DISCLAIMER: The people of RTT are not mine. (Not even Ryan Hurst.) *Weeps uncontrollably* He is REALLY cute! Powerhouse is an old candy bar, and I don't think they make it anymore, but it belongs to whatever company made it.

MY NOTES: This is kind of an in-between chappie. It lacks music, but it's important to the story. Thanks for the reviews!

~Chapter 2: Ronnie and Julie~

Why couldn't Ronnie quit thinking about Julie? What was it about her? Was it her love of Spanish? Was it how her eyes were such a mysterious shade of blue crossed with blue? Ronnie wasn't quite sure, but Julie had already made herself a very special place in the heart of Ronnie Bass?

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Julie was braiding her thick hair, and wondering about Ronnie. Did he like her? She finally finished braiding her hair, then went to put her makeup on, softly saying, "Crap!" when she noticed a zit on her cheek.

She didn't know why this had to happen at the worst times. Her face had been perfectly clear before she met Ronnie. And now she had an economy sized zit on her face. She and her younger sister ,Kasey, blamed it on an evil monster they called the "zit zombie" He always struck at the worst times.

She covered it up as best she could, then grabbed her bookbag and headed outside to wait for Gerry. Kasey was taking the bus to the Junior High, so Julie waited alone. She saw her cousins green Camaro pull into the driveway. Gerry was in the driver's seat, and Julie smiled when she saw his girlfriend Emma Hoyt occupying the passenger's side. She climbed in the back seat on the driver's side, happily saying, "Hey, Emma!"

"Hey, Julie!" Emma replied. Julie noticed Emma's forced smile and the peed off look on Gerry's face. She knew better than to ask about it at that time. She guessed she'd catch Gerry later and ask him what was up. She knew that Gerry loved Emma. And she knew that they almost never fought. And she further knew that nobody wanted to be on the receiving end when Gerry blew his stack.

When they arrived at school, Julie got out of the car as quickly as possible. Then she ran as fast as she could up to the school, nearly bowling Ronnie over in the process.

"Oh! I'm so sorry, Ronnie!" she exclaimed, apologetically picking up his bookbag.

"Oh, no problem," he replied. "But what the heck's wrong with you?"

"Gerry and Emma had a fight..."

"And Emma won, and you just found the body?" Ronnie said, jokingly.

His smile melted away with her dirty look. "I'm serious, Ronnie."

"I know. I know. Just trying to shed a little 'Sunshine' on your day."

Julie snickered a little "OK, so... How have things been around here with Gerry and Emma? I mean, do they fight alot?"

"Well, sorta. Emma doesn't like black people. And as close as Julius and Gerry are... Well, Emma doesn't like it."

"Oh," she replied. "'Gerry-and-Julius.' That's like one word around here."

"Yeah," Ronnie said. "It's pretty rare to hear one name without the other. Friendships like theirs are hard to come by."

"Yeah. It used to be that way with Gerry-and-Emma. Or Gerry-and-Ray."

"Yeah. Yeah, it was that way. Ray's kind of a jerk, but Emma seems nice. Just, I don't know. She was raised to believe that she's better than black people. I don't see why people raise their kids that way."

"Me either. I mean, being raised that way is a cause, but it's not an excuse. Gerry was raised the same way. But he changed."

"I know." Ronnie shook his blonde hair.

"Man, he is fine..." she thought.

Ronnie concentrated his clear gaze on Julie's face. She smiled, then covered her mouth. "Why couldn't that stupid orthodontist have taken these stupid things off BEFORE I came back here?"

She didn't know that Ronnie was thinking how cute her braces looked on her. As they approached their Spanish classroom, Julie heard her cousin's voice, "Hey, Jules!"

She turned around and said, "Hey, Gerr, what's up?"

"Not much. How 'bout with you?"

"Nada de particular," she replied, a grin spreading over her face. Gerry didn't know a word of Spanish. He rolled his eyes.

"Well, fruitcake, what'd she say?"

Ronnie smiled, "'Nothing in particular.'"

"OK, Bass," he said, anger finding its way onto his face.

Ronnie almost went hysterical. "She said, and I quote, 'Nothing in particular.'"

Gerry rolled his eyes again. "Oh. OK. Anyway..." He looked down at Julie. "Why'd you leave so quick, kiddo?"

"Gerry, I know you did NOT just call me 'kiddo,'" she said, a warnig in her voice.

"Sorry. Why did you leave so quick, JJUULLIIEE?" Mock sweetness was dripping from his voice. Julie wanted to vomit.

"Cut it out, Gerry Bertier!"

"OK. OK. But quit avoiding the d...stupid question."

Julie almost lauged. She knew that Gerry was most likely wishing she was a guy, so that he could have used a stronger word than stupid. Ronnie was apparently thinking the same thing, because he covered his mouth, his eyes beginning to water as he tried not to laugh.

"OK, Gerr. I left because I didn't know if you and Emma were pre- or post-fight. And I didn't want to be there if you blew up."

"Oh," Gerry said. He was annoyed at Emma. How could someone he loved so much be so prejudiced against his best friend?"

Julie patted Gerry's forearm. "It's OK, Gerr. Everybody's gonna fight sometimes."

"Yeah. I guess so. Well, I better get to class. Love ya, Jules."

"Love ya, too, Gerr." She pecked her cousin on the cheek. She felt so sorry for him. She wanted to help him, but she didn't know how. She really liked Emma. But she didn't like the things that were going on. She watched the big teenager run toward the senior hall.

