Nickels' Sim Stories

Down Indefinitely

2012-01-12T10:57:00.000-06:00

Hey everyone. Sorry I've been out of touch. The holidays pretty much killed me. In case you haven't figured it out, I'm having to suspend this story for now. I can't play sims on my computer without it crashing. My boyfriend thinks I probably just need a new video card, but it would mean I'd have to turn my computer over to Geek Squad for a couple weeks, and I just can't afford to be without it for that long right now just so I can play sims. I'm hoping I'll be able to pick it back up in a couple months because I really want to keep moving with these characters. I'll try to post another update when I know more, and at some point, I'll have to catch up on everyone else's stories too :)

Something to look forward to when my story starts back up:

triplets.

Nickel Note #3

2011-12-09T20:46:00.001-06:00

Just an FYI...I'm going to have to change my schedule from doing a post every Monday and Friday to just a Monday posting until after Christmas. I thought I could keep up with the schedule, but since I work retail, I just have zero free time right now. I'm actually in the middle of a 10 day work week right now and could just die of exhaustion. So, the post that was originally scheduled for today will be out Monday (God willing). The plan is to get back to two posts a week in January.

Also, while I'm here, I wanted to see if anyone had any idea why this is happening: when I click on my "followers" it only shows one person (who is my most recent one), although I have more than that. I'm starting to wonder if that whole system was down when I first joined because until yesterday, none of the blogs that I follow showed up on my dashboard. I went through my list and re-followed all of them, and it works fine now. So, experiment time. If those of you reading this could hit follow again for my page and let me know when you do, I'd like to see if that fixes the problem. Thanks!

Fun fact: Anna Brennan (formerly Anna Wells...that will be briefly addressed in the next post) is now on the exchange as a YA. You can find her here. If you end up downloading her, I'd love to know! I was actually pleasantly surprised to see she has several downloads already. Pretty cool to think of her walking around someone's game :) She's also missing a trait apparently. I could've sworn I gave her the 5th one when I aged her up, but I guess I missed that somehow. So, she'll probably end up turning out a bit different for everyone, which I also think is nifty, although unintentional.

Anyway, I shall return on Monday, and the babies will be introduced (seeing that basket coming out of the hospital surprised me too!).

*Edit: Update* So, I went to play the game for a bit to relax before bed, and my graphics driver crashed. I restarted and ended up getting a blue screen, so I'm not sure how torn up my computer is now. Luckily, I am dating a computer-geek-extraordinaire, so hopefully he can make it all better. I may have to turn my graphics settings all the way down, which I really, really hate to do. If my computer is messed up, I won't be able to get another post out for a bit, but I'll keep you updated. Wish me luck.

Gen 1: Chapter 1

2011-12-05T00:00:00.013-06:00

*Make sure to visit "The Brennan Legacy" tab for links to the prologue!*

I rolled down the window of my cab as I passed the sign "Now Entering Sunset Valley." The ocean air filled my lungs, and I felt the excitement and anticipation stirring inside of me. This was a fresh start. The beginning of the rest of my life.

It wasn't hard to leave Twinbrook behind. The pain of this past summer was too much, and my reputation too tarnished, to force myself to stay. Besides, I had no reason to remain. My parents had disowned me, my sister was at boarding school, my friends shunned me...there was simply nothing left.

The taxi dropped me off in the center of town to get paperwork done for the transfer. So here I was. A new town with new faces. And, I had heard, the population here were a bit more accepting of the "non-traditional." I was going to need that acceptance when I started back to high school.

I was also excited because I wasn't going to be living alone, as I had feared when my parents turned me out. My wonderful, sweet grandma had agreed to take me in, which was a big part of why I chose Sunset Valley as my new home. On the phone, she said she was disgusted with the way my parents were treating me and that she didn't understand where my mother, her daughter, had gotten such an ill manner. She said she would be honored for me to stay with her, and she would love to help with the baby.

Despite my relief at her offer, I couldn't help but feel a bit guilty. Grandma teaches 2nd grade, which means that her funds are quite limited. As a pregnant teenager, I was going to be more of a burden than an asset. But, she claimed we would manage, as she always has before in one manner or another.

My anticipation grew as I began to recognize the streets leading to her home. We passed by the little blue house my friend Shannon had lived in growing up. Someone else lives there now.

I had always loved spending summers with Grandma as a child, and I felt that same joy now. We hadn't visited in several years (my mother hated to be reminded of her "common" childhood), but I remember everything vividly. The house was very much a "grandma" house, with that homey feeling and musty smell. I think the television is as old as her. I couldn't wait to sleep in that old upstairs bedroom that Ashley and I used to share on these vacations.

