Chaper 4-1: Somewhere Trouble Don't Go

                She arrived in the city tired, exhausted, and felt gritty from riding buses and in cabs to get to her brother’s apartment. After her last meeting with Glen, she had known he was right. There was no way her father would let her and Glen be together. It didn’t matter that they really did love each other, all her father could see was age. She couldn’t let him find out about the baby. At the same time, she couldn’t just get rid of it. She had felt it kick already and had formed an attachment. As naïve as she had been about her happily ever after, this baby was still created out of love and she was going to keep it. So to Xander she went.

                She rang the doorbell apprehensively. She wasn’t sure what to expect and, though she had sworn Wren to secrecy, she wasn’t sure if her sister had kept her end of the bargain.

                “Hi, Xan,” she greeted him warmly, waiting for his reaction.

                “Hey lil’ sis. What are you doin’ here,” he grinned back at her. Then he noticed the suitcases by her feet. “Were you planning on staying awhile?”

                “Well, um, I kind of need a place to stay. I was offered a, er, an exchange program here in the city for my music talents,” she lied, uneasily. Xander caught on immediately.

                “You never have been good at lying. What’s really going on?”

                 “Okay, fine. But if you tell dad, I swear I’ll disappear from all of you.” Xander rolled his eyes at her dramatics but stayed silent to listen.

                “I’m’ pregnant.” His eyes flew to her stomach. “Dad doesn’t know and I don’t want him to know. He blames me for mom’s death, told me so himself, and we’ve barely talked since I became a teenager. It’s none of his business.”

                Feeling as though he has no choice in the matter, Xander invites her inside.

                 Their lives don’t adjust easily to one another. Xander had escaped Twinbrook to make a life of his own and now his little sister is crashing with him and about to have a baby. He has a one bedroom apartment, without even an actual door to the bedroom. It was comfy for him. For the two of them, it feels a little cramped. Yalena finds waking up in a strange bed, in a strange town disconcerting but at the same time, surprisingly freeing.

                 Until one morning when Xander sits down with her to breakfast to discuss their agreement.

                “Look, I promised not to tell dad you were pregnant. And I haven’t. But he knows you’re here. Obviously he’s not as observant at home as he is at work because he believed that crap about an exchange program and has no idea that you, well, that you’re in this predicament.”

                “I told you as much,” she retorted.

                “Look, I don’t care if you are pregnant, you’re going to school. You’re not just going to sit around the house and mope and eat and mooch of me. You’ll go to school and you’ll get a job. Dad is sending me money to help pay for your ‘expenses’ and when you have your baby, you’ll need to get your own place. You put yourself in an adult situation, you can have all the responsibilities of one too.”

                 She couldn’t believe her brother would be so mean to her. “What does he know about responsibility? He goes out and does what he wants and doesn’t have to answer to anyone”. She didn’t want him ratting her out to her father though so she finally got enrolled in the school down the street.

                Yalena had never been to a new school before. She had been going to the same school with the same group of kids since she was first in grade school. Making friends did not come easy to her and her situation made her more shy than normal. She steered clear of the kids and, most of the time, they steered clear of her as well.

                “Oh, God, Lyric, have you ever seen such a cow,” a pretty redhead laughed into the ear of her equally attractive boyfriend while her 2 friends whispered to each other. Katherine Therrien was one of the most popular girls in school and, of course, was a mean snob. Yalena decided to ignore the snark and just continue on home. No such luck was to be had that day.

                 “You’re from Twinbrook right,” she sneered as she walked up to Yalena, stopping her from making it down the sidewalk.

                “Um, yes,” Yalena answered, seeing no other option.

                “Ha, I thought so. And I remember now, you’re not fat, you’re pregnant. Which means that’s probably your brother’s baby or something. They’re all inbred down there in the swamp, didn’t you know,” Katherine giggled over her shoulder to her friends. Lyric at least had the decency to act a little embarrassed by his girlfriend’s behavior.

                 All of a sudden there was a flash of yellow and then there was a girl between her and Katherine. Yalena didn’t even see where she had come from.

                “Jeanie, I, I didn’t see you,” Katherine jumped when the girl appeared.

                 “Leave her alone Katherine,” Jeanie growled.

                “Fine,” Katherine regained her composure and gave them both the evil eye before flipping her hair and traipsing back off to her gaggle of followers.

