Sorry, it was a longer wait than I intended it to be. But, here is it! Read, enjoy, and Review!

BLAKE ESTATE
STUDY
Monday, November 2nd
7:09 p.m.

Juli loved to spend time with Ringo. Just the two of them. It was no question that Ringo caught pretty much every eye of every girl that saw him. In the last week alone, she had spotted two members of the Pretty Committee, one DSL-Dater, and at least eight B-listers flirting with him. That didn't include LBRs or any flirting done at her party.

She kind of just wished he liked chocolate because popping a piece into his mouth seemed like a great idea.

However, he had homework to do, and technically, Ringo was still on probation. She had spent an hour with her mother planning her outfit–a simple Alice and Olivia tank dress in violet, a black knit cropped shrug for her arms, and had her feet tucked into a pair of royal blue ballet flats by Mui Mui–but because Ringo hadn't finished his homework earlier, he couldn't even appreciate it outside because Bella said he wasn't allowed to leave the house until his homework was finished.

Juli figured that she could get a little work done as well, having her book for literature in her over-sized satchel. Instead, she pulled out her phone.

Juli: Trix, how are you coming along on your mission?

She waited a minute, scrolling through a few Pintrist boards before she got a reply.

Trixi: I went to his house but he wasn't home

Juli: ? is he?

Trixi: IDK His mom just said out

Juli sighed. Taking on the Brigade was proving to be a challenge. She had given Mel and Trixi each a mission. Mel was working on finding a fourth member. At this point, Juli really didn't care if it was Pam, though Mel wanted to include her sister. She was taking other girls into consideration as well, but Mel had the closest connection to Pam.

Trixi, on the other hand, had a very different mission. Only one of the Brigaders had a boyfriend, and Juli wanted it to stay that way. As of yet, Michelle and Ryan had not Defined The Relationship, also known as DTR. Technically, neither had Juli and Ringo, but she knew it was going to happen soon. They had lip-kissed, after all. And they had a name, Ringli, a cute little thing Trixi had begun to spread around school that morning and had caught like wildfire.

"You know, if you're going to text, you could text me," Ringo said from where he sat on the couch across from her. She looked up at him and smiled. It was hard not to smile when Ringo looked at people, and for once, Juli was no exception. Juli's cheeks went red as Ringo smiled at her.

"What would the point of that be?" Juli asked. "We're sitting across from one another."

Ringo let out a soft laugh. "And maybe that's the problem," he said as he stood up, ditching his books, and slipped onto the couch next to her. He slung his arm around her. Juli quickly dropped her phone into her satchel, not about to let him see what Trixi was texting her. "I'm just about finished," he said. "So, how about we head to the den and pop in a movie. I just have a few math problems to solve, so it'll only take me a minute."

"What movie?" Juli asked, trying not to chew on her glossed lips, and utterly failing. She couldn't help it. She had initiated the first lip-kiss, and it hadn't exactly been romantic. This time, she wanted him to kiss her, and she wanted the fireworks to not be interrupted by Michelle's passing out.

"Your pick," Ringo said. "On one condition."

Juli sighed. She already knew the condition. No rom-coms. That wouldn't be a problem, as Juli had plenty of movies that she liked that weren't romantic comedies... And plenty that were but hidden under just enough drama or comedy for someone not to notice.

"What is Juli short for?" Ringo asked.

Juli sat up straight. That was something she hadn't been expecting. Usually, no one cared. And most assumed that it was short for Julia, if short for anything at all. But, she gathered herself back up quickly. "Juliet," she told him. It was the honest truth.

Ringo's smile glowed as he leaned closer. "Then you may call me Romeo," he said, reaching forward to push one of her delicate curls off her face. He began to lean toward her.

"Ringo!" Bentley's voice sounded from the door. "What are you... Oh, I didn't know you had company."

Juli turned away from Ringo and turned to see not just Bentley, but Ryan and Caleb at the door was well. She took a deep breath. "What are you guys doing here?"

"Monday night," Ryan said. He shrugged. "We do math review."

Juli eyed Ringo for a moment. "Sorry, I kind of forgot," he said. He stared at the three other boys. "Mostly because we're in different math classes this year and we haven't done it since early September."

"No, we've been dong it," Ryan said. "You just haven't been coming over. So we decided to bring it to you."

"How did you even get in?" Ringo asked.

"Cruz," Bentley said. He turned to Juli. "You're welcome to join."

"My math homework is done," she said.

"This is review," Caleb said. "We go over what we learned last week to make sure we all understand it."

"Which doesn't help if you three are at a different math level than I am," Ringo said. But he stood. "Why don't you go over to Mischief's house and review with her and Kali?"

Juli leaned her head back, but then smiled. "You know what, sure," she said. She turned to Ringo. "Let's review. I mean, math is the only thing you have left, right? They can help you."

"Perfect," Bentley said. "Come, Ringli Circus, to the kitchen. We brought ice cream."

"I'm sorry, the Ringli what?" Juli questioned.

"Oh, tell me you've heard of the Ringley Circus," Ryan said.

"I believe it is the Ringling," Juli said. "Stress on the ING ending."

"Close enough," Bentley said with a shrug.

"I guess that would make you and Kali Barnum and Bailey," Juli said. "Because, let's be honest, you're more of a circus act than Ringo and I are."

Ringo frowned a little. "Please tell me you guys didn't come here to antagonize Juli at the bequest of Mischief," he said.

"Of course not," Caleb said. "Now, we really just came here to... Did you just say 'bequest?'"

"As a matter of fact, yes, I did," Ringo said. "And, Caleb, I do believe you when you say you came here to study. Those two," he nodded to Bentley and Ryan. "I'm not sure about."

"Oh, Ringo, how long have we known each other?" Ryan asked. "And yet you still suspect me?"

"That's why I suspect you," Ringo said.

Juli placed her hand on his shoulder. "It's okay," she said. "I'm not going to allow them to annoy me that way. Anyway, if they think we're a circus let's give them an act."

Ringo smiled down at her and took her waist in his hands, pulling her closer. "If you insist." And with that, he pulled her closer and kissed her, lightly, on the lips. The shocked faces of his friends was satisfaction enough for her when they parted.

"Oh, look, no one fainted this time," she said. She smiled brightly. "Now, someone said ice cream?"