Forgive me with the long time between updates, life happens. And so does not knowing where to go with this story. I hope this chapter is good for you all! It's starting to set things up now. Please review, it really does help!
"So what time is your last class again?" Meg asked Julie early the next morning.
"I get done at 4, but I have a late practice so I won't be home till around 7 at the latest." Julie answered joining Meg at the table with her bowl of cereal in hand.
"Ok I'll have supper ready for around 8 then, cause I'm sure you'll want time to rest after practice." Meg nodded writing down more things for her shopping list.
"You don't have to cook you know, we can order out." Julie said taking a bite of her breakfast.
"I want to cook for you guys, it will be fun." Meg paused made a face and then continued on. "Might be the last big meal I get to cook for awhile." She smiled patting her tummy.
"What was the face for?" Julie asked.
"Kicking, I think I have a goalie in there." Meg laughed and Julie joined in.
"Morning ladies." Daniel said walking in with a smile heading for the coffee pot. Once he poured himself a cup he took a seat with them at the table and grabbed the newspaper.
"So your game is tomorrow is it?" Daniel asking looking over the sports section.
"Yeah should be tuff, but we're ready." Julie answered rising to take her bowl back to the sink.
"You're already done? You should eat more Jules you've lost a lot of weight." Meg said with worry on her face.
"Training, I have to be quick. I eat enough trust me I'm older now I know what I can eat a lot of and when to back off." She smiled, "I'm fine honestly!"
"If you say so, but you will eat tonight." Meg said firmly getting up slowly and gave her a hug before starting towards the door. "Have a great day at school and practice sis!" She said stopping at the door before leaving.
"She worries so much." Julie shook her head sitting back down at the table beside Daniel.
"She always has, just worse now with everything that's happened over the last year." He answered.
"Don't we all." Julie smiled then sighed dramatically.
"School time isn't it?" Daniel smiled and laughed at her annoyed expression.
"Yes, I must get myself up get my books and take off." Julie got up and stretched.
"You won't have long now, a few more weeks and your out of here." Daniel smiled.
"Yeah a few more games and no more ducks, no more hockey." Julie frowned.
"You still have time to think about playing hockey, there are options now." Daniel quickly pointed out.
"I know I just really need to start thinking about post school and hockey days. I have nothing figured out yet." Julie rubbed her eyes trying to fully wake herself up.
"You have time sis, don't worry about it now. Just enjoy this time with the team and try to deal with the school work." He smiled up at her.
"I shall try." She smiled and gave him a hug. "Take care of Meg, she's on a mission to cook."
"How about I take your classes and practice and you tend to Meg!" Daniel laughed.
"No I don't think so." Julie laughed, "Later!"
"Later sis." Daniel shook his head and went back to his newspaper.
Julie gathered her book bag and headed out the door.
"Allow me Miss Julie." Dominic said taking her bag for her. They were quickly in the elevator, then downstairs and seated into the car heading towards the hockey arena. Once inside Julie left Dom standing outside the locker room.
"The cat a nator!" Averman yelled as she walked in.
"Morning Mrs. Bash." Charlie laughed as Julie rolled her eyes.
"I'm so glad you all see she's really mine." Fulton smiled as Julie patted him on the head as she walked by.
"You all need to grow up." Connie shook her head.
"Yes mom." The room answered together.
They quickly were changed and on the ice for a very spirited early morning practice. Standing in goal while play was in the other end, Julie noticed there were more people watching practice then normal. She didn't have time to look at them all as play was heading right back at her.
"Here I come cat lady!" Banks yelled laughing.
"Bring it cake eater!" Julie laughed then quickly dove to the left to stop Banks' shot.
"Wow that had some fire on it." She said getting back up.
"Yeah sorry, I don't need to injure my own goalie." Adam smiled.
"Wouldn't be wise to injure the fair goalie." Luis said skating by them.
"Will he ever stop?" Adam shook his head.
"No." Julie laughed.
Before she realized it practice was done and everyone was quickly changing to head off to their classes. Julie hung up her helmet on the hook by her locker and turned seeing Dean already waiting at the door for her.
"What's that look for?" She asked walking over to him.
"Just wondering how this is going to play out." Dean smiled then started out into the hall.
"How what plays out?" She asked following him, she then knew what he meant.
Standing just down the hall talking to Coach Orion was Scooter. Julie rolled her eyes noticing the entire team seemed to have found a reason to hang around there.
"You guys just won't let it go." Julie shook her head.
"Kissy kissy." Guy said laughing.
"So mature." Julie shook her head but smiled.
She turned and headed towards the doors, knowing she'd pass Scooter and figured she'd get teased relentlessly had she gone the other way. He turned and smiled as she approached.
"Hey Julie." He smiled.
"Hey Scooter, checking out the competition are you?" She smiled recalling he was the assistant coach of the team they were about to face.
"I know all too well how great you guys are. I'm supposed to be scouting but we all know how you guys play, and I'm sure you know how the Eastern team plays. So I'm just using this as a day to catch up with old friends." He smiled.
