2. âAra, where are we?â Achenar asked as they trekked down the dirt road, recently plowed clear of snow. Spring wasnât far off, but the winter chill and drifting white flakes had yet to abate. âWeâre going to the Greenleafsâ house,â his sister replied from ahead of him, âNymea and Rean invited me over, because Nymea becomes a teen today.â âThen whyâd you bring me?â âThey told me to bring a friend, and they have a little sister whoâs the same age as you,â Aranel explained.
3. âOh, Okay,â Achenar replied, âbut Iâve gotta leave soon, because Calla and Elir are inviting me over. Calla says weâre all probably best friends.â âReally,â Aranel replied shortly, trying to keep the jealousy out of her voice. It wasnât so much that she didnât want him to be friends with the twins â they were too little to be proper friends for her anyway â but that things were just so easy for him. Though sheâd befriended a couple of kids at school, there were still days when they teased her about her pointy ears and odd clothes. She couldnât honestly say she had a best friend outside of her family, and now her baby brother had two, without even trying. At that moment, the occupants of the house came running out to greet them.
4. âHey,â drawled the girl, close to Achenarâs age, who came to greet them, as she slowed to a slouchy stop, âYouâre here for my sisterâs party?â âOh, hi Idalese,â Aranel replied, sounding a little less than enthusiastic, âWhereâs Nymea?â âDunno,â Idalese replied, before looking around absently, âWhoâs that?â she added, pointing at Achenar. âMy brother,â Aranel replied coolly. Idalese shrugged. âWanna play cops an robbers?â Achenar shook his head but didnât say a word. The girl had no idea what she was getting into.
5. âHi,â the brown haired boy who had just reached them said as the two girls began to jump around, âIâm Rean. You must be Aranelâs little brother.â Achenar sighed inwardly. He had known that coming to see Aranelâs friends from school wouldnât be the same as hanging out with Calanthe and Elirand, but he had hoped that he wouldnât be treated like a little kid. Still, it wouldnât hurt to be friendly to them. âIâm Achenar,â he replied.
6. Before he could say anything else, a redheaded girl ran up. âHey, Hiyah, Iâm Solevig,â she babbled, âIda said come at ten, whereâs the party?â Achenar blinked at the girlâs lightning fast speech as Rean turned away from him to greet the newcomer. âYou and Achenar can play with Ida,â he instructed her seriously. âNew kid?â she asked, looking curiously at Achenar, her head on one side like a bird. âAraâs kid brother,â Rean explained pompously, âAnd you elementary school kids should probably go inside before you freeze.â
7. Once inside, Solevig and Idalese settled down to lazily float toy cars through the air, sitting as close as they dared to the big girls. Nymea and Aranel, who considered themselves too old for such childish amusements already, sat close together on the floor to have a long talk. They ignored the younger girls entirely. Rean and Achenar stood awkwardly. It was clear to Achenar that no one really wanted him here. Nymea thought he was too little, Idalese didnât care a fig whether he was there or not, and Rean was obviously only being polite.
8. âSo what do you think junior high will be like?â Aranel asked Nymea curiously. She was a little jealous that her friend would become a teenager before her, but she was more interested in what the future held. Nymea shrugged as if it were all old news. âBigger. Taller people. Oh, and I heard that we get to chose some of our own classes.â âDoes that mean I donât have to take simlish anymore?â Ara asked eagerly, âI hate grammar worksheets!â âNo. We still hafta take the four basic classes, math, history, simlish and science, plus gym.â She made a face. âI like gym,â Aranel protested, âItâs lots more fun than the other classes. And you can bean people with dodge balls. Plus, itâs time out of all the boring classes.â
9. âWell, I donât.â Nymea replied as if that settled everything, âCoach is a meanie and I hate having to do what he says. Besides, the games are dumb anyway.â âBetcha thereâs better ones to play in junior high. But what classes can we pick?â Nymea shrugged, âArt, music, drama. Oh, and thereâs a cooking class and a shop class, plus a computers class. Or if you donât like any of them, you can take study hall. Weâre supposed to pick two.â âEasy,â Aranel replied, âMusic and Art.â âEw, no!â Nymea objected, âPlease, Ara! Musicâs for geeks, and people who take art are loners. I thought you wanted us to be the most popular girls in school.â âWe will be,â Aranel replied.
10. âNot if youâre going to become a band geek.â Nymea replied dismissively. âEven you donât get to call me a geek, Nymea,â Aranel objected, eyes narrowing, âfor one thing, I can and will kick your butt at anything you want. For another, knowing people from art and music means Iâll have more friends, because Iâll be the most awesome person there. You can bet on that.â Nymea couldnât argue with that logic. But she hid a smile, since she knew at least one thing that her friend didnât. In the meantime, she changed the subject. âOkay. Iâm just glad I wonât be riding the bus with Rean and Ida anymore. Theyâre such losers!â She said it loudly enough that Rean, who was sitting behind Ara, could hear. He shot her a hurt look, while Idalese continued making loud rocket noises.