Finally, we arrived. A wash of memories poured over me. Standing on the balcony on a starry night gazing through the telescope. Ashley and I swinging on the playground out back. Grandma tending the flowers out front. The happiness welled inside of me as I realized that my own child would be able to experience the love and joy felt in this house.

Unable to contain myself any longer, I ran toward the house and up the stairs of the front porch. After knocking repeatedly, I finally heard footsteps coming around the house from the backyard. A woman walked up the front steps. A woman who was definitely not my grandma. "Um, can I help you?" she asked.

Who the hell is that? "Hi!" I said, "I'm Anna, and I'm moving here to stay with my grandma."

Her eyes shifted around nervously. She gave me a weak smile and said, "That's um...that's great."

"So..." I finally said, "is she home?"

"Is who home?"

"Er...my grandma...Maisy Brennan."

"Oh! You're Maisy's granddaughter!" she exclaimed. Geez, took her long enough.

She continued, "Sorry, I thought you were really crazy there for a minute. Some weird girl going around to random strangers saying she lives with her grandma.Yeah anyway, Maisy hasn't lived in this house in, oh, I guess about a year now."

"WHAT?!?"

"Mmhmm," she nodded, "she moved down onto Sunnyside...last summer I guess it was. Real cute place. Kinda small though."

I stared in disbelief for a few moments. "Excuse me," I said, whipping out my cell phone and dialing as I walked.

***

"477 Sunnyside Blvd. You sure you got the right place this time, darling?" my taxi driver asked with a smirk on his face.

Jerk. "Yeah, thanks," I muttered, gathering my things and stepping out of the cab. I found myself standing in front of a small (very small compared to what I was used to) log cabin. With really pretty flowers. Bright side...I kept telling myself.

Apparently after my grandpa died a few years ago, my grandma was unable to afford the maintenance on such a large house. My parents refused to help on the grounds that they "didn't want to set a precedent for handing out money." Translated, that means that they have no souls.

So, Grandma was forced to sell the home that her and Grandpa had built together 50 years ago and move to a much smaller house. The new house was right on the beach, which meant that she wasn't able to afford very nice furnishings either. But, there was a spare bed and a crib ready, which was the important thing.

So, why didn't she bother to tell me that she had moved? Seems that Grandma's mind is not what it used to be. For one, she forgot that I didn't know. Secondly, she forgot that I was coming.

"My little Anna! Oh my goodness, come here to grandma!" She didn't have to tell me twice. I ran into the arms of the one adult that I could count on to love me unconditionally.

"It's wonderful seeing you, Grandma. Thank you so much for doing this for me," I said.

"Oh pssht," she said, waving her hand, "think nothing of it, my dear. Now come on, let me show you around."

We walked into the house, and I could tell Grandma hadn't truly lived here for very long. The walls were bare of anything except the traditional "old woman" flowery wallpaper. In the old house there had been paintings everywhere. It was one of the things my parents had hated most about it.

The rooms were small. Very small. There was her bedroom with her bed and a small dog bed and toys for her pug, Fancy.

My bedroom, which was completely bare except for a full-sized bed. Not that there would be room for anything else in there.I really couldn't argue with that view though.

The nursery, which currently consisted only of a crib. Toys and decorations would have to come later.

The bathroom, where the washer was also located. There was no dryer, as Grandma was a staunch believer in the ability of the ocean breeze. The bathroom held the nicest thing in the entire house: a shower/tub combo.

Finally, there was the kitchen/dining/living room.

At least one thing hadn't changed...she still had that damn television.

***

The following months passed by quickly. School had started up shortly after my arrival, and I was pleasantly surprised at how kind most of my classmates were. Naturally, some of them stuck their noses up at me, but for the most part, I was able to make friends quickly for the first time in my life.

Things were wonderful at home. Grandma was an amazing cook, and I enjoyed a home-cooked meal every night.

I talked to Ashley regularly. She had also adjusted well and was starting to enjoy life at boarding school. She had somehow managed to get Ethan to agree to a long-distance relationship, and things were going surprisingly well for them. She was looking forward to graduation in a few months and was even considering moving to Sunset Valley afterward!

My life had settled into a kind of blissful calm. The kind of calm that anticipates that everything is about to change. One day, in the middle of a field trip to the cinema, the calm disappeared.

That was the day I became a mother.

Prologue: Part Five

2011-12-02T00:00:00.002-06:00

It was June 4th. I'd had nearly a month of summer vacation, and everything was going great. I'd survived my first year of high school, with a few stories to tell, and it was nice to stay home and paint. But everything changed that day.

