Hey, thanks for everyone for sticking with me. I'm gonna update the Cliquetionary very soon, including with my first character chart. Ahb-viously it will be Michelle. But, enjoy and review!


BLAKE ESTATE
INFORMAL DINING ROOM
Sunday, November 1st
6:12 p.m.

Michelle sat quietly, her eyes narrowed at Ringo. As was tradition, Sunday meant some form of a meal with the Blakes. It was Bella Blake's turn to host, and she chose a dinner at her home. Not made by her, of course. Michelle doubted that the woman she had called Aunt Belle until she was nine could boil water in a pan without burning something, but the woman did know how to pick a dinner menu. They were working on appetizers of stuffed potatoes, which Michelle was barely picking at because she could literally see the grease, while they waited for Cruz to return from picking up the Indian food from Bella's favorite restaurant.

"How has school been going for you, Ringo?" Ceri asked. "Was the transition back to Briarwood successful?"

"Oh, school's fine," Ringo said. "Honestly, I feel bad for those that were in advanced classes. They've had to cut down on them, with only half the students, and a few were transferred back."

"Did that happen at OCD?" Willem asked, turning towards Michelle.

"No," Michelle said briskly. "They took the best of the regular classes and moved them forward. Apparently they have more faith in the girls."

She didn't mention how that brought her into several of Juli's classes. In fact, she now had at least one Haute Topic member in every class.

Suddenly, the doorbell rang. Ringo jumped to his feet. "I hope it's okay that I invited someone to dinner," he said.

"Oh, but we only ordered five entrees, Ringo," Bella said.

"Actually I told Cruz to order six," Ringo said before walking out of the room.

Eyes turned on Michelle. "What?" she asked. "I don't know who he invited. You barely allowed me to invite Kali last week to brunch, and she's living with us."

"Believe me, if he had asked, I would have said no," Bella said. "And to think, he just got off punishment yesterday."

Ringo walked back in, smiling brightly. Next to him stood Juli, dressed in a-Michelle hated to admit-beautiful black dress with a slanted purple belt at her hips, her hair hanging down in large, loose curls. Michelle hated that Juli looked so perfect, and especially that Juli's lashes looked super long giving her eyes a mysterious beauty.

"Oh, Juli," Ceri said, certainly surprised to see the girl. Michelle knew her parents hadn't seen Juli since the Halloween party in the fifth grade. Ceri smiled. "How nice it is to see you."

"Yes, you're looking quite well," Willem said.

"Ah, Mom," Ringo said, apparently smitten with the girl. "This is Juli."

"So good to meet you," Bella said. She gestured to the table. "Please, take a seat. Dinner will be here shortly."

"Thank you so much for inviting me," Juli said, a smile plastered on her face as she sat down next to Ringo. "Ringo talks about you incessantly and I just couldn't wait to actually meet you, Mrs. Blake."

"Funny that he never mentioned you," Michelle said, swirling her fork around her potato.

"I'll give you the house grand tour after dinner," Ringo said smiling at Juli.

"Oh, this little place compared to her own home?" Michelle questioned. "I'm sure she'll learn her way around it quickly. It shouldn't be a problem."

"Oh, but I'd love a tour," Juli said. "I've heard that your decorating is to die for, Mrs. Blake. And seeing this dining room, I think that the rumors don't give you justice."

Bella's cheeks pinkened a bit. Michelle's eyes lit with fire. There were some people that Michelle would not stand to lose to anything and Bella was one of them.

"Aunt Belle," Michelle said with a smile. She hadn't called her Aunt Belle in about three years and she knew it would pull on Bella's heartstrings. "Oh, she could have easily been an interior decorator if she wanted to. Did you know she actually designed the kitchen here."

Bella put a hand over her heart, a warm smile on her lips. "You remember that, Michelle?" she asked, a little stary-eyed.

"Of course," Michelle said. "You designed it and redesigned it until you had it perfect."

Ringo, however, lifted an eyebrow at Michelle. "Aunt Belle?" he questioned. "You haven't called my mother that in years."

"Oh, did I say that?" Michelle asked. "I didn't even realize."

"So, does that make us cousins?" Ringo asked.

"Sorry, but I already have two cousins, and that is enough," Michelle said. She smiled at Bella. "But I've always felt like you were part of my family. I mean, I know you better than I do my uncle or cousins."

