Spilling Over

She woke up thinking about her sister, Bella.

Dragging herself to the edge of the bed, she sat up, planted her feet firmly on the ground and then stopped. Rain drops tapped at her window. She peeked out the window at the rest of the small city. The gray sky desaturated everything that had any hint of color.

Perfect.



Samantha finally stood, gathering the clothes that were spilling out of her suitcase which she had somehow managed to never unpack in three months. She took some over to the bed and started folding them, the events of last night heavy on her mind.




Things had started out normally last night. Water had taken a break and sat down at her counter with a smile. It was a different smile, a genuinely happy smile.


"The usual?" Samantha asked returning his smile, happy to see such sincerity on his face.

"Please."

He didn't even get a chance to take a sip. Samantha placed the drink in front of him. Over his head, she could see someone coming up to the counter, but she thought nothing of it. People often came up to Water. He was really the only celebrity in town. And they all wanted a small piece of him. Usually it was ladies who Water would often smile for and offer cooking tips. Samantha imagined that these ladies just wanted to be able to tell the headmaster that their Lobster Thermadore recipie had come from Water Mellon himself.


But this girl stopped right behind him placing a hand on her hip and a cooked smile on her little mouth. "You must have missed me."

Water hopped up, his genuine smile replaced by surprise.


She could see it happening again. The girl was cute. Pretty. Bubbly. Nineteen. Blond. Everything she wasn't. The blond girl, with a smile and a twirl of her hair, was sneaking between the two of them and making her way straight to Water. Samantha could see his defenses going down, his sincere smile of only a second ago being replaced with a special smile just for this girl.

Water left his drink on the counter to hop up and hug her. "It's good to see you. Aren't you visiting with your parents?"


"I was but they went to sleep already. Can you believe it? They should be celebrating my return and instead they tell me good night and they'll see me in the morning."

The smile on her face made it clear to Samantha that for these two people right now, there was no one else in the room.

Samantha picked up the drink Water had left on the counter. She stepped away towards the end of the bar and took a good sip.


"Hey!" A patron she hadn't previously noticed said from her seat at the counter. "You aren't supposed to be drinking. I'm supposed to be drinking."

Samantha handed the woman the drink in her hand. "Here. On the house."

"All right!"


She watched them sitting together the rest of the night, her insides quaking like jello as she moved up and down gathering glasses and ingredients to make drinks.



What did Samantha care? She knew that easily from their first time in the photo booth that he was clearly too well practiced. It was a photo booth with only one stool that she and Samantha had nearly fallen off of to take their stupid little pictures. And he'd directed her easily, pulled her hips to where he needed her to be exactly as if he'd done it enough times before that he knew the trick.






Samantha called Water first. It was 10am. She knew he'd still be asleep. She imagined that he'd be asleep with his arm around the young blond girl from last night. The girl had stayed until closing, sitting in a booth with Water when he wasn't needed in the kitchen. And then Water had driven her home.

The answering machine picked up and she left a message saying that she had a family emergency. Something with her sister. She had to go. Samantha didn't feel too bad. Tonight was her night off for the next two nights, so he had time to find a replacement if he needed it.

But she had the feeling he didn't. The time he spent at the bar chatting with her had probably been the time he'd spent at the bar making drinks and greeting patrons. For whatever reason he'd given the position to her, she knew it wasn't out of necessity.

But she did feel guilty as she looked at the phone. Her suitcase repacked neatly, the photos from Samantha safely tucked away in a front pocket.






"Samantha, what is going on?" Sam pulled her close. "Is everything all right?"

They met at the corner market near the train tracks that lead out of the city. It was 1pm and the sky had finally cleared. There wasn't even a cloud in the sky. Samantha had her bag on the ground by her feet and her train ticket in her jacket pocket.

"Yes. It's fine. Just an emergency at home. I have to leave, but I didn't want to leave without saying good bye first. And... thank you."


Sam smiled at her. "Oh you're not still on about that night with Bonnie, are you? We could have gotten into more trouble if you'd have moved in next door to me like I'd planned."

There wasn't much more to be said. In the middle of the grocery store they hugged like two lovers who were never going to see each other again. It garnered strange looks, but neither of them cared.

Sam turned away at the sound of an approaching train. "That's probably your train, you know."


"I know." Samantha bent down and picked up her suitcase and pulled her ticket from her pocket. "Take care, Sam."

"You too Samantha."


Samantha knew exactly when she went wrong. It was not that night at the club down town. That was certainly a point of no return, but that hadn't been the mistake. It wasn't even really that night after work she actually went home with Water and took the "tour" of his home that she was sure he had given to other girls.