I woke up early feeling incredibly sick. It was all I could do to make it down the hallway to the bathroom before I lost the entire contents of my stomach.

At first, I thought I must have a stomach bug. My friend Tracy had just gotten sick a couple days before. But as the weeks wore on, and I continued to familiarize myself with the tile on the bathroom floor, I knew something else was wrong. There had also been a monthly visitor that was mysteriously absent.

I made an appointment at the clinic in the hospital. I kept hoping that maybe I'd developed some kind of food allergy or something. Either way, I needed to know. I didn't take anyone with me. Ashley was the only one who knew the truth about Shark and me, and she was so fragile sometimes...

The news wasn't good. I somehow managed to make it all the way back home before collapsing into tears.

I don't know when I stopped crying. At some point I think I just ran out of tears. I sat on the floor, unable to move, until evening.

Ashley came into my room, worried after not seeing me all day. "Hey you," she said, "what's the matter?"

I knew there was no point in keeping this to myself. Everyone would know at some point. I cleared my throat, my voice not wanting to work after crying for so long, and managed to whisper, "I'm pregnant."

I expected Ashley to freak out or faint or something equally dramatic, but instead she simply sat beside me. "I figured as much," she said.

"What?" I whipped my head around and looked at her quizzically.

"Well, you've been throwing up every day for three weeks. It's not rocket science. I had planned on talking to you about it tonight." We both just sat there, staring off at nothing, but I was comforted by her presence.

***One Month Later***

It took a long time for the initial shock of my condition to wear off. In fact, sometimes, I'm not sure it ever really did. But about a month after I got the news, and around three months into my pregnancy, I knew it was time to start making plans. First stop: telling my parents.

I was absolutely terrified. It's one thing to have different career plans than what your parents want; it's something else entirely to break every moral boundary they've ever given you. It had to be done though.

I got both of them together, and after preparing an elaborate, lengthy, and well-thought-out speech, I got too nervous and simply blurted out that I was going to have a baby.

For a few horrifying moments, they just stood there and stared at me. Then, as if someone had paused us and then hit play again, my mother suddenly burst into tears as my dad simultaneously started screaming at me.

They calmed down after several minutes and began discussing my options. In their mind, I had two: get an abortion or stay with my grandmother in Sunset Valley until I had the baby and then put it up for adoption. I refused to even consider an abortion, and I was honestly shocked that they even mentioned it. As for adoption, I held the women and girls who were able to do that for the sake of their child in very high regard, but I didn't believe I would be strong enough to go through with it. Neither of these options worked for me. I was going to keep the baby. I finally found enough courage to tell them so. Their reaction was predictable.

I was finally excused after they realized my mind was made up and went up to my room. I heard Ashley start to come up behind me, but my dad called her back. I cried myself to sleep.

The next day, I woke up to my mother in my room going through my things. "What are you doing?!?" I exclaimed.

"I'm packing your things," she replied, curtly.

I swallowed. "Where are you sending me?"

"We're not sending you anywhere," she said, "We're going to help you pack, give you a little money, and then it will be up to you to make your own way in this world. Those are the consequences you have brought upon yourself if you refuse the options we have given you."

My heart stopped. Make my own way? Completely on my own? But I'm barely 16! I tried to hold back my fears. If this is what I had to do, then I would do it. I wasn't afraid of a challenge. And I was incredibly stubborn.

"Fine," I said, "but I don't need you to help me pack. I can do it myself."

"Have it your way," she said, and then turned around and walked away. That was the last time I saw my mother for several years.

I looked around my room, trying to decide where to start, when Ashley came in. "Hey Anna," she said quietly.

I didn't even say anything. I just walked over to her and gave her a big hug. "I'm so sorry, Ash. I'm sorry I was so stupid, and I'm sorry that you'll be here alone."

"Well, don't be too sorry. They're sending me to boarding school, so I won't have to be here alone after all."

I was shocked. "Why are they sending you away?"

"Because I vouched for you before school let out and said Shark was a liar, everyone is going to be looking at me too. We all decided it would be best if I finished up high school somewhere else. It'll be good though. I'll get a much better education." She looked very resigned to it.

"God, I am so so so sorry Ash. I really messed things up for everyone."

She took me by the shoulders, "Don't you dare think that, Anna. You're the strongest person I know, and you have to promise to stay that way. Hold your head up high and show everyone who doubts you just how wrong they are. I will always be here for you, even if I can't be there physically."

We said our goodbyes, and I left. That night, I went from being the lucky rich girl living on the wealthiest street in town with everything handed to her...to being homeless.

