of the Gaffney household. I still had time to plead my case to be allowed to attend Eden Hall.

"It feels so weird being home, I kinda miss you" he admitted.

He had no idea how much he'd just cheered me up.

"I miss you too" I replied smiling into thin air.

"I can't wait for you to come here for school" Fulton was saying.

Damn it, he's just burst my bubble!

"Jules my call waiting is going off, can I put you on hold for a minute while I get rid of whoever it is?" Fulton asked me hopefully.

"Sure" I replied turning a page in the photo album.

I could hear the hold music and recognised the tune as "Greensleeves"

"Jules are you still there?" Fulton's voice came through the line a few minutes later.

"Yeah" I replied.

"Good, that was Charlie. He's telling me to get my, and I quote "lily white butt" down to the park for a game of street puck before Jesse leaves for good"

"You should go then" I told him encouragingly.

"Are you sure? I mean I like talking to you"

why does he have to make everything so damn difficult!

"Of course I'm sure, it might be the last time you'll play puck with Jesse, I just wish I was there to stop all of the goals" I laughed light heartedly.

"You'll be here soon enough and I can't wait. I'll talk to you before then right?"

"Yeah, now go kick some butt" I commanded him laughing.

"You got it Catlady, I'll talk to you soon. Bye"

"Bye" I replied before setting the handset into its cradle.

Well that only half worked since I was still mad.

I picked myself up off of the floor and changed into a pair of Team USA sweatpants and an old Bangor Wildcats t-shirt from my middle school before heading back outside.

After my talk with Fulton I decided that Ryan would be the person to cheer me up.

Slipping out to the stables I was a little surprised to find that he wasn't there. I checked my watch, 2.30 pm. Usually he'd be mucking out of the stables at this time but the pitchfork and fresh hay were still sitting in the corner of the barn, untouched.

I decided to work my frustrations out by, well working as I opened the gate to Bobby's stable and led him out to the holding yard. Ensuring I shut the gate behind me, I let the horse run free whilst I cleaned out his stable.

Who knew picking up horse shit was therapeutic?

By the time I'd cleaned out Thunder's stable I was determined to have it out with my mother.

Putting the horses back into their correct pens and securing the gates behind them, I ensured they had fresh water before stalking back towards the house.

I wasn't even going to bother with having a shower as I knew the stench of horse turds and hay would annoy the hell out of her even more. I was through with playing nice Julie.

"Ha I always knew you'd end up like the trash you call your teammates" John's obnoxious voice came at me the second I entered the house.

"Better than ending up like you" I retorted giving him a full view of my filthy face, hay infested hair and dirty clothes.

I didn't even bother to wait for a response as I walked straight through the lobby and up the stairs towards my mother's suite.

I found her door slightly ajar so I simply entered without knocking spouting something along the lines of "I'm going to Eden Hall and there's nothing you can do to stop me"

The sight that lay before me was way too intense to handle.

"Holy shit!" I exclaimed attracting the attention of the room's occupants.

Never in a million years was I expecting to see this.