Chapter 4-12: Oops!...I Did It Again

                “Yalena, I can’t thank you enough for giving me a second chance,” he said, as he dropped her off at her apartment after their date.

                “It’s in the past,” she shushed him.

                 “No, I want to say it. I screwed up. I was selfish and I know that it was a mistake to lead Katherine on, all because of money.”

                She grabbed him and silenced him with a kiss. The fact that she was here, kissing him just fueled his desire for her more. He pulled her in close, pressing his body against hers, as close as they could get, deepening their kiss.

                 “Lyric,” she pulled back, out of breath. “After my last show, I’ve had this one paparazzi following me around. How about you come inside, just in case he is lurking in the bushes?”               

                As they climbed the stairs and she unlocked the door, she put her finger to her lips. “Shh, that girls are probably sleeping. I don’t want to wake them.”

                “I know just the thing,” he responded with a sly smile. He took her hand and pulled her into the bathroom, turning on the shower. Yalena looked at him curiously, not quite understanding where he was going with this. Lyric stripped of his clothes quickly and stepped under the hot water.

                “The running water does a lot to mask sound,” he winked, inviting her in.

                With her new tablet, Cami found that being out of the house was exhilarating. She couldn’t stand being cooped up in that small apartment all the time. Being able to sit outside and do her homework felt like a new freedom to her. She ignored the fact that she could have done this before as well. The tablet was much easier than carrying around her books.

                 Brielyn enjoyed the outdoors too. On the weekends, she may the long run from the city towards the country and back. Overall, it was thirteen or so miles but she relished the burn. Her favorite part was the run back, as the sun was sitting over the beach. Maybe she would invite Moshe on a date there. Maybe. She didn’t want to ruin their friendship.

                Yalena was invited to perform at the coffee shop where she did her first SimFest. It would be an exclusive concert, just her playing and she was beyond ecstatic. Lyric even came to support her. She played a song that she had written, had been writing in fact, over the course of their relationship. It was a bold move, trying something new with a new crowd and no true fans but, in that moment, she was playing it just for him.

                 “Oh my Watcher, it was horrible wasn’t it,” she sobbed in her hands, after the show was done. Now that the adrenaline rush was over, she was feeling self-conscious and emotional about sharing that story, even in art form.

                “Are you kidding, they loved you. That song will be a big hit.”

                “Really?”

                “Yes, really. But if you want to be a big star, you’re going to have to tone up some. I know you’re a little older than most singers starting out but, that’s no excuse to be flabby.”

                Yalena’s jaw dropped at the bluntness of the comment and then she closed it again. If she wanted to be famous, she was going to have to get used to other sims being so critical. At least this was helpful, albeit rude.

                “Hey Camille, how are you,” Owen greeted her when he arrived for their outing.

                “Hey Owen, where’s Kori and Moshe and Antony?”

                “Oh, I think Kori and Antony were going on a date and Moshe had art club or something like that. It’s just us today.”

                They decided to go hang out in the hot tub for a while. Suddenly, Camille got the feeling that this wasn’t just a friendly outing. She started making small talk about school and anything else that she could think of that would be boring and completely unromantic.

                Owen, quite suddenly, was sitting next to her and reaching his arm around to pull her close.

                “Nuh, uh,” she said, pushing him away with her fingers practically in his eyes. If boring talk about processors and debating the differences between Arches and Oranges didn’t turn him off, only losing an eye could possibly do it at this point.

                 “Camille, I thought we were having a good time,” he whined. That did it. If she wasn’t interested before, whining certainly made her never even imagine the possibility.

                “Owen, you’re a great friend. Besides, I have a friend, and no I can’t tell you who, that thinks you’re really cute. I could never betray her by kissing you. It’s just not part of the girl code.” She smiled a sad smile at him, like she really regretted letting him down. She didn’t want to hurt his feelings though and this was the best way. He instantly perked up, knowing there was a girl out there that might like him. “Boys! They’re all the same.”

                The Fierce-Avendales were probably the most loved and envied family in all of Storybrook County. Zane openly doted on his wife, doing anything to make her happy. The children were always included in their plans, even if it was a late night trip to the cinema.

                 Finally, Jeanie knew that she could wait no longer. Zane was getting older by the minute and, before she knew it, it might be too late. Right there, on the sidewalk in front of the theatre, she decided it was finally time to turn him. With Verne’s passing, it had been inevitable that it would happen.

                “Don’t be frightened, my love. We’ll be together, always,” she said, just before she bit him.

                 Yalena woke that night, with a horrible feeling in the pit of her stomach. She wasn’t sure what it was but she couldn’t shake it. She knew something wasn’t right though. Crawling back into bed, she tossed and turned, trying to alternately fight the feeling or at least figure it out. Eventually, she was able to fall into a fitful sleep.

                 “Hey there, are you new here,” Camille greeted a girl sitting on the front steps of the school. She certainly didn’t look like she was from around here, with her purple streaks and fishnet top. Camille wasn’t sure that the top was in dress code regulation but she wasn’t going to be the one to point it out.

                 “Ugh, move along ginger. I don’t need to bubbly cheerleader showing me around school like a lost puppy.”