"Well, if you took the time to meet your cousins, maybe that wouldn't be a problem," Juli said.

Willem, sitting next to Michelle, simply sighed while Ceri shook her head. They spotted what was happening as they lived with it daily.

After dinner-which Michelle had spent glaring at Juli-Ceri and Willem decided to stay a while and have a few drinks with Bella. Unfortunately, Ceri had given Luis the night off so Michelle had to choose between spending time at the Blakes or walking home. She looked down at her red prada pumps, which were really cute and new.

So she stayed, though was not about to watch her mother get blitzed while her father watched and laughed. She did, however, enjoy that she was getting in the way of Juli and Ringo having any alone time. She didn't know if they were an official couple, but she was going to make sure that they were not going to have any alone time to have their first lip-kiss.

"So, it's honestly just you and your mother that live here?" Juli asked, careful to walk very close to Ringo without actually touching him. Michelle could tell that Ringo was just itching to reach out and take her hand. They were walking through the family den, which was different from either of the living rooms.

"No," Michelle said. "Cruz officially lives on the property, though they do have different mailboxes." She smiled. Every time she thought that her presence seemed to fade, she would make a comment to make them jump apart, which was exactly what they did when she spoke. "His father officially lives here too, though he's here less than two months of the year. His official address is here."

"I didn't ask you," Juli said, turning to Michelle. She crossed her arms. "You know, I think you're just jealous that Mrs. Blake took such an immediate liking to me. I'm charming, much more so than you." She began walking toward Michelle. "And I'm sure we both know that Mr. Blake will like me just as much. I don't need to call her Aunt Belle and pout."

"Bella loves me like a daughter," Michelle said. "And nothing you say can change that."

Off to the side, Ringo rolled his brown eyes. "And somehow I thought this was about me," he mumbled, and both girls turned to look at him.

"Sorry, Ringo," Juli said, and began walking back towards him. "I think she's just jealous of our relationship."

"As if," Michelle snapped. But she realized suddenly, that she was. Juli and Ringo, where neither was the obvious lesser. Because, as much as Ryan was good-looking and popular and athletic, he wasn't a true HART, because he wasn't an Alpha, at least not a full one. And, while there were aspects to Ryan that Michelle liked, she didn't exactly truly like-like him. "You're acting like you've already lip-kissed."

"Who says we haven't?" Juli questioned. And then, before Michelle's eyes, Juli spun, got on her toes, and kissed Ringo, right on the lips.

Michelle suddenly felt the world spinning... or was that her? She wasn't even sure. She was definitely light-headed. She spoke in her head a few times not to scream.

"Mischief?" It took her a moment to register Ringo's voice.

Suddenly, Michelle was looking at the ceiling. "Oh em gee, did she just faint?" Michelle heard Juli's voice. And the ceiling was moving. A chandelier? It needed dusting.

"Ceri," Ringo's voice sounded. "Willem!"

Michelle slowly blinked, and turned her head. "Why are you holding me, Ringo?" she asked. In her head, there was a lot of bite in her voice, but she heard herself as sounding drowsy.

"What happened?" her father asked. Her feet were placed on the ground, but she was still leaning against someone, her father this time.

"I don't now, she just fainted," Ringo said.

"She barely touched her dinner," Juli said. Michelle could hear the plotting in her head. "You don't think that she's trying to starve herself to lose weight, do you?"

"Not the way she drinks smoothies down," Ceri said.

"I'm fine," Michelle said. She tried to walk, but her father held her.

"I'll get you to the car," Willem said. He turned for a moment. "Juli, would you like a ride home?"

"Sure," Juli said, but Michelle heard the hesitation in her voice.

Michelle steadied herself once seated. She looked to the side and noted Juli, a small smirk on the girl's face. "Oh, the tales I have," she said. "But we both know why you really fainted."

"You know nothing," Michelle said.

Juli leaned close. "You're jealous that I was Ringo's first kiss," she said.

Michelle laughed. "That's a riot. He never told you about Claudia? The girl he had a long-term flirtation with in Egypt last summer?"

"Then it's just that I kissed him and you didn't," Juli said after a pause.

"I couldn't care if you kissed him or not," Michelle said. "I'd rather kiss a frog."