Chapter 2-12: Are You Gonna Kiss Me or Not

                Verne spent all of his weekend doing something he hated. He detested being outside but the science facility had sent out some memos to the high school students requesting that they scour Twinbrook for precious metals and gems. Although his birthday wish had yet to come true, he had decided himself that he would try to learn as much as he could about anything he could so that he would be better able to make an informed decision about his life. Having the chance to work with the science facility was certainly a good opportunity though, while he was outside searching for the items, he wondered why he had chosen such a path. “Uck, bugs and creepy-crawlies and the smell of rotting vegetation; who could possibly enjoy this?”

                 While Verne was out bemoaning the existence of nature, Vesper was home, trying to get ready for prom. She had no clue what to expect as this was her first year in high school but she was determined to have a good time. If only this damn lipstick would stop smudging! 

                  She fiddled with her lipstick more, blotting, removing, and reapplying before finally being satisfied. You’d think a budding artist could use a lipstick brush!

                 “You WILL have a good time,” Uvie shouted at her feet.

                “Um, Shane…is your daughter okay,” Gene, who was visiting, asked.

                “Er, yes, she’s um, she’s fine.” His medical prowess did not extend to mental malfunctions and he was sure that was what caused his daughter to behave as strangely as she did. Still, he was embarrassed some days by her behavior when others were around.

                 Vesper, having finished her pre-prom primping headed back to her easel. She had just the thing in mind to paint and couldn’t wait another moment to finish it. So absorbed was she that she failed to hear Uvie come get ready for prom and even missed the honking of the limo her parents had ordered for the three children.

                 Shane and Carrie stood outside, watching their daughter off for prom.

                “Honey, I thought you wanted to wear your lovely dress,” Carrie asked.

                “Well, I did, but then I realized that someone could spill punch on me. Or I could sweat in it while I am dancing. I don’t want to ruin in,” Uvie responded happily.

                “Uvie, we bought that dress as a prom dress. Tonight is prom,” Shane replied, exasperated at his daughter’s idea of logical thinking.

                “Shane, it’s fine. It’s her prom, she can wear what she wants,” Carried softly overrode. 

                 Uvie climbed into the limo and looked around, realizing that she had been abandoned by her siblings. Oh well! I’ll just have fun without them!

                 “Vesper, get out here,” Shane shouted through the front door. “Damn it, now you’ve missed the limo.”

                “Where’s your brother, Ves,” Carrie asked.

                “Ha, the little weasel is probably hiding somewhere. Prom is scawy, too many people,” Vesper mocked in a baby voice. Though she loved her twin, she couldn’t figure out how they were so different and his aversion to people and the outdoors drove her insane.

                “Don’t say that about Verne,” Carrie chided and then sent her daughter off to prom in a cab.

                 Apparently she had been wrong. Of all the siblings, Vesper was the last to arrive. She walked in the decorated gym to see her sister awkwardly standing on the dance floor and her brother sitting alone in a corner. She sighed. Apparently, she was going to have to be the one to make some fun.

                 Verne watched his sister arrive. He knew that she had assumed that he would be skipping out on prom. She just didn’t know that he had his own reasons for attending. He watched her make her way over to Antwan Weloff-Knack and groaned when he saw her “interested” tell. It’s so obvious that he’s not into her. He’s been sneaking glances at Uvie all night! Oh well. 

                  He glanced over at another table, lamenting his rotten luck. Layla Steiner was one of the prettiest girls in school and, of course, she was sitting with the jocks. He doubted she would even notice him.

                 Sure enough, as soon as he could get away, Antwan made his way over to Uvie. Not sure why some random boy would be talking to her, she just stood there awkwardly. Vesper looked on over her shoulder, displeased that she had been ignored in favor of her peculiar, “and less attractive”, sister. At that moment, Jude Colon, a new student made his way over to her.

                 “Hi Vesper, you look pretty tonight,” he complimented her.