                “Hi, I’m Camille. And no cheerleader here. I’m more the computer nerd,” she said, ignoring the digs.

                “Becks,” the girl brushed herself off. “I guess I could use a friend.”

                 “Girls, seriously, get off your phones and get ready for school,” Yalena shouted as she dashed around, trying to get her stuff together for the gym. She was taking the advice she received seriously and wanted to make sure to look her best when her next show rolled around. It seemed that all her daughters cared about was talking on the phone lately. Luckily, they had unlimited minutes or else Yalena would have taken them away ages ago.

                When her sick feeling persisted, Yalena started to get worried. “Am I working out too much? Stress maybe?” It had been weeks now and, if anything, she had actually gotten worse. She finally decided to make an appointment with her doctor.

                 “This is impossible. I’m too old for this.”

                 She went home to break the news to her girls. Brielyn, ever the sweet girl that she was, was beyond excited that she would have a new sibling.

                “Oh mom! That’s fantastic. I’ll have a baby to practice on before having one of my own one day.”

                Camille, on the other hand was silent, but her look said all that she was thinking. When Yalena left, Camille immediately turned on her sister.

                 “Bri, are you kidding me? You’re not even out of high school yet! Why the hell are you even thinking about having a baby?” She watched as her sister’s glee turned to sadness and disappointment.

                 “I’m sorry. It’s just; you’ll be out on your own before this baby is even born. Look at this apartment. I’m going to have to share a room with a newborn.”

                 “Isn’t your mom all old and shit,” Hilary asked when Brielyn shared the news with her friend.

                “No! She’s not old! She just had me really young, that’s all. Besides, her and Lyric are perfect for each other. A baby is just the icing on top.”

                “Doesn’t he have a kid with your sister’s aunt? Sounds pretty fucked up to me. Anyway, I’m out. I need to get home before my mom starts bitching about my C in math.”

                “See ya,” Brielyn waved.

                 She stayed at the arcade for a while longer, practicing on the virtual golf game. Maybe Camille and Hilary were right. Perhaps a baby wasn’t a good idea. “Nah, a baby is perfect,” she smiled to herself as she beat the standing high score.

                 “So, I’ve been thinking,” Lyric announced when he came to pick her up for her next ultrasound appointment. Her doctor wanted to keep a close eye on her, what with her age and all.

                “You know that’s never a good idea,” she joked.

                “Lena, I want you and the girls to move in with me. I have more than enough space and I’ve loved you and those girls for all their lives. You belong with me.”

                She was shocked. He had always joked that his penthouse would be his bachelor pad all his life. Katherine had never lived with him, even after Cody was born. Along with her shock was elation. She quickly agreed and they broke the news to the girls when they came home.

                “Ugh, I’m out of here.” Camille certainly wasn’t happy with the arrangement. She couldn’t believe that, after her whole life, she was being uprooted to live with her uncle and her mother and their growing love child. How embarrassing. “Becks, it’s me. Can you meet me at the library?”

                When she got there, Becks was waiting for her. She spilled her whole wretched predicament to her friend, who listened, all ears. Finally, she sighed and decided to change the subject. “How are you doing?”

                “I’m good. My older brother is moving back to town. I haven’t seen him in almost a year so I am pretty excited. Oh! You have to meet him. I think you’d really like him. He’s really into computers too.”

                “Yeah, sure. Sounds fun.” She sighed. “Ugh, I have to get home and pack. Mom wants to be all moved in by the weekend. Call me when your brother gets here.”

                 The weekend arrived and the movers finally finished jamming everything inside Lyric’s apartment.

                “Um, Lena, I don’t think this is all going to fit. And I’ve got really nice furniture. I don’t think we need your sofa or the bookshelf.”

                She pouted a little, sad to see all the things she had worked so hard for be set outside for donation but she quickly agreed, seeing as how she couldn’t even get to the bathroom without climbing between the bunk beds. Pregnant women have to pee a lot, you know. Bathroom access was a necessity.

                “So, Becks tells me you’re really into computers,” Chad said as he sat down with Camille in the library. They sat and talked for what seemed like hours. She was completely sucked into what he was saying. None of the boys in school were capable of holding a conversation with her about any of this stuff. Yet Chad was actually carrying most of the conversation himself, asking her questions she actually had to think to get the answers. 

                 “Hey, it was really nice meeting you. I’ve got to head out now. We’re doing a family dinner, just the two of us tonight. Maybe we can hang out again sometime.”

                “I’d really like that,” she agreed, for once meaning it.

                Chad followed her down the stairs and, when she disappeared through the double doors, he ducked behind a wall, finding his sister back by the bathrooms.

                “I told you, huh? She’s impressive,” Becks said, pleased with herself. “You must have done a lot of research and studying to keep her interested this long.”

                “She’ll do. If she’s like the other one…”

                “She’s not,” she interrupted, rolling her eyes.

Chapter 4.11                                                                                                                                           Chapter 4.13

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
I got a lot of surprises this chapter! Damn Risky Woohoo. Becky's comment all the way back last generation was more accurate than she knew. Also, Lyric autonomously asked Yalena to move in with him. Before today, I didn't even know that was an option!

This is the last chapter before the heir vote ends. So if you haven't voted yet, please remember to do that!