It was the moment that she had mistakenly leaned in for the kiss. It had surprised her and him both. They'd had an unspoken understanding that they were no more than the physical support group for loneliness. So what had possessed her in that one instant to lean forward and kiss him? And why had he kissed her back? Why had he even offered her a job for a position that he didn't even need to be filled in the first place?

Expectations and obligations were suffocating. They pressed on her, cutting off her freedom, dragging her back to that place from months ago. People never acted the way you wanted them to. Things always unexpectedly stepped into the picture, distorting it or changing it completely.

And in that moment, when Samantha had watched that little blond girl with Water, she'd felt it, a wound recently sutured being ripped apart to bleed on her insides.

She had to go. She had no other choice. She'd made a mistake, and she'd have to hope that in the next place she didn't make the same mistake again.

***********************

*sniff* Bye Samantha! Oh the trouble you could have caused with Sam if only you'd been ready to settle. But of course, she's not ready to settle yet.

So I'll just link to the last post to make it easy to find the pictures I made as a gift for poor Samantha. (Gift is at the bottom of the post.) I hope someone uses that, lol. It will probably be the only mention we get is in the background because I imagine that Samantha is going to want to forget this whole thing completely. Because ouch. I know I would if I were her.


As for Ily, for those who don't know her, here is her last entry. She worked for Water in high school as a hostess, and I always imagined that she had a huge crush on him. She keeps in constant contact with him, emailing him and calling him sometimes. And sometimes he actually calls her.

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What he doesn't know

Still here and still have this story rattling around in my head. I know where I want it to go, but don't know if I have the energy or time to continue this and Ruin. But I still love TS2.

So I played a bit this week as a break from "serious" writing, and as always can't resist sharing some of their stories. Especially some of the college kids. (And Ama, but that's for later.)


Let's see if I can remember approximate ages:

Ily ~ 19
Rich ~ 18

Ethan and Ashley ~ 21


Their very first dinner party together in their own little house. Rich hadn't exactly been for it. He'd tried to talk her out of it, but she'd been determined. And when she had that glint in her eye it was impossible to talk her out of anything.

She'd even tried practice cooking for their very first dinner party.

There's a reason she doesn't usually cook. But if she was that determined, then how could he say no?

Over all it went well. Ily's brother, Ethan, came and brought his girlfriend. Ashley was cute, but a little boring. Rich really had nothing to talk to her about.


Honestly, he tried. Giving Ily and her brother some quiet time to catch up, he followed Ashley to the living room and started chatting with her, but all she wanted was to work on her assignment for class.

Cute, but not the sort of girl he liked. Of that he was sure. Too bookish and shy. It was only a small get together, and she apparently couldn't handle being social for those two hours.

To top off the weird night, Alberta called.


"Ily? She's talking with her brother in the other room. Did you want to leave a message? You need to ask her opinion on something? Maybe I can help. Okay, okay, calm down. I'll tell her you called."

That was another one that mystified him. Gabe and Alberta made no sense to him. He'd told Gabe so more than once. She was young and shy and timid. Who wants to deal with all that? Gabe of course then shot back with his own thoughts on Ily. Definitely drew a stalemate and an agreement to not talk about it.


Ily was having the most fun of the two of them, especially considering the brotherly advice she received from Ethan.

"I'll tell you what you need..."

Ily wondered if Ashley, future librarian, had actually gone along with this plan for excitement. Ily herself hadn't allowed for much more than their messing around in the fitting room.

The furthest they got to doing anything really really naughty in a public place was the couch. And that was after much cajoling on Rich's part. She wasn't going to tell Ethan that though. Not if she wanted him to sit there later.


After having spent a semester with Rich, she still didn't feel it. Whatever it was. She just knew she wasn't feeling it. Rich was cute and had a bright future, and he seemed so into her, stealing glances like they were still sitting near each other in school and hadn't been sleeping together all semester.

It could be the day to day life stuff and how boring it really was. Eat, sleep, do homework, and have sex. Like it was on a list of things to do. She wasn't passive, by all means, though she generally let him make the first move. She went along with it usually hoping she'd get better. That she would love him back.

When he was out at class, she would take time to call one person a day. Her mother and father. Kate. And Water Mellon, her old boss.

It was stupid. Just a crush really. Still, he seemed happy to hear from her and hear about college. Their conversation lasted longer than her phone conversations usually did. In most cases, people just wanted to know she was alive. Water actually wanted to hear how she was doing.

And it made her stomach flip.


There was a very small list of valid candidates as far as Ily was concerned. They had to have a bright future, they had to love her, and they had to be good at taking orders. Rich was all of that. He seemed to generally strive to make her happy.