Nickel Note #2

2011-12-01T11:30:00.001-06:00

Hey everyone! Thanks again for reading and leaving comments. They really make my day!

Just wanted to let you know that I'm changing courses with my story a bit. I have Chapter 5 ready to go, and it will be published tonight at midnight. As I started writing Chapter 6, I was just really unhappy with the way it was moving. It was bland, and I have discovered that I really hate Twinbrook. My computer hates it too. Something about all that fog, I think. So, expect to see a big move soon. I haven't settled on where yet, but we're definitely moving.

With this shift, I decided that I might as well go ahead and make this into a legacy. I'm becoming attached to my character, and I'd like to see her entire story. That being said, there are some legacy rules that I choose to ignore. Obviously, my founder has other family members. She may even have some new ones wherever I move her. But, she will be the founder, not her parents or anyone else. Seems fair to me. Also, I will not be buying the gigantic lot dictated by The Rules. I hate that lot. I am a big believer in "cozy living." Large houses and large lots give me a headache (and make my game run slow). I will try to pick a place where we can at least stay on the same lot over the generations, but no promises. I think it's much more realistic to move as money allows, but we'll see. I don't know if anyone else ever has this problem, but sometimes I have to move my sims because the lot seems to run slow (even after reset). Also, as always, I will employ whatever cheat I deem necessary to get the picture I want. With the legacy, however, I will try to do that as little as possible and make them work :)

Okay, so there you have it. New plans. I'm excited now. I think this will turn out a lot better because, trust me, Chapter 6 was going to be bad. I still plan to have a chapter out by Monday, but it's going to take a little time to restructure everything and get back on track, so it may be a day or two late. Hopefully not.

Not that this makes any kind of difference to anything, but the current prologue and first five chapters are going to be considered the "legacy prologue" now and will be Parts 1-6. After the move, we will start with "Generation One: Chapter One." Just wanted to clarify that so it's not so confusing. I know it's strange that there will be kind of a prologue to the prologue, but whatever. We'll roll with it.

Make sure to stop back by tomorrow for Chapter Five!

Prologue: Part Four

2011-11-30T00:00:00.013-06:00

"Holy hell, calm down, would you? It's just me," Shark said, "You really want your parents running in here right now?"

"How did you get in here?" I managed to squeak out as I tried to slow my racing heart.

"I climbed in through your window. Figured I'd snatch you up for the day," he responded.

"Well, tough cookies," I said, gaining my confidence back, "Thanks to you, I'm grounded from now til eternity."

"Hmm...that is a shame. Guess that means we'll have to entertain ourselves indoor then," Shark said as he locked my door. Then he approached me, grabbed me by the waist and pulled me into him.

"Wh-what are you doing?" My heart started racing again for very different reasons. I felt my palms start to sweat and my cheeks flush.

"Just trust me," he whispered into my ear.

The minute he kissed me, I surrendered any fight I had planned on making. Before I knew it, we had moved to my bed.

"Shark, I think we should stop..." I said somewhat unconvincingly.

"And I think you don't really mean that," he replied.

***30 minutes later***

Shark had left pretty quickly after we...well, you know. I was glad to see him go. I felt awkward, and all I wanted was to get in the shower.

As I let the hot water run over me, I thought about the last 24 hours. A lot had changed for me in a very short amount of time. I wasn't really sure how I felt about that. Part of me found it thrilling and exciting. Another part of me just felt wrong. Looking back, I can see that I was still so young, facing situations that I was too immature to handle.

I passed Ashley on my way back to my room. "Anna, could I please talk to you for a minute?"

I shrugged, and we moved into my room.

"Listen," she began, "I wanted to explain why I was so upset about you going to prom with Shark."

Here we go, I thought. Instead, I said, "I'm listening."

"Do you remember Isabel Evans? She came over here a few times a couple years ago?"

I nodded, "Didn't she die in a car accident?"

"Yes and no. I'll get there. She was a really great friend to me. She was funny and so incredibly smart. Well, she kind of had a thing for bad boys. She always thought she could 'fix' them." Ashley shook her head in sadness. "She started seeing Shark, and eventually they started sleeping together. After about a week, he got tired of her and refused to speak to her anymore. What's more is he made sure that everyone knew what they had done. She was called horrible names and her friends, myself included, either stopped talking to her or weren't allowed to be around her. Pastor Bill even did a sermon shortly after about the sins of the flesh, and even without saying her name, everyone knew who he was talking about. It was all so cruel, Anna, I just can't even tell you, but you know how people in this town can be. A month later, she drove her car into a ravine and died. The papers reported it as an accident, but the official report ruled it a suicide."