"That's good then." Julie nodded not really knowing what to say.
"I hear congratulations are in order." He said and nodded to Dean who nodded back trying to hide his smirk. "I hope you aren't giving up playing."
"Not sure about any of that yet, we'll see." Julie smiled, " I hate to cut it short but I really need to get to class. Nice seeing you again." She smiled and started past him.
"And you too." He smiled then again nodded at Dean as he walked past.
"I was hoping for something more." Guy said catching up with Julie as she touched the door.
"I know you all were, would you like me to run back and throw myself at him?" Julie asked.
"That would be interesting." Charlie laughed.
"It would not." Dean, Fulton and Luis said together then looked at one another.
"Juliet should only run to me." Luis said dramatically and offered his arm to Julie. "Let us leave fair Juliet for the wicked one calls us to dwell in his cave of boring lecture."
"And again in English please?" Russ said from behind them.
"He means we need to go to our political science class and be bored out of our minds." Julie translated taking Luis' arm. She smiled at Dean who smiled and gave her a wink.
"Later babe." He smiled and she shook her head and smirked in return.
"This will be a long day." Dean muttered heading towards his history class with Charlie.
"Tell me about it, and we still have another practice to go." Russ shook his head going towards his own class.
Classes went on threw out the day, the ducks would all bump into each other at various times and of course would yell and taunt one another. They arrived back at the arena mostly together some were still behind having later classes. They did as ducks always do, they tossed insults and jokes back and forth having typical ducks fun. Once on the ice the laughs kept coming, Coach Orion was long used to this and simply went about working on their skills in-between the banter. Despite the laughs they once again put in a great practice and all felt great heading back into the locker rooms early.
"Wow it's only 6!" Goldberg said taking off his skates.
"You guys did well, no need to keep you on the ice longer then necessary with the game tomorrow." Coach Orion said walking threw to his office. "Early to bed and don't do anything silly and get injured got it?"
"Got it." They answered in unison.
"You know what this means don't you?" Jesse said smiling.
"The Sin Bin!" Dwayne said with a yell.
They all headed to their favorite place and were quick to take up more then half the restaurant.
"Ok only a few fries for me, Meg's cooking supper and if I don't eat she'll beat me." Julie laughed.
"But Meg's so sweet she wouldn't do that." Connie said.
"Meg's pregnant normal happenings went out the window." Julie laughed.
They had fun laughed, had yet another round of French fry tossing. To which Julie did admit defeat to Fulton, who then danced around the table as if he'd won the Stanley Cup. Just before 7 Julie and Dean left and quickly made their way back to the apartment. They walked inside with Dominic and were greeted by an amused Caleb.
"What's so funny?" Dean asked.
"Meg, she is something." Caleb answered with a smile.
"She had you running all over town today didn't she." Julie smiled.
"Yes she did, she's more work to look after then you are." Caleb answered with a small laugh getting onto the elevators with them.
"That's our Meg." Julie smiled.
"By the way Miss Julie who was that man you were talking to after practice this morning, and why was it so amusing to everyone?" Dominic asked, causing Dean to immediately break into laughter.
"That's her boyfriend." Dean said between laughs.
"Oh here we go again." Julie muttered getting off the elevator thanking the heavens above they were at her floor.
"Why's it so funny?" Caleb asked.
"He kissed me on the cheek after we beat his varsity team when we were freshmen our first year in high school. And none of them have let it go since that day. Now he's the assistant coach for the team we play tomorrow so he was here scouting today." Julie answered then opened the door. "They found it cute to all hang around and watch me talk to him, like something was going to happen." Julie sighed.
"Talk to who?" Daniel asked walking in from the kitchen.
"Scooter the love of her life." Dean said still laughing.
"Darn I was hoping to meet him." Daniel said tauntingly at Julie.
"I'm leaving and taking a nice long shower, and if you two don't behave I'm telling Meg." Julie did her best to sound threatening then left them laughing. "Men." She thought rolling her eyes. Once inside her room she dug out her cell phone from the bag to plug it in to charge and noticed she had a text. She plugged it in then opened it to see who it was from. She read it once thinking she'd read it wrong, then she read it again then again feeling a strong uneasy feeling coming over her.
"Daniel." She called making her voice sound as normal as she could.
"Yeah what?" He said poking his head in the door a minute later, he quickly saw her expression and came to her side.
"Look." She said handing him the phone.
He read the message and looked back at her, "I don't understand."
"Read it aloud." Julie said sitting on the bed.
"Ok, it says; Remember the night on the balcony at the country club? I do." Daniel said looking back up at her.
"Mitchell." Julie said shaking her head, "That's when he threatened grampie and when I thought I had no other choice but to marry Mitchell to keep him safe."
"He couldn't have sent this." Daniel said sitting beside her. "He isn't allowed any visitors or phone calls in jail."
"Who else then?" She asked, "He was the only one out there besides me, so if this isn't from Mitchell then who else was outside that night, and what are they trying to do?"