Did it really matter? Love wasn't something Ily was prone to believe in anyway. It was all about compatibility. And they were compatible. Better than most. Where there was passion, there was a chance for failure. With love came hate.


"Ily, why are you looking at me like that?"

"Just admiring the view. How do you cook so well and stay so skinny?"

"Don't overeat? You're weird, Ily."

****************************

I have too much fun with these two. I played through a semester, and Ily only has a crush on him. One bolt of chemistry.

I think these two will cause me trouble when they discover other people.

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Autumn Extra- Haphazard

"How did I let you talk me into this again?"


Ily let her new adult woman laugh bubble up from her throat softly as she handed him the hanger with the outfit she wanted him to try. "I said it would be fun."

"Right... clothes shopping." Rich looked at the outfit dubiously. "I get to pick out an outfit for you too, right?"

"Of course." She shone her most charming smile at him, making silent promises that swore it would all be worth it later. Maybe.

"Ily, you can't be serious. I look like a teacher."

"Or a future mayor."

"I'll definitely be outlawing outfits like this not wearing them."

When it was Ily's turn, she took her time in the fitting room slowly peeling off her dress. The one he picked out was something she wouldn't be caught dead wearing, but she was sure he didn't really pick it out for her to try on. She'd been working all her charms on him all morning until she was sure she'd driven him mad enough that he'd do anything to get her.

She was right. Rich wasn't horrible, but he wasn't the best lover. Not that she had anyone to compare him to. He was her first after all and her only so far. People could call her anything they wanted, but slut was definitely not one that they could use against her.

It was only their second week of college. So technically, she'd only been not a virgin for about a month. Right before they left for school, Rich had invited her over one last time.

Ily had been the one to make the first move for once. Well, physically anyway. Rich had been the one to call her and he had been the one prepared.

What ever experience he had was all high school girls who were also inexperienced. Ily would honestly have preferred someone older and wiser with more experience than her, but she needed some experience of her own first. She would not play the helpless maiden in bed.

Maybe her charms worked too well. Sometimes she felt like a tool Rich used for his own pleasure. His hands worked so haphazardly running along her curves and her breasts that she sometimes has to stop him to explain what she would like.

But mmm... it is a nice fantasy that older man who's had a few woman who would touch her in ways she can only dream about right now.

*****************

Time line wise, this was of course towards the beginning of Autumn, but I just played them last night. These two are actually WAY more fun to play than the other three students I have who are a year ahead of them.

Right before they were to leave for college, Rich made a booty call. It was a very clear, "Why the hell not?"

As for the last picture, it's been a while since I've seen someone reject the make out interaction. But he's in love with her, she's not in love with him at the moment because they had recently aged up. I thought it was fitting and totally confirmed the voice I heard in my head.

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Be a little bad

Ily and Kate's older brother came to visit. He dropped by early in the morning after a call saying he was bringing a friend.

Everyone had hoped he was bringing his girlfriend, Ashley Stratton.


No such luck. In a cruel prank on his little sisters, he brought home the creepy mascot guy.

"Awww..." He said, his voice muffled by the huge llama mask. "You have some zits; you must really be stressed about goin' to college. Here, a hug will help. We're just one big family there."

"No, really, that's okay." Ily stepped back, but he continued after her until she shoved him away. Was he really the mascott of her college? Really? So now in addition to all the other challenges college students face, she will have to worry about this bozo too?


Ethan and his friend stick around for a while, louging around the house until after dinner when they head off to their hotel. And once Ily and Kate's parents go to sleep, Ily turns to Kate with a mischevious glint in her eye.


"Let's sneak out! These are my last days to be a kid."


"Are you serious? What if we get caught?"

"Hey, every teen deserves to be a little bad. Once you hit college, it's all about responsibilities. You're practically an adult!"

For a moment, Ily worries that Kate won't agree which would leave Ily all alone. Sneaking out on her own seems a boring proposition. She has no where she could go alone. And what if some creepy dude, like the Llama mascot, steals her or something?


Then Kate smiles, and the plan is made.


They start out their night at the little cafe in the slummy area of town. There's aren't too many sims visiting the cafe; most likely they're all at the bar down the street.

Still, there is a stage. "You should go up and sing." Ily shoves Kate towards the mic.

"No way. Right now? With no music?"

Ily sighs in faux exasperation. "Fine. If I get up and do something, will you go and sing?"

Kate laughs. "You're going to do what? Make up poetry on the spot?"

Ily does not back down from a challenge. And it's all for the good of her little sister who needs to take more chances in life. Ily doesn't like the way Kate silently sighs over her lost love. She's only 15, going on 16. She should go out and have some fun.