I didn't know what to say. I believed Ashley was telling the truth. She's not the kind of person to make things up, but I just couldn't wrap my head around the idea that the guy I had come to know over the past few weeks would hurt someone so deeply that they felt they had to take such extremes. What's more is if this is true, and I've already...Oh no.

"So, do you understand now why I'm worried about you?" Ashley asked, mistaking my silence as mere quiet reflection. "And after you came home in handcuffs last night, I knew he hadn't changed. He left you to take the fall last night, didn't he?"

Yeah, he did, I thought. But I stayed quiet.

"Alright, you don't have to say anything. I just needed for you to hear this. I know I can be silly and ditzy sometimes, Anna, but I do care about you. I don't want anything happening to you." Ashley stood up and left me in my room with my thoughts.

***The Next Week***

We had the following week off due to a mysterious flood at the school, so I was excited that Monday to see Shark standing outside of school with his friends. I had spent a lot of time mulling over what Ashley had told me, but I couldn't write him off completely, at least not without talking to him first. I decided there was no need to be awkward about what had happened between us, so I went up to him and said hi. His friends all started laughing and he walked into school without even saying a word to me.

My heart sank. Maybe he just didn't want to talk in front of his friends, I thought, Just because they were laughing doesn't mean he told them what happened.

It wasn't until lunch time when I ran into Ashley that I knew things were far worse than that.

"Come with me," Ashley said, pulling me into the girls' bathroom, "Do you have any idea what people are saying about you?"

I started feeling shaky. And a little sick. I shook my head.

"They're saying that you sleep around! That you're the "up-and-coming whore" of the freshman class!"

I gulped. This is very, very bad.

"Do you have any idea what's going to happen when mom and dad hear about this?" Ashley was hysterical at this point. "They're going to ship you off to boarding school in the middle of nowhere, and I'm going to be left with them all alone! So tell me the truth: did you sleep with Shark?"

"Yes," I squeaked.

Ashley burst into tears. Whether she was crying for my sake or for herself, I wasn't sure.

At any rate, I tried to calm her down, despite the fact that I'm pretty sure I should have been the one crying. "Look Ash, there's only one more week of school left. We've just got to try to keep this under control until then. Once everyone goes on break, the gossip mill will shut down, and by the time school starts back up, no one will care anymore? Okay? But you've got to help me!"

"Okay," Ashley said, wiping a tear from her eye, "let's do some damage control."

***A Week Later***

I had truly underestimated Ashley's power of persuasion. When she spoke, people listened, and she was successfully able to convince everyone that Shark made up lies about me because I had turned him down. It's not like anyone really trusted anything he had to say anyway.

Shark and I, naturally, were not on speaking terms. I was absolutely furious that he was such a cold-hearted bastard, and he was furious that my sister and I had flipped his evil plan around on him. Luckily, he had finally graduated and moved to Bridgeport, so I didn't have to worry about ever seeing him at school again.

My parents finally let me off the hook after I came clean about what happened on prom night and shed a few tears. They believed I'd been taken advantage of, but they knew I'd learned my lesson. Despite their faults, they could be really fair sometimes.

Ashley and I were closer than ever. There's nothing quite like some drama and a good secret to bring two sisters together. I tolerated her incessant chatter a bit easier now.

Yes, everything was finally back to the way it should be. I was on good terms with the people who mattered, and the trying events of the past couple weeks were behind me. Nothing left to do but move forward.

***One Month Later***

Prologue: Part Three

2011-11-28T00:00:00.003-06:00

My head is spinning...

I looked over at the clock. It was noon. I had never slept that late, unless I was sick. I usually liked getting up early and starting my day. What happened last night?

I went downstairs. I needed a glass of water before I even thought about things like showering. And did I ever need a shower.

Ashley was sitting at the bar eating lunch. She gave me a dirty look.

Forgetting our argument the day before, I asked, "What's wrong, Ash?" She ignored me.

My mother walked into the room. "Anna Marie, come to the study."

Uh oh. I just got middle-named. What did I do?

I walked into the study to find my father standing behind his desk. My mother shut the door behind her. Crap. Not good.

My father cleared his throat. "Well, we let you sleep in after last night's...fiasco, but now I think you owe both of us an apology and an explanation." My mother nodded.

"Erm...uh..." was all I managed to get out.

"Look," my father said, annoyed at my stumbling, "we have been very tolerant of your little painting hobbies, but this 'artsy' lifestyle is starting to have just the effect on you that we feared."

I tried to think of any time that my parents were "tolerant" of my art. No success.