11. Aranel nodded. âI know what you mean,â she said, âMy baby sisterâs just the same. But she makes stupid noises like your sisterâs doing with that rocket because she canât talk yet.â âShe wonât get better after sheâs a kid,â Nymea warned, âI thought all toddlers were annoying, but the little tagalongs only get to be worse. Sheâs still just a whiny little baby.â âBrothers are more awesome,â Aranel agreed. âNo way,â Nymea declared firmly, âReanâs a pathetic loser. All boys are â look, heâs playing by himself because he has no friends, and your brotherâs talking to the nanny. Both of them are weirdos.â
12. Everyone in the room heard it and turned to look at the birthday girl, including Achenar, who just stared. Aranelâs mouth twisted as she hitched herself forward by wrapping her arm around her knees. âTake it back, Nymea,â she ordered. âIf you donât say youâre sorry and you didnât mean it right now, I wonât be your best friend anymore. Nymea scoffed. âWho says I need you for a best friend? Once we go to junior high, I bet Iâll make tons more friends than a band geek like you.â âBut if you donât take it back, Iâm going to leave your party,â Aranel threatened, âAnd since you just insulted everyone else here, Iâm pretty sure it will ruin your whole birthday.â
13. Nymea thought about it. âOkay, whatever,â she replied, âYour brother isnât a complete loser. Now can we stay friends?â âActually, my little brother is pretty awesome as far as little kids go,â Aranel replied stubbornly, giving Nymea a glare. âAnd Iâm going to walk him to his friendsâ house once we have lunch. If I feel like it, Iâll come back to your party later.â
14. Lunch was quiet. Achenar sat by Aranel and didnât say a word. Idalese and Solevig made slow conversation at the end of the table, with Rean occasionally speaking up. Nymea and Aranel eyed each other levelly. Nymea stuffed her face, pretending not to care. Aranel ate more politely, but scowled. Nymea had to learn not to pick on Achenar. Once she got that down, they could be friends. But it wouldnât do to tell her that out loud. She was going to be the one in charge, since she was going to be heir. âSee you in junior high,â was all Aranel said when she and Achenar walked out of the door.
15. Should there be a bit about Ara and Enar talking on their way home? Maybe.
16. Earlier⊠âWell, kids, itâs a new house.â Talon declared brightly, âhow do you like it?â Chalimyra grinned. âItâs gorgeous,â she replied, âJust look at that lake!â If she was perturbed by the loss of the home in which she had spent the early years of her marriage, she showed no sign. âItâs pretty, dad, but what was wrong with our old house?â Calanthe asked. âWell, umâŠâ Talon fumbled. Fortunately for him, I decided to take things in hand. <It was glitched.> Everyone jumped a little. I really need to talk to these sims more often.
17. âWhat was that?â Elirand whispered in his sisterâs ear. âJust scribbles,â Calla replied merrily, âWerenât you paying attention when mom and dad explained about her on our birthday? Sheâs the one who takes care of time, and laws of physic and stuff.â âNo,â Elirand admitted, âAnd what are those laws of⊠of psy â fisic? Mom always talks about her work, and sheâs never mentioned those. Also, what kind of head judge speaks out of thin air?â âNot Laws, laws,â his sister explained. âScience stuff.â Elirandâs heart sank. âWe really need to go to school soon, donât we?â
18. Before they began unpacking, Calla called up the Elvensong household. âUh huh Mrs. E,â she said, âAchenar can come over after lunch. No, Iâm sure. Daddy said it was all right, since there wasnât lots to unpack. We got new furniture and everything.â ââŠ..â âItâs not really far, no.â âTell her we have a beach,â Elirand interjected. His sister made shushing motions with her hand as she listened. âOkay, thanks a lot Mrs. E.â Then she turned to her brother and gave him the thumbs up. âHeâs coming,â she said, her face breaking into a big smile.
19. Achenar was worried as he walked slowly down the sidewalk. Tomorrow was his first day of school, but now that heâd been to the Greenleafsâ house, he wasnât sure that anyone there would like him. Of course, an excited screech was all that it took to break in on his thoughts.
20. âYou hafta come see this!â Calanthe exclaimed, âThe beach is amazing!â Achenar looked around and concluded that the beach was amazing. The sand was yellow and looked warmer than it should have been, and the lake sparkled invitingly blue in the distance. The snow had mostly melted away during the time he had been at Nymeaâs party, leaving nothing but puddles behind in the late winter sun. It didnât seem like winter any more. In fact, it was almost spring like.
21. âHere, you guys finish this: we need shells for the top.â Elirand was already deep into the process of piling up sand when Calanthe and Achenar made it down to the beach. âWhatâs that?â Achenar asked, puzzled. âUm, I dunno,â Elirand admitted, scratching his head with sandy fingers, âbut the sandâs great. Itâs not at all like grass, because you can dig in it and build stuff with it.â
22. Calanthe settled happily down to work, eyeing the blob of sand speculatively. âWhat do you think we should make it, âEnar?â she asked. âDefinitely a castle,â he replied, âNo, wait: a fortress!â âWith a tower!â Calanthe exclaimed, instantly warming to the idea, âAnd a drawbridge!â
23. All three of them dug in eagerly. For a little while, Achenar forgot his worries. School on Monday couldnât be that bad⊠after all, he already had two best friends. And Calantheâs smile was contagious. For a happy half hour, they chattered about the details of their sandcastle, tearing into the damp sand and smashing it into shape beneath their hands.