The poem is horrible. Running through Ily's head when she starts are the words, "There was a little butterfly..." and so she runs with it. Kate sits in a seat cringing and trying not to laugh.

But Kate does stand up before the mic and sings a song of her own creation. Her voice carries throughout the room drawing the attention of the few people who are sitting down with their expressos. A few even clap as Kate takes a bow.


Ily's will always be her sister's biggest fan. Even when there's a cute guy over at the cafe stand serving the coffees.

Eventually, Ily suggests they head over to the park. Ily never played on a play ground before. When she was little, they didn't have things like this. Not until they came to this new land.


But even then, Ily doesn't play so much as sit and think while Kate swings on the swingset.

Out of the corner of her eye, Ily watches the silent green house across the street. She feels slightly stalkerish sitting this close to his house, watching for movement from the windows.

It's already past 2:00am and the restaurant would be closed by now. He'd have already come home, kissed his daughters good night, and laid down in bed next to his girlfriend.

Ily knows she is still young, but there are other things she does know.

Like the way Water Mellon talks mostly of his daughters and never of his girlfriend. The way she watches him flirting with the ladies who visit the restaurant. And the way other ladies look at him when he's pretending not to notice.

It's just a crush, she reminds herself. She's worked for him for the past year as a hostess at the restaurant. But then who could really blame her?

Ily glances over at Kate. "Ready to go?" Kate relaxes on one of the swings, probably day dreaming to herself.

"Yeah, let's go."

There are things that Ily knows but without knowing. Like she can't be sure that Gabe Mellon really is Water Mellon's son. It could be a strange coincidence that he looks just like him. And does it really matter? It's not any of Ily's business if Water Mellon started his relations early and had a kid before he even made it to college. It's none of her business whether Gabe or Water know.

This is one situation that Ily would best stay away from.

******************

This was written on the fly and wraps up a few story ideas I had with Ily that I never could turn into an actual story.

After dinner at Gabe and Rich's house, Ily was following Gabe around. She even followed him into the bathroom at some point, and I was wondering what she was doing. She wasn't flirting with him, just following him to talk while Rich and Alberta were blissfully unaware in the game room.

I sort of forgot until just now while writing this that Ily works for Water, so I mentally made a note (a bad idea all around) that she's noticed that Gabe looks suspiciously a lot like Water. And Ily has a big ol' imaginary crush on Water. (Who wouldn't? He probably talks about "his girls" all the time while flirting the night away.)

There are other sims, one specifically that I can think of, who would also probably notice that Gabe looks familiar, even if they can't place why.

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Fit

She fit in his arms perfectly.




Hot water bubbled in the spaces between their bodies so that there was no space; the water connected their bodies as if they were already pressed against each other and Rich dared himself to pull Ily close and squeeze the water from the spaces between them.

Ily didn't fight him. She didn't suddenly rise claiming that she had to head home as he expected she would do. Gently, she lifted an arm to wrap around him as she softly caressed his back with her thumb. Her lips kissed along his scruffy jaw to his ear lobe which she gently and playfully nipped-- catching his lobe between her soft lips and grazing them with her teeth.


Rich closed his eyes and pressed his face into her silky, peach-scented hair as her kisses began working their way down his neck to his shoulder oh so slowly. His arms squeezed her tightly. The always in control Ily was in his arms and nipping at his ear. If rumors were true, there weren't many men who could say Ily Stratton had nipped at their ears.

Richard was very aware that just next door was his room. In the large house it was like being alone. No one would expect him up for breakfast. His parents would leave early for work.


There had only been one other girl in his bed. But at the time he had been so young and inexperienced that any noise he heard broke his concentration. Not much had happened that night. Now he was close to being an adult. He would be leaving to college soon. So would Ily.

Ily's sigh tickled his ear. "I have to go," she whispered.

"Why?"

She smiled as if she knew exactly what he had been thinking only moments before. "Because it's almost 2am."

As Ily put her clothes on over her swim suit, Rich wished he could be the sort of man who could grab her and plant an unforgettable kiss on her before casually dismissing her with a "See ya."

Rich repressed a sigh. Ily was a trap that he had fallen for and now he was wrapped around her little finger.

************************

I am so falling in love with these two. I left them alone for a minute and found them in the hot tub together.

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After Dinner

"I'll put the dishes away, man." Gabe put a hand on Rich's arm to stop him from grabbing the plate in front of him. "It's only fair since you cooked."

Ily looked at Gabe quickly. "I'll help."

Alberta glanced at Rich in her own surprise to see his reaction. Rich only glanced from Gabe to Ily before he suggested, "Fine. Alberta and I'll be in the game room then."