My father continued, his voice raising with each word, "We have a reputation to uphold in this town, dammit, and having our daughter paraded to our front door in handcuffs like some kind of street rat is completely unacceptable!" He slammed his fist down.

I jumped back, startled. My father and I never got along, but I'd never managed to make him this mad before. He was more of a "quiet rage" sort of man, so this sudden outburst was very unexpected and more than a little frightening.

"Dad, I-I'm sorry! I really don't know what happened...I just-"

"We don't want to hear excuses. Just go to your room and don't expect to leave it anytime soon," my mother said, wisely realizing that my father was still too angry to hear anything I had to say.

I walked slowly to my room. I'd never been in this much trouble before, and I couldn't even remember what happened!

Wait a minute. Did he say something about handcuffs? Was I arrested? And it was at that moment that the previous night's events came flooding back to me...

***

I remember the gym looked horrible. It was like they had just picked up some ugly balloons and spread them around. Knowing our school, that's actually probably what they did.

Shark crept behind the buffet line and poured something from a flask into the punch. He offered me a drink.

Against my better judgment, I took it. In my mind, it was time for me to start experiencing life. At 15, experiencing life seems to always equate to breaking the rules.

It didn't stop with just one drink either. I ended up losing count.

With my inhibitions significantly lower, I found myself drawn to the dance floor. Shark and I danced for what seemed like hours, and it felt like everyone was watching us even though I doubt anyone was.

And then there, in the middle of the dance floor, Shark pulled me in for my very first kiss. It was perfect.

By that time, the dance was ending and everyone was going home. The city-wide curfew for minors was in less than an hour, so there was no hanging around. For most, anyway. Shark and I went around to the back of the school and waited for it to clear out. I asked Shark, in between my fits of the giggles, what we were going to do now. He pulled out a carton of eggs from his backpack and ran off toward the nearest neighborhood.

I had my first "egging" experience.

Then the cops showed up. We started running, but I couldn't run very fast in my dress and heels. Shark got away, but the police quickly caught up to me.

The cops drove me home and spoke to my parents. I didn't really hear anything that was said. I simply walked past them and went to bed.

***

No wonder they're so mad at me, I thought. I'd never done anything remotely close to this before. I was embarrassed that I'd gotten caught, but I didn't really feel bad about acting out. That night was the most fun I'd ever had after years of having to "keep up appearances."

"Thinking happy thoughts?" a voice said from the corner of my room.

I screamed.

Nickel Note #1

2011-11-26T22:01:00.001-06:00

Just a side note for everyone:

I know the chapters have been a little short. I'm still kind of making my way through this, trying to get the hang of everything. When I was writing my legacy, it still took a lot of work, but it didn't seem to take so much planning. Because I have this story idea in my head and know pretty much exactly where I want everything to go, I've been writing out my chapters before playing the game and making a list of exactly what pictures I want. So basically, I go into the game and choreograph everything to get the picture. I haven't been actually playing the characters, and I think that's what is missing. I have through Chapter 5 written (still have to get pictures), but after that, I think I'll just play for a bit and see where it takes me (to an extent). I have been far too OCD about this. Also, as those of you in the states know, yesterday was Black Friday, and I work retail so my brain is just...very tired. Along with the rest of me.

So, hopefully longer chapters are coming. Just in case you haven't been to the News page, I will have new chapters published on Mondays and Fridays at midnight (CST). The schedule is more to keep me on track than anything else :) Since the next 3 chapters will likely also be fairly short, I may do 3 posts this week if time allows.

Also, while I'm here...I'm planning on starting a 100 baby challenge. If I focus too much on one story, I will burn out, so if I can go back and forth between the two, I think I'll be happier. I want to start it soon, but as I mentioned, I work retail, so December is not forthcoming with a lot of free time. I've got an idea for the back-story already, and I'm hoping it will give it a new kind of twist. So be on the lookout for that.

Anyway, thank you so much for reading! It's great to be writing fiction again, and it's been nice to get feedback. If there's anything you've noticed that's driving you crazy, let me know!

~Nickels~

Oh, and if you have your own blog that I'm not following yet, let me know! I love reading them. I've been making my way through some of the 100 baby challenges, but those take so long to catch up on if they are far into the challenge that I've only read 3 or 4 so far.

Prologue: Part Two

2011-11-26T21:24:00.001-06:00

As I arrived home from my meeting with Shark, Ashley ran toward me screaming, "Guess what! Guess what! Guess what!!!"

"Hmm..." I said, "I'm going to take a wild guess and say that Ethan asked you to prom?"

"YESSSSS!!!!!" she squealed.