24. As the sun began to sink from itâs zenith, the sandcastle grew beneath their hands and in their minds. âItâll be the best castle ever,â Calla declared proudly. Achnenar smiled. âYou really think so?â he asked. âOf course,â she shrugged, âItâs awesome because we made it. And we can make more every day after school from now on.â It all came crashing down at that moment. âYou think weâre ready for school?â Achenar asked nervously,
25. âOf course,â Calanthe answered immediately, âWhy wouldnât we be?â âWell, other kids whose birthdays arenât on the weekend go to school right away,â he replied worriedly, âso weâve already missed two days. What if weâre behind?â Calanthe shrugged. âWeâre probably better prepared,â she told him, âthink of all the stuff weâve done that we wouldnât have gotten to do normally. Lots of kids just wake up the morning after their birthday and go to school without knowing anyone there. This way at least we can all go together.â He nodded, a small smile forming on his face.
26. All three of them straightened up and brushed off their sandy hands, looking at the castle that had finally risen out of the sand.
27. âNow what do we do?â Elirand asked. âItâs a castle,â Achenar replied slowly, thinking, âso someone has to attack it and we can defend it.â âWait a minute,â Calanthe interjected, âhow are we going to attack the castle? If we step on it, itâs going to fall down.â
28. âSimple,â Elirand replied with a grin, flourishing a large red water balloon. âWe have an epic water-balloon fight.â âWait for me to come back,â Calanthe instructed him, before turning and running back up the hill to the house. âFraidy cat!â Elirand yelled after her, âItâs just water!â âMom told me not to get my dress wet, so there,â she replied from the back porch, sticking her tongue out at him, âso there. Iâm gonna get my swimsuit.â âIâm not waiting for that,â Elirand grumbled as the door closed behind her, âThatâll take all day.â
29. He looked from side to side and then grinned. âThink fast!â he exclaimed, bursting the balloon in Achenarâs face. âHey! Not fair!â Achenar sputtered, dripping, âCalla said to wait.â âSheâll be back out in a minute,â Elirand replied, âOr are you too much of a baby to start without her?â âOh, youâre going to get it for that,â Achenar promised, laughing. âNow where did you hide all the water balloons?â
30. After half an hour, all three of them flopped down on the rocky promontory, exhausted. Their water balloon fight had ranged up and down the beach, until they had spied a gap in the large rocks collected at the far corner of the lakefront, leading out to a narrow and sandy spit of land, protected from the crashing waves by the boulders surrounding it. Occasionally, a vigorous wave threw a sheet of fine spray up over the tops of the boulders, and it rained down on the trio of explorers. âWow,â Achenar looked around at the rocks that towered above them and hid the twinsâ house from view, âThis is amazing.â
31. âProbably no one knows about it but us,â Elirand agreed. âItâs like a super-secret hideout.â âBetcha no one would be able to find us if we hid out here,â Achenar added enthusiastically. âItâs our fortress,â Calanthe said dreamily, watching the sparkle of the waves, âOur very own castle. But we have to defend it: so long as we remain true, no one can capture it.â
32. âTrue to what?â Elirand asked his sister as a brief cloud passed overhead. âTo us, of course,â she replied, leaning forward confidingly, âTo the Three Musketeers. But first we have to swear an oaf.â âOaf or oath?â Achenar asked. âThe second one,â she replied, waving a hand, âLike knights do before they go on a quest. They swear that theyâll finish it, no matter what, and always continue until the quest is over or they die.â âDie? Youâre taking this too seriously, sis.â âWell, they take it seriously. But that isnât our oath.â
33. âThen what is it?â Achenar asked, ignoring the sudden waterfall of spray that drenched his back. âOur oath is a very special oath,â Calanthe began in a dramatically solemn voice, holding up her hands, âWe three were born on the same day, at the same hour --â âNot exactly,â Elirand interrupted. âClose enough,â Calla replied, shooting him a glare, âNow, I was saying, because we were all born so close together, we share a magical connection. Together, the three of us can do what no one can do alone. But if weâre apart, itâs no good. So today we all have to swear that weâll never let anyone separate us, and that weâll always work together to help each other.â
34. Achenar nodded. âAll for one and one for all.â âYeah,â Elirand nodded enthusiastically, âlike the original musketeers. But I wish youâd picked something awesomer, Calla. We could have been superheroes â the three musketeers didnât have any cool powers.â âBut we can travel around the world together,â Achenar put in, âand weâd have to be grown-up to be superheroes. Plus, superheroes are only there when the world needs to be saved. They donât get to do fun stuff.â
35. âAre you gonna swear or not, Elir?â Calla asked, leaning back. âOr are you a fraidy cat?â âOf course Iâm gonna swear,â Elirand huffed, âonly you havenât said the oath yet. You made it up, so you have to go first.â âBefore you do, you should put in something about time,â Achenar added, âWe have to swear to be best friends for all of time, no matter how old we get.â âDeal,â Elirand said immediately. âAll right then.â Calla took a deep breath. âRepeat after me. Only use your name instead of mine.â They nodded. âI, Calanthe Vespertine Elkthorn do solemnly swearâŠâ
36. That from this day forward, at school and at home, I will always be loyal to my two best friends. No matter how much time passes, or how old we get, I will always be on their side and help them whenever they need it. I will keep their secrets better than I keep my own, and tell them no lies. What one of us cannot do alone, the three of us will do together. Each one of us will do everything together, and if one is separated by forces outside our control, they will return. We will live by the oath of the Three Musketeers, âAll for one and one for all,â putting each other before ourselves and relying on each other until the end of time. This I swear by everything I know, cross my heart and hope to die.â