The darts weighed heavily in Alberta's hands. She'd played the game before with Gabe, but playing with Rich was different. Rich had never spoken much to her at school, as if the years difference between them were a massive chasim that couldn't be bridged.

Now the older boy stood watching her with a smile as she tried her best to aim.


Rich cringed at the dart in the wall. "Uh, Alberta, maybe we shouldn't have you throwing sharp objects at the wall," Rich gently removed the darts from her hands.

Alberta stood back to watch to watch Rich expertly toss the darts. Rich would be heading off to college soon. The next time she saw him, he'd be a proper adult. It was amazing what just a few years between them could do.


Gabe would be leaving for college next year. He'd become an adult and she wouldn't see him until he came back on his break.* She had never dared think about it before, and at the thought her chest painfully pressed against her heart. Gabe would be gone next year, and she would be completely alone.

Well except for Kate. But it wasn't the same with Kate. Kate wouldn't gently pat Alberta's hand if she happened to notice Alberta was uncomfortable. Kate's skinny arms wrapped around her in a hug weren't nearly as comforting as Gabe's muscular forearms wrapping around her shoulders and drawing her near enough to smell the warmth from his chest.


Gabe returned from washing the dishes with Ily following close behind him. His eyes fell on Alberta with a small smile as he put a hand on her hip. "It's getting late. I should take you home so your Grandmother will let you out again."

*****************************

*A sim goes to college for only two years (I play through two college years in one neighborhood year). The deal is that they can't return home and family can't visit them. Only once in those two years do they get a break where they can come home. It's okay to call and write emails and letters, but the college sims are meant to experience life on their own with no support.

I call the college Vision Quest after the Native American passage into adulthood. It sounded like a good idea for stories. I already have some ideas going on for when Gabe leaves. A two year leave-- will his relationship with Alberta last?

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The dinner

"Alberta, it's nice to see you here."

Alberta nodded and thanked Mayor Mellon politely. She sat in front of a very apetizing looking salmon which seemed to only make her even more nauseous. If anyone knew of her situation, Mayor Mellon would. After her grandmother passed away, Alberta had to register the cemetary as hers. She had made no contact with Mayor Mellon himself, but she was sure he had to know.

Fortunately, he didn't say anything.

His wife sat down at the table close behind Gabe and turned a warm smile on Alberta that almost cured her stomach enough to take a bite of her salmon. "I'm glad you could come. Please feel free to come visit us any time."

Did she know? If Mayor Mellon knew, then it could be possibly that he had told Gabe's mother as well. "Th--thank you."

Gabe gently patted her hand which sat on her thigh. Alberta glanced around the table to be sure no one had noticed his pat, but everyone was already paying attention to Ily who also hadn't realized that Rich was such a good cook. "I want to have one of the biggest parties on campus when I graduate. Like maybe fifty sims. You could be the chef for it!"


Rich looked shocked at her audacity. Alberta could see Gabe's mother trying not to laugh. "First off, fifty sims? Are there even that many students? And second off, I wouldn't be invited?"

Ily's smile dropped suddenly, and for a moment, Alberta wondered if Ily was being serious. "What? Of course you'd be invited!"


"To cook, right?"

Alberta was thankful to both of them for providing the entertainment for the rest of the dinner. It took any attention away from her. Gabe's parents didn't ask her any awkward questions.

At some point during the dinner, everyone became quiet and focused closely on their food. Alberta took her time with her bites, chewing slowly and letting the flavors bloom in her mouth. Something in the air had changed it seemed, but it was hard to tell what it was with her face in her plate.


Gabe's mother was the first to stand. "Well, girls, it had been a pleasure having some ladies around the house for a change. I hope we can do this again before you leave Ily."

Mayor Mellon also stood with a nod. "Please excuse us."

Gabe and Rich began snickering once their parents were out of sight, and even Ily had to cover her mouth.

"They do this pretty much every night," Gabe explained.

"Best thing to do is stay downstairs," Rich said with another snigger.

Alberta's cheeks burned when her thoughts caught up with their snickers.

****************

Oh ACR. Genesis and Richard are as bad as Lucy and Walter. But they actually get things done. (Like little Doug here-- who I couldn't work into the story.)

Richard is, of course, the mayor, and I'm pretty sure he is aware of Alberta's situation. But there isn't anything he can do unless she asks for help, and she hasn't asked.

Genesis owns the local magazine Legacy Living which I explain in detail here. I actually haven't visited it in a while because I've mostly been caught up in the boys' stories. But it's a pretty good business venture. It can make about 2,000 to 3,000 every time she visits.

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