                She began to get her hopes up. Jude was a fairly good lucking guy and, even though he was new in town, he was becoming rather popular. Then, he ruined it all.

                “So, you have an older sister and a twin, huh? That’s pretty cool. I’m an only child but I really want a lot of kids some day. I’ve got a lot of nieces and nephews and love spending time with them. Aren’t babies the cutest?”

                She could barely contain her boredom. Babies? All they did was poop and cry and distract sims from their life goals. Who needed one of those around?

                 Soon, it became time to announce prom king and queen.

                “And our prom queen is…Uviana Avendale,” their principal shouted. Vesper could hardly believe it. Uvie made her way up to the stage to collect her crown and promptly tripped over her feet, in front of the entire prom. Instead of being embarrassed or upset, she stood up smiling. Vesper cringed and even Verne looked away in embarrassment.

                “It’s okay everyone. Just a bit of fairy dust in my eye.”

                 It was then announced that Verne Avendale was prom king. Everyone knew that the king and queen were supposed to dance together for the first slow dance of the evening. The crowd gathered round while Uvie and Verne, brother and sister, made their way to the dance floor. Verne looked uncomfortable, being the center of attention but Uvie looked like she could care less at the horrible predicament the school had put them in. Vesper hoped they would embarrass her more.

                 Verne, after looking around, trudged off without their dance, causing Vesper to breathe a sigh of relief. That is, until Antwan did the unthinkable. He strode into the center of the crowd and gave Uvie her very first kiss, right there on the dance floor. Not everyone was happy about it.

                 Over in the corner, Verne had finally worked up the courage to ask Layla to dance. Maybe being prom king would make her notice him.

                “Um, hi Layla. You’re, er, the prettiest girl here tonight,” he stuttered.

                “Thanks,” she smiled back at him.

                “Er, so, um, wanna dance,” he said, reaching for her simultaneously.

                She put her hands up to ward him off.

                “Look, you seem like a nice guy but I’m here with someone else. I’m not that kind of girl.”

                Rejection stung much more in reality than it had in his head.

                 Finally, the dance was over and it was time to head home. Vesper had nothing to show for the evening, having been rejected by Antwan, rejecting Jude, and winning nothing. Verne had faired a little better but he would have preferred nothing to Layla’s refusal. Uvie was the clear winner of the evening though she was never one to care for that sort of thing.

                As they walked in the house, Shane was standing waiting for them. He hadn’t been able to sleep, wondering when his children would be home, thinking of drunk driving accidents, unintended teen pregnancies, and overall mischief.

                “How was prom,” he asked.

                “Daddy, I made prom queen, and Verne was king,” Uvie said excitedly.

                “Humph, that was just because the other kids thought it would be funny to see the loser and the weirdo siblings dance together,” Vesper lashed out.

                Uvie just looked at her sister, unsure what she had done to warrant such mean words.

                 Shane shushed them all, giving Vesper a particularly reproving look and sent them to bed. Although he was pleasantly surprised at the selections for king and queen, a part of him worried that Vesper might be right. None of his children were significantly well rounded; Uvie was sweet but strange, Vesper was quite talented and outgoing but seemed to have a bit of a mean streak, and Verne was too much of a loner for his own good. Shane knew it was time to settle down and choose someone to take over the house but he had a lot of discussing to do with Carrie before he would make a final decision.

Chapter 2.11                                                                                                                                      Chapter 2.13
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Alright everyone, this is the last chapter before the heir is announced. If you've not yet voted, please do so! After catching up, of course. I believe there are about 5 days left to vote. Once I know who will be heir, I will immediately begin writing the next chapter.

For those of you wondering about prom, I actually played through my real save to find out what would happen. Both Uvie and Verne really won, Uvie and Antwan were the "cutest couple", Verne was rejected, and Uvie even really fell. Then I saved as a new save and created the "prom" venue and recreated the events. It's no fun missing out on all those things!