37. âSo, which would be easier for all three of us to go on an adventure with?â Achenar asked an hour later, as the three of them sat in the middle of the dining room, the sounds of Aranelâs birthday party ringing around them. âWell, we could escape from your sister pretty easy on a rocket ship,â Elirand replied sourly. Though Aranel had greeted them at the door, he was still angry that she had announced that she wasnât playing with the âlittle kidsâ as soon as her friend Nymea had arrived. âI think a boat would be cool,â Calanthe put in, âbecause we could launch it from our house!â
38. âSo if your familyâs so rich, how come thereâs not much furniture?â Nymea asked as Aranel lined up for her shot, âAnd I donât see any of those paintings you said you made either.â âMommy took them down today because the new wingâs being built,â Ara replied, âAnd weâre going to get the rest of the furniture when itâs finished, she says.â Nymea shrugged. âItâs still not much of a party. I was expecting more decorations and stuff, given that your momâs a famous lecturer and your dadâs a surgeon. They must not want to make this a big deal.â
39. âThis is the third party this weekend,â Aranel protested, âDarn it Ny! You made me miss my shot!â âYou play darts like a baby,â Nymea replied huffily, âI didnât make you miss anything. Your shot sucked already, without me having anything to do with it. Donât blame me if youâre terrible at darts.â âI am not!â
40. âThatâs such a stupid, babyish thing to do,â Nymea said, âTrying to start an argument just because someone told you youâre not good at something. But youâre still just a kid, I guess you canât handle admitting it.â âIâll prove to you that Iâm good at darts,â Aranel replied angrily, âWhy, I beat my brother every time. I can even get a bulls eye!â âYour brother is barely out of diapers,â Nymea said as the second shot went wild, âHow hard could it be to beat him?â
41. The third shot thunked into the wood. Aranel surveyed the results ruefully as it quivered in the far corner of the board. âYou know I can do better than that,â Aranel protested as Nymea smirked and collected the darts, âNow letâs see how you do when I distract you talking about money and furniture and stuff.â âYou canât be that good if one little question distracted you that bad.â
42. âAw, come on Ny! Why do you always have to be like that?â âDonât call me Ny. Itâs a stupid, childish nickname and Iâm too old for it. And now youâre whining like a little kid. I canât believe youâre going to be a teenager in a couple of hours.â âIâm not whining,â Aranel protested, âAnd you didnât mind me calling you Ny yesterday.â âYesterday I wasnât a teenager,â Nymea replied with a shrug, âThatâs how it is. Youâre a little kid one moment and the next youâre too old for these childish things. Theyâre not cool, and no one at school is going to like you if you donât give them up: theyâre just going to think youâre a whiny little baby.â
43. âGood news, Viri,â Eluisa began, unable to restrain her grin as the redhead approached her. âYou found her? How is she? Is she sick? Is the baby all right? Does she have a job? Does she need money, someplace to stay?â âShe and the baby are healthy, yes,â Eluisa replied, âI didnât ask about the job or money â donât frown at me, we were in company, how could I? â but I do know she has a place to stay.â âWith someone?â Viridia asked sharply, âElu, you know that ââ âNo, I didnât ask,â Eluisa interrupted, âbut I have eyes, you know, and believe me when I say that this place is what she wants.â
44. âWhat she says she wants, you know sheâs too proud⊠why didnât you bring her back here with us, where she belongs? She shouldnât be out there - sheâs probably staying with some strange man just to keep a roof over her babyâs head - and you didnât even think to bring her back to her friends who can help her. Why didnât you make her come back?â Eluisa sighed. âWell, first of all, she said she didnât want to come.â âAnd you believed her?â Viridiaâs voice was rising, âDonât you even remember? There is some man, heâs making her say that, just so he can stop her from being able to leave!â
45. âMaybe sheâs not! Maybe she does have a job! She could be married for all I know, itâs been a year! Donât you think she wouldnât want to leave her husband and his kid?â âWell, did you look to see if she was wearing a ring?â âNo, but it was dark and thatâs not the point! I found her, sheâs all right! Weâve got her back now and we donât need to worry anymore!â âBut just because youâve seen her doesnât mean sheâs all right!â Viridia burst out, âIt doesnât mean sheâs not hungry, unemployed, homelessâŠâ âHappy? Maybe sheâs happy, Viri. Maybe she doesnât like to depend on anyone. Sheâs proud, and maybe thereâs dignity in being able to take care of your family without anyoneâs pity. I donât know.â
46. âDo you really think she can be happy? Elu, she ran away to an unfamiliar place, she has a baby out of wedlock and hardly any skills, and she had almost no money when she left. Itâs hard enough to raise a child with a roof over your head and two peopleâs income. Do you think sheâs happy, living in some trailer or run-down apartment? Could you be happy, living like that?â âI wouldnât make myself miserable by dwelling on what I didnât have, if thatâs what you mean.â
47. âElu, you know that she belongs here, where we can help her.â âYou want to know the truth, Viri? Sheâs ashamed. She knows that sheâs made bad decisions, but she also knows that if she came back, youâd just try to wipe it all away. Maybe she feels guilty about getting into a situation where you want to swoop in and save her. Maybe sheâd feel guilty if she accepted your help.â âI donât see why she should be too proud to take help from her friends! After all, last time we ââ âLast time we helped her to run away. This time itâs us sheâs running away from.â
48. âHow can you even say that? Weâre trying to help her!â âBut itâs true. Listen to yourself, Viri, every minute youâre saying she should do this or that, she belongs here: you want to help, but by helping youâd just make her decisions. We helped her run away from people who took away all her decisions.â âDonât even suggest ââ âJust ask yourself what could possibly make her not want to come back,â Eluisa snapped back at her.