"I'm so excited, I just can't even believe it! I mean, Ethan Waters!" She rambled on like this for several agonizing minutes. "You know," she said, finally calming down, "you really should come to prom, Anna."

"Well, actually I-"

"I mean, even going by yourself can be fun! It's prom!"

"I'm probably going t-"

"Claire Hibbet actually went by herself last year. No one asked her because she had this HUGE pimple the day they announced it. She was so humiliated. She actually spent most of prom crying, I think...But that doesn't matter! She's dramatic. I bet you'd have a good time!"

"Ash, I'm trying to tell yo-"

"We could even ride in the limo together! I'm sure Ethan won't mind. He's a real gentleman like that, you know. Come on, Anna! Say you'll go?"

"I'll go."

"Yayyyyy!!!"

I guess she'll have a nice surprise when Shark shows up at our door. I laughed to myself.

The next couple weeks were fairly uneventful. I didn't see Shark much at school. He was a senior, so his classes were on a different side of school than mine. Sometimes, on the rare days he didn't have detention, I would see him after school. We'd hang out for a couple hours, but that was it. I was really starting to like him. He was such a charmer.

Before I knew it, prom night had arrived. I had found this really awesome dress at a vintage store in Riverview. It was a bit costume-y, but it was so unique and interesting, I couldn't resist. I thought I looked great in it too.

"Oh, Anna! You look fantastic!" Ashley exclaimed, walking into my room. Mom had taken her into Bridgeport last week, and she had picked out a bright blue designer gown.

"Thanks. You look beautiful, Ash," I replied.

"Oh, stop," she blushed. "Now come on, Ethan's here. Time to get our prom on!"

Prom on? "But my date isn't here yet," I said, trying to hide my smile.

Ashley gave me a puzzled look. "Date? What date?"

I couldn't hold back my smile anymore. Nonchalantly, I said, "Oh, did I forget to tell you? I'm sorry. Shark Racket asked me to go with him."

Ashley's eyes nearly bulged out of her skull. "Shark Racket?!? You're kidding, right?"

"No," I said, starting to get a little annoyed, "Is it so hard to believe that someone would ask me to prom?"

Ashley's face became far more serious than I had ever seen her. "No, Anna, of course not. There's a ton of guys at school that adore you. It's just...do you not understand what kind of guy he is?"

"I understand that he's misunderstood. Like I am. And we're going to have a great time. We'll ride separately if his company offends you so."

"Anna! He's not just misunderstood! He's done some pretty foul things that I doubt you even know about!"

I was fuming at this point. She's just saying all this because she can't stand to share the spotlight. "Just shutup, alright?"

With that, I stomped out of the house. I called Shark and told him I'd just meet him at school. I didn't even want to ride in the stupid limo. I knew I was acting kind of bratty, but I didn't care. I'd finally found a guy who saw me and not just my family or money. I wasn't going to let that go easily.

Shark met me at school, and we did end up having a great time. I think. He apparently hadn't been kidding about the punch, and he even let me try some. That turned out to be a bad idea. I remember dancing and laughing a lot. After that, everything kind of spiraled into a blur. I woke up the next morning with a headache and a sense that something had gone terribly, terribly wrong.

Prologue: Part One

2011-11-25T21:36:00.003-06:00

The day began as most do for me: reluctantly.

I was particularly dreading this school day. SCHS (Stary Community High School) had announced the date for Prom at the end of the previous day. That meant that today would be a madhouse of everyone rushing to find a date. I knew no one would ask me, but I didn't care. I was only a freshman, so there wasn't as much pressure for me to go (I had no plans to at any rate), but since we were a small community, most of the high school ended up going to these things regardless of if they were upperclassmen or not. Ashley, a junior, was beside herself with anticipation.

Of course, she didn't have to worry about not getting asked. She'd already had 5 calls yesterday. She was holding out for Ethan Waters though. He was that annoyingly perfect guy. Blond hair, blue eyes...very WASP. Naturally, he was the quarterback of the football team. You know. That guy. Kind of an idiot though.

Yes, it was going to be one of those days. I can't pretend that I completely didn't want to go. I may act cool and blase about the whole thing, but I was a high school girl longing for acceptance. Of course I wanted someone to ask me. I just didn't want anyone to know that. Cause I was cool. Yeah.

Regardless of my hesitancy to get within 10 miles of the school, I forced myself onto the bus and went on my way. Ashley talked the entire way there. Even the perfect girls can be annoying as hell. She didn't get the hint until we were pulling up to school.