                “Thanks for rescuing me back there.”

                “Yeah, no problem,” Jeanie muttered. “So, where did you come from.”

                “I really came from Twinbrook. But I’m not inbred,” Yalena asserted defiantly.

                “Yeah, I didn’t think so. Wanna talk about it?”

                “Not really.” So they sat and twirled on the sings for a while.

                 After that day, Yalena and Jeanie became fast friends. It was obvious in school that Jeanie wasn’t liked any better than Yalena. Jeanie never brought up her background or family but Yalena wasn’t one to pry. She finally opened up herself and told her story and figured that, when she was ready, Jeanie would as well.

                “Hey there new girl,” Lyric sauntered up to her in the public library one afternoon.

                “Um, hi,” she responded, not really knowing what he could possibly want.

                 “Sorry about Katherine. She likes to assert her dominance. If she could get away with peeing on things to mark her territory, I’m pretty sure she would.”

                Yalena couldn’t help but laugh with him. They stood talking for a few minutes. Lyric suddenly leaned in and tried to kiss her.

                “What are you doing,” she asked curiously, pulling back.

                “Kissing you.”

                 “I’m pregnant,” she looked down at her ever expanding belly pointedly.

                “Yeah, perfect for me. Don’t have to worry about that,” he laughed, but she was unable to tell if he was joking. “What, no kiss? Don’t you know who I am?”

                She looked at him blanky.

                “Lyric Sabo. As in, Briar Sabo and Cashmere Sabo’s only son. I’m quite the catch.”

                 “Seems like you’re already wriggling on someone else’s hook,” she replied, still not knowing who the Sabos were or why she should care.

                He pulled back and, to her surprise, laughed. “I like you, you’ve got spunk.”

                 Later that week, Yalena met Jeanie at the J&J Arcade to hang out and unwind after the school week.

                “So, Lyric and I hung out at the library the other day,” Yalena confessed to her friend as they played a game of pool.

                “You did what? Yalena, he’s bad news. Just stay away from him.”

                Yalena hung her head, knowing that Jeanie probably knew what she was talking about and dropped the conversation. She couldn’t stop thinking about it though. She wondered what Lyric had ever done, besides be Katherine’s boy toy.

                 “Jeanie, I can’t help it, I think I really like him,” she approached the subject once again upstairs in the arcade room. “And, I already feel kind of guilty about it because of Glen. I haven’t talked to him since he told me that the baby was a mistake. He doesn’t even know I am having it but I still feel like just hanging out with Lyric is being unfaithful to him.”

                “You know, I don’t know that he’s a bad guy, per se. But Katherine, Katherine is a world class bitch who will do anything to get her way, no matter who she hurts in the process. If you take her boyfriend, she will retaliate and there is no telling what she might do. She’s got the money and the connections to be a big pain in the ass.”

                “Yeah, I guess. I don’t know that I want him as a boyfriend though. Maybe just a friend. I don’t know.”

                “Look, Lena, it seems to me you’re estranged from your family and your boyfriend and pregnant to boot. Do you really want Katherine Therrien on your ass too?”

                 “No, I guess you’re right.”

                “I’ll try to be friends with him so we can all hang out together. And then Katherine can’t get too pissed if she finds out, okay?”

                “Okay,” Yalena grinned, markedly cheered up by the thought.

                Thus the pair becomes a trio. Never in school, mind you. Lyric and Jeanie both are well aware of Katherine’s temper and neither feel that their friendship is worth the risk. Jeanie isn’t too sure that the secret friendship is worth it either but she sees how having people in her life that care about her makes a difference to Yalena. It can’t be easy, being in her shoes. So Jeanie does her best to behave and include Lyric when possible.          

                Lyric sends them both a text that day in school, inviting them over for a slumber party. His parents are rarely home, usually off traveling for work or traveling just because. His older sisters have all but disappeared from the face of the planet and his other sisters are either home schooled or in private schools around the country. Lyric often has a free run of their lavish penthouse in the city and Katherine is supposed to be off on a family retreat for the weekend so it will be the perfect time for the secret group to hang out.

                The penthouse is one of the most gorgeous homes Yalena has ever seen. Though not a huge sprawling place, it has a commanding view of the city and hills around it. She can’t imagine waking up to such pretty scenery.