49. There was a moment of silence. âIâm not going to go see her then,â Viridia said softly, âIf this is how she chooses to live her life, running away from all her mistakes, then fine. But if sheâs going to run away from her friends, then Iâm not going to go and beg her to come back. In fact, Iâm not even going to ââ âViri, be reasonable ââ âJust let her go then! She doesnât stop to think about how much we must have worried, how long weâve looked for her ââ âShe only needs time ââ
50. âAttention! Hey guys, over here!â Ara paused and then, seeing that she did indeed have the attention of the whole room, proceeded at a less ear-splitting volume. âItâs five thirty-five, and this takes a while, so everyone gather around the cake now. Yep, just like that.â She smiled, âNow before anyone asks, Iâm not telling you what Iâm going to wish for, so donât ask!â
51. Viridia turned away from Eluisa, still scowling. Fortunately, her daughter was busy laughing at something Calanthe had said, and didnât see. âThatâs right, Calla! Shortest in front, so everyone can see.â Aranel grinned widely as everyone circled around her, unaware of the tension between friends, the secrets, the dissapointment, jealousy and petty bitterness, and the lack of one elven immigrant in particular. Every person who was a part of her life was gathered here around the table now, and that was what mattered.
52. Smiling at her father, Aranel said, âWell, isnât anyone going to sing the birthday song?â Haldir and Chalimyra were the first to start, out of tune with one another at first. Nymea scowled, first at Chalimyra, then at the birthday girl, feeling the unfairness of it all. She just didnât understand why everyone went out of their way to oblige these stupid, childish requests. And when the voices of the crowd melded at last into a sort of harmony, she refused to lift hers. The song trailed off, and broke into a chorus of cheering, with the spinning of noisemakers and the blowing of paper horns.
53. All around Viridia, the cheers and excitement seemed to dim. It was at that moment she saw, as clearly as if they stood before her, all of her children walking away into the distance, never looking back. Was this how her mother had felt, knowing that once Viridia left their village, she would never come back? She couldnât do it, couldnât face it⊠I knew theyâd grow up, she told herself firmly, I knew theyâd start to leave me, begin walking down the path that I canât follow. I knew when I decided to leave Elphemerea that I would be loosing the family and friends that stayed behind. But I never expected that I could be separated from the ones that came with me. I didnât know how much it would hurt.
54. âWish for something good!â Elirand called out. âDonât worry, I will!â said Aranel, before putting her head to one side to consider. Of all the wishes in the world, what wish would she make? There were so many good things that came to mind. She smiled, because there really had never been a question of what to wish for. She already knew what she wanted most, and had in fact made her wish. For a second, she wondered if having said it out loud before she wished it would stop it from coming true.
56. And with her wish, the lights surrounded her, lifting her feet from the ground. The feeling of flying was all too familiar, and for a moment she regretted that she hadnât remembered to include it in her wish. But even as she thought it, the lights faded into her skin, and the tickling of their firefly dance ran briefly through her body before blazing forth one last time into the day.
57. Her hair burst from itâs bun to fall over her shoulders, and she blinked a little as the afterimage faded. Sheâd expected to be taller, but she was still acutely aware of the fact that her legs were longer, her elbows pointier, her whole body unfamiliar. She raised a hand to brush hair out of her eyes, and discovered that a strand of it had made its way into her mouth as well. âThis has got to go,â she muttered, âThereâs just too much of it.â Then she looked down, and her hair was driven out of her mind. _____________ Aranel turned into a pop sim, with the lifetime want to become the mayor. I should also remind you that her stats are 4/6/9/5/1.