The day went as expected. Girly squeals of delight echoed throughout the hallways, awkward kids cried in the bathrooms, conversations about dresses and colors filled the classrooms, etc etc blahblahblah. I didn't get asked.

I decided to go to the Art Gallery after school. It's kind of my happy place. I go there when I have bad days or just need a pick-me-up. It's usually pretty peaceful, and I never have to worry about seeing anyone I don't want to see.

I passed by the local tattoo parlor. There was a guy sitting by the building smoking a cigarette. I recognized him, but I couldn't place his name. It was something weird and kind of stupid...Shark! That was it. He lived down the street from us. He used to be a jock (he went by "Steven" back then), but when his dad went to prison a couple years ago, he took up with a new crowd. He flicked his cigarette, nearly hitting me with it.

"Hey! Watch it!" I yelled.

"My bad," he mumbled. I rolled my eyes and started to walk away. "Hey!" he called after me, "come here a minute."

I slowly made my way over to him, uncertain about what this guy could possibly want to say to me. We'd never spoken before. Ever. This is awkward.

"You're that Ashley-girl's sister, right?"

Of course. He probably wants to ask me if she has a date yet. "Yeah..." I replied.

He gave me a knowing look, "I bet she's a real chore, huh? A real priss? My sister's like that too."

This is weird... "Sorry to hear that."

"Yeah. I just hate girls like that. You seem pretty cool though," he said. Then, he smiled.

My heart started racing and my palms started sweating. I had never really had a guy talk to me like this before, and I had definitely never had one give me that look before. He was a little rough around the edges, sure, but I am too, right? I mean, I'd never actually done anything bad before (other than prefer art over sports and have a sense of humor), but I had an edge to me. I guess. I smiled back.

We kept talking for a couple hours. I told him about my art, and he told me about all the pranks he'd pulled at the school. He held the record for number of suspensions without getting expelled. Apparently, some higher-ups at the school were a little too afraid of his grandmother to completely kick him out.

Before I knew it, it was nearing 6pm. I had to be home in time for dinner or my mom would put me in time out (I'm being totally serious). I started to leave, but Shark grabbed my arm.

"Hey, I know this is lame, but are you going to prom?" he asked.

I chuckled. "You want to go to prom?"

"Well, someone's gotta spike the punch, don't they?" We laughed.

"Come on, go with me," he said.

"I wasn't really planning on going, but I guess I could," I finally replied.

"Cool. Wear something sexy." He winked, and I blushed. "See ya around, kid."

I stood there for a moment. Did that really just happen? I felt adrenaline rushing through me, giving me a kind of shaky high. For the first time in my life, I wasn't going to be sitting on the sidelines watching my sister. I was in the game. I almost skipped home.

*****

Let me know if the pictures seem too big or take too long to load. I love the big pictures, but I know they can be a pain for some. Thanks for reading! ~Nickels

Introduction

2011-11-24T01:30:00.003-06:00

My story is not shocking. It is not romantic, nor happy. It simply is what it is.

It is, however, worth telling, I believe. We all have our contributions to make, after all, and perhaps this can be mine.

My name is Anna Wells. I have lived my life in the small town of Twinbrook, which has been a blessing and a curse. I didn't have a particularly tragic childhood, but I wouldn't go so far as to say it was happy. I "come from money," as they say. Very old money. As a result, I was blessed with only the finest things money could buy, and a beautiful house to grow up in.

Unfortunately, I was not so blessed with warm, loving parents. They were both cold, distant, and never seemed to know how to laugh. I believe they loved me, in their own way, but they never understood me. I never felt comfortable at home.

I also had an older sister, Ashley. She was every parent's dream: intelligent, polite, hard-working. She was so infuriatingly perfect. She was the standard by which I was constantly measured, and I was always found wanting.

However, Ashley was an amazing sister. We shared secrets, we laughed together, she helped me with my homework. She was a remarkable support to me during my time at home.

I suppose I should explain what made me less than perfect to my parents. I was an artist, something for which they had nothing but disdain. I tried my best in school, but I just couldn't achieve the level of success that they expected from me. I believe, looking back now, that my heart simply wasn't in it. I knew I didn't want to go to college or become a doctor. I wanted to move to Bridgeport and open a studio. Ashley always joked that she would move with me so that she and Matthew Hamming could finally be together.

Other than that, my parents and I simply never saw eye to eye. I never liked to take things too seriously, whereas they were constantly serious. They were very conservative and strict, and while I don't believe I would classify myself as a rebellious youth, I was far more free-spirited than they cared for, and I had very different views on what was acceptable behavior.

These differences were frustrating, but it was something else entirely that brought everything crashing down...