She and Ronnie walked down the hall to their classroom. Ronnie opened the door, and said, "Ladies first."

When she walked in, Ronnie followed, leanig over to whisper in her ear, "See, some of this Southern gentleman crap is rubbing off on my uncouth California butt."

Julie nearly cracked up. She bit her lip, trying desperately not to laugh. Peeing off her first teacher of the day would not be starting the day off on the right foot. She shot Ronnie a dirty look, followed by a smile. Then Ronnie nearly lost it. He pinched his arm behind his back and somehow restrained his laughter.

They sat in their desks, both trying not to laugh.

As Señora McLamb began the class with a review of the Spanish pronunciation of the letter "c," Ronnie passed a note back to Julie. She nearly exploded with laughter as she read his words.

Dear Julie,

I was wondering, Could you Come to HomeComing with me. BeCause you are really Cute and SpeCial.

The invitation will remain open, unless your Cousin kills me, in whiCh Case, you'll have to get a new date.

Love,

Ronnie Bass

PS: Señora MCLamb is going a little Crazy with these C's, huh?

Julie couldn't help thinking how corny Ronnie was. But she thought, "Why not?"

She wrote back:

Dear Ronnie,

I would love to go to HomeComing with you. Even though your invitation was Cheesy, Corny, and maybe even Crazy. But you're so Cute that I Couldn't say no. And if you make me laugh, my Cousin won't get the ChanCe to kill you.

Love,

Julie MiChelle Bertier

PS: Yes, Señora MCLamb is going Crazy with the C's. But then again, so are you, you lunatiC.

Ronnie wanted to laugh so bad. He liked this Julie Michelle Bertier.

She was surprised Ronnie thought she was cute. And that he wanted to take HER to Homecoming. She felt like she was going to burst with excitement. She'd never known anybody quite like Ronnie Bass. When she saw the teacher turn toward the chalkboard, she reached up to Ronnies neck and tugged on the back of his hemp choker. He almost lost it again. She hoped he wouldn't try to make her laugh again, but of course, he did. He passed back another note.

"Hey, Babe, if Homecoming gets to boring, we'll head out to the 'Hill' and...well, you know...look at it and drive straight back."

She knew that it wasn't really that funny, but for some strange reason, his wacky sense of humor was funny to her.

She wrote back.

"Wait just a minute, Mr. Bass. We're breaking a rule here. I'm not a cheerleader. Therefore, going to Homecoming with a quarterback is a major no-no."

Ronnie wrote another goofy answer.

"Major no-no? I thought it was just a Private First Class no-no."

She rolled her eyes and wrote back,

"Ronnie, you're such an idiot."

His reply was, "I know."

After class, Ronnie and Julie stood in the hall and laughed. "You are so goofy, Ronnie!" Julie said.

"Yeah. That's what everybody says."

Julie and Ronnie completed the school day, then went home.

When Julie arrived at Gerry's car, she noticed that Emma wasn't with Gerry, so she knew that this particular fight ran deep. Julius was with him, though. She was glad when Julius suggested that she sit in the front seat. She climbed in beside her cousin. "How's it goin', Gerr?" she asked.

"OK, I guess," he replied, his tone of voice making it obvious that he wasn't paying her any attention.

She rolled her eyes, then decided to catch and hold his attention. "I got asked to Homecoming."

It worked like a charm. Gerry turned quicky to face her. "Huh? By who?"

She began to hum, pretending not to hear the question. "By who, Julie?" he repeated. He rested his eyes on her. "C'mon, now."

She smiled, "Ronnie Bass."

"Fruitcake asked you to Homecoming?"

"Yeah," she said, lowering her voice for dramatic affect. "And if it gets too boring, we'll take a little trip to the 'Hill.'"

"Oh, no you don't," Gerry said, Bertier anger flashing in his browny-blue eyes. "Jerk shouldn't have even asked you."

Julie caught a glimpse of Julius trying not to laugh in the back seat. She put her hand on Gerry's arm and said, "Cool out, cousin. We'd just look at it and come straight back."

Gerry didn't know what to do until Julie said, "Gerry, I'm kidding! Ah! Please say you did NOT think I was serious!"

"Well..."

"You had better know me better than that, Gerry Bertier!"

"Yeah, I guess so," Gerry said, an apology in his eyes.

"Sorry, Gerr. Didn't mean to pee you off THAT bad."

"S'okay," he replied with a shrug of his broad shoulders.

She smiled. "So do you still love your stupid cousin?"

"Yeah, course I do."

Julius broke the seriousness, saying, "I don't know about you, Superman, but I could go for a snack right about now."

Julie smiled and said, "I want something, too. Let's go to Harrises' on the way to Julius's house."

Gerry smiled, "Harrises' it is."

The three of them went into the small store. Each got a Powerhouse candy bar. Gerry got a Coke, Julie got a Dr. Pepper, and Julius got a grape Nehi. "How do y'all drink that stuff?" Gerry asked. He loved Coke, and it was the only soda he would drink.

Julie said, "Uh, maybe 'cause it's good?"

Julius added, "Yeah. And 'cause we ain't mediocre and boring like you, Superman."

Gerry laughed, "Ah, c'mon."

Julie laughed, "Well, it's true, Gerr."

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Ronnie Bass heard the phone ring. He ran down the hall to the kitchen to grab the phone. "Hello?"

He nearly had a heart attack when he heard the voice on the other line. "Rachel?!"