58. âOkay, the pants can stay for now, but the shirt belongs to a kindergartener,â she announced. Then, noticing that Nymea was snickering, she frowned. âWhat? Donât tell me you had any better luck!â The other teenager stopped snickering, but raised an eyebrow ironically. âYou really want to keep the mom-jeans? Thatâs what everyone at schoolâs forty year old mothers will be wearing.â âI have a lovely dress for you in the dresser,â Viridia put in quickly, âWhy donât you go and ââ âNah⊠Cake!â
59. âAll right, hereâs the plan,â Aranel announced to her friend as soon as they sat down, âYou and I are going to meet as many people as possible tomorrow, so that we can have as many friends as possible. That way, everyone will want me to be the heir.â Nymea, who had just stuffed her first bite of cake into her mouth, couldnât reply, so Aranel just went on. âSince you donât want to take band or art, weâll split up for electives so that we can meet more people. Also, make sure to invite anyone who seems cool to our lunch table, because that way we wonât just be in the popular crowd, weâll be the ones who decide whoâs in it.â She stopped and grinned , âI give it about a week before we start getting invited everywhere.â
60. âOkay,â Nymea replied once sheâd chewed and swallowed, âBut are you sure you want to take band? You wonât meet any cool kids there.â Ara shrugged, âWell, if none of them turn out to be cool, theyâll pretty much worship me as the coolest person in the class.â Nymea raised an eyberow, âYouâd just better not look like a band geek when you show up to school,â she replied. âPut on some makeup â sneak it from your mom if you have to, mineâs so old-fashioned she doesnât think I should wear any â and wear cool clothes. So no mom pants.â âNo mom pants â check.â âPut your hair up, too â only emo girls and shy nerds let it hang in their eyes.â âSee, this is why youâre my best friend. I wouldnât have thought of that.â
61. She immediately turned her attention to her plate and began shoveling the cake into her mouth. âEw, Ara!â Nymea said, pulling her plate away. âWhat?â Aranel asked , wiping frosting from her chin with a finger. âHave you never heard of napkins? Or maybe manners?â Nymea hissed disgustedly, âItâs one thing for little kids to shove the whole slice in their mouths ââ âAnd youâre suddenly the eating police becauseâŠ?â
62. âOne: it makes you look like a pig. No one is going to like you if you eat like your foodâs going to run away. I can hardly stand to be at the same table as you when you hunch over and start stuffing your face, and Iâm your best friend. Imagine what will happen if you do that at lunch.â Aranelâs face fell. âI didnât think of that,â she said quietly, âDo you really think they wonât like me?â Nymea looked long and hard at Aranel. âWell, if you fix up your table manners and we make you pretty, then maybe they will,â she replied with a shrug. âMake me pretty?â Aranel asked, nonplussed. âWell, youâre not going to be pretty on your own.â
63. Up until ten minutes ago, Aranel hadnât cared at all what she looked like. Now all her awkward new angles and curves all seemed to poke out grotesquely. Still, she wasnât going to shy away from the facts. âAbout me⊠how not-pretty are we talking about, exactly?â Nymea shrugged. âIâm sure there are worse.â Then, seeing Aranel look disappointed, she continued, âItâs not so much that youâre hideous: you could be pretty if you put your mind to it. Actually, you could be pretty enough that youâll be popular automatically, but itâs not going to happen on itâs own. Youâve been too much of a tomboy, always running around in the dirt, for you to be pretty without makeup and a different hairstyle now.â
64. âThe truth is,â continued Nymea, gesturing with her fork, âthat teenagers are shallow. Unless youâre pretty, they wonât like you, and if youâre pretty, theyâll accept you no matter what. Itâs just like those movie actresses who are always in the news â theyâre famous for being pretty, and since theyâre girls it doesnât matter what they do, just what they look like.â âI havenât seen the news,â Aranel admitted, âwe donât have a tv.â âYouâre kidding me? As rich as your family is?â âRich?â âWell, obviously youâre not super rich, or else you wouldnât be living in this backwater. But youâve got this big house and all this landâŠâ Nymea trailed off as a realization struck her. âHah! Youâre as poor as anyone else!â She grinned widely, âHere everyone at elementary school thought your family was rich because your dadâs a doctor, but youâre really not!â
65. âEveryone thought I was rich?â Aranel asked, confused. âWell, yeah, why else would your family be respected around here? Your parents are immigrants just like mine, yet all the kids at school know that your parents are important.â âItâs the legacy, not money.â âBut legacies are supposed to be these old-money families,â Nymea protested, âWith all this fuss about whoâs going to be the heir and inherit all the dough. If you donât have anything to inherit, whatâs the point? âWell, thereâs tradition, I guess.â
66. âTradition? Puh-lease,â Nymea scoffed, bending to put the last bite in her mouth, âNo one at school is going to care about your parentsâ traditions or whatever. Theyâre not cool. The only reason you were popular in grade school was because all the kids thought you were rich.â âI never said I was.â âBut thatâs the two things you need to be really popular. You need to be pretty and rich. Other things help, like dating popular guys, but those are the main things. You can be rich, and everyone will pretend youâre pretty, but itâs harder to be pretty without being rich. The poor girls are never popular.â
67. âSo what do we do?â Aranel asked worriedly, but at that moment her mother arrived. âI hope you girls are having fun,â Viridia said as she bent to pick up their empty plates. âYes, the cake was delicious, Mrs. Elvensong,â Nymea replied sweetly, earning herself a smile. âAra, if youâd like to get changed now your new dress is in the bureau,â Viridia told her daughter, who nodded.
68. Aranel returned to the party feeling self-conscious. The dress was beautiful, but she had liked the freedom of jeans, with no hem to trip over. Plus, her old dress had been comfortable and loose enough for her to run around in. The new one was tight in the top and swished around her legs, getting in the way. Nymea eyed her with envy. Aranel looked suddenly taller and skinnier, more like a princess from some story book. And the dress was beautiful. It shone silkily when she moved, not at all like the dull fabric of her own cheap dress. She plucked at one of the sleeves in distaste. Maybe Aranel wasnât as rich as she had thought, but her family could still afford to give her nicer things than what Nymea had.