                “Careful Lena, Jeanie there looks like she wants to eat your baby,” Lyric jokes as Jeanie talks to her belly.

                 “Hush it Sabo or I’ll hush it for you,” Jeanie growls. Yalena isn’t sure why this would be offensive but she doesn’t have time to ask before the doorbell rings.

                “Shit, it’s Katherine. I should have known she would want to say goodbye. Quick, hide. I’ll keep her at the door.”

                The girls rush to the other side of the wall, close to the edges so Katherine won’t be able to see them from the foyer.

                “Hi baby, I thought we were going to meet up so you could see me off,” Katherine pouts.

                “I’m sorry, I’ve got a big test on Monday so I wanted to get started early. I completely forgot,” Lyric lied smoothly.

                “You know, if I didn’t know any better, I’d think you didn’t love me anymore.”

                ‘What? No baby, I love you, promise! Now quick, give me a kiss or you’re going to miss your plane.”

                 As the exchange had been going on, Jeanie noticed Yalena stiffen and then turn her head, trying to avoid the conversation. They were too close to the door to risk moving and being heard so they had to stay and listen. As soon as the door closed behind them though, Yalena, as quickly as her pregnant waddle would allow for, made her way up the stairs to one of the Sabo sister’s rooms where they had placed their bags.

                “Watcher, Sabo, you’re such a dick,” Jeanie practically attacked him.

                “What are you talking about”.

                “You’re so blind. Can’t you see Yalena is starting to have feelings for you? And then you sit there and profess your love for Katherine right in front of her,” she seethes. “Why do you even stay with her anyway.”

                “Her father is one of the biggest producers this side of the capital. Sure, I could get my family to sign me with a label but I want to do it myself. If playing nice with Katherine will help get my foot in the door, I will do it. Who are you to be so righteous,” he argues though he can’t help hoping that he hasn’t blown his chance with Yalena.

                 Upstairs, Jeanie finds Yalena quietly staring into the pillows. She changes into her nightgown and flops down next to her.

                “Wanna talk about it,” Jeanie quietly prods her friend back to the present.

                 “I dunno. I mean, I like Lyric. He’s funny and we both love music and, and, I dunno. But I still think about Glen every day. But hearing Lyric tell Katherine he loves her, it just makes me think that nobody really means it when they say it. I don’t know if Glen even really loved me anymore. He hasn’t tried to contact me once, all this time I’ve been gone.” With that, Yalena burst into tears and spent the rest of the night sobbing on her friend’s shoulder.

                After the disastrous weekend, Yalena begins to withdraw from Lyric. They still hang out occasionally, always with Jeanie in tow, but it’s clear to Yalena that guys are not to be trusted. They will say or do whatever they need to so they can get what they want. Most of her time is spent with Jeanie at the park or the arcade or wherever she can go and pretend to just be a carefree teenager for a little longer.

                It’s one night, when they are at Xander’s apartment, working on homework, when Yalena’s water breaks. Jeanie is shocked and not sure what to do but quickly snaps to it and calls a cab as she gets Yalena safely to the elevator.

                 As she walks into the hospital and waits by the receptionist’s desk to be checked in, Yalena tries to not think about how scared she is. She never imagined that this would be her life. And, when she did find out she was pregnant, she never thought she would be going through it alone. She couldn’t help but think of her mother’s last visit to the hospital and how she had never come home.

                 The nurse quickly got her a wheelchair and started the trek down the long hall to the maternity ward. “I wonder if Xander will take care of my baby if anything happens to me,” she thinks as another contraction washes over her.

Chapter 3.12                                                                                                                                           Chapter 4.2

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Generation 4 has officially started! Not much to say about this chapter though I will admit that a lot of the pictures were taken in alternate saves. Damn this 3 day pregnancy nonsense. Also, yes, I said "fuck you" to the rules. Twinbrook was so small and crowded and was missing so many of the newer lots from EPs. I ran out of space trying to fit them.

Lyric Sabo and Jeanie Fierce are both from Cece's legacies: Lyric from the Sabos, naturally, and Jeanie is from her new, Sari Random Legacy. I am most appreciative for her use of them! Also, the new town is Storybrook County by My Sims Realty though I have added some lots and made some changes.