69. âBetter?â Aranel asked as she finished putting her hair up. âYeah, itâll do,â Nymea replied impatiently, âNow stop posing in front of the mirror and listen to my plan.â âListening,â Aranel said, putting her hands on her hips and turning slowly before her reflection. âHereâs what we do. We donât tell anyone, and I mean anyone, that we arenât rich. Let them think whatever they want, assume we have whatever, and weâll be popular.â âBut wonât they want proof? Itâs going to look suspicious when they realize that we donât have expensive stuff.â âOur parents are immigrants: theyâll assume our stuff is foreign, and therefore more expensive, even if it doesnât look like it. No, the more important thing is to act rich.â âAct rich?â âLike you could get whatever you want, whenever. Trust me, Itâll work.â With their plan made, the two of them returned to the party.
70. Downtown, the shallow concerns of the teenage years were still a long ways away. Of more immediate concern were clean diapers and proper language skills. âCome on, say something,â Makir told the toddler staring contentedly around the room, âAnything. How about chair? No? Bottle?â He waited a few moments, but got no response. âAh, well then. Maybe youâre going to be a quiet one.â Midina, changing Orionâs diaper in the living room, laughed. âYou really believe that, Makir? How many times has she woken us up by screaming in the middle of the night?â
71. âOkay, so she prefers screaming to talking,â Makir replied, âOr maybe sheâs just not going to do it for me, just like she wonât let me tuck her in.â âWell, mama knows best.â âClearly.â Lydia turned to face him and cocked her head to one side. âMagir.â She announced, before sticking her thumb in her mouth. There was a second of silence. âHey, Midi, did you hear that?â Makir asked excitedly, âShe just said âMother!â Lydia can talk!â
72. âAw, whoâs my clever girl?â asked Midina as she swooped her daughter into the air. The toddler giggled and kicked her feet. âMa!â Midina laughed. âYouâre wrong, Makir.â âWhat?â âWhen have we ever referred to me as her mother? We always say Mama, and thatâs what she just said: âMa.â That means that she didnât say mother before. She said Makir. Her first word was your name.â Makirâs mouth dropped open as Midina passed the toddler off and went to retrieve Orion from the towel where sheâd been changing his diaper. Before he could say anything, the doorbell rang.
73. âElu!â she cried when she saw who was at the door. âI thought youâd decided to come another day.â âSorry. Aranelâs party ran late and I forgot how long it takes to get here on a bus.â Eluisa apologized ruefully, âI hope Iâm not disturbing anything.â âNah, the kids sleep at odd times anyway,â Midina replied, âI think theyâre nocturnal.â Eluisa laughed a little . âIs thatâŠ?â âThis is Orion, the baby. Makir and Lydia are in the kitchen. Why donât you come in? I need to put him down for a nap, but Iâll be back in a second.â
74. Lydia had, in fact, toddled after her mother into the living room and was proceeding to play with her blocks, intent on jamming a triangular peg into a square hole. She was also more than happy to mash Eluisaâs fingers with it while her mother put her brother to bed. âNo, itâs the one over here⊠here,â Eluisa instructed, laughing, as the toddler reached for the wrong hole. âThis would be so much easier if you knew your left from your right.â She snatched her fingers away just in time as Lydia mashed the block into the correct hole and clapped her hands in celebration.
75. âWhy am I not surprised to find you playing with the toddler?â Midina asked, amused, when she returned. âHey, Iâm just making up for all the time I havenât gotten to see her,â Eluisa protested, âthe only people with toddlers anymore are Viridia and the Greenmans.â âBut shouldnât Daisy be a child by now?â Midina asked, confused. âNo, sheâs an adult â or, well, itâs kind of hard to explain. But Rose and Jason finally had a baby. Actually, they had two and show no signs of stopping there. Their son Briar is a toddler, a little older than Anariel, and their daughter Azalea was just born earlier this rotation. Theyâve got a third on the way, but theyâre going to have to do some major remodeling soon with all those kids.â
76. Midina smiled. âIâm glad. Those two have wanted a baby forever, and I know theyâve never had any luck with the adoption service. But tell me what everyone else has been up to!â âHaldir and Viridia⊠well, theyâre just the same, pretty much. Haldirâs still a specialist, but Midina got an offer to be a guest lecturer at SSU. Their new course in sustainability and environmentally friendly living has really gotten popular all of the sudden. Anarielâs a toddler â well, you knew that already, sheâs older than Lydia â and I just came from Aranelâs teen birthday. Achenarâs a child, and really good friends with Talon and Chalimyraâs twins. Theyâre calling themselves âThe Three Musketeers,â and wherever you find one of them, the other two arenât far away.â
77. âAnd Chali and⊠Talon?â If Eluisa noticed her friendâs hesitation, she didnât show it. âWell, the twins are keeping them busy, but the Elkthorn inn is still in business, about the same as when you left. Only, the Greenmans have opened a farmerâs market, and since theyâre as good with flowers as they are with all other plants, Talonâs actually got competition when it comes to selling flower arrangements. Not that he minds, since he wants to sell more local art anyway. Chalimyraâs still working in the law offices, but sheâs due to take her bar test soon so that she can be a real lawyer.â âWhat about you?â âWell, looking for you, working, attending birthday parties⊠you know, the usual.â
78. From the kitchen came an insistent wail of âMa! Ma, ma, ma Ma!â âAnd itâs time for a bottle,â Midina said, excusing herself, âcould you keep her occupied for a second?â âAll right,â Eluisa agreed. âUp!â the toddler insisted. âOkay, up it is then,â Eluisa replied, lifting her under the arms. Instantly, Lydia began kicking and screaming. âNo! No, no, no, No!â âDown you go,â Eluisa placed her back on the floor.
79. âYeah, she doesnât always like being picked up,â Makir said as he emerged from the bedroom, âIt must be the terrible twos.â âWell, sheâs tired,â Eluisa replied. Midina laughed, âSheâs picky, thatâs the problem. Also crabby, demanding, and loud. So yes, itâs the terrible twos.â Makir looked over at her with a smile. âIf youâre done making that bottle, Iâll feed the terrible two and put her to bed.â âI can do it,â she replied immediately. âBut you need to talk, and I donât,â he pointed out.
80. Midina protested no further. She and Eluisa talked long into the night. Beginning from their days in Elphemerea, Midina told her best friend what she had kept hidden, including her shameful desire for Talon, her irresponsible dalliances with dozens of men, and her fear of LeodMcGreggor. Eluisa listened with churning emotions of sympathy, disgust and righteous anger as Midina revealed the circumstances surrounding Orionâs conception, then went on to describe her departure from Lake Valley and her trailer in the city.
81. Eluisa explained her search, always two steps behind, and the worry that they all had felt when Midina had disappeared. She also related her argument with Viridia at the party earlier, having decided that she didnât need to spare her friend the details. If, after what she had gone through during their separation, she was still alive and well, then she was much less fragile than Eluisa had once thought. âI knew Viridia wouldnât understand,â Midina sighed when she had finished, âI mean, I wish it were different, but I knew that if I went back, even for the day, Iâd have to deal with all the disapproval, all the pity⊠Sad as it is, Elu, I couldnât have told them what I just told you. Viri and Chali are happy, and they live in a safe world â if they knew, theyâd either drown me in sympathy or try to sweep it all under the rug. Not that I expect them to be comfortable with it â it is pretty screwed up â but itâs what happened to me, and I canât forget that. I canât live my life pretending like it isnât there.â
82. Eluisa shook her head. âMidiâŠâ she began inadequately, before seizing her friend in a tight hug. âIf Iâd only found you soonerâŠâ âDonât. Itâs not as if you can go back and change what happened.â Elu nodded. âI still wish you didnât have to go through any of that. If thereâs anything I can doâŠâ âDonât worry, I have a phone now, so I will call,â Midina replied brightly, and Eluisa had to laugh. âOne last question,â she said, âAre you happy here?â âYes,â Midina answered immediately, her chin knocking against Eluisaâs shoulder when she nodded. And Eluisa knew, despite the tears falling in her hair and the matching moisture in her own eyes, that it was true.
83. Well, this is a short chapter, so Iâm leaving you with this shot of Calanthe swimming through the air. Apparently this is what happens when you raise a section of beach floor from beneath the waves and instruct someone to walk there. Iâm extraordinarily proud of my ragged coastline here, including the rocky point and the tide pools, but this is a little ridiculous. This is probably my shortest chapter yet in terms of sim time. Real time⊠not so much. The reason is that I had some plot that needed to be broken up into its own section, and I upped the date of a few more events. Youâll be seeing another interlude shortly after the last part of the Three Musketeers (last one for the founding generation, I promise!) and thatâs going to take a lot of work.
84. The other reason is that Iâve finally resolved most of my technical problems, including the issues with timing and lighting and skin tonesâŠ. And then as soon as I got it all fixed, my neighborhood became a fiery ball of doom. No problem, I have a backup! And itâs like two days old, because I made it when I installed SimPE⊠If youâre sensing sarcasm, itâs because that did not work out at all. The game files were okay, but I lost random pieces of custom content , both stuff that I had from my last backup and stuff that Iâd just got. Some of it I can do without, some not so much. And then lovely, lovely simPE? It went berserk. As a side note, I really, really adore Midina and Makir together, and neither they nor Eluisa will be disappearing from the story. This was shot, but never used, during the interlude, but this is all that they do if I leave them alone: flirt, heartfart, hug, dance, kiss, rinse and repeat. Occasionally theyâll play with the toddlers on their own. Did I mention last time that Eluisa is a better searcher than I say she is? Because she came to nearly every lot that I shot the interlude at.
85. Speaking of Eluisa, she is so amazing with children (left and right: Daisy Greenman) that it still boggles me why Lydia didnât want her to touch her. Lydiaâs a Leo with maxed outgoing and five nice points, and she asked for attention on her own. So I didnât get the shot of Eluisa holding her like I wanted, but eventually I just shrugged and went with it. But seriously, all my other toddlers can get themselves picked up by the visitors. All they have to do is toddle up to Eluisa, Chalimyra or Midina.
86. Last but not least, hereâs a cute toddler for the road. I managed to determine in body shop before simPE and my game ran away together that she does grow into her chubby cheeks⊠kind of. Theyâre never too bad, but theyâre never gorgeous either. Though of course, having a toddler without strong traces of faces one, two, and fourth-from last mixed in with the elf is still a little strange for me. Lydiaâs much prettier than Briar Greenman, so Iâd say sheâs the winner for the cute toddler